He wouldn't let go........ and he never will

I wanted to share this message with you. I got it by e-mail from a dear friend. It is so awsome, I had to share it!! Coach Stan:

Some years ago, on a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.

His father working in the yard saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, he ran toward the water, yelling to his son as loudly as he could. Hearing his voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his father. It was too late. Just as he reached his father, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the father grabbed his little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the father, but the father was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard his screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.

Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his father's fingernails dug into his flesh in his effort to hang on to the son he loved.

The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, "But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Dad wouldn't let go."

You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle, He's been there holding on to you.

The Scripture teaches that God loves you. You are a child of God. He wants to protect you and provide for you in every way. But sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations, not knowing what lies ahead. The swimming hole of life is filled with peril - and we sometimes forget that the enemy is waiting to attack. That's when the tug-of-war begins - and if you have the scars of His love on your arms, be very, very grateful. He did not and will not ever let you go.

Please pass this on to those you love. God has blessed you, so that you can be a blessing to others. You just never know where a person is in his/her life and what they are going through.

Never judge other persons scars, because you don't know how they got them. Also, it is soooo important that we are not selfish, to receive the blessings of these messages, without forwarding them to someone else.

Right now, someone needs to know that God loves them and won't let go - is that you my friend? He loves you enough that no matter what the alligator is in your home, work place, etc. - he won't let go of you.

Isn't it time you stepped out of that "not so" comfortable zone your in and become all that God wants you to be. Remember, God won't let go of you - never.

The Price of Children

I have repeatedly seen the breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the first time I haveseen the rewards listed this way. It's nice, reallynice!!
The government recently calculated the cost of raisinga child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140 fora middle income family. Talk about sticker shock! That doesn't even touchcollege tuition. But $160,140 isn't so bad if youbreak it down. It translates into $8,896.66 a year, 741.38 a month, or $171.08 a week. That's a mere $24.24 a day! Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice is; don't have children if you want to be "rich." Actually, it is just the opposite. So what do you get for your $160,140? Naming rights. First, middle, and last! Glimpses of God every day. Giggles.... under the covers every night. More love than your heart can hold Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs. Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warmcookies. A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly orchocolate. A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites, buildingsand castles, andskipping down the sidewalk in the pouring rain.Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day. For $160,140, you never have to grow up. You get to fingerprint, carve pumpkins, play house,catch lightningbugs, and never stop believing in Santa Claus. You have an excuse to keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh, watching Saturday morning cartoons, going to Disneymovies, and wishingon stars. You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day. For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof, taking the training wheels off a bike, removing a splinter,filling a wading pool,coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless. You get a front row seat to history to witness the first step, first word, first bra, first date, and first time behind the wheel. You get to be immortal.You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, along list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match. In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patcha broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you,love withoutcounting the cost.

ENJOY YOUR CHILDREN AND GRAND CHILDREN! "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but the moments that take our breath away"