Beanie Books

Your good deeds could change the world Every Sunday morning I take a light jog around a park near my home. There’s a lake located in one corner of the park. Each time I jog by this lake, I see the same elderly woman sitting at the water’s edge with a small metal cage sitting beside her. This past Sunday my curiosity got the best of me, so I stopped jogging and walked over to her. As I got closer, I realized that the metal cage was in fact a small trap. There were three turtles, unharmed, slowly walking around the base of the trap. She had a fourth turtle in her lap that she was carefully scrubbing with a spongy brush. “ Hello, ” I said. “ I see you here every Sunday morning. If you don’t mind my nosiness, I’d love to know what you’re doing with these turtles. ” She smiled. “ I’m cleaning off their shells,” she replied. “Anything on a turtle’s shell, like algae or scum, reduces the turtle’s ability to absorb heat and impedes its ability to swim. It can also corr...

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes This story is about a famous research scientist who had made several very important medical breakthroughs. He was being interviewed by a newspaper reporter who asked him why he thought he was able to be so much more creative than the average person. What set him so far apart from others? He responded that, in his opinion, it all came from an experience with his mother that occurred when he was about two years old. He had been trying to remove a bottle of milk from the refrigerator when he lost his grip on the slippery bottle and it fell, spilling its contents all over the kitchen floor—a veritable sea of milk! When his mother came into the kitchen, instead of yelling at him, giving him a lecture, or punishing him, she said, “What a great and wonderful mess you have made! I have rarely seen such a huge puddle of milk. Well, the damage has already been done. Would you like to get down and play in the milk for a few minutes before we clean it...

Homeless Man Preaches It was a cold winter Sunday, and the church parking lot was filling up quickly. As Jake got out of his car, he noticed an area where fellow parishioners were whispering and pointing among themselves. As Jake got closer to the area, he saw a man leaning against the church’s wall, apparently asleep, or drunk. The man wore a long trench coat that was in tatters. His hat was pulled down low concealing his face. His shoes were past well-worn with holes where his toes poked through. Jake assumed he was another street person, so he walked past him and entered the church. A group had gathered in the back of the church discussing the man leaning against the church wall. Several people snickered and gossiped but no one bothered to check on his condition. Then the opening cords of the entrance song began to play. After the celebrant proclaimed the Gospel, the doors of the church clanged open. The street person entered lurching down the center aisle with h...

POPE FRANCIS’ WORDS Do you want to fast this Lent? Fast from hurting words and say kind words. Fast from sadness and be filled with gratitude. Fast from anger and be filled with patience. Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope. Fast from worries and trust in God. Fast from complaints and contemplate simplicity. Fast from pressures and be prayerful. Fast from bitterness and fill your heart with joy. Fast from selfishness and be compassionate to others. Fast from grudges and be reconciled. Fast from words and be silent so you can listen. Via the net. Click here to see some words from Pope Francis about fasting ideas.