Vol. 17 – No. 2515 June 20, 2015

1. Words of Wisdom

"Honesty is the first chapter in the Book of Wisdom. Let it be our endeavor to merit the character of a just nation." – Thomas Jefferson

"Self-discipline is a great time-saver; it is the ability to make yourself work on only those things that are most important to you." – Brian Tracy

"I missed all the shots I never took." – Wayne Gretsky, Ice Hockey star

"One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency." – Arnold Glasgow

"A human being fashions his consequences as surely as he fashions his goods or his dwellings. Nothing that he says, thinks or does is without consequences." – Norman Cousins

"The best portion of a good man's life—his little nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love." – William Wordsworth

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." – John Wooden

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2. On the Lighter Side

An elderly woman walked into the local country church. The friendly usher greeted her at the door. "Where would you like to sit?" he asked politely.

"The front row, please," she answered.

"You really don't want to do that," the usher said. "The pastor is really boring."

"Do you happen to know who I am?" the woman inquired.

"No," he said.

"I'm the pastor's mother," she replied indignantly.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked.

"No," she said.

"Good," he answered.

– By way of AndyChaps "The Funnies"  
    andychaps_the-funnies@aol.com

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3. To Let Go

To "let go" does not mean to stop caring; it means I can't do it for someone else.

To "let go" is not to cut myself off; it is the realization I can't control another.

To "let go" is not to enable but to allow learning from natural consequences.

To "let go" is to admit powerlessness, which means the outcome is not in my hands.

To "let go" is not to try to change or blame another; it is to make the most of myself.

To "let go" is not to care for, but to care about.

To "let go" is not to fix, but to be supportive.

To "let go" is not to judge, but to allow another to be a human being.

To "let go" is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes, but to allow others to affect their own destinies.

To "let go" is not to be protective; it is to permit another to face reality.

To "let go" is not to deny, but to accept.

To "let go" is not to nag, scold, or argue, but instead to search out my own shortcomings and to correct them.

To "let go" is not to adjust everything to my desires, but to take each day as it comes, and to cherish myself in it.

To "let go" is not to criticize and regulate anybody else, but to try to become what I dream I can be.

To "let go" is not to regret the past, but to grow and to live for the future.

To "let go" is to fear less and to love more.

– Author Unknown

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4. Today

Today is the only day that you will ever have in your life. Yesterday is now history and you cannot use it. Tomorrow is still a mystery, and you cannot use it. Today is all the present, the only present that you have, a present that needs reception, a clean start, an opportunity to improve on what is left from yesterday and make a solid base for what is yet to come tomorrow. Every day is worth pondering over to avoid wondering about.   

– Cited on andychaps_the-funnies AndyChaps@aol.com

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5. Response to the Beatitudes

Then Jesus took his disciples up the mountain and gathered them around. He taught them, saying:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the meek.
Blessed are they that mourn.
Blessed are the merciful.
Blessed are they who thirst for justice.
Blessed are you when persecuted.
Blessed are you when you suffer.
Be glad and rejoice for your reward is great in heaven.

Then Simon Peter said, "Are we supposed to write this down?"

And Andrew asked, "Are we supposed to know this?"

And James asked, "Will we have a test on this?"

And Phillip said, "I don't have any paper."

And Bartholomew asked, "Do we have to turn this in?"

And John said, "The other disciples didn't have to learn this."

And Matthew asked, "Can I go to the boys' room?"

And Judas asked, "What does this have to do with real life?"

Then one of the Pharisees who was present asked to see Jesus' lesson plan and inquired of Jesus, "Where is your objectives and lesson plan?"

And Jesus wept.

– James T. Garrett, God's Gift, C.S.S.
  Publishing Company, 1991

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6. The Self-Portrait Called Character

      By Michael Josephson of CHARACTER COUNTS (323.1)

I was on a radio show talking about what I called the growing hole in our moral ozone, when Steve called to chastise my naiveté. He cheated to get into college, he said. He cheated in college to get a job. And now he occasionally cheats on his job to get ahead. Cheating is part of our culture. So rather than urge parents to teach kids to be honest, he claimed, I ought to urge parents to teach their kids how to cheat.

Tempting logic. In fact, lots of people cheat and most of them get away with it. Why should a rational person be ethical? This age-old question is at the core of our personal philosophy of life and the concept we have of ourselves.

To those who see their lives and derive their happiness purely in terms of material acquisitions, an unethical life is a viable alternative. If Steve is smart enough to avoid all the traps and pitfalls of this sort of life and never get caught—an unlikely scenario—he may even achieve a sort of happiness.

But those who care about other things—about relationships, about peace of mind, about living a worthy life and being admired and remembered for it—know that people like Steve are a bit pathetic.

We paint the self-portrait that we call our character by our actions. We can choose to paint that portrait in the pale watercolors of shallow successes and short-lived pleasures or in the deep, rich oils of love, honor and reverence for our human potential.

The happiest people I know are those who find purpose, meaning and self-respect in pursuing a vision of a good life, guided and measured by enduring moral virtues. They realize it's demeaning and self-defeating to get caught up in the daily quest for profit or advantage. People like Steve have no idea the price they're paying for the little they're getting.

Remember, the importance of what you do goes well beyond what it gets you. It determines what you are. And what you are is infinitely more important than what you have.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

For Commentaries go to: http://whatwillmatter.com/category/commentary/

© 2005 Josephson Institute of Ethics; reprinted with permission. Michael Josephson, one of the nation's leading ethicists, is the founder of the Josephson Institute of Ethics and the premier youth character education program, CHARACTER COUNTS! For further information visit www.charactercounts.org

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7. Gi'me ... Gi'me ... Gi'me

A sample of Daily Encounter by Dick Innes

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."¹

Gene Barron writes how, when he was a boy, his family had a neighbor who frequently came to their back door. Her reason for coming was always the same, "I just wanted to borrow _______." The problem was that she never came at any other time—only when she wanted something.

My mother was always gracious and gave her what she wanted, but didn't appreciate her as much as the other neighbors—especially the one who came frequently but never asked for anything. She would simply say, "Just stopped by for a visit."

When it comes to prayer, it is true that God does want us to make our requests known to Him, but sometimes I feel my prayers are more, "Give me . . . give me . . . give me!" I know God is gracious and does hear and answer my prayers, but how much better it would be to come to Him not only in times of trouble and need, but to daily come to Him with, "Dear God, I'm just calling in for a visit. What can I do for You today?"

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You that You do want me to bring my requests to You, but please help me to think of others' needs when I pray, and especially bring praise and thanksgiving to You. And today, is there anything I can do for You? Gratefully, in Jesus's name. Amen."

1. Philippians 4:6 (NASB).

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