>  > The Three Little Birds . . .
>  >
>  > There once was a man named George
>  > Thomas, a pastor in a small New England
>  > town. One Easter Sunday morning he came
>  > to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird
>  > cage, and set it by the pulpit.  Several
>  > eyebrows were raised and, as if in  response,
>  > Pastor Thomas began to speak.   "I was
>  > walking through town yesterday when I saw a
>  > young boy coming toward me swinging this
>  > bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were
>  > three little wild birds, shivering with cold and
>  > fright. I stopped the lad and asked, "What you
>  > got there son?"
>  >
>  > "Just some old birds," came the reply.
>  >
>  > "What are you gonna do with them?" I asked.
>  > "Take 'em home and have fun with 'em, he
>  > answered. I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out
>  > their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna
>  > have a real good time."
>  >
>  > "But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or
>  > later.  What will you do then?"
>  >
>  > "Oh, I got some cats, said the little boy.
>  > They like birds. I'll take 'em to them."
>  >
>  > The pastor was silent for a moment. "How
>  > much do you want for those birds, son?"
>  >
>  > "Huh??!!! Why, you don't want them birds,
>  > mister. They're just plain old field birds.
>  >
>  > They don't sing - they ain't even pretty!"
>  >
>  > "How much?" the pastor asked again.
>  >
>  > The boy sized up the pastor as if he were
>  > crazy and said, "$10?"
>  >
>  > The pastor reached in his pocket and took  out
>  > a ten dollar bill. He placed it in the  boy's
>  > hand. In a flash, the boy was gone. The
>  > pastor picked up the cage and gently  carried
>  > it to the end of the alley where there was  a
>  > tree and a grassy spot.  Setting the cage
>  > down, he opened the door, and by softly
>  > tapping the bars persuaded the birds out,
>  > setting them free. Well, that explained the
>  > empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the
>  > pastor began to tell this story.
>  >
>  > One day Satan and Jesus were having a
>  > conversation. Satan had just come from the
>  > Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and
>  > boasting. "Yes, sir, I just caught the  world full
>  > of people down there. Set me a trap, used
>  > bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!"
>  >
>  > "What are you going to do with them?" Jesus
>  > asked.
>  >
>  > Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm
>  > gonna teach them how to marry and divorce
>  > each other, how to hate and abuse each
>  > other, how to drink and smoke and curse.   I'm
>  > gonna teach them how to kill each other.  I'm really  gonna
>  > have fun!"
>  >
>  > "And what will you do when you get done  with
>  > them?" Jesus asked.
>  > "Oh, I'll kill 'em, Satan glared proudly.
>  >
>  > "How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked.
>  >
>  > "Oh, you don't want those people. They  ain't
>  > no good. Why, you'll take them and they'll
>  > just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse  you
>  > and kill you!!  You don't want those
>  > people!!"
>  >
>  > "How much?" He asked again.
>  >
>  > Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All  your
>  > tears, and all your blood."
>  >
>  > Jesus said, "DONE".  Then He paid the  price.
>  >
>  > The pastor picked up the cage he opened the
>  > door and he walked from the pulpit.
>  >
>  > Notes:
>  >
>  > Isn't it funny how simple it is for people  to
>  > trash God and then wonder why the world's
>  > going to hell.
>  >
>  > Isn't it funny how we believe what the
>  > newspapers say, but question what the Bible
>  > says.
>  >
>  > Isn't it funny how everyone wants to go to
>  > heaven provided they do not have to  believe,
>  > think, say, or do anything the Bible says.
>  >
>  > Isn't it funny how someone can say "I  believe
>  > in God" but still follow Satan (who, by the
>  > way, also "believes" in God).
>  >
>  > Isn't it funny how you can send a thousand
>  > jokes through e-mail and they spread like
>  > wildfire, but when you start sending
>  > messages regarding the Lord, people think
>  > twice about sharing.
>  >
>  > Isn't it funny how the lewd, crude, vulgar and
>  > obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but
>  > the public discussion of Jesus is   suppressed
>  > in the school and workplace.
>  >
>  > Isn't it funny how when you go to forward this
>  > message, you will not send it to many on
>  > your address list because you're not sure
>  > what they believe, or what they will think  of
>  > you for sending it to them. >>
>
>