The Miracle

A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes.

Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big Red Indian Chief sign above the door.

She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention, but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good. Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!

'And what do you want?' the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages,' he said without waiting for a reply to his question.

'Well, I want to talk to you about my brother,' Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. 'He's really, really sick...and I want to buy a miracle.'

'I beg your pardon?' said the pharmacist.

'His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?'

'We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you,' the pharmacist said, softening a little.

'Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs.'

The pharmacist's brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, 'What kind of a miracle does your brother need?'



' I don't know,' Tess replied with her eyes welling up. I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money.'

'How much do you have?' asked the man from Chicago

'One dollar and eleven cents,' Tess answered barely audibly.



'And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.'

'Well, what a coincidence,' smiled the man. 'A dollar and eleven cents --- the exact price of a miracle for little brothers. '

He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said 'Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the miracle you need.'

That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well.

Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place.


'That surgery,' her Mom whispered. 'was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?'

Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost..one dollar and eleven cents....plus the faith of a little child.


In our lives, we never know how many miracles we will need.

A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law.

MY OATH TO YOU...

When you are sad.....I will dry your tears.

When you are scared.....I will comfort your fears.

When you are worried.....I will give you hope.

When you are confused.....I will help you cope.

And when you are lost....And can't see the light,
I shall be your beacon....Shining ever so bright.

This is my oath .... I pledge till the end.

Why you may ask? ....Because you're my friend.


Signed:
GOD

Real life Thumbelina ...
Five-year-old Kenadie Jourdin-Bromley suffers from a rare condition that makes her look like a doll that's come to life. Here's her website
http://littlekenadie.com/main.html

Even though lively Kenadie Jourdin-Bromley is almost four years old, she is so tiny she can be bathed in the bathroom basin. Weighing a tiny 5kg, Kenadie is the same size as a newborn baby and no bigger than the family's pet cat. It's taken some adjustment for Kenadie's loving mum Brianne, 26, and dad Courtney, 29, to accept their daughter will never grow up to be big and strong like other children her age, but they have come to adore their special little angel. She's a living, breathing Thumbelina — a perfect miniature standing just 66cm tall with tiny shell-like hands and delicate baby fingers.

"When people see her running about and laughing, they can't believe it," says Brianne. "They're fascinated. They think she's like a little doll come to life." When she goes shopping with her mum, people stare in wonder and try to touch her, she's become the star in her hometown.

Fortunately, Kenadie's a happy outgoing girl, so most of the time she doesn't mind the attention, but occasionally she does find it a bit overwhelming. "Sometimes she goes to daycare and all the other children want to play with her," explains her mum. "They start calling out as soon as we walk in, but they tower above her — some are two or three times her size — and at times she can find it all a bit too much."

Kenadie was born with a rare genetic condition known as primordial dwarfism, which causes growth to be stunted from conception. Such children grow very slowly until their mid-teens, but look like miniature people because their bodies remain within normal proportions...

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Disney's Tree of Life

I came across some photographs taken of the Tree of Life.

Walt Disney World Resort is located in Orlando, Florida in the United States of America. At the moment, it is the largest recreational resort in the world. It has four theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom) and two water parks.

The Tree of Life is the icon of Disney's Animal Kingdom Park. The massive artificial tree stands around 44 meters high and is 50 feet in diameter at its base. There are more than 325 animal forms carved into the tree. The surrounding area of the tree is filled with live animals, such as, otters, flamingos, tamarinds, lemurs, tortoises, colorful ducks, storks, cranes and cockatoos.

More pictures ...



And where can we find this amazing tree?

Use the map below when you're in Disneyland.

Petai Oh Petai !

Petai

Petai (Parkia speciosa), is a plant of the genus Parkia in the family Fabaceae. The tree can grow to about 30 metres (90 feet) tall. Its flowers are pollinated by bats and other pollinators. After pollination, long, twisted, translucent pods emerge in a cluster of 7 or 8 pods. The mature pods contain the petai beans or seeds. These bright green seeds are around the size and shape of plump almonds. Some describe the shape as similar to broad beans. These petai seeds have a pungent, peculiar smell. Hence, petai is widely known as “stink bean”. The odour lingers in the mouth and body.

The petai seeds are best consumed when combined with other strong flavoured foods such as chilly, garlic and prawns. A favourite dish among the South East Asian natives is “sambal petai”. It has been noted that those who had consumed petai pass out urine with a strong odour. This odour can be detected up to two days after eating the bean. Similar to other beans, eating petai causes strong-smelling flatulence (kentut busuk)






Benefits of Petai

Petai contains natural sugars such as sucrose, fructose and glucose. It gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. It is claimed that two servings of petai can provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout.

Researchers claim that due to its high nutritional content, consuming petai can help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions.

Depression:
Petai contains tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make a person more relaxed. It also helps to improve a person’s mood and make him happier. According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND, people suffering from depression felt much better after eating petai.

PMS(premenstrual syndrome):
Petai contains vitamin B6 that helps to regulate blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.Anaemi a: High in iron, petai can stimulate the production of haemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anaemia.

Blood Pressure:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the petai industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power :
200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating petai at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation:
High in fiber, including petai in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers:
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a petai milkshake, sweetened with honey. The petai calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn:
Petai has a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating petai for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness :
Snacking on petai between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites :
Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of the petai skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves:
Petai is high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight:
Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers:
Petai is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control :
Many other cultures see petai as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In hoiland, for example, pregnant women eat petai to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) :
Petai can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer, tryptophan.Smoking: Petai can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress:
Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium petai snack.

Strokes
According to research in "The New Engla nd Journal of Medicine, eating petai as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%".

Warts:
Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of petai and place it on the wart. Carefully hold the petai in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

Petai seems to be a natural remedy for many ills. Compared to an apple, petai has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around.

So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say,
"A Petai a day keeps the doctor away".

The Funeral

One day all the employees reached the office and they saw a big Notice on the door on which it was written:

“Yesterday the person who has
been hindering your growth
in this company passed away.
We invite you to join the funeral
in the room that has been prepared
in the gym.”

The excitement in the gym was such that security agents were ordered to control the crowd within the room. The more people reached the coffin, the more the excitement heated up.

In the beginning, they all got sad for the death of one of their colleagues, but after a while they started getting curious to know who was that man who hindered the growth of his colleagues and the company itself.

Everyone thought:
“Who is this guy who was hindering my progress?”
“Well, at least he died!”




There was a mirror inside the coffin:
Everyone who looked inside it could see himself.
There was also a sign next to the mirror that said:

“There is only one person
who is capable to set limits
to your growth:
It is YOU.”

You are the only person who can revolutionise your life.
You are the only person who can influence your happiness,
your realisation and your success.
You are the only person who can help yourself.
Your life does not change, when your boss changes,
when your friends change, when your parents change,
when your partner changes, when your company changes.
Your life changes when YOU change,
when you go beyond your limiting beliefs,
when you realize that you are the only one responsible for your life.

“Examine yourself, watch yourself,
handle yourself well in front of others.”

“Don't be afraid of difficulties, impossibilities and losses:
Be a winner, build yourself and your reality.”
“The most important relationship you can have;
is the one you have with yourself.”
It is not what happens to us,
it's the way we choose to handle life that makes the difference

Cool Thumb drives !!

GLITTERY THUMBS








This is platinum USB drive hand set with 350 white diamonds. It even comes with a solid platinum chain and you can have it for $38,000.






CUTE HELLO KITTY THUMBS!




YUMMY THUMBS

They look good enough to eat!








A DRINK TO GO WITH ALL THAT GLORIOUS FOOD?






WHAT ABOUT MIMOBOTS?




They are nifty little flash drives that look more like designer toys. These custom made Mimobots are designed by artist/graphic designer Ryan Waller


To Remember the Beijing Olympics




There’s currently no news on the availability and spec of this thumb drive, but if it comes in only as a free gift for officials then it will be hot stuff, or it could be sold as a souvenir during the event.