Editor: Richard (Dick) Innes
Published by: ACTS International
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Vol. 13 – No. 2911 July 16, 2011
Thought for the week: "When you change what you believe, you will change what you do." – Unknown
"In the middle of every difficulty comes opportunity." – Albert Einstein
"Evidence is conclusive that your self-talk has a direct bearing on your performance." – Zig Ziglar
"The best gift a father can give to his son is the gift of himself—his time. For material things mean little, if there is not someone to share them with." – C. Neil Strait
"Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new." – Unknown
"We have adopted the convenient theory that the Bible is a Book to be explained, whereas first and foremost it is a Book to be believed. There is a world of difference between knowing the Word of God and knowing the God of the Word." – Leonard Ravenhill
"Jesus is love to the loveless, hope to the hopeless, peace to the restless." – Jack Graham
A concerned husband went to a doctor to talk about his wife. He says to the doctor, "Doctor, I think my wife is deaf because she never hears me the first time and I always have to repeat things."
"Well," the doctor replied, "Go home and tonight stand about 15 feet from her and say something to her. If she doesn't reply, move about 5 feet closer and say it again. Keep doing this so that we'll get an idea about the severity of her deafness."
Sure enough, the husband goes home and does exactly as instructed. He starts off about 15 feet from his wife in the kitchen as she is chopping some vegetables and says, "Honey, what's for dinner?" He hears no response. He moves about 5 feet closer and asks again. No reply. He moves 5 feet closer. Still no reply. He gets fed up and moves right behind her, about an inch away, and asks again, "Honey, what's for dinner?"
She replies, "For the fourth time, vegetable stew!"
Everyday life throws pebbles at us, and even a rock now and then. Some people internalize these daily events. Over the course of many years, they collect those pebbles until they become like a rock. They act old, tired, worn down and beat and generally become negative about life.
I have seen 40-year-olds that seemed like old men, because they took every hurt and disappointment personally.
On the other hand, there are those wise souls who deflect those daily pebbles. They never take them personally. Those people become the 80-year-olds who still have excitement, motivation, joy and passion in their life. Don't collect the pebbles! Use your shield and deflect them.
Ray Lammie's Thought for Today. To subscribe, send a blank email to belbarbara@aol.com with Subscribe in the Subject Line.
"She's beautiful and she looks just like her mother"—and with those words, a young unwed mother let go of a baby girl she had just brought into the world and never held in her arms. She knew if she saw the child, she would not be able to give her to the adoptive parents—and that was the best decision she knew she must make. Heart-wrenching sorrow we can only imagine.... But God knows how to turn sorrow into joy, for that's not the end of the story!
Over forty years later, through computer technology, the mom, now married with a family, still loving that little child, was able to search and find the adoptive family name, and with great anxiety make a connection. For three years, letters and email have gone back and forth across the USA, and mother and daughter began to connect. They finally met for the first time. That meeting began and ended with hugs, and a Mom was on her way back home with the words, "I love you" ringing in her ears. I saw the joy on a mom's face, the happy tears welling up in her eyes ... the end of a long search and the beginning of a new life.
And that's how it is with God. He searches with love, compassion and great yearning until he at last finds us—each one of us—wherever we are. And he loves us and claims us for his own. What heavenly joy; what earthly peace! If you're needing it today, it's there for the asking—listen closely, for in the still of your heart, he will speak those wonderful words to you, "I love you, my child. You are mine." Let him minister His love to your heart this day!
Scripture: "Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore, with loving-kindness have I drawn thee" (Jeremiah 31:3).
Prayer: "Lord, thank you for finding me just where I was, for taking me just as I am, for bringing me back to you. Help me feel your loving arms around me and your words, "I love you" ring in my ears all day long! In Jesus' name, amen."
Copyright 2011 by Peggie C. Bohanon, Springfield, MO. Used with permission. Visit Peggie's Place (www.peggiesplace.com) for a mega-collection of Christian/family resources.
Have the courage to say no.
Have the courage to face the truth.
Do the right thing because it is right.
These are the magic keys
to living your life with integrity.
Sam, a supervisor, was dumbfounded as he watched Bill diligently dig holes while Chuck, after waiting a short interval, filled them. When he demanded an explanation, Bill was indignant: "Chuck and I have been doing this job for more than 10 years. What's your problem?"
"Are you telling me that for 10 years you've been digging and filling empty holes?" Sam replied.
"Well, not exactly," Bill said. "Until a few months ago, another fellow put a bush in the hole before Chuck filled it. But he retired and was never replaced."
"Why didn't you tell somebody?" Sam sputtered.
"My gosh," Bill answered, "You're management. We figured you knew."
While management is ultimately to blame when employees systematically waste time and money in thoughtless, unproductive activity, we can't let Bill and Chuck off the hook. Sure, it's easy to hide behind the assumption that the stupidity of management has no bounds, but responsibility is a personal burden that everyone carries for himself or herself.
Too many organizations are weighed down by practices equivalent to digging and filling holes because too many workers and managers engage in or ignore inefficient and ineffective activities.
Whether unaccountability is fed by laziness, ignorance, or fear, employees who surrender to the negative momentum of the workplace not only demean the value of their work, but they increase the likelihood that they will someday be out of work.
We can avoid our responsibilities, but we can't avoid the consequences of avoiding our responsibilities. All of us are accountable for what we allow as well as what we do. If we want to make our lives more meaningful, we should be sure our work is meaningful.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
From the Apostle Paul: "But this precious treasure—this light and power that now shine within us—is held in perishable containers, that is, in our weak bodies. So everyone can see that our glorious power is from God and is not our own. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don't give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going."1
I suppose there are times when all of us feel overcome by problems and feel like quitting. I've been there, but couldn't find anything better than my Christian faith to quit to. Today I thank God for the courage to keep going, not knowing that God was allowing trials to strengthen my faith and to help me grow.
If you feel like giving up and quitting, perhaps the following poem will encourage you to hang in, hang on, but never hang up when the going gets tough.
Don't Quit
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must—but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up, though the pace seems slow—
You might succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out—
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit—
It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit.2
I also like a quote attributed to Joseph P. Kennedy that Robert Schuller has used: "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." Or as the title of one of his books says, Tough Times Never Last, Tough People Do.
God never forsook the Apostle Paul who faced incredible trials and opposition. And he will never forsake you or me as long as we place our trust in him.
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that you will never forsake or abandon me. Please help me always to put my trust in you and your faithfulness regardless of my circumstances, knowing that in the end my faith and trust in you will be justified. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
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