Editor: Richard (Dick) Innes
Published by: ACTS International
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Vol. 12 – No. 3610 September 04, 2010
Thought for the week: "You can't see anything when your eyes are blurred with tears." – C.S. Lewis
"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'" – Martin Luther King, Jr.
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort but where he stands at times of challenge and discovery." – Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness." – Martin Luther King, Jr.
"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools." – Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man's sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true." – Martin Luther King Jr.
"When you are in the final days of your life, what will you want?
Will you hug that college degree in the walnut frame? Will you ask to be carried to the garage so you can sit in your car? Will you find comfort in rereading your financial statement? Of course not. What will matter then will be people. If relationships will matter most then, shouldn't they matter most now?"
When it comes to worldview, Jerry Beavan asks: "What, exactly, are we talking about? We have touched on the subject of 'Worldview' before. The American Heritage Dictionary defines it as:
1. The overall perspective from which one sees and interprets the world.
2. A collection of beliefs about life and the universe held by an individual or a group.
"Chuck Colson, in announcing the program of the Colson Center (www.colsoncenter.org), applies the Christian aspect in these words: 'Christianity is an all-encompassing worldview. It causes us to see the world in a way that shapes the way we live in the world. It shapes the way we evangelize and the way we disciple others. And it shapes the way we fulfill the cultural commission—carrying on the work of God as we cultivate and employ all the resources God has placed at our disposal for the sake of His creation.'"
By Jerry Beavan, American News Commentary, Vol. 14, No. 1 Jan 6, 2010. To Subscribe (no subscription charge) send a blank email to:american_news-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.
Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.
He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.
A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.
As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up.
Pretty soon everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!
*******
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.
Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Liberate your heart from hatred: Forgive.
2. Liberate your mind from worries: Most never happen.
3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.
I've talked about it lots of times before: The high cost of lying and deception by politicians and police, corporate executives and clergy, and journalists, accountants, and educators has weakened every major social institution.
As each of these professions wages its separate battle to remove the cloud of suspicion and cynicism that hovers over it, there are certain truths about trust that must be understood and dealt with.
First, there's no shortcut to building trust. In fact, rebuilding trust on the rubble of lost credibility is much harder. The antidote is nothing less than scrupulous and consistent honesty—especially when the truth is costly.
Second, where trust is important, there are no small lies. In some ways, lies, however trivial they may seem, are like germs. Without the antibody of trust, they cause infections that can kill credibility.
Third, the lethal quality of lies lasts long after they're told. Even lies told years ago can have an immediate poisonous effect on trust when they're discovered. Think of all the prominent people who've been undone by the discovery of falsehoods on old resumes.
Fourth, while honesty and forthrightness may not always pay dividends, dishonesty and concealment always cost. In some settings, nothing good may come of admitting wrongdoing, but it can get a lot worse if you don't.
Fifth, lies breed other lies. It's harder to tell just one lie than to have just one potato chip. Once you start lying, it takes an ever-growing bodyguard of new falsehoods to protect the old ones.
Finally, don't be seduced by the "fight fire with fire" excuse or all you'll end up with are the ashes of your integrity. Self-justifications aside, you can't lie to a liar or cheat a cheater without becoming a liar or cheater.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
"If you are angry, don't sin by nursing your grudge. Don't let the sun go down with you still angry—get over it quickly; for when you are angry you give a mighty foothold to the devil."1
The story or legend is told how two monks, when traveling back to their monastery in inclement weather, came to the fjord of a river. There they met a young woman who was afraid to cross the river. Seeing her dilemma, one of the monks offered to carry her across the river on his back which offer she accepted.
Later that evening the monk who didn't help the young lady accused the monk who did of breaking the rules of their monastic order. "You know we are to have no dealings with the opposite sex," he said, "and you were wrong in doing what you did."
To which the other monk quietly replied, "I carried her only across the river. You are carrying her still."
When we fail to resolve our anger, and keep nursing our grudges, we not only give a "mighty foothold to the devil," but we also hurt ourselves, damage our physical well-being, and do serious harm to our close relationships. As another has said, when we nurse our grudges and fail to forgive those who have hurt us, "It's like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die."
So, is there anything you are still carrying? Any grudges, resentments, bitterness, hurts, unresolved grief? If so, I urge you to follow the advice of the Scriptures and resolve these issues right away. And, if necessary, see a qualified counselor to help you to do so. Your health and relationships depend on it.
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for the advice you give in your Word, the Bible, to help us live healthy, fulfilling, and meaningful lives—and maintain quality relationships. Help me to live by your instructions. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
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