Change - The Story of the Eagle... Let's Learn from the Eagle

Thank you, Caroline for sending the following to us.

Been wanting to post this some time ago but have yet to locate your email and now as I have located it, here it is for all my readers to read:

"Let's end 2007 with self reflections and begin the new year 2008 with a positive and cheery attitude :-)
Happy and Blessed New Year!!" ~ Caroline


Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (KJV)

As studies have shown, during the 150-day period when the eagle is helpless, other eagles will bring it food.

The story of the eagle…


The eagle has the longest life-span of its species

It can live up to 70 years.

But to reach this age, the eagle must make a hard decision.

In its 40's

Its long and flexible talons can no longer grab prey which serves as food

Its long and sharp beak becomes bent

Its old-aged and heavy wings,

due to their thick feathers,

become stuck to its chest and make it difficult to fly

Then, the eagle is left with only two options:

die or go through a painful process of change which lasts 150 days.

The process requires that the eagle fly to a mountain top and sit on its nest

There the eagle knocks its beak against a rock until it plucks it out.

After plucking it out,

the eagle will wait for a new beak to grow back

and then it will pluck out its talons

When its new talons grow back, the eagle starts plucking its old-aged feathers

And after five months, the eagle takes its famous flight of rebirth and lives for ... 30 more years


Why is change needed?

Many times, in order to survive We have to start the change process. We sometimes need to get rid of old memories, Habits and other past traditions Only freed from the past burdens can we take Advantage of the present.

Here's the slide show of the above with beautiful pictures:

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Enjoy!
Jennifer
Original Author and Owner of Picture Unknown - If anyone like to claim them, kindly let me know and full credit will be given.

What a great life lesson... "A Seed".

“A SEED”... What a great life lesson for all! (A story emailed to me from a friend that I would like to share with all.)


A successful Christian business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.

He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you. "The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued." I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO".
One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure.

Six months went by--still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow. A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick at his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful--in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!" All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the financial director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!" When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed - Jim told him the story.

The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive! His name is Jim!" Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new CEO the others said? Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today.

But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow. All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive!"

Moral

If you plant honesty, you will reap trust

If you plant goodness, you will reap friends

If you plant humility, you will reap greatness

If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment

If you plant consideration, you will reap respect

If you plant hard work, you will reap success

If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation

If you plant faith in Christ, you will reap a harvest

So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.

Two thousand years ago Paul wrote to the church at Galatia the same story but with fewer words, "What you sow, so shall you reap". (Gal. 6:7)

We are grass that will wither and die but the incorruptible seed of Gods Word will live forever - sow it daily into the life of your families! (1 Peter 1: 23 - 25)

Author Unknown

Another version of this story can be found here.

Enjoy! May God Bless Your Soul!
Jennifer