Read this!!

[JLT]

The Sacrifice
>
>There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson, a
>studious man who taught at a small college in the Western United
>States. Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in
>Christianity at this particular institution. Every student was required

>to take this course his or her freshman year regardless of his or her
>major.
>
>Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the
>gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the

>course as nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most

>students refused to take Christianity seriously.
>
>This year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve. Steve
>was only a freshman, but was studying with the intent of going onto
>seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well liked, and he

>was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the starting center on
>the school football team, and was the best student in the professor's
>class.
>
>One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could
>talk with him. "How many push-ups can you do?"
>
>Steve said, "I do about 200 every night."
>
>"200? That's pretty good, Steve," Dr. Christianson said. "Do you think
>you could do 300?"
>
>Steve replied, "I don't know... I've never done 300 at a time."
>
>"Do you think you could?" again asked Dr. Christianson.
>
>"Well, I can try," said Steve.
>
>"Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind and I
>need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to work. Can
>you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it," said the professor.
>
>Steve said, "Well... I think I can...yeah, I can do it."
>
>Dr. Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday.
>
>Let me explain what I have in mind."
>
>Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the
>room. When class started, the professor pulled out a big box of donuts.

>No, these weren't the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy

>BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls.
>
>Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day,
>and they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party
>in Dr. Christianson's class.
>
>Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked,
>"Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts?" Cynthia said,
>"Yes." Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would
>you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?" "Sure." Steve
>jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in
>his desk. Dr. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia's desk.
>
>Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe, do

>you want a donut?" Joe said, "Yes." Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve
>would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?" Steve did ten
>push-ups and Joe got a donut.
>
>And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten pushups for every
>person before they got their donut. And down the second aisle, till Dr.

>Christianson came to Scott.
>
>Scott was on the basketball team, and in as good condition as Steve. He

>was very popular and never lacking for female companionship. When the
>professor asked, "Scott do you want a donut?" Scott's reply was, "Well,

>can I do my own pushups?" Dr. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do
>them." Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then."
>
>Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve,
>would you do ten pushups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't want?"
>With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten pushups. Scott said,
>"HEY! I said I didn't want one!" Dr. Christianson said, "Look, this is
>my classroom, my class, my desks, and these are my donuts. Just leave
>it on the desk if you don't want it." And he put a donut on Scott's
>desk.
>
>Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed

>on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting

>up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out
>around his brow. Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the
>students were beginning to get a little angry.
>
>Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny, do you want a donut?" Sternly,
>Jenny said, "No." Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you
>do ten more Push-ups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't want?"
>Steve did ten. Jenny got a donut.
>
>By now a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were

>beginning to say "No" and there were all these uneaten donuts on the
>desks.
>
>Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these
>pushups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on

>the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red

>because of the physical effort involved.
>
>Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the most vocal unbeliever in the

>class, to watch Steve do each push up to make sure he did the full ten
>pushups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work
>for all of those uneaten donuts. He sent Robert over to where Steve was

>so Robert could count the set and watch Steve closely. Dr. Christianson

>started down the fourth row.
>
>During his class, however, some students from other classes had
>wandered in and sat down on the steps along the radiators that ran down

>the sides of the room. When the professor realized this, he did a quick

>count and saw that now there were 34 students in the room. He started
>to worry if Steve would be able to make it.
>
>Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next.
>Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was
>taking a lot more time to complete each set. Steve asked Dr.
>Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?" Dr.
>Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your pushups. You are

>in charge now. You can do them any way that you want." And Dr.
>Christianson went on.
>
>A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer student, came to the room

>and was about to come in when all the students yelled in one voice,
>"NO! Don't come in! Stay out!" Jason didn't know what was going on.
>Steve picked up his head and said, "No, let him come." Professor
>Christianson said, "You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to

>do ten pushups for him?" Steve said, "Yes, let him come in. Give him a
>donut". Dr. Christianson said, "Okay, Steve, I'll let you get Jason's
>out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?"
>
>Jason, new to the room hardly knew what was going on. "Yes," he said,
>"give me a donut." "Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can
>have a donut?" Steve did ten pushups very slowly and with great effort.

>Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.
>
>Dr. Christianson finished the fourth row, then started on those
>visitors seated by the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking with each

>push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity.
>Sweat was profusely dropping off of his face and, by this time, there
>was no sound except his heavy breathing, there was not a dry eye in the

>room.
>
>The very last two students in the room were two young women, both
>cheerleaders, and very popular. Dr. Christianson went to Linda, the
>second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a doughnut?" Linda said,

>very sadly, "No, thank you." Professor Christianson quietly asked,
>"Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she
>doesn't want?"
>
>Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow pushups for Linda.
>
>Then Dr. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan, do you
>want a donut?" Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry.
>"Dr. Christianson, why can't I help him?"
>
>Dr. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, Steve has to do it
>alone, I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that
>everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want it or not.
>When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at my
>grade book. Steve, here is the only student with a perfect grade.
>Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class, or offered me inferior
>work. Steve told me that in football practice, when a player messes up
>he must do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to my
>party unless he paid the price by doing your push ups. He and I made a
>deal for your sakes.
>
>Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut?"
>
>As Steve very slowly finished his last pushup, with the understanding
>that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350
>pushups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.
>
>Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said. "And so it was, that our
>Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, 'into thy
>hands I commend my spirit.' With the understanding that He had done
>everything that was required of Him, he yielded up His life.
>
>And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the
>desk, uneaten." Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a
>seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile. "Well done, good
>and faithful servant," said the professor, adding "Not all sermons are
>preached in words."
>
>Turning to his class the professor said, "My wish is that you might
>understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that
>have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior
>Jesus Christ. He spared not only His Begotten Son, but gave Him up for
>us all for the whole Church, now and forever.
>
>`Whether or not we choose to accept His gift to us, the price has been
>paid. Wouldn't you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it laying on the
>desk?"
>

[Big Steve]

AWESOME........what else can you say

[feather]

Perfect!

[mudsucker]

Got Milk?

[nomsduckhunter]

Now that can be understood......

[Millenium Mallard]

Amen....