The healing effects of stories

[Tom D]

Reading stories can be more than just entertainment — it can be a form of healing. Some stories carry within them the ability to soothe, inspire, and restore. They remind us we are not alone, and they offer new perspectives that can ease emotional burdens.

Writing, too, is deeply therapeutic. Putting words on paper allows us to process experiences, release emotions, and discover meaning in what we’ve lived. It is both expression and reflection, and through it, healing can emerge.

Healing Effects of Writing​

• Emotional healing:
• Physical health benefits:
• Reduced emotional reactivity.

(Writing does not replace the role of prayer in healing. While writing offers therapeutic benefits, it should be viewed as complementary rather than a substitute for prayer.)

 

[Apple Sky]

The Pharisees are winning

The thought occured to me with all the moral outrage and Culture wars over peoples behaviour and even what they believe and think as being wrong. How its all focused on virtual signalling, being asociated with the right side of history. Identity politics which divides people into groups that...

www.christianforums.com

How to Get Rch without Knowing Anything
An unmotivated school-leaver with no skills and barely the ability to read ----- somehow beat 150 brilliant candidates to win a prestigious job. What happened?

At the age of 21, Jack Williams finally graduated. But he wasn't graduating from university—he was barely graduating from high school.

Jack wasn't stupid, but with his parents obsessed with making money, there was no time left for him. As a result, Jack's schoolwork was left for dead. He could barely read. At home, he spent all his time playing video games.

Jack has zero interest in his appearance or clothing. He rarely combed his hair and always wore very, very shabby clothes. While he was at school, he was often ridiculed by other classmates.

After leaving school, Jack tried to look for a job but couldn't get one. He was jobless for a long time. He applied for many positions but got nowhere, it's little wonder -- he rarely arrived on time due to sleeping in.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

One day , on the street, Jack met the head teacher from his school - Julie Leading.
"Hello Jack, how are you getting along?"
"Hey, Miss Leading...so nice to see you again.... I am trying to find a job, but...."

After hearing Jack's difficulties, she advised Jack to consult a fortune teller. She jotted down the fortune teller's contact details and passed them to him.
Later that day, once Jack got home, he called the fortune teller.


"Who is it?"
"I need a fortune teller to advice me how to get rich...without knowing anything."

"How to get rich without knowing anything??? ....Oh, yes, your name, please?" the fortune teller inquired.
"Jack," he responded.
"Ah...What time tomorrow would suit you?
The fortune teller arranged the appointment time and ended the call saying, "Be punctual, Jack."
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

However, the following morning, Jack overslept. When he woke up, it was already past the appointment time. Deciding to continue his sleep, Jack resolved to visit the fortune teller the next day instead.

When Jack finally arrived at the fortune teller’s office, she greeted him with a stern look. "I was waiting for you the whole day yesterday....You should have called to reschedule," she scolded, her eyes narrowing. "You caused me to lose a few clients."

With a sigh, the fortune teller beckoned Jack to sit. "What brings you here today? You're the guy...who wants to get rich without knowing anything, right?? You came to the right place." she asked, her tone softening slightly.
"I love clients who don't know anything...", the fortune teller murmured to herself.
After a generous dose of sweet, vague talk which meant nothing, the fortune teller advised him to buy crystals.
Jack bought some crystals from her, hoping they would bring him good fortune.
As Jack left , he felt a renewed sense of determination and hope. The fortune teller's words and the crystals he now carried drove him to feel confident about his future.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

One day, he saw a job ad in the paper, it was published by iClub.

iClub was the top youth fashion house in the country. They were looking for an intern who was a recent high school graduate. What appealed to him was that no qualification or experience was required whatsoever. He launched an application and was told there would be a test for all applicants in 2 weeks' time.

After 2 weeks, Jack went to the iClub headquarters for the test. There were around 150 candidates present. The person who sit next to Jack was named Alessandro, who won a youth fashion design competition some time ago. He was very talented in art and design, and highly confident at this moment.

The examiner, a serious looking woman with glasses, told the candidates that they were given 2 hours. The total score was 1000. The exam proved to be too hard for Jack, he didn't think he performed too well, and doubted if he could score more than 600. After 2 hours, the examiner asked all the candidates to stop, and she started collecting papers from them. There was a folder prepared for each candidate, in which the papers were kept. After all the candidates left, the examiner put all the folders onto her own desk and planned to review them in the next few days.

On that same night, a thief broke into the iClub headquarters. He was a commercial thief, sent by a rival company UStyle. HIs mission was to steal some important design blueprints. By mistake, he went into the examiner's office, mistaking it as the design chief's. He searched all over the place but didn't find what he was looking for. As he was getting impatient, his hands hit the pile of exam folders and some of them dropped onto the floor. Some of the exam papers slipped out of their folders. He quickly picked them all up and put them back on the desk. After a while, he went out of the room. Finally, he found the design chief's office. After a while, he put something into his bag and then left.

The next day, when the examiner returned to her office, she didn't perceive any difference there. She began to review the exam papers and compare the works of candidates. She gave a score for each candidate as she went through his or her work. Finally, she picked the one with the top score.

Four weeks passed after the test. One day, while he was playing video games after getting out of bed at 2 PM, Jack received a call from iClub, and was told he got the job!! To his astonishment, Jack could hardly believe it.

How Jack really got rich.

One day Jack swapped a cow for some beans & the rest is history, his-story.

 

[peaceful-forest]

I will share what I shared earlier with you (I guess it counts as satire).


I heard this one when I was growing up:

A teacher had a gardening project for his students. He gave his students the seeds to plant and grow flowers.

The time came to grade everyone's project. All the students had beautiful flowers, except one student. This one student had nothing.

The student told the teacher, "I tried everything and did exactly as you instructed, but nothing happened."

The teacher gave this student an A+. But all the other students were angry.

The teacher defended himself, "This student did exactly what I told him to do. Besides, I know you all cheated because I cooked the seeds and made them useless."

 

[Apple Sky]

The Beano, not really, but I used to love it, still do!

 

[Apple Sky]

Is it that good?
I've never heard of it, I only know Punch and Private Eye.

Yes it is, it is well known in the UK.

 

[Apple Sky]

I only read non-fiction but I do watch funny videos.

 

[Tom D]

The Thief in Disguise
Who was the real Thief in Disguise? And what was the treasure Fred's father mentioned in his letter?

In Milan lived Fred, a young man born into a well-to-do family. His most treasured possession was a first edition of Don Quixote, passed down from his late father, Antonio de Mattei, along with a partially burned letter urging him to guard certain treasures for his happiness. Fred believed the letter referred to the two volumes of Don Quixote.

Fred had spent his early years indulging in the luxuries of his family’s wealth, never bothering to manage their finances or prepare for the future. But their fortunes had declined—partly due to his own carefree spending—and Fred now worked tirelessly to restore stability. He lived with his siblings, Ciara and Francesco, their dog Enzo, and a loyal butler.

Meanwhile, Ruggero Amalfi, a cunning man from town, coveted Fred’s heirloom—not for the book itself, but for a hidden map inside that promised legendary treasure. Ruggero had tried to persuade Fred to sell him the 'Don Quixote', but Fred refused because it was a family heirloom.

One night, Ruggero broke into Fred’s home. Enzo attacked fiercely, and Fred fought to protect his family. Ruggero fled, but his obsession with the book was far from over.

Soon after, Fred received an invitation to apprentice with a shoemaker across the river. Despite his doubts, he accepted. Early the next morning, he set out with Enzo, crossing a makeshift footbridge and walking through the forest. Emerging into sunlight, he spotted an old house—and an elderly man struggling with a heavy bag.

 

[Tom D]

Fred met an old man struggling with a heavy bag and, despite being pressed for time, helped him carry it into a deserted house. They climbed to the top floor, where Fred found a room filled with strange concoctions. The man urged him to stay for lunch, but Fred refused, recalling his father’s lessons on punctuality. Suddenly, the man threw soporific powder at Fred. Enzo attacked, giving Fred a chance to escape through a window. To his shock, Fred realized the old man could run with surprising speed.

Fred fled with Enzo, only to find the road blocked and was forced onto a steep hill path. Exhausted and hungry, they encountered a food hawker offering fragrant dishes. Enzo, driven purely by animal instinct, lunged at the plate and devoured the food without hesitation. His animal nature left no room for doubt or deliberation. On the other hand, Fred resisted, guided by caution.

The food was drugged. To Fred’s horror, Enzo collapsed—now the food hawker took off his mask.

 

[Tom D]

The Armless Pianist
This story happened 28 years ago.

It was a warm afternoon in the city of Ch'eng-tu, the weather was pleasant. For children, it was a good day for outdoor games.

Ten-year-old Liu Wei darted through the narrow alleyways in a game of hide-and-seek with his friends. Laughter echoed off the walls, feet pounded over the pavement, and Liu, often the daring one, spotted what seemed like the perfect hiding place—a tucked-away metal shed behind a construction site. In his eagerness, he clambered atop it, not knowing that just above ran high-voltage power lines humming with lethal energy.


He reached up, maybe to steady himself or just to peek over the edge, and in that instant—a sudden crackle, a blinding arc of electricity. The world stopped. Silence, followed by screams. The current surged through him with devastating force.

He was sent to a hospital. Wang Hsiang-ying, Liu Wei's mother, said "I found the world had collapsed. What could I do?"

It would take doctors three months of delicate care and Liu’s own unbreakable will to survive, but when he finally opened his eyes after 45 days in critical condition, he was without his arms.


In the hospital, he met an armless painter, which inspired him to learn to use his feet to write, brush his teeth and eat. Liu Wei stayed in rehabilitation centre for 2 years, and witnessed many deaths. When he got out, he was grateful to be alive. Liu Wei said "I wanted to move on with my life, and if I could, that would be a success for me."

Two years after the accident, he was introduced to the capital’s paralyzed swimming team. Despite being a double-amputee, he managed to take two golds in the National Paralyzed Swimming Championship at 14.

But two missing arms weren’t the last of his physical ailments. Soon after his gold medals he was diagnosed with allergic purpura which forbade him from intensive exercise.

Liu's mother said "The moment I found out, I shouted to the sky: What have I done wrong to deserve this?" Liu Wei said "My body bleeds, and my kidney is dysfunctional."

When Liu Wei's health forced him to abandon sports, he turned to music as a new form of expression—one that demanded incredible dexterity and devotion. Playing the piano with his feet was more than unconventional—it was nearly unimaginable. Most believed it couldn’t be done. Music producer Chung Sheng even confessed he had tried it himself and found it impossible. But Liu, undeterred, saw a flicker of hope. “If I didn’t try,” he said, “I’d have no chance at all.”

Without a mentor or guide, Liu forged his own path. He spent hours stretching and training his toes, working to separate and control them like fingers. Practice became his lifeline—seven hours a day, every day. Slowly, progress came, fueling his determination. Within a year, he was performing live, capturing audiences with both his music and his spirit. His 2011 debut at Vienna’s Goldener Saal marked a turning point—not only for his career, but as a symbol of what resilience can achieve. (Finito)

 

[Yusuphhai]

The Armless Pianist
This story happened 28 years ago.

It was a warm afternoon in the city of Ch'eng-tu, the weather was pleasant. For children, it was a good day for outdoor games.

Ten-year-old Liu Wei darted through the narrow alleyways in a game of hide-and-seek with his friends. Laughter echoed off the walls, feet pounded over the pavement, and Liu, often the daring one, spotted what seemed like the perfect hiding place—a tucked-away metal shed behind a construction site. In his eagerness, he clambered atop it, not knowing that just above ran high-voltage power lines humming with lethal energy.


He reached up, maybe to steady himself or just to peek over the edge, and in that instant—a sudden crackle, a blinding arc of electricity. The world stopped. Silence, followed by screams. The current surged through him with devastating force.

He was sent to a hospital. Wang Hsiang-ying, Liu Wei's mother, said "I found the world had collapsed. What could I do?"

It would take doctors three months of delicate care and Liu’s own unbreakable will to survive, but when he finally opened his eyes after 45 days in critical condition, he was without his arms.


In the hospital, he met an armless painter, which inspired him to learn to use his feet to write, brush his teeth and eat. Liu Wei stayed in rehabilitation centre for 2 years, and witnessed many deaths. When he got out, he was grateful to be alive. Liu Wei said "I wanted to move on with my life, and if I could, that would be a success for me."

Two years after the accident, he was introduced to the capital’s paralyzed swimming team. Despite being a double-amputee, he managed to take two golds in the National Paralyzed Swimming Championship at 14.

But two missing arms weren’t the last of his physical ailments. Soon after his gold medals he was diagnosed with allergic purpura which forbade him from intensive exercise.

Liu's mother said "The moment I found out, I shouted to the sky: What have I done wrong to deserve this?" Liu Wei said "My body bleeds, and my kidney is dysfunctional."

When Liu Wei's health forced him to abandon sports, he turned to music as a new form of expression—one that demanded incredible dexterity and devotion. Playing the piano with his feet was more than unconventional—it was nearly unimaginable. Most believed it couldn’t be done. Music producer Chung Sheng even confessed he had tried it himself and found it impossible. But Liu, undeterred, saw a flicker of hope. “If I didn’t try,” he said, “I’d have no chance at all.”

Without a mentor or guide, Liu forged his own path. He spent hours stretching and training his toes, working to separate and control them like fingers. Practice became his lifeline—seven hours a day, every day. Slowly, progress came, fueling his determination. Within a year, he was performing live, capturing audiences with both his music and his spirit. His 2011 debut at Vienna’s Goldener Saal marked a turning point—not only for his career, but as a symbol of what resilience can achieve. (Finito)

Hello. I remember watching a documentary where he said his world was "sunshine, air, piano" (a self without God). But I don't think he needs to prove his existence with his exceptional performance in swimming and piano. He may not enjoy swimming and playing the piano, he just hoped to be valuable in the eyes of others. If God only arranges people to be ordinary people who can enjoy an ordinary life, then pursuing others' appreciation through efforts beyond ordinary people is a painful illusion.

 

[Nauhatsky]

I’d been carrying a lot of anger, mostly toward myself. Working through the life-skills guides helped me learn how to pray again without guilt. Please try it thementoringproject.com

 

[Tom D]

......Enzo, driven purely by animal instinct, lunged at the plate and devoured the food without hesitation. His animal nature left no room for doubt or deliberation. On the other hand, Fred resisted, guided by caution.

The food was drugged. To Fred’s horror, Enzo collapsed—now the food hawker took off his mask.

Who was the 'thief in disguise' in Ruggero's life?
It might not be what you think.