Bear's Inspirations

Bear's Inspirations This page is dedicated to the Inspirations done every morning on Kissin 99.3 in Columbus,GA with Be

04/16/2026

Giving Blood



Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at Stanford Hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness.

The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes, I'll do it if it will save Liz."

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?"

Being young, the boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood.



Attitude, after all, is everything.




Mandi Collier
Bear's Inspiration Page
www.bearsinspirations.homestead.com

04/15/2026

THE NAIL

As the story goes, they built a new church building and people came from far

and wide to see it. They admired its beauty! Up on the roof, a little nail heard the people praising everything about the lovely structure-except the nail! No one even knew he was there, and he became angry and jealous.

"lf I am that insignificant, nobody will miss me if I quit!" So the nail then released its hold, slid down the roof, and fell in the mud.

That night it rained and rained. Soon, the shingle that had no nail blew away, and the roof began to leak. The water streaked the walls and the beautiful murals. The plaster began to fall, the carpet was stained, and the pulpit Bible was ruined by water. All this because a little nail decided to quit!

But what of the nail? While holding the shingle, it was obscure but it was also useful. Buried in the mud it was just as obscure, but now it was useless and would soon be eaten up by rust!

The moral of the story-EVERY MEMBER IS IMPORTANT TO THE CHURCH! You may, Hike the nail, feel obscure at times, but just like the nail, your Absence felt. When you are not present for worship, in some way the body of Christ hurts. We are ALL a part of the Lord's ministry.



- Author Unknown

Mandi Collier
Bear's Inspiration Page
www.bearsinspirations.homestead.com

04/14/2026

The Cross At The Pool

In 1967 while taking a class in photography at the University of Cincinnati, I became acquainted with a young man named Charles Murray who also was a student at the school and training for the summer Olympics of 1968 as a high diver.

Charles was very patient with me as I would speak to him for hours about Jesus Christ and how He had saved me. Charles was not raised in a home that attended any kind of church, so all that I had to tell him was a fascination to him.

He even began to ask questions about forgiveness of sin. Finally, the day came that I put a question to him. I asked if he realized his own need of a redeemer and if he was ready to trust Christ as his own Savior. I saw his countenance fall and the guilt in his face. But his reply was a strong "no” In the days that followed he was quiet and often I felt that he was avoiding me, until I got a phone call and it was Charles.

He wanted to know where to look in the New Testament for some verses that I had given him about salvation. I gave him the reference to several messages and asked if I could meet with him. He declined my offer and thanked me for the Scripture. I could tell that he was greatly troubled, but I did not know where he was or how to help him.

Because he was training for the Olympic games, Charles had special privileges at the University pool facilities. Some time between 10:30 and 11:00 that evening he decided to go swim and practice a few dives. It was a clear night in October and the moon was big and bright. The University pool was housed under a ceiling of glass panes so the moon shone bright across the top of the wall in the pool area. Charles climbed to the highest platform to take his first dive. At that moment the Spirit of God began to convict him of his sins. All the Scripture he had read, all the occasions of witnessing to him about. All the Scripture he had read, all the occasions of witnessing to him about Christ flooded his mind. He stood on the platform backwards to make his dive, spread his arms to gather his balance, looked up to the wall and saw his own shadow caused by the light of the moon. It was the shape of a cross. He could bear the burden of his sin no longer. His heart broke and he sat down on the platform and asked God to forgive him and save him. He trusted Jesus Christ twenty some feet in the air.



Suddenly, the lights in the pool area came on. The attendant had come in to check the pool. As Charles looked down from his platform he saw an empty pool which had been drained for repairs. He had almost plummeted to his death, but the cross had stopped him from disaster.



1 cor 1:18 : "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God"





Mandi Collier
Bear's Inspiration Page
www.bearsinspirations.homestead.com

04/13/2026

The Necklace

The cheerful little girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five.

Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them, a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.

Oh mommy please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?"

Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.

"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself.

Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."

As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.

Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up.

She wore them everywhere, Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night as he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"

"Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess, the white horse from my collection, the one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gave me. She's my very favorite."

"That's okay, Honey, Daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?"

"Daddy, you know I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."

"That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you."

And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.

A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.

"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"

Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, Daddy, this is for you."

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny.

He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure. So it is, with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasures.

Isn't God good? Are you holding onto things that God wants you to let go of? Are you holding on to harmful or unnecessary partners, relationships, habits and activities that you have come so attached to that it seems impossible to let go? Sometimes it is so hard to see what is in the other hand but do believe this one thing .... God will never take away something without giving you something better in its place.

Mandi Collier
Bear's Inspiration Page
www.bearsinspirations.homestead.com

04/12/2026

A Good Brew

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor.



Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the

kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.



All the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said:

"If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken

up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that t he cup itself, adds no quality to the coffee in most cases, just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.



What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... and then began eyeing each other's cups.



Now consider this: Life is the coffee, and the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us."

God brews the coffee, not the cups enjoy your coffee

Mandi Collier
Bear's Inspiration Page
www.bearsinspirations.homestead.com

04/09/2026

I Got Flowers Today.

I got flowers today.

It wasn't my birthday or any other special day.

We had our first argument last night,

And he said a lot of cruel things that really hurt me.

I know he is sorry and didn't mean the things he said

Because he sent me flowers today.



I got flowers today.

It wasn't our anniversary or any other special day

Last night, he threw me into a wall and started to choke me.

It seemed like a nightmare.

I couldn't believe it was real.

I woke up this morning sore and bruised all over.

I know he must be sorry,

Because he sent me flowers today.



I got flowers today,

and it wasn't Mother's Day or any other special day.

Last night, he beat me up again.

And it was much worse than all the other times.

If I leave him, what will I do?

How will I take care of my kids?

What about money?

I’m afraid of him and scared to leave.

But I know he must be sorry,

Because he sent me flowers today.



I got flowers today.

Today was a very special day.

It was the day of my funeral.

Last night, he finally killed me.

He beat me to death.

If only I had gathered enough courage and strength to leave him,

I would not have gotten flowers today.



STOP DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TODAY!!! DO NOT TOLERATE IT!!!!!



Mandi Collier
Bear's Inspiration Page
www.bearsinspirations.homestead.com

04/08/2026

The Saucer

San Francisco is home to hundreds of little stores that sell both worthless junk and valuable antiques. Savvy shoppers can find some real treasures among all the debris.

One day an antique connoisseur walked into one of these stores. Browsing the items for sale, he came across an unremarkable cat Drinking milk from a saucer on the floor. The man immediately recognized this saucer as genuine Ming Dynasty, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. And here it was on the floor, with a cat drinking milk out of it! The shop owner obviously did not know its worth.

Immediately, the man started scheming how to get it for cheap, without the shopkeeper knowing what he was selling. He turned to the shopkeeper and said, "You know, that's a very striking cat you have there. I'd really like to buy your cat."

"Well," answered the shopkeeper, "the cat is not really for sale."

"I insist," the man replied. "Would you take $100 for the cat?"

"That's very generous," said the shopkeeper with a shake of his head.

"I don't think this cat is worth $100, but if you want the cat that badly, you can have it."

The man paid for the cat and then, as if he'd just thought of it, said, "Oh, one more thing. I'm going to need something to use as a feeding dish for the cat, so I'll give you another $5 for that little saucer there on the floor."

"Oh, I could never do that," said the shopkeeper. "You see, that's no ordinary saucer. That's a piece of rare china from the Ming Dynasty and its worth is incalculable. But amazingly enough, ever since I started feeding my cats out of it, I've sold 12 cats."

That shopkeeper degraded something of great value to upgrade the worth of his cats. God also used something of great value to redeem us and to give us life--Christ, who was degraded on the cross so that we could be upgraded to eternal life. As a result, we have become priceless treasures.

On the other hand, customers who didn't know any better walked by the cat's milk dish without realizing that they were walking past a treasure. Next time you walk past what look like ordinary persons, don't be fooled. They're treasures--people God loves so much that he sacrificed his Son on their behalf.


Mandi Collier
Bear's Inspiration Page
www.bearsinspirations.homestead.com

04/07/2026

The Map

A father wanted to read a magazine but was interrupted by his little girl. She wanted to know what the United States looked like. Finally, he tore a sheet out of his new magazine on which was printed the map of the country. Tearing it into small pieces for each state, he gave it to his daughter, and said, "See if you can put this together. This will show you our whole country today."



After a few minutes, she handed him the map correctly fitted together with tape. The father was surprised and asked how she had finished so quickly. "Oh," she said, "on the other side of the paper is a picture of Jesus. When I got all of Jesus back where He belonged, then our country just came together."



Can I hear an AMEN!!!!!!

Mandi Collier
Bear's Inspiration Page
www.bearsinspirations.homestead.com

04/01/2026

Winter

You know, time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was a young boy, just married and embarking on my new life with my wife.
And yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all... And I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams...
But, here it is ...the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise. ..How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my babies go? And where did my youth go?
I remember well. ..seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like...
But, here it is...my wife retired a few months ago and she's really getting gray....she moves slower and I see an older woman now. She's in much better shape than me...but, I see the great change...
Not the one I married who was perky, young and strong...
but, like me, her age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd be.
Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore ...it's mandatory! Cause if I don't on my own free will... I just fall asleep where I sit!
And so, now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things.
But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last....This I know, that when it's over... I will enjoy the spring in the arms of my loving Father....and wait for my loved ones to come when their winter is over too...

So, if you’re not in your winter yet ...let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly!

For remember that scripture? .our life is but a v***r, it vanished away ...So, do what you can today, because you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not!

You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life... so, live for the Lord today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember...

04/01/2026

Phillip's Egg
Phillip was born with Down syndrome. He was a pleasant child. . Happy it seemed but increasingly aware of the difference between himself and other children. Phillip went to Sunday School faithfully every week. He was in the third grade class with nine other eight-year olds. You know eight-year olds. And Phillip, with his differences, was not readily accepted. But his teacher was sensitive to Phillip and he helped this group of eight-year olds to each other as best they could, under the circumstances. They learned, they laughed, and they played together. And they really cared about one another, even though eight-year olds don't say they care about one another out loud.

But don't forget. There was an exception to all this. Phillip was not really a part of the group. Phillip did not choose, nor did he want to be different. He just was. And that was the way things were.
His teacher had a marvelous idea for his class the Sunday after Easter. You know those things that panty hose come in, the containers that look like great big eggs? The teacher collected ten of them. The children loved it when he brought them into the room and gave one to each child. It was a beautiful spring day, and the assignment was for each child to go outside, find the symbol for new life, put it into the egg, and bring it back to the classroom. They would then open and share their new life symbols and surprises, one by one.
It was glorious. It was confusing. It was wild. They ran all around the church grounds, gathering their symbols, and returned to the classroom.
They put all the eggs on a table, and then the teacher began to open them. All the children gathered around the table. He opened one and there was a flower, and they ooh-ed and aah-ed. He opened another and there was a little butterfly. "Beautiful' the girls all said, since it is hard for eight-year
old boys to say 'beautiful.' He opened another and there was a rock and as third-graders will, some laughed, and some said, "That's crazy! How's a rock supposed to be like new life?" But the smart little boy who'd put it in there spoke up: "That's mine. And I knew all of you would get flowers and buds and leaves and butterflies and stuff like that. So I got a rock because I wanted to be different. And for me, that's new life." They all laughed.
The teacher said something about the wisdom of eight-year olds and opened the next one. There was nothing inside. The children, as eight-year olds will say, "That's not fair. That's stupid! Somebody didn't do it right." Then the teacher felt a tug on his shirt, and he looked down. "It's mine, Phillip said. It's mine." And the children said, "You don't ever do things right, Philip. There's nothing there!" "I did so do it right!" Phillip said. "I did do it right. The tomb is empty!"

There was silence, a very full silence. And for you people who don’t believe in miracles, I want to tell you that one happened that day. From that time on, it was different. Philip suddenly became a part of that group of eight-year old children. They took him in. He was set free from the tomb of his differentness.
Philip died last summer. His family had known since the time he was born that he wouldn’t live out a full life span. Many other things were wrong with his little body. And so, late last July, with an infection that most normal children could have quickly shrugged off, Philip died.
At his memorial service, nine eight-year old children marched up to the altar, not with flowers to cover over the stark reality of death . . . but nine eight-year olds, along with their Sunday School teacher, marched right up to that altar, and laid on it an empty egg . . . an empty, old, discarded pantyhose egg.
And the tomb is empty!

04/01/2026

The Rose And The Thorn

A certain man planted a rose and watered it faithfully and before it blossomed, he examined it.

He saw the bud that would soon blossom, but noticed thorns upon the stem and he thought, “How can any beautiful flower come from a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns?” Saddened by this thought, he neglected to water the rose, and just before it was ready to bloom….it died.

So it is with many people. Within every soul there is a rose. The God-like qualities planted in us at
birth, grow amid the thorns of our faults. Many of us look at ourselves and see only the thorns, the
defects.

We despair, thinking that nothing good can possibly come from us. We neglect to water the good
within us, and eventually it dies. We never realize our potential.

Some people do not see the rose within themselves; someone else must show it to them. One of the
greatest gifts a person can possess is to be able to reach past the thorns of another, and find the rose
within them.

This is one of the characteristic of love. To look at a person, know their true faults and accepting that person into your life, all the while recognizing the nobility in their soul. Help others to realize they can overcome their faults. If we show them the “rose” within themselves, they will conquer their thorns. Only then will they blossom many times over.

04/01/2026

The Cross Room
The young man was at the end of his rope.
Seeing no way out, he dropped to his knees in prayer.
"Lord, I can't go on," he said.
"I have too heavy a cross to bear."
The Lord replied,
"My son, if you can't bear it's weight,
just place your cross inside this room.
Then open another door and pick any cross you wish."
The man was filled with relief.
"Thank you, Lord,"
he sighed, and did as he was told.
As he looked around the room he saw many different crosses;
some so large the tops were not visible.
Then he spotted a tiny cross leaning against a far wall.
"I'd like that one, Lord,"
he whispered. And the Lord replied,
"My son, that's the cross you brought in."
-Unknown

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