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Touched By An Angel
By: Dave Cole
Walking home alone one day from her class in New
York City, something stopped her. A noise, a faint,
very faint......pathetic mewing.
As the young pharmaceutical student pushed aside
the weeds in this abandoned lot and knelt down, she
found this pitifully emaciated, obviously dehydrated,
little orphan Coon cat.
Little did our hero realize just how serious the trouble was.
The kitty was feverish, her eyes watery and barely open.
Her natural black coat with it's chest bib of white was a
lifeless, rat-colored gray, matted with excrement and dirt.
The symptoms were frighteningly familiar and heartbreakingly
classic: distemper.
Our young student petted her tentatively. Weak as the
kitten was, it somehow managed to raise her little head
and look at the student....it was a look of gratitude and
a plea for help that the young college student never, ever
has forgotten.
Without hesitating, our Angel of Mercy picked the kitty
up and raced to the nearest phone booth. Frantically
leafing through the Yellow Pages she called the first
veterinarian listed.
The situation was explained and the kitten's symptoms, but
to her dismay was told there was nothing she could do.
Call after call to every vet in the book returned the same
response. Finally one veterinary clinic agreed to see her.
Distemper was in those days routinely accepted as being
virtually incurable for cats, for kittens it was a death
sentence.
Wrapping the little orphan in her sweater, she raced for her
car. The little kitten tried to push her nose against the
arm of this lady seeking comfort and reassurance. As
the young lady started driving to the clinic she named the
little kitten, Tashi.
Upon arrival at the clinic she felt like crying. It was wedged
between a butcher shop and a laundromat in a run down
section of Brooklyn. From the outside the place looked like
a flophouse. The waiting room wasn't much better.
The doctor, Dr. Goldberg led them in to the examining
room immediately. Before Tashi could even be put on the
table, the doctor was preparing a syringe and gave her
an injection. Examining the kitten from head to tail the doctor
only shook his head.
The young student, lips quivering and heart pounding asked....
"Will she....?" she couldn't even finish the sentence.
"You must force her to eat." came the reply. "There is
nothing more I can do." "Bring her back tomorrow,
if she is still alive."
Back at home in her tiny apartment, this young lady
spent the entire evening hand feeding Tashi at regular intervals.
Distemper is known for causing cats to refuse to eat or
drink and therefore, unwittingly starving them to death.
Tashi seemed to view the nutritional ministrations as
cruel and unusual punishment. It broke the students heart,
yet she couldn't really blame Tashi.
The student ignored Tashi's feeble protests and sustained
herself by repeating, "All's fair in love and war." This was war
and our hero was in love.
At 5 in the morning battle fatigue set in. Tashi seemed no
better for all the love and attention. Totally exhausted
this Angel of Mercy fell asleep alongside Tashi. She
didn't even want to think of waking up.
Three hours later she had no choice. Two white tipped
paws were patting her nose, the black tail was tickling
her chin, and a warm furry head was rubbing against her chest.
Our hero was euphoric!
Tashi had made it through the night.
Every day that first week she made a trip back to
Dr. Goldberg. Every day, the doctor sadly shook his
head and said, "Bring her back tomorrow, if she's
still alive."
Within 4 weeks the scrawny Brooklyn back lot orphan
blossomed into a five pound bundle of boundless energy
and remarkable beauty......and this young lady's life
was forever changed.
Jane Bicks no longer wanted to be a pharmacist.
God had sent an angel in the form of an almost dead kitten
and placed that kitten in a spot where He knew Jane
would find it.
Jane Bicks had found her calling in life.
Taking Tashi with her to Italy, Jane graduated summa
cum laude from veterinary school at the University of Parma.
Dr. Jane Bicks has served as the President of the Veterinary
Medical Association of NYC, served on the Advisory Board
of the Cornell University Feline Health Center, helped set
up the largest animal shelter in the world: the Center for
Animal Care and Control, has authored 3 books on pet
care, appeared as veterinary expert on CBS' "48 Hours",
ABC's "Good Morning America", and many, many other
national TV shows. At present she is veterinary expert
for the Animal Planet series, "Petsburgh".
She has won numerous awards in her line of work including
three Presidential Citations. Dr. Bicks is one of the pioneers
of veterinary nutritional/alternative medicine and is
recognized nationally as a foremost authority in the
natural treatment of animals.
Currently Dr. Bicks is the Executive Director of New Product
Development and Education for HealthyPetNet where
she oversees all product development and supervises
a board of veterinarians and pet industry experts who
ensure HealthyPetNet's cutting-edge formulas meet the
highest standards for quality and effectiveness.
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What Is Your Calling In Life?
By: Dave Cole
Jane Bicks found something in her life that has forever
changed the course of animal nutrition. That something
has helped thousands upon thousands of pets & animals
live longer and healthier lives, and thus given those pet owners
more years of enjoyment and fewer vet bills.
That something is what motivates Dr. Bicks to get up
in the morning and work until late evening.
She was given a purpose in life.
Jane Bicks is one of the most respected holistic veterinarians
in the world. That something brought her to the place of
world fame.
Jane could have said no to that something.
It was her choice.
Jane Bicks is also one of the most gracious, caring ladies you
would ever want to meet. Her whole focus in life is to
help as many animals as possible.
On the day she picked up that little dying kitten,
God Almighty extended to her a most precious gift.
It was a gift of love, a gift of mercy, a gift of compassion
and the gift of a true purpose in life.
God put a calling on her life.
Do you know what your calling in life is?
I have a calling in my life. I know what God wants me to
do. When I get up in the morning I do so with a purpose.
That doesn't mean there still aren't struggles, and problems,
and defeats. It does mean I am helped by a higher power
in the universe than my own to see past these problems
and temporary setbacks.
You see, when you get a calling on your life, and you say
yes to it, you also receive spiritual forces that help you
accomplish what you are called to do.
When you are doing the will of the higher power in your
life....and we respect that there are so many diverse
cultures and religious beliefs that read us......yet every
one of them does believe in the existence of a higher
power in the universe; when your life is in harmony with
what that higher power has chosen for you......
Then,....... then, you can find and experience true satisfaction
and joy and rewards.
When your life is in opposition to those spiritual forces,
then the consequences will not, nor can they be,
as pleasant.
I ask you again, Do you know what your calling in life is?
How many times do we all find ourselves looking at
various opportunities out there on the Net and thinking
of how much we can get or make from it.
How many times do we place ads with the extent purpose
of only making a dollar.
Do you want to know why Internet marketing opportunities
are collapsing left and right....and why people are not making
money?
Do you and I promote our opportunity because we want
to make money.......or do we promote it because we
sincerely and genuinely care about the success of the
person who clicks on our ads or joins up under us?
Are we so hung up on making a buck that we forget
who we really are and what our real purpose is in life.
Please understand, I am not putting down any person or
any opportunity. I am as much a capitalist as any of you and
do desire and expect a return on my dollar invested
in my businesses.
But what I am saying is......am I promoting a business
because I want to get rich.....or because I have the integrity
to know that my products and opportunity will genuinely
help others to find success.
I confess, I've joined with more than one opportunity
just cause I could see a fast buck in it.
So I'm learning as you are.
Is what I am doing, and promoting, and writing, and saying
to people what the higher power in my life has called me to do?
If I'm following my calling it's really pretty cool...because
you know what.....then it really doesn't matter whether I make
money or not.
Then,....at that point.....making money is not the focus
of my life. My focus is on what I'm supposed to be doing.
Then....if the money comes, fine. If it doesn't, fine.
It really doesn't matter. I'm still a success.
And you know what else......when you give up the focus
on making money and switch the focus to doing what
you are called, then and only then can you really call
yourself rich and wealthy.
And what a strange anomaly it is.....when your focus gets
off making money and on to doing what your calling is, then
the money does come.
Dr. Jane Bicks is one of the richest persons I know.
She's discovered that in the big picture in life..... and I
hope you can make the jump with me here......money
doesn't really mean much of anything at all.
She became rich because she said yes to that calling
and it did not matter at what cost to her. She has followed
and remained true to that calling and would not ever
compromise her integrity even though at times it
would have made life easier for her.
A calling is a gift from above.
Receive your calling, ......say yes to it, .......and you
will become more of a success than you ever imagined.
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I hope this meant something to you today.
It came from my heart.
As always, enjoy your life, enjoy your day, it's God's
great gift to you,
Today our great blessing is: YOU!
Dave Cole
Prosperity: The Choice Is Yours
Copyright © 2003