Quote of the day:
“Anxiety is the space between the ‘now’ and the ‘then.’”— Richard Abell Think about it: If we were to keep a record of all the things we worried about during a given period of time, we would discover—in reviewing them—that the great majority of our anticipated problems or troubles never come to pass. This means that most of the time we devote to worrying, even the constructive kind that prompts us to try to come up with a solution to what is troubling us, is wasted. Thus, we not only caused ourselves unnecessary mental anguish, but also took up valuable minutes and hours that could have been spent more profitably. To avoid this, it is often necessary to subject potential sources of worry to the coldly objective and analytical light of reason. Once, shortly before a major concert before a standing-room-only audience, a member of Arturo Toscanini’s orchestra approached the great Italian conductor with an expression of sheer terror on his face. “Maestro,” the musician fretted, “my instrument is not working properly. I cannot reach the note of E-flat. Whatever will I do? We are to begin in a few moments.” Toscanini looked at the man with utter amazement. Then he smiled kindly and placed an arm around his shoulders. “My friend,” the maestro replied, “Do not worry about it. The note E-flat does not appear anywhere in the music that you will be playing this evening.” The next time we find ourselves in the middle of worrying about some matter, we might be wise to stop and ask ourselves what the odds are of the problem really coming to pass. Upon reflection, we may come to the conclusion that we can go on to something more constructive.
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Happy Easter! I pray all is well with you.
I know that many of you are not religious or even spiritual but no matter this message is for everyone as during this time of turmoil, isolation and loneliness we all need comfort, inspiration and encouragement.
I pray you have a wonderful Easter full of love, joy and happiness. Coach Dana Someone was sharing this story with me and I thought it might be helpful to share it with you.
“I was talking to these young men and the conversation came up about Easter. So I had the idea of relating Easter on a personal level. I told them: “Okay, so on Friday we mark the day by remembering Jesus’ death on the cross for us, right? Then we have Holy Saturday, and finally Easter Sunday. Right? “Some of you may feel like you’re a Friday: you’re dead, you have no hope, you’re too bad for Jesus. All is lost. “Or maybe you are like a Saturday: you feel like you don’t know. You think you do okay, you think you’re a good person. You go to church, or you read the Bible sometimes, but you don’t really have a connection to Jesus. You don’t know personally that He loves you. “Well, I have great news for you! Jesus is just around the corner! Easter is on Sunday! And you can have an Easter resurrection in your heart. You can dedicate or rededicate your life to Christ right now, today! Anything you think is old or dead or ugly about yourself, you have the power to change if you invite Jesus into your heart and experience His love. “There we were, talking about the Lord, as these guys had a bottle of beer in one hand, and a cigarette in the other. These seven young men then decided to give their hearts to Jesus. They put everything down, we bowed our heads, and said a short but heartfelt prayer.” No matter what day you are feeling like, you can have an Easter resurrection too if you want a personal relationship with Jesus. Just ask Jesus to forgive you for your sins and to come into your life. If you want more information you can always write me here: [email protected] Coach Dana To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men – that is genius.
Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. Do that which is assigned you, and you cannot hope too much or dare too much. Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles. Like the wounded oyster, he mends his shell with pearl. Always do what you are afraid to do. What is the hardest task in the world? To think. Good thoughts are no better than good dreams, unless they are executed. Divine persons are victory organised. Humility is the secret of the wise. Thus the so-called fortunate man is one who…relies on his instincts, and simply does not act where he should not, but waits his time, and without effort acts when the need is. If to this you add a fitness to the society around him, you have the elements of fortune. Here are the two capital facts, genius and drill. The enthusiast always finds the master, the masters, whom he seeks. Always genius seeks genius, desires nothing so much as to be a pupil and to find those who can lend it aid to perfect itself. Quote of the day:
I've learned that everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it. --Andy Rooney Think about it: I know this is a big pill to swallow, but the reality is simple: most people aren’t out to get us. They’re not doing things to make us miserable and ruin our day. They’re doing it because they’re living their own life experiences. Yes, that sometimes means they’re inconsiderate, annoying, unconscious, and not living up to our high expectations. But, guess what, we’re not always living up to other people’s expectations. I’ve certainly offended my share of people. I’ve rolled my eyes, said things I wish I hadn’t, been inconsiderate, unconscious and annoying. And while I’m not proud of it, I do know that I’m a better person today than I was yesterday, in the same way that the person who offended you today may be a better person tomorrow. The fact is, we all need space to be ourselves—to have good days and bad days, and to not always be at our best. We need the space to change, grow, and evolve, and to do it on our own time. And the more we adopt this “big picture” attitude, the less demanding we will be of those around us, reducing the likelihood that we will be offended in the first place. And here’s the bonus: the more space we give for others to be themselves, the more space they’re likely to make for us. I know it’s a tough goal to stretch for, but it’s also one that could change the world. It’s called freedom and it’s a peaceful, energizing, and beautiful thing. That’s it…three small pills to cure what irritates you. Of course, it’s not that simple. If you really want to be cured from what offends you, you’ll need to stay on this prescription for the rest of your life. But, that’s a small price to pay for the freedom to live every moment with the knowingness that your days of being chronically offended are once and forever over. Easter is only four Sundays away so I thought I would say a few words about Easter starting today and continuing on for the next three Sundays to get us ready.
This is a quote from Phillip Yancey to think about. There are two ways to look at human history, I have concluded. One way is to focus on the wars and violence, the squalor, the pain and tragedy and death. From such a point of view, Easter seems a fairy-tale exception, a stunning contradiction in the name of God. That gives some solace, although I confess that when my friends died, grief was so overpowering that any hope in an after-life seemed somehow thin and insubstantial. There is another way to look at the world. If I take Easter as the starting point, the one incontrovertible fact about how God treats those whom he loves, then human history becomes the contradiction and Easter a preview of ultimate reality. Hope then flows like lava beneath the crust of daily life. This, perhaps, describes the change in the disciples’ perspective as they sat in locked rooms discussing the incomprehensible events of Easter Sunday. In one sense nothing had changed: Rome still occupied Palestine, religious authorities still had a bounty on their heads, death and evil still reigned outside. Gradually, however, the shock of recognition gave way to a long slow undertow of joy. If God could do that for them He can do that for any of us. I hope you have received God’s gift of love and are having a personal relationship with Jesus. If not and you would like to know more please write me: [email protected] Coach Dana True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others, at whatever cost. —Arthur Ashe
My own heroes are the dreamers, those men and women who tried to make the world a better place than when they found it, whether in small ways or great ones. Some succeeded, some failed, most had mixed results … but it is the effort that’s heroic, as I see it. Win or lose, I admire those who fight the good fight. —George R. R. Martin True greatness, true leadership, is achieved not by reducing men to one’s service, but by giving oneself in selfless service to them. —Author unknown Invisible heroes may never make it into our school textbooks, garner their own Wikipedia entries, or have their own YouTube video that goes viral. But they are all indispensable members of our society. These hidden heroes are also our most essential heroes. —Scott T. Allison The longer I live the more I am convinced that each of us has some hero-like qualities. We all face challenges. We all face hardships. We all encounter, during our lifetime, moments when we can rise above our basest of animal instincts and become angels of a higher calling. It is at that time, when we answer that calling, that we become a hero in the truest sense of the word. —William D. Holland No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it for anyone else. —Charles Dickens I long to accomplish great and noble tasks, but it is my chief duty to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble. The world is moved along, not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker. —Helen Keller Man’s greatest actions are performed in minor struggles. Life, misfortune, isolation, abandonment, and poverty are battlefields which have their heroes—obscure heroes who are at times greater than illustrious heroes. —Victor Hugo Who doesn’t stay humble, loses his greatness. – Saint Francis de Sales Do not confuse notoriety and fame with greatness. Many of the titled in today’s world obtained their fame and fortune outside their own merit. On the other hand, I have met great people in the most obscure roles. Greatness is a measure of one’s spirit, not a result of one’s rank in human affairs. Nobody, least of all mere human beings, confers greatness upon another, for it is not a prize but an achievement. Greatness can crown the head of a janitor just as readily as it can come to someone of high rank. —Sherman G. Finesilver Quote of the day:
For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind. – Ralph Waldo Emerson Think about it: Think before you speak. Delay is a tremendous remedy for anger. You don’t need to delay indefinitely. If you’ve got an issue you need to deal with, you need to do so. Anger delayed indefinitely becomes bitterness. That’s worse than anger. Anger isn’t always a sin. Bitterness is. If you respond impulsively, you tend to respond in anger. If you wait to talk about whatever conflict you’re dealing with, you’ll be more rational and reasonable when you do. The longer you hold your temper, the better your response will be. Give yourself time to think. That reminds me of a story. Standard Oil was once one of the biggest companies in the world, led by the famous John D. Rockefeller. On one occasion a company executive made a bad decision. It cost the firm $2 million. This was the late 1800s, and $2 million was a huge sum. Edward Bedford, a partner in the company, had an appointment to see Rockefeller. When he entered Rockefeller’s office he saw his boss bent over a piece of paper, busily scribbling notes. When Rockefeller finally looked up, he said to Bedford, “I suppose you’ve heard about our loss? I’ve been thinking it over, and before I ask the man in to discuss the matter, I’ve been making some notes.” Bedford looked across the table and saw the page Rockefeller had been scribbling on. Across the top of the page was the heading, “Points in favor of Mr. __________.” Below the heading was a long list of the man’s good qualities, including notes of three occasions where he had made decisions that had earned the company many times more than his error had lost. Bedford later said, “I never forgot that lesson. In later years, whenever I was tempted to rip into anyone, I forced myself first to sit down and thoughtfully compile as long a list of good points as I possibly could. Invariably, by the time I finished my inventory, I would see the matter in its true perspective and keep my temper under control. There is no telling how many times this habit has prevented me from committing one of the costliest mistakes any executive can make—losing his temper.” “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”—Romans 12:211
It’s interesting that the apostle Paul wrote the verse “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” to the Christians in Rome, because there are some obvious similarities between the social climate of first-century Rome and that of much of the world of today. Evil was rampant in Rome, and its pull was strong. The Roman Empire hadn’t become the undisputed ruler of the Western world through compassion, kindness, or humility. Wealth was in the hands of a few, and they used it to control the rest. The rich and powerful lived extravagantly while the masses struggled to survive. Perversions and debauchery were practiced by some and ignored by others. Christianity was just one religion and Christ just one more deity. Considering the pantheon of gods that the Romans worshipped, it must have been difficult to convince anyone that Jesus was “the way, the truth, and the life.” Starting to sound familiar? It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the evil in the world. Every day we hear about another horrible crime being committed. Meanwhile, the popular media searches for new and more horrific ways to portray violence, perversion, and all manner of evil. Whether it’s a case of art imitating life or vice versa, life has lost its sanctity in the minds of many. What can we do about a world so overcome with evil? This was the same dilemma that the Christians in Rome faced, and Paul’s counsel to them rings true today. “Overcome evil with good.” If a dish is dirty, being angry about the situation does nothing to fix it. Neither does trying to ignore it. The only solution is to expose that dirty dish to the power of a little soap and water. If a room is dark, you can curse the darkness or whine over how unpleasant it is—or you can flip the light switch or open the curtains and let some light in. It’s the same with society’s evils. We can get discouraged, angry, or depressed—“overcome by evil”—or we can be a force for good, even if only through personal example. Not every dirty dish will be cleaned, and not every darkened heart will be enlightened, but we can each do our part day by day, person by person, decision by decision.—Marie Péloquin People become attached to their burdens sometimes more than the burdens are attached to them.—George Bernard Shaw
Smile, breathe, and go slowly. —Thich Nhat Hanh The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.—William James You don’t have to control your thoughts. You just have to stop letting them control you.—Dan Millman You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do. —Eleanor Roosevelt We must be willing to let go of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.—Joseph Campbell Just when the caterpillar thought the world was ending, he turned into a butterfly.—Proverb Everything you have ever wanted is sitting on the other side of fear. —George Addair Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact.—William James |
AuthorThe goal of the blog is to provide interesting, motivational, soul feeding material. All to help remind us that God loves us all and wants a personal relationship with each of us and will take care of us in times of trouble. I aspire to be a force for good by providing you with positive input. I encourage you to share the blog with others. Archives
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