Editor: Richard (Dick) Innes
Published by: ACTS International
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Vol. 14 – No. 0912 March 03, 2012
Thought for the week: "The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people. It is an instrument for the people to restrain the government." – Patrick Henry
"Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act." – Dietrich Bonhoeffer from Germany in Hitler's Era
"To see what is right and not do it is a lack of courage." – Confucius
"If you don't fail now and again, it's a sign you're playing it safe." – Woody Allen
"Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction." – Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny." – Albert Ellis
"I'm not in competition with anybody but myself. My goal is to beat my last performance." – Celine Dion
The term backbite comes from the popular sport of bear baiting in Medieval Europe.
In the sport of bear baiting, a bear was chained to a post and a few dogs were released at a time to attack the bear for the entertainment of the crowd. Sometimes, in the contest, one of the dogs would slip behind the bear and attack him from the rear. Although good sportsmanship outlawed biting from behind, it was common in such contests.
Over time, the expression came to refer to anyone taking an unfair advantage, such as speaking ill of a person behind his back.1
As you know, the Bible condemns backbiting. "Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; the one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, him I will not endure."2
1. Wade L. Webster, "Backbiting," Riches From My Reading, The Searcher, May 29, 2011. Source: KneEmail: www.fortright.net/kneemail/
2.
Psalm 101:5.
Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round
Or listened to rain slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight
Or gazed at the sun fading into the night?
You better slow down, don't dance so fast,
Time is short, the music won't last.
Do you run through each day on the fly?
When you ask, "How are you?" do you hear the reply?
When the day is done, do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores running through your head?
You better slow down, don't dance so fast,
Time is short, the music won't last.
Ever told your child, "We'll do it tomorrow,"
And in your haste not seen his sorrow?
Ever lost touch, let a good friendship die,
'Cause you never had time to call and say hi?
You better slow down, don't dance so fast,
Time is short, the music won't last.
When you run so fast to get somewhere,
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It's like an unopened gift thrown away.
Life is not a race, so take it slower,
Hear the music before your song is over.
"Because I regard learning as a sacred endeavor, everything in this school will reflect learning's elevated status. This means, among other things, that you and your teachers will dress accordingly. Many people in our society dress more formally for a meal at a nice restaurant than they do for church or school. Those people have their priorities backwards. Therefore, there will be a formal dress code at this school."
One of the highlights of my life as a dad—and having five kids, I've had quite a few—occurred on a Saturday afternoon when I was taking my then 13-year-old son Justin and his friend Aaron to a movie. As we entered the theater, I noticed the ticket seller had undercharged me, so I asked the boys to wait a moment while I returned the money.
This did not please the boys, who were anxious to get choice seats.
Nevertheless, I endured hostile glares from people in line and even an annoyed reaction from the cashier, who corrected the mistake.
When I returned, Aaron, who was exasperated because the prime seats had been taken, asked, "Why did you have to do that? It was her mistake, not yours."
I was about to launch into a lecture on integrity when my son, who was also irritated, looked at his friend and said, "What did you expect him to do?"
Many years later, this memory is an uplifting reminder of the impact we have on the character of our kids. Hearing from my son that he expected me to be honest and knew I expected the same of him was like a pat on the back saying I'd done okay as a father.
My son, still one of the most honest people I know, realized that honesty is neither a convenience nor a choice. To a person who values integrity, it's a habit.
When it comes to parenting, it's hard to know what's working and what isn't, but one of the best rewards for attentive parenting is seeing something good in our children and knowing we played a part.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
"Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.'"1
In his weekly Character Counts series, Michael Josephson wrote, "Years ago I was talking to a group of Army generals about the way politicians often treat the defense budget as an all-purpose public works fund to help bring money into their districts. One general admitted, 'Yes, if the chairman of the Appropriations Committee comes from a place that makes trucks, we're probably going to buy those trucks. That's the way it is, the way it always was, and the way it always will be.'
"I suggested that it was a form of bribery to buy the trucks just to please the politician. The general barked, 'It's not bribery. It's extortion!'
"'Don't sound so powerless,' I replied. 'You're a GENERAL!'
"Without skipping a beat, he answered, 'Yeah, but I'm only a one-star.'"2
How many times do you and I make the "Yeah, but..." excuse to avoid personal responsibility? And how many times do we try to make it sound like we are agreeing with someone by saying, "Yes, but ..." when all the time we are meaning "No"?
It's a thought worth pondering ... and a practice worth dropping.
As Edward Everett Hale said, "It's true I am only one, but I am one. And the fact that I can't do everything will not prevent me from doing what I can do."
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please deliver me from the 'yes, but' disease and help me to become an ethical, responsible person remembering that character does count. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
1. Matthew 5:37 (NIV).
2. Michael Josephson, "I'm Only a One-Star," Character Counts, 384.4.
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