---------------------- Forwarded by Judy Hernandez/HOU/ECT on 08/02/2000 
09:06 AM ---------------------------
Sandra R McNichols   08/02/2000 08:54 AM

To: Juanita Marchand/HOU/ECT@ECT, Irene Flynn/HOU/ECT@ECT, Cheryl 
Dudley/HOU/ECT@ECT, Lisa Berg Carver/HOU/ECT@ECT, Angela Barnett/HOU/ECT@ECT, 
Cathy L Harris/HOU/ECT@ECT, Marvia Jefferson/HOU/ECT@ECT, Charlene 
Richmond/HOU/ECT@ECT, Julissa Marron/Corp/Enron@ENRON, Pamela 
Mitchell/HOU/ECT@ECT, Kathleen Speer/HOU/ECT@ECT, Judy Hernandez/HOU/ECT@ECT, 
Regina Blackshear/Corp/Enron@ENRON, Willie Harrell/HOU/ECT@ECT
cc:  
Subject: Grace that is Sufficient

 Subject: Empty Bird Cage
 
 There once was a man named George Thomas, a pastor in a small New
 England town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to 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 birdcage. 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?"
 "Oh, I got some cats," said the boy -- "They like birds. I'll
  take'em to them."
  The Pastor was silent for a moment. "How much do you want
  for the 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 boys 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 he persuaded 
birds                       out, setting them free.
 
 Well, that explained the empty birdcage 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 invent guns and bombs
 and 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??" Jesus 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, opened the door and walked from the
 pulpit.