Heaven's Grocery Store

As I was walking down life's highway many years ago
I came upon a sign that read "Heaven’s Grocery Store".

When I got a little closer the doors swung open wide.
And when I came to myself I was standing inside.

I saw a host of angels. They were standing everywhere
One handed me a basket and said “My child shop with care."

Everything a human needed was in that grocery store
And what you could not carry you could come back for more.

First I got some Patience. Love was in that same row.
Further down was Understanding, you need that everywhere you go.

I got a box or two of Wisdom and Faith a bag or two.
And Charity of course, I would need some of that too.

I couldn't miss the Holy Ghost, It was all over the place.
And then some Strength and Courage to help me run this race.

My basket was getting full but I remembered I needed Grace,
And then I chose Salvation for Salvation was for free
I tried to get enough of that to do for you and me.

Then I started to the counter to pay my grocery bill,
For I thought I had everything to do the Masters will.

As I went up the aisle I saw Prayer and put that in,
For I knew when I stepped outside I would run into sin.

Peace and Joy were plentiful, the last things on the shelf.
Song and Praise were hanging near so I just helped myself.

Then I said to the angel "How much do I owe?"
He smiled and said "Just take them everywhere you go."

Again I asked "Really now, how much do I owe?"
"My child " he said,
"God paid your bill a long, long time ago."





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The Carrot, The Egg & The Coffee Bean

Lesson: Overcoming Adversity

Source Credits

A daughter complained to her father about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the second he placed eggs, and the last he placed ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

The daughter waited impatiently, wondering what he was doing. In about twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in another bowl. Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a mug.

Turning to her he asked. "Darling, what do you see?"

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. She smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

She humbly asked. "What does it mean Father?"

He explained that each of them had faced the same adversity, boiling water, but each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. But after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you," he asked his daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond?

Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"


*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*


How about you my friend? Are you the carrot that seems hard, but with pain and adversity do you wilt and become soft and lose your strength?

Are you the egg, which starts off with a malleable heart? Were you a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a divorce, or a layoff, you have become hardened and stiff. Your shell looks the same, but are you bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and heart?

Or are you like the coffee bean? The bean changes the hot water, the thing that is bringing the pain, to its peak flavor when it reaches 212 degrees Fahrenheit. When the water gets the hottest, it just tastes better.

If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and make things better around you.

How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?





.....

Did Jesus Use A Modem?

Did Jesus use a modem at the sermon on the mount?
Did He ever try a broadcast fax to send His message out?
Did the disciples carry cell phones as they went about their route?
Did Jesus use a modem at the sermon on the mount?

Did St Paul use a laptop with lots of RAM and ROM?
Were his letters posted on a Bulletin Board at Paul.Rome.com?
Did the man from Macedonia send an E-mail saying "Come." ?
Did St Paul use a laptop with lots of RAM and ROM?

Did Moses use a Joystick at the parting of the Sea?
Or did he use GPS to show him where to be?
Did God write the law on tablets or are they really on CD?
Did Moses use a Joystick at the parting of the Sea?

Did Jesus really die for us one day upon a tree?
Or was it a hologram, or technical wizardry?
Can you download the Live Action Video Clip to play on your PC?
Did Jesus really die for us one day upon a tree?

Have the wonders of this modern age made you question what is true?
How a simple man, in a simple time, could offer life anew?
How a sinless life, a cruel death, then a glorious life again,
Could offer more to a desperate world than all the inventions of man?

If in your life, the voice of God is something hard to hear...
With other voices calling, If God doesn’t seem too clear,
Then set aside your laptop, modem and all your fancy gear,
And open your Bible, open your heart, and let God draw near.





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Just Checkin' In

A minister passing through his church in the middle of the day,
Decided to pause by the altar and see who had come to pray,
Just then the back door opened, a man came down the aisle,
The minister frowned as he saw the man hadn’t shaved in quite awhile.

His shirt was kinda shabby and his coat was worn and frayed.
The man knelt, he bowed his head, then rose and walked away
In the days that followed, each noon came this chap,
Each time he knelt for just a moment, a lunch box in his lap.

Well, the minister’s suspicions grew, with robbery a main fear,
He decided to stop the man and ask him, "Watcha’ doin’ here?"
The old man, he worked down the road; lunch was half an hour.
Lunchtime was his prayer time, for finding strength and power.

"I stay only moments, see, ‘cause the factory’s so far away;
As I kneel here talkin’ to the Lord, this is kinda’ what I say:
"I just came again to tell you, Lord, how happy I have been,
Since we found each other’s friendship and you took away my sin.
I don’t know how much of how to pray, But I think about you every day.
So Jesus, this is Jim, just checkin’ in." "

The minister feeling foolish, told Jim that was fine.
He told the man he was welcome to come and pray just anytime.
"Time to go", Jim smiled, said "Thanks". He hurried out the door.
The minister knelt at the altar, he’d never done it before.

His heart melted, warmed with love, met with Jesus there.
As the tears flowed, in his heart, he repeated old Jim’s prayer:
"I just came again to tell you, Lord, how happy I have been,
Since we found each other’s friendship and you took away my sin.
I don’t know how much of how to pray, But I think about you every day.
So Jesus, this is me, just checkin’ in." "

Past noon one day, the minister noticed that old Jim hadn’t come.
As more days passed without Jim, he began to worry some.
At the factory, he asked about him, learning he was ill.
The hospital staff was worried, but he’d given them a thrill.

The week that Jim was with them, brought changes in the ward.
His smiles, a joy contagious. Changed people, his reward.
The head nurse couldn’t understand why Jim was so glad,
When no flowers, calls or cards came, not a visitor he had.

The minister stayed by his bed, he voiced the nurse’s concern:
No friends came to show they cared. He had nowhere to turn.
Looking surprised, old Jim spoke up, and with a smile said,

"The nurse is wrong, she couldn’t know, that all the while
Everyday at noon He’s here, a dear friend of mine, you see,
He sits right down, takes my hand, leans over and says to me:

'I just came again to tell you, Jim, how happy I have been,
Since we found this friendship and I took away your sin.
I always love to hear you pray, I think about you every day.
And so Jim, this is Jesus, just checkin’ in.' ".





.....

The Perfect Employee

1 Bob Smith, my assistant programmer, can always be found
2 hard at work at his desk. He works independently, without
3 wasting company time talking to colleagues. Bob never
4 thinks twice about assisting fellow employees, and always
5 finishes given assignments on time. Often he takes extended
6 measures to complete his work, sometimes skipping coffee
7 breaks. Bob is a dedicated individual who has absolutely no
8 vanity in spite of his high accomplishments and profound
9 knowledge in his field. I firmly believe that Bob can be
10 classed as an asset employee, the type which cannot be
11 dispensed with. Consequently, I duly recommend that Bob be
12 promoted to executive management, and a proposal will be
13 executed as soon as possible.


Addendum:
That idiot was standing over my shoulder while I wrote the report sent to you earlier today. Kindly re-read only the odd numbered lines.





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Family Problems?

Source Credits

Two men met at a bus stop and struck up a conversation. One of them kept complaining of family problems.

Finally, the other man said: "You think you have family problems? Listen to my situation;

A few years ago I met a young widow with a grown-up daughter and we got married.

Later my father married my stepdaughter.

That made my stepdaughter my stepmother, and my father became my stepson.

Also, my wife became mother-in-law of her father-in-law.

Then the daughter of my wife, my stepmother, had a son.

This boy was my half-brother because he was my father's son, but he was also the son of my wife's daughter, which made him my wife's grandson.

That made me the grandfather of my half-brother.

This was nothing until my wife and I had a son.

Now the half-sister of my son, my stepmother, is also the grandmother.

This makes my father the brother-in-law of my child,
whose stepsister is my father's wife,
I'm my stepmother's brother-in-law,
my wife is her own child's aunt,
my son is my father's nephew and I'm my own grandfather!

And you think you have family problems!"





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The Soup Spoon
252 North Bridge Road
#B1-62 Rafffles City Shopping Centre

1 HarbourFront Walk
#02-43 VivoCity

200 Victoria Street
#B1-04 Bugis Junction

290 Orchard Road
#B1-K4 The Paragon

2 Orchard Turn
#B3-18 ION Orchard

5 Raffles Place
#B1-62 Raffles Xchange

1 Fusionopolis Way
#B2-10 Fusionopolis (Connexis Tower)

146 Market Street
#01-04 Market Street Car Park

120 Maxwell Road
#B1-31 Tanjong Pagar MRT Station X'Change

30 Raffles Place
#01-37 Chevron House

50 Jurong Gateway Road
#02-05 Jem

3 Temasek Boulevard
#02-308 Suntec City

68 Orchard Road
#03-21 Plaza Singapura

5 Changi Business Park Central 1
#B1-24 Changi City Point

4 Tampines Central 5
#B1-K2 Tampines Mall

112 East Coast Road
#B1-12 I12 Katong

http://www.thesoupspoon.com/


Satisfying Soups, Sides & Service
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 9
Value for Money: 7
Spent about SGD $13 per person.


.....


Since I first stumbled upon The Soup Spoon's Raffles Xchange outlet, I have been dining fairly regularly at their various outlets around the island.

Soups, Stews, Purees, Broths, Bisques & Bread Bowls
The Soup Spoon offers a good range of soups in their regular menu, and also have a special rotating menu every 2 weeks. What I like about their soups is that it's heartening, chock-full of ingredients (except purees), and overall pretty healthy. Even their regular size bowl would probably satisfy big eaters, while those with small appetites might want to share.

Tip: Do ask to see / sample the soup before buying, so you know exactly what you're getting, to prevent getting stuck with a big bowl of something you don't like. Upgrade your soup to a bread bowl for a more satisfying experience.

Crusty Pot Pies
There are no pictures of this on The Soup Spoon menu, nor can you sample it, so it's easy to miss. Which would be a shame, as they have really excellent Pot Pies. Basically a bowl of soup covered with a pastry crust, it's served with coleslaw and a drink. The pastry is light and flaky, though I personally dislike the taste of their coleslaw - Too sour for me. Only made upon order.

Note: The Soup Spoon offers a few flavors of soup which are not available on the regular menu for their Pot Pies. You can however "Create Your Own" Pot Pie by selecting a soup from the regular menu.

Sandwiches & Wraps
While The Soup Spoon sandwiches are tasty, I feel that overall they are not so value for money, as the fillings are quite little in proportion to the huge Focaccia loaf they come in. Could be better if the quantity of the fillings was increased.

Their wraps however, are value for money, with more fillings than the sandwiches, and are also tasty. Both sandwiches and wraps are made only upon order, and the ingredients used are always fresh.

Service
Efficient and polite. Made upon order food always arrives within 5 minutes, with a smile. When asking to sample their over-the-counter soups, staff are patient, helpful and knowledge about the ingredients and preparation of each soup.

Tables are cleared promptly after a customer leaves, and they also seem quite enthusiastic to clear your tray the minute you sit down at the table. I've even received compliements one would normally expect to hear at fine-dining restaurants, like "Excellent Choice, Sir!"

I also notice they hire quite a few mature workers at most establishments, perhaps due to the government's campaign? Hmm....


.....

Crusty Pot Pie

Velvety Mushroom Stroganoff

Tangy Tomato Soup With Basil

Meatless Minestrone With Gremolata

Roasted Pumpkin Soup With Caramelized Apple & Toasted Almonds

Roast Beef Wasabi Sandwich

Beef Goulash

Simon And Garfunkel Chicken And Mushroom Ragout

Chicken Mushroom Wrap

Tokyo Chicken Stew

Roast Duck Wrap

Boston Clam Chowder

Falafel With Hummus Wrap

Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup

Provencal Beef Stew

Spicy Tomato Seafood Soup

Spicy Tomato Seafood Soup Crusty Pot Pie

Chicken Mushroom Soup

Chicken Mushroom Soup Crusty Pot Pie

Seafood Jambalaya With Rice

Home Style Cock-A-Doodle Soup

Nikujaga With Japanese Mushrooms And Wasabi Beef Stew

Indochine Prawn Wrap

Irish Beef Stew With Stout

Roasted Cauliflower With Fennel And Blue Cheese Soup

Seafood Miso Stew

French Onion Soup

Beef Bourguignon

Prawn Bitsque

.....

Best Fries Forever
8 Grange Road
#B1-06 Cathay Cineleisure Orchard

252 North Bridge Road
#B1-55 Raffles City Shopping Centre

http://www.bestfriesforever.com/


More Like Mediocre Fries Forever
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 3
Ambience & Setting: 2
Food & Beverage: 5
Service: 5
Value for Money: 3
Spent about SGD $4 per person.


.....


At Best Fries Forever, they charge $4 for a "regular" (relatively small) cup of fries. This is definitely pricey. In comparison, buying a pack of Fries from MacDonald's is both cheaper, and you get more quantity.

Taste-wise, these straight cut fries with skin on, are just average. The accompanying sauces at Best Fries Forever, however, are pretty good, and really improve the overall taste.

Recommended if you're the kind of person who likes a variety of sauces, not recommended for anyone else.


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Fries Wazabee - Wasabi & Crispy Seaweed

Fries Wow Wow West - Chilli Beef & Cheese

Fries Curry Favor - Rich Curry Gravy

Fries Ole Ole - Creamy Spanish Salsa

Fries Friendly Fire - Hot Chilli Blend

Fries Gusto Garlic - Garlic & Herbs

Fries Macho Cheese - Nacho Cheese

Coney Dog
This Coney Dog is a must-try. Biting into one almost reminds you of the Coney Dogs once sold by A & W. Tasty and juicy, the (Beef) Chili Sauce and Onions topping is really good. At $3.50 each, it's also quite reasonable. If only they could add cheese.....

Coney Dog

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IKEA Restaurant & Cafe
317 Alexandra Road
2F IKEA Alexandra

60 Tampines North Drive 2
4F IKEA Tampines

http://www.ikea.com/sg/

Salmon Lasagne (SGD $8.90)