Editor: Richard (Dick) Innes
Published by: ACTS International
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Vol. 13 – No. 1311 March 26, 2011
Thought for the week: "Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing." – Mother Teresa
"Our ultimate freedom is the right and power to decide how anybody or anything outside ourselves will affect us." – Stephen R. Covey
"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." – Elizabeth Stone
"The best index to a person's character is (a) how he treats people who can't do him any good, and (b) how he treats people who can't fight back." – Abigail van Buren (Pauline Esther Friedman)
"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." – Leo Buscaglia
"We have many associates and many people we call friends. However, if you have three or four people you can really trust and in whom you have total confidence, then you are blessed. Protect those relationships, for they are more valuable than gold!" – Ray Lammie
"The most important question to ask on the job is not, 'What am I getting?' The most important question to ask is 'What am I becoming?'" – Jim Rohn
A couple phoned a neighbor to extend birthday greetings. They dialed the number and then sang "Happy Birthday" to him.
But when they finished their off-key rendition, they discovered that they had dialed the wrong number. "Don't let it bother you," said a strange but amused voice. "You folks need all the practice you can get."
I was never big on sympathy. It's not that I don't care, but I don't see much good with sympathy, and there can be some harm. Sympathy deals with the "problem" while never talking about answers, options and action. When you show compassion, you can help people find a way out of their problems. With compassion, you take action to do something that may make a difference. Compassion moves us, motivates us and stirs up the spirit. At its worst, sympathy tells us our situation is OK and we don't need to be concerned about it. Maybe a little of both is best, but I'll take compassion over sympathy any day!
There was a blackout one night. When the lights went out, I fumbled to the closet where we keep the candles for nights like this ... I lit four of them.
I was turning to leave with the large candle in my hand when I heard a voice, "Now, hold it right there."
"Who said that?"
"I did." The voice was near my hand.
"Who are you? What are you?"
"I'm a candle."
I lifted up the candle to take a closer look. There was a tiny face in the wax.
"Don't take me out of here!"
"What?"
"I said, Don't take me out of this room."
"What do you mean? I have to take you out. You're a candle. Your job is to give light. It's dark out there."
"But you can't take me out. I'm not ready," the candle explained with pleading eyes. "I need more preparation."
I couldn't believe my ears. "More preparation?"
"Yeah, I've decided I need to research this job of light-giving so I won't go out and make a bunch of mistakes. You'd be surprised how distorted the glow of an untrained candle can be ...."
"All right then," I said. "You're not the only candle on the shelf. I'll blow you out and take the others!"
But right then I heard other voices, "We aren't going either!" I turned to the other candles, "You are candles and your job is to light dark places!"
"Well, that may be what you think," said the first one, "You may think we have to go, but I'm busy ... I'm meditating on the importance of light. It's really enlightening."
"And you other two," I asked, "are you going to stay too?"
A short, fat, purple candle with plump cheeks spoke up. "I'm waiting to get my life together, I'm not stable enough."
The last candle had a female voice, very pleasant to the ear. "I'd like to help, "she explain,"but lighting the darkness is not my gift ... I'm a singer. I sing to other candles to encourage them to burn more brightly."
She began a rendition of "This Little Light of Mine" The other three joined in, filling the closet with singing.... I took a step back and considered the absurdity of it all. Four perfectly healthy candles singing to each other about light but refusing to come out of the closet.
Here is a question for you: When was the last time you shared the gospel to someone? This world is full of darkness, with many people stumbling around trying to find their way. You can be a light for them; and believe me, there's a light waiting for you. It can all happen with something as sharing the faith, to just a smile across the room, to a quick hello to a forgotten friend.
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:14-16).
God Came Near, Max Lucado. Copyright [Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1986, 2004].
A woman went to her gynecologist and said, "Doctor, I have a serious problem and desperately need your help. My baby is not even 1-year-old and I'm pregnant again. I don't want kids so close together."
The doctor said, "Okay, what do you want me to do?" She said, "I want you to end my pregnancy, and I'm counting on your help with this." The doctor thought for a moment and then said, "I think I have a better solution for your problem, and it's less dangerous for you too."
She smiled, thinking the doctor was going to accept her request. He then continued, "You see, in order for you not to have to take care of two babies at the same time, let's kill the one in your arms. This way, you could rest some before the other one is born. If we're going to kill one of them, it doesn't matter which one it is. There would be no risk for your body if you chose the one in your arms."
The woman was horrified and responded, "How terrible! It's a crime to kill a child!" "I agree," the doctor replied, "But you seemed to be okay with it, so I thought that was the best solution." The doctor smiled, realizing that he had made his point.
Thought: There is no difference in killing a child that has already been born and one that is still in the womb.
I received an e-mail with a story worth sharing. Only the names have been changed to preserve privacy.
Doug is the proud and loving father of Emma, a high school junior who takes a leadership class responsible for putting on dances and other student events. All student body officers must take the class, but a number of other kids like Emma who just like to participate are also enrolled. Well, Emma is a little different and she's becoming more aware of those differences. Recently, she began to tell her father through tears, "I don't like having Down's Syndrome."
Doug comforted and encouraged his daughter the best he could, but he admits he always wonders how her classmates really perceive her. Do they just tolerate or patronize her, or do they see the richness of her character and appreciate her sense of humor and the beauty of her heart?
These concerns came into play when he visited Emma at a school event where she was working at a table with the student body president, a handsome kid named Chris. Later, Emma announced that Chris had invited her to the homecoming dance. Doug was doubtful and afraid that she might be embarrassed or hurt if she misunderstood. So he checked with the leadership teacher, who discreetly confirmed it was true. This extraordinary young man asked Emma to accompany him to dinner and the dance.
Doug was moved to tears and confessed he was ashamed he doubted this could happen. He wrote of his joy seeing his daughter prepare for one of the greatest days in her life. And he marveled at the kindness and self-confidence of the young man who was able to see and care about the inner Emma.
Doug was rightfully proud of Emma, but how good would you feel to be Chris's parents?
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."1
Giant Sequoia trees, also known as redwoods, are the biggest living things on Earth. Heights of 300 feet and diameters of 30 feet are not uncommon. They can range in age from 2,000 to 3,000 years—some of which were living when Jesus walked the shores of Galilee. The largest specimen, the General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park, is 275 feet tall (84 m), has a diameter of 36.4 feet (11.1 m) at the base, and has been estimated to weigh 2500 metric tons. The Pacific Coast redwoods in southern Oregon and Northern California range in height from 100 to 367 feet (30 to 112 m)—a size approached only by the eucalyptus of Australia.
What is fascinating about these majestic redwood trees that reach their leafy arms heavenward is that they stand for hundreds of years surviving raging fires, violent storms, and fierce winds. I have also read that they have a comparatively shallow root system which makes their survival even more amazing. So how do they survive? They survive because they live in groves with their root systems entangled with numerous other trees. In other words they support each other.
They couldn't survive alone.
Neither can we. We need each other. We were never meant to go it alone. We need the support of one another to make it. One of the major purposes of the Christian church is for the very purpose of encouraging and supporting one another. If you don't belong to such a church, I urge you to do all you can to find one.
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that you have designed the church, not only to help us grow spiritually, but also to support us emotionally and socially. Help me to find and be a part of such a church—one that is true to your Word and fulfills your divine purpose in the life of its members. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
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