Quote of the day:
“Thinking you need to change or control other people is a hidden cause of stress in many areas of life. This is just as true for relating to a group as it is for relating to your friends, spouse, children, or other acquaintances.” – Author Unknown Think about it: My nine- and ten-year-olds came whining to me again. “Mommy, Chalsey’s taking all the LEGO blocks!” “Davin always gets the best pieces!” Kristy, my five-year-old, was crying. “It’s not fair! I want to build an airplane, but they won’t let me.” This had been going on all afternoon, one thing after another. No matter how many toys they had, they couldn’t just have fun together. I shot up a quick prayer for an illustration that would help us to get a grip on the problem. “Who likes plain, dry pancakes?” I asked. The kids froze and looked surprised at my sudden change of subject. “Plain pancakes with nothing on them—just dry, get-stuck-in-your-throat pancakes?” “Not me!” they all cried in unison. “I see. So when you asked me to make pancakes yesterday, you didn’t want plain pancakes. You wanted pancakes and pudding.” It had been a special Father’s Day breakfast of hot pancakes smothered in creamy chocolate pudding. “And when you’re playing, you don’t just want to play with plain toys, any more than you wanted plain pancakes. Just like the pudding made the pancakes delicious, your friendship is what makes the games fun. Even if you got every LEGO piece you wanted, your playtime could still be no fun. What makes it special is when you all play together. That’s when you really have a good time. You need ‘pancakes and pudding.’” The children understood the illustration perfectly and decided to play a game together. It worked like magic. We were stuck in the house for the next few days due to bad weather, but no one seemed to mind. Any time tempers flared, I’d tell the kids, “The pancakes need some more pudding.” As I thought more about it later, I realized that lesson wasn’t only for my children. I sometimes work so hard to accomplish the goals I set for myself that I view everything else as a distraction. I want plain, uninterrupted work time, and then I wonder why my work feels so dry and unenjoyable. If you too sometimes find that your day is crowded with worries, stress, and work, if you feel you’ve lost that spark, if you’re feeling a little dry, perhaps what you need to make your day complete is a heaping scoop of sweet, fresh “pudding.” -- By Misty Kay
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Quote of the day:
“A happy birthday is measured not in the amount of gifts one gets, but in the amount one is loved.” -- Todd Stocker Think about it: On my birthday, I often experience mixed feelings—on the one hand, I wish I could escape to a lonely island; on the other hand, the extra attention does feel good. Paolo, a dear friend and colleague of mine for the last 18 years, has made it a point and a personal goal to remember people’s birthdays either through a phone call or an SMS. He keeps a list and updates it as he meets new people. Business people, politicians, housewives, students, lonely elderly people, rich or poor, famous or obscure, everyone’s heart is the same, and everyone has a need for genuine love. I've been able to witness it personally by observing people’s reactions to these birthday wishes. Two years ago, a lonely widow burst into tears when she received that phone call wishing her a happy birthday, and she has brought up that call on many occasions since. To her it represented a turning point in the difficult process of inner healing after her husband passed away and she had to live all alone in a remote area. She said she felt so much love and concern in that unexpected phone call that it brought her heart back to life again. I’ll admit it’s not as simple as it seems, as some mornings you wake up wanting to just think about yourself and don’t feel like making the effort to cheer up someone else on their birthday. I say this because Paolo’s example influenced me, and some time ago I also embraced the “birthday tradition,” even though my list is still much smaller than his. Sometimes I don’t feel like making that phone call, but the reaction usually more than repays my effort, and I discover once again that it doesn't take much to bring a little cheer to someone’s life. A few times, I realized that my simple words really made someone’s day and that I was possibly the only person who remembered. Or I found out they had just experienced some difficult time in their lives, a loss or a sickness. And when I hung up, all I could say was: “Thank God I made that phone call!” Truly, “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” -- By Anna Perlini Diversity: the art of thinking independently together.—Malcolm Forbes
It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.—Maya Angelou An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity. —Martin Luther King, Jr. We are all different, which is great because we are all unique. Without diversity life would be very boring.—Catherine Pulsifer We need to give each other the space to grow, to be ourselves, to exercise our diversity. We need to give each other space so that we may both give and receive such beautiful things as ideas, openness, dignity, joy, healing, and inclusion.—Max de Pree Diversity in the world is a basic characteristic of human society, and also the key condition for a lively and dynamic world as we see today.—Jintao Hu A lot of different flowers make a bouquet.—Muslim Origin Diversity is the one true thing we all have in common. Celebrate it every day. —Author Unknown Quote of the day:
“Find one needy person each month to help. Do something special for them to cheer them up.” -- Jim Think about it: There had been an accident and the husband had died, leaving a young wife and a three-year-old child. One day in the midst of her deep grieving and feeling that life wasn’t worth it anymore and that she didn’t know how she could go on, she was reminded of a list of goals and dreams she and her husband had made together for the next five years—things they would do with their son, places they wanted to take him, a cruise they would go on together, etc. As she looked over the list, her eyes fell on a goal that her husband, Jim, had come up with. His face had lit up when he thought this one up: “Find one needy person each month to help. Do something special for them to cheer them up.” They had had only one chance to do it, but it had brought such a wonderful response that they had been eager to repeat it. Jim had said, “Sweetheart, it takes so little on our part to bring great happiness to others.” But now, what could she do? “I’m the one in need. I’m the one hurting,” she thought to herself. She heard Jim speak again in her mind something he had always told her: “If you’re ever feeling blue, always remember there may be someone more needy than you.” That day she made the decision to look for the needs around her and bring encouragement to those whom God laid on her heart. She knew that God had given Jim to her as a special gift of His love and care. She knew that she had been privileged to live with him for several wonderful years, that his passing wasn't to mean an end of her joy, nor was it a sign that God had now withdrawn the gift that He had given her. The gift of Jim’s love was meant to forever live on in her heart, and, in fact, would grow as she gave it away. Her grief was gradually replaced with a purpose through which she was able to bring much joy and the love and knowledge of Jesus to many others who were lonely and needed a friend.--Source unknown By Elsa Sichrovsky
When I was an idealistic fourteen-year-old, I read a biography of David Brainerd. I loved reading about missionaries like David Livingstone, C. T. Studd, and Amy Carmichael. They seemed to have no trouble inspiring devoted converts who made every sacrifice visibly worthwhile. But Brainerd’s story got off to a tragic start. The reason I remember so clearly how old I was when I read about him is because by the time he was my age, he was an orphan. I still had both of my parents, with many happy years left to enjoy both of them. As I read on, I was staggered by the depth of his suffering. Yet his journals and prayers were characterized by a determination and passion to glorify God and devote his whole self entirely to His service. Reading his thoughts on the hardships of imparting the Christian faith to Native American communities that were troubled with alcoholism and destructive pagan practices caused me to marvel at how easy my life was in comparison and challenged me to aspire to greater spiritual devotion. The rugged path he chose to tread drew him to pursue intimacy with Christ, and he didn't let the pain harden his soul. In addition to spiritual struggles, his body was wracked with intense pain due to severe tuberculosis, which was badly aggravated by his poverty and strenuous lifestyle. His initial evangelistic efforts failed to make much of an impression, and the lack of success caused deep despair to cloud his earnest heart. Nevertheless, through his frequent bouts of the disease that would take his life, and the depression that at times drove him to the brink of suicide, Brainerd persevered. By the time I finished Brainerd’s biography, I found that while my previously favored illustrious-hero-style biography was inspiring in its own way, Brainerd’s story had a finer beauty. Years have passed since I first discovered Brainerd’s courageous spirit and undivided devotion to Christ, but I’m still encouraged by his dedication when my own Christian walk looks more routine and common than fruitful and successful. Brainerd was a missionary at a time and place drastically different from my own, and I may never face the incredible amount of adversity that he did, yet I have the same mission—to reflect God to a world in need of His love and light—and the same God who can help me overcome whatever obstacles I face. The world is like a mirror: Frown at it, and it frowns at you; smile at it and it smiles too. — Herbert Samuels
Most smiles are started by another smile. — Frank A. Clark A smile is the lighting system of the face and the heating system of the heart. — Barbara Johnson A smile is worth a thousand words. — Author Unknown Wear a smile and have friends; wear a scowl and have wrinkles. What do we live for if not to make the world less difficult for each other? — George Eliot Wear a happy face! It’s your display counter—your show window, your best advertisement! — David Fontaine Nobody needs a smile so much as those who have none to give. — Author Unknown Smile at each other, smile at your wife, smile at your husband, smile at your children, it doesn’t matter who it is, and that will help you to grow up in greater love for each other. — Mother Teresa What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. — Joseph Addison A smile is a light in the window of the soul indicating the heart is at home. — Author Unknown Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been. — Mark Twain There are hundreds of languages in the world, but a smile speaks them all. — Author Unknown A winning smile makes winners of us all. — Author Unknown Quote of the day:
“Be willing to launch in faith, with no guarantees of success. This is the mark of personal greatness.”--Brian Tracy Think about it: Maybe it doesn't seem like a big deal once a person achieves their goals, but no one starts off as a hero. They all had to risk looking silly in order to accomplish something great. Bestselling author John Grisham’s first novel, A Time to Kill, was initially a flop. The book was rejected by 16 agents and a dozen publishing companies. Finally a small company printed 5,000 copies, and Grisham purchased 1,000 of those to sell personally. He did his own little book tour, promoting his book in his hometown library, then in various libraries across the state. And it took a good few months before he sold off all those books. I imagine he felt nervous and maybe even silly trying to sell his own book to strangers. I wonder if he ever got hit with thinking I should just call it quits. During this time, however, Grisham didn't give up on writing and worked on a second novel, The Firm, which became an instant success. His determination paid off. It takes strength to risk looking foolish. It takes strength to fail and keep trying. It takes strength to try something that seems crazy or unrealistic. Is there something you've been avoiding because you’re scared of failing? Are you running away from some challenge in your life because you don’t want to look dumb if you mess up? If you are, stop! Turn around. Face that challenge, dare to look goofy, and win! Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can. —Attributed to John Wesley (1703–1791)
There is a wonderful law of nature that the three things we crave most in life—happiness, freedom, and peace of mind—are always attained by giving them to someone else. —Peyton Conway March (1864–1955) We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.—Winston Churchill (1874–1965) It is every man’s obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it. —Albert Einstein (1879–1955) No person was ever honored for what he received. He was honored for what he gave. —Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933) One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is “love.” —Sophocles (496?–406? BC) Do something for somebody every day for which you do not get paid.—Albert Schweitzer (1875–1965) Others Lord, help me live from day to day In such a self-forgetful way That even when I kneel to pray My prayer shall be for others. Help me in all the work I do To ever be sincere and true And know that all I’d do for You Must needs be done for others. Let self be crucified and slain And buried deep, and all in vain May efforts be to rise again, Unless to live for others. And when my work on earth is done, And my new work in Heav’n’s begun, May I forget the crown I’ve won, While thinking still of others. Others, Lord, yes others, Let this my motto be, Help me to live for others, That I may live like Thee. —Charles D. Meigs (1792–1869) “Rare as is true love, true friendship is rarer.” – Jean de La Fontaine, Poet
“A friend is what the heart needs all the time.” – Henry Van Dyke, Author “My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me.” – Henry Ford, Businessman “Friendship marks a life even more deeply than love. Love risks degenerating into obsession, friendship is never anything but sharing.” – Elie Wiesel, Author “A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow.” – Wiliam Shakespeare, Poet “True friends are like diamonds — bright, beautiful, valuable and always in style.” – Nicole Richie, Actress “There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate.” – Linda Grayson, Author “Friends are medicine for a wounded heart, and vitamins for a hopeful soul.” – Steve Maraboli, Author Quote of the day:
“The best portion of a good man's life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love.”--William Wordsworth Think about it: There’s an important and easily missed form of love that’s manifested in the small matters. For example, helping a person in need, preferring them over ourselves, showing sympathy when someone is stressed or worried, or being a listening and sympathetic ear. When we choose to take the time to stop and help someone in need, when we show love and concern for someone hurting, when we give of what we have, we become more loving. We leave a legacy of love behind us as we pursue our path of life. On the other hand, when we choose to focus only on our own goals, responsibilities, and concerns, ignoring the people around us, we become more self-centered and isolated, and we can end up wandering aimlessly about in our own universe. In the end, we’re the sum total of the choices we make on a daily basis. Each of us has opportunities to make choices based on love for others, on wanting to help humankind. Each day, we can do kind deeds. Putting ourselves in others’ shoes and taking time to think about why people do what they do is a lot more fulfilling than criticism, and it breeds sympathy, tolerance, and kindness. As a wise man once said, “God Himself doesn't propose to judge man until the end of his days. So why should you and I?” There are many ways of showing love, and it will be up to each of us to take the time to reflect on how we can personally show more love. We may want to get a notebook or journal and ask ourselves a few questions, such as:
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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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