Science and Prayer

While some may continue to deny that there is any connection between the two, there seems to be a strong connection between our body and our mind, or spirit.

Reports have shown for many years that people who attend a religious service regularly are healthier than most who don't. According to many reports on spirituality, these individuals have a lower risk of death than those who never attend. It seems that prayer and meditation help improve the immune system.

The benefits extend to good mental health as well. People who go to church regularly have lower rates of depression and have lower suicide rates. One reason could be that they are more socially integrated with members of their congregation. When they have a problem, they will likely have more friends who act as support systems.

According to many physicians who attend their pacients while in the hospital, those who have prayers offered for them seem to react positively and many heal faster.

People who attend church regularly also seem to take better care of their bodies...something about being a temple perhaps? They aren't as likely to smoke, they don't drink much and they have regular physicals.

While prayer may not cure disease the connection between the body and the mind cannot be denied. Because of this, the act of praying, or spirituality, may contribute to a positive outlook on life, your situation and faith in a better tomorrow which could lead to a healthier body.

A few inspirational articles that shoud lift your spirit and brighten your day. We will add more articles that will inspire you as we come across them. If you would like to submit an article, or story, please do so by contacting us at articles@retire-lifestyle.com. Enjoy. 

The Cab Ride

No one was waiting at the curb, so I walked to the door and knocked. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie. By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.

There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.

She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness.

'It's nothing', I told her. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated'.

'Oh, you're such a good boy', she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, and then asked, 'Could you drive through downtown?'

'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly.

'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice'.

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued. 'The doctor says I don't

have very long.'

I quietly reached over and shut off the meter..'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as  a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said,  'I'm tired. Let's go now'.

We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.

Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were  solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

'How much do I owe you?' she asked, reaching into her purse.

'Nothing,' I said

'You have to make a living,' she answered.

'There are other passengers,' I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.

'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said. 'Thank you.'

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.

 I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What

if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?

What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great

moments. But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what

others may consider a small one.

PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, BUT

THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance.

.

THE PASTOR'S CAT...

Dwight’s pastor had a kitten that climbed up a tree in his backyard and then was afraid to come down. He swears this is true. The pastor coaxed, offered warm milk, etc. The kitty would not come down. The tree was not sturdy enough to climb, so the pastor decided that if he tied a rope to his car and pulled it until the tree bent down, he could then reach up and get the kitten.That's what he did, all the while checking his progress in the car. He then figured if he went just a little bit further, the tree would be bent sufficiently for him to reach the kitten. But as he moved the car a little further forward, the rope broke.The tree went 'boing!' and the kitten instantly sailed through the air - out of sight.The pastor felt terrible. He walked all over the neighborhood asking people if they'd seen a little kitten. No. Nobody had seen a stray kitten.  So he prayed, 'Lord, I just commit this kitten to your keeping,' and went on about his business.A few days later he was at the grocery store, and met one of his church members. He happened to look into her shopping cart and was amazed to see cat food. This woman was a cat hater and everyone knew it, so he asked her, 'Why are you buying cat food when you hate cats so much?' 
She replied, 'You won't believe this,' and then told him how her little girl had been begging her for a cat, 
but she kept refusing. Then a few days before, the child had begged again, so the Mom finally told her little girl, 'Well, if God gives you a cat, I'll let you keep it.'
She told the pastor, 'I watched my child go out in the yard, get on her knees, and ask God for a cat. 
And really, Pastor, you won't believe this, but I saw it with my own eyes. A kitten suddenly came flying out of the blue sky, with its paws outspread, and landed right in front of her ..'

 



Dear Lord, So far today, I've
done all right.
I haven't gossiped, haven't
lost my temper,
haven't been greedy,
grumpy, nasty, selfish
or over-indulgent.
I'm really glad about that.
But in a few minutes, God,
I'm going
to get out of bed, and from
then on
I'm probably going to
need a lot more help!
Anonymous

TWO STORIES....You must read to the very end. To Come
.
.
          ANGELS ARE EVERYWHERE...
Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night
in the home of a wealthy family.

The family was rude and even refused to let the angels
stay in the mansion's guest room.

Instead the angels were given a small space in the cold basement.
As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it.
When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied,

'Things aren't always what they seem.'

The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife.

After sharing what little food they had the couple
let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest.

When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears.

Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field.

The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel “How could you have let this happen?

The first man had everything, yet you helped him“, she accused.
“The second family had so little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die“.

'Things aren't always what they seem,' the older angel replied.
'When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it…Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead.
Things aren't always what they seem.'

Sometimes that is exactly what happens when things don't turn out the way they should. If you have faith, you just need to trust that every outcome is always to your advantage. You just might not know it until sometime later...

Some people come into our lives and quickly go..
Some people become friends and stay awhile.....
leaving beautiful footprints on our hearts...

and we are never quite the same because we have
made a good friend!!
Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow a mystery.
Today is a gift.
That's why it's called the present!
Live and savor every moment... This is not a dress rehearsal!





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I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making...click to read the rest 

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