Editor: Richard (Dick) Innes
Published by: ACTS International
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Vol. 12 – No. 4510 November 06, 2010
Thought for the week: "If you want to know how rich you are, just count up all the things you have that money cannot buy." – Author Unknown
Slow me down, Lord!
Ease the pounding of my heart
By the quieting of my mind.
Steady my harried pace
With a vision of the eternal reach of time.
Give me,
Amidst the confusions of my day,
The calmness of the everlasting hills.
Break the tensions of my nerves
With the soothing music
Of the singing streams
That live in my memory.
Help me to know
The magical power of sleep,
Teach me the art
Of taking minute vacations
Of slowing down
To look at a flower;
To chat with an old friend
Or make a new one;
To pat a stray dog;
To watch a spider build a web;
To smile at a child;
Or to read a few lines from a good book.
Remind me each day
That the race is not always to the swift;
That there is more to life
Than increasing its speed.
Let me look upward
Into the branches of the towering oak
And know that it grew great and strong
Because it grew slowly and well.
Slow me down, Lord,
And inspire me to send my roots deep
Into the soil of life's enduring values
That I may grow toward the stars
Of my greater destiny.
When I was a little girl, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage, and extremely burned toast in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his toast, smile at my mom, and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that toast and eat every bite! When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for burning the toast.
And I'll never forget what he said. "Baby, I love burned toast."
Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night, and I asked him if he really liked his toast burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Debbie, your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And a little burnt toast never hurts anyone! You know, life is full of imperfect things...and imperfect people. I'm not the best housekeeper or cook."
What I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each other's faults—and choosing to celebrate each other's differences—is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.
Burnt toast should never be a deal breaker. We could extend this to any relationship in fact—as understanding is the base of any relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship!
Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket—but into your own.
"People will always forget what you do, and they will always forget what you say, but they will never ever forget the way you make them feel."
Happiness keeps you Sweet,
Trials keep you Strong,
Sorrows keep you Human,
Failure keeps you Humble,
Success keeps you Glowing,
Only God keeps you Growing.
According to Henry David Thoreau, a philosopher is a person who seeks to understand and solve the most serious problems of life, not only theoretically, but practically. A true philosopher, Thoreau added, is so committed to wisdom that he seeks to live wisely and so lives a life of simplicity, independence, magnanimity, and trust.
By this definition, John Wooden, my favorite coach and teacher, is every inch a great American philosopher. Here are just a few of his powerful insights:
On Perfection: "Perfection is an impossibility, but striving for perfection is not. Do the best you can. That is what counts."
On Management: "You'll get better cooperation and results if you are sincerely interested in people's families and interests, not simply in how they do their job."
On Learning: "Learn as if you were going to live forever. Live as if you were going to die tomorrow."
On Success: "You must be interested in finding the best way, not in having your own way."
On Trust: "You will be hurt occasionally if you trust too much, but you will live in torment if you do not trust enough."
On Joy: "Mix idealism with realism and add hard work. This will often bring much more than you could ever hope for."
On Winning: "If you prepare properly, you may be outscored but you will never lose. You always win when you make the full effort to do the best of which you're capable."
You can read more in Be Quick—But Don't Hurrywith Andrew Hill and Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court with Steve Jamison.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
Down the long, dusty road on their way from Jericho to Jerusalem, almost two thousand years ago, trod Jesus with His motley band of twelve disciples. Because of the long journey, they were hot, sweaty, and weary. But because Jesus was at the height of His popularity, a great crowd of people were following him. They were jabbering endlessly. Asking questions. Seeking favors.
"Hey, what's all the noise?" blind Bartimaeus asked his friend as they sat by the highway begging. "It's Jesus," a passerby informed them.
"You mean Jesus of Nazareth, the fellow they claim can heal the sick and the blind?" Bartimaeus excitedly asked.
"That's the One," came the reply.
"I can't believe it," shouted Bartimaeus to his friend. "This just has to be my lucky day. I've got to get to Jesus. I know He can heal me."
"Hey, Bart, there He is," cried Bartimaeus's friend, "but how will you ever get His attention?"
Seeking to drown out the noise of the crowd, Bartimaeus yelled at the top of his voice, "Jesus, have mercy on me! O Lord, son of David, have mercy on me!"
People tried to silence Bartimaeus but he became all the more determined to get to Jesus. He couldn't see, but he sure could yell, and cried out all the louder. His voice rang out like a great clarion call, "Jesus, O Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! Jesus, O Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
And Jesus stood still.
And the crowd stood still.
The winds and the waves couldn't stop the Savior. Neither could angry mobs. Crowds of people couldn't stop Him either. But the call of a lone, blind beggar did.
And Jesus with His great heart of compassion asked for Bartimaeus to be brought over to Him. "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked.
"Lord," Bartimaeus nervously replied, "please give me my sight."
And Jesus did. "Go your way," he said, "your faith has made you whole."
Immediately Bartimaeus could see and he followed Jesus along the way.1
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that you always hear the cry of every person—rich or poor, young or old—who genuinely calls out to you for help. And thank you that you always hear and answer my prayers according to your will and not necessarily according to my wants. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
Question: Have you ever "cried" out to Jesus for his gift of forgiveness and eternal life? If not, I encourage you to do that today. For help, read "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian" at www.actsweb.org/christian.
1. See Mark 10:46-52. Note: Adapted from I Hate Witnessing by Dick Innes, Chapter Nine. Available online at http://actscom.com/store.
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