Editor: Richard (Dick) Innes
Published by: ACTS International
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Vol. 15 – No, 4113 October 12, 2013
Thought for the week: "Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny." – Frank Outlaw
"Religion is not the way to God. Christianity in and of itself is not the way to God. Jesus Christ is the only way to God." – Dick Innes
"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father [God] except through Me." – Jesus Christ
"Who dares nothing, need hope for nothing." – J. C. F. Schiller
"There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all." – Peter Drucker
"When you lose, don't lose the lesson." – Anon.
"You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." – Mark Twain
"The strongest oak of the forest is not the one that is protected from the storm and hidden from the sun. It's the one that stands in the open where it is compelled to struggle for existence against the winds and rains and the scorching sun." – Napoleon Hill
It's now official: a Manchester University study has found women talk more than men. Why? Vocal chords more flexible? Yes. Different speech-making factory ('Broca's convolution') in the brain? Yes.
What's more, tall men stand closer to talk than short ones. Latin people are more likely to touch while talking.
Men talk mostly about money, work, sex, home, love, sports, politics and hobbies, in that order. Women? Love, money, home, sex, other women, hobbies and work. And in conversation what you say is less important than the way you say it.
Lord, may my words be sweet, for some day I may have to eat them! Amen.
Richard Halverson, former chaplain of the United States Senate, said something about the church that is eminently apropos: "In the beginning the church was a fellowship of men and women centering on the living Christ. Then the church moved to Greece where it became a philosophy. Then it moved to Rome where it became an institution. Next, it moved to Europe, where it became a culture. And, finally, it moved to America where it became an enterprise."
Quoted in E. Glenn Wagner, Ph.D, The
Awesome Power of Shared Beliefs,
(Dallas: Word Publishing, 1995).
On a scale of one to 10—with 10 being "It's as good as it gets! I'm even happier than Charlie Sheen thinks he is," and one being "Life sucks; it can't get worse"—how happy are you with your life?
Researchers say that when asked to grade their lives on a happiness scale, most people give a score of 7 or 8.
It's a tougher question than it seems because how you feel right now has a powerful impact on how happy you think you are. For example, one of my daughters is despondent because she broke her cell phone and is suffering painful withdrawal symptoms. Her need to read and send texts appears to rival an addict's craving for drugs.
Happiness is not an objective fact; it's a feeling, a state of mind, and it's a lifetime goal. Thus, regardless of your starting point, the pursuit of happiness is not really about being happy. It's about being happier in two different ways—happier than we are now and happier than others.
Thus, a person who just received a large raise but discovered he is paid less than most people who do his job is likely to be less happy than the person who received a smaller raise but knows she makes more than others. Remember the parable of the man who was miserable because he had no shoes until he met a man with no feet. The comparison made him happier. The problem is it can also go the other way, as with the man who loved his small house until he visited a man who lived in a mansion.
The key to more frequent and enduring happiness is to be grateful for what you have irrespective of what others may have.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
"He [Jesus] did not retaliate when he was insulted. When he suffered, he did not threaten to get even. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly."1
"He who fears criticism," declared Thomas Jefferson, "is hopeless. Only those who do things are criticized. The idler is lost sight of in the march of events—but the doer is watched and criticized. To hesitate for fear of criticism loses the battle while the doers march on to victory and triumphs.
"If your cause is right, be not afraid of criticism: Advocate it, expound it, and, if need be, fight for it. Critics always will be, but to the strong-minded they are a help rather than a hindrance. As the horse spurts forward when prodded with the spur, so the doers forge ahead under the last of criticism. Take your part on life's stage and play your part to the end. Stand for that which is good [that which is right]. Be a doer, not a drone. Look the world in the face and let the critics criticize."
The fact is those who achieve anything worthwhile in life are bound to be the target for the jabs and jibes of jealous lesser men. Furthermore, the person who, for fear of criticism, tries to please everyone, ends up pleasing no one.
Realize, too, that an incessant, negative criticizer with a chip on his/her shoulder is basically an angry person. They have never resolved their hurts from the past and are looking for hooks to hang their anger on. That is, they are projecting their anger and/or failures onto others rather than accepting the responsibility for their own unresolved issues.
On the other hand, when constructive criticism is given, let's accept it in the spirit in which it is given, evaluate it realistically, and make changes where necessary. This is a characteristic of a mature person.
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to be Christ-like when criticized in that I accept all criticism in a mature manner and don't become defensive. Wherever the criticism is valid, help me to accept it gladly and make changes accordingly. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen.
1. 1 Peter 2:23 (NLT).
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