“A man has to live with himself, and he should see to it that he always has good company.”--Charles Evans Hughes
“It is amazing what happens to us when we start thinking how we can serve others, and when we do, we also begin to think and feel more positively and better about ourselves.” — Author Unknown “We are all wonderful, beautiful wrecks. That's what connects us-that we're all broken, all beautifully imperfect.” — Emilio Estevez “Each person is a V.S.P. (Very Special Person) because we are each created in the image of God.”—Desmond Tutu “The more you know who you are, the less you let things upset you." —Bob Harris "Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!” — Anne Frank “Do not wish to be anyone but what you are, and try to be that perfectly.”—Saint Francis DeSales “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson “If God had wanted me otherwise, He would have created me otherwise.”—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe “Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are.” —Malcolm Forbes
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Quote of the day:
“Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill, and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle.” -- Deepak Chopra Think about it: It was a London cartographer, John Spilsbury, who is credited with commercializing jigsaw puzzles around 1760. During the Great Depression, they were popularized in America as a cheap form of entertainment. Puzzles come in all shapes and sizes, including the latest and greatest—3D spherical jigsaws. But the method of assembly has not changed in hundreds of years. It requires the fitting together of oddly shaped, interlocking pieces. I love to do puzzles and find them to be similar to life. Some parts are easier to do than others and sometimes you think there is a piece missing as you just can’t find it or see how it fits in until more of the puzzle comes together. Whatever stage of the puzzle you are on in your life don’t give up. Keep trying and having patience until the whole picture comes into view. Quote of the day:
"You will know that forgiveness has begun when you recall those who hurt you and feel the power to wish them well.” -- Lewis B. Smedes Think about it: Here is a story by Joseph and what his last year’s New Year’s resolution looked like. I liked it so much I couldn’t wait to send it out. I didn’t make any New Year’s resolutions last year. Instead, I determined to make heartfelt and long overdue amends to someone I’ve known for a number of years. Someone in whom I had found plenty of character defects, a person I found very difficult to work with, much less love. I’ve known for some time now that I needed to apologize to this fellow and ask for his forgiveness. It wasn’t to be about his faults, real or imagined, but about the way I felt about him, the way I had talked about him behind his back. This was not about his sins, but mine. Polite character assassination is what I had been engaged in, no doubt, and it was bugging me a lot. So I told this person that I needed to talk with him. Pent-up emotions burst forth… The dam of pride and resentment had finally broken. With tears in my eyes, I ’fessed up, told him how deeply sorry I was, and asked for his forgiveness for being such a heel—a real schlemiel. He accepted my apology and offered his own. After clearing the air, it turned out this fellow human being, whom I had treated so dismissively and unfairly, was someone of immense value, someone very special. Now the future looks bright—the foundation has been laid for a new friendship. I can’t think of a finer way to start a New Year. Maybe you have someone you need to ask for forgiveness from to start your New Year off right. But why wait until the New Year? Why waste a moment longer? Do it now! “Take no thought of who is right or wrong or who is better than. Be not for or against.” — Bruce Lee
“There are two things that I want you to make up your minds to: first, that you are going to have a good time as long as you live – I have no use for the sour-faced man – and next, that you are going to do something worthwhile, that you are going to work hard and do the things you set out to do.” —Theodore Roosevelt “There are good men and bad men of all nationalities, creeds and colors; and if this world of ours is ever to become what we hope someday it may become, it must be by the general recognition that the man’s heart and soul, the man’s worth and actions, determine his standing.” —Theodore Roosevelt “You know you are on the road to success if you would do your job, and not be paid for it.” —Oprah Winfrey “The weak die out and the strong will survive, and will live on forever” — Anne Frank “The sum of wisdom is that time is never lost that is devoted to work.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson “The most successful men in the end are those whose success is the result of steady accretion... It is the man who carefully advances step by step, with his mind becoming wider and wider--and progressively better able to grasp any theme or situation--persevering in what he knows to be practical, and concentrating his thought upon it, who is bound to succeed in the greatest degree.” — Alexander Graham Bell “The miracle power that elevates the few is to be found in their industry, application and perseverance, under the promptings of a brave determined spirit.” — Mark Twain “The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.” — William James “The less effort, the faster and more powerful you will be.” — Bruce Lee Quote of the day:
"If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies in yourself.” – Minquass Think about it: One useful survival skill I picked up while living in the Middle East was being thankful for all that happens to me. It is reflected in the language of the people of this region when they consistently thank God for what is happening to them at that moment—whether it is an obvious blessing or a blessing in disguise in the form of heartbreak and disappointment. Here is a story about gratitude from a famous storyteller in the region that suggest just that. Juha relates how one day despite the difficulties of his donkey dying, an extended drought, and rising prices at the market, he determined to thank God no matter what. The test soon came, as he was hoeing in his garden and a thorn came up through his shoe. After hopping around on one foot as he cried out in pain, he remembered. “Thank you, God, that these are my old shoes and not my new ones that were ruined.” As he continued hoeing his garden, a sandstorm arose and knocked him flat. After it subsided, he thought, “I thank God it is usually fine weather. Sandstorms are very rare!” Before resuming his hoeing, he put down his money purse, which contained the coins he had been saving to buy a new donkey. A thief who was passing by stole the purse, and despite a fervent chase, Juha was not able to catch him. Panting heavily, he asked himself, “What can I be grateful for now?” He had no answer, and so went back to hoeing. Soon a sailor approached him and told him, “I used to be your student until I joined a ship crew. When we were in dire danger with huge waves threatening to sink our ship, I remembered that you taught us to give thanks in any situation. I did, and I am truly thankful that my life was spared. I now want to give you a gift as a small token of my gratitude.” Opening the gift, Juha found that it contained the exact amount that had been stolen. “I lose money in one hour and gain it back the same day! How marvelous! God is good!” After hoeing some more, Juha was now very tired. He rested under a large oak tree. Before drifting off to sleep he noticed a watermelon patch and mused, “I wonder why the large melons grow on such small vines while the mighty oaks have small acorns growing on them. Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Large fruit, large tree; small nut, small vine…” His thoughts were interrupted by an acorn that hit him on the head. He suddenly understood! “I thank you, God, that you are so much wiser than me. If watermelons were growing on large trees, I would be dead now from one falling on my head.” At the end of the day, he had a lot to be thankful for. I read this article in the Activated Magazine and thought how true it was. We all need to be reminded sometimes that outward progress doesn’t necessarily reflect or measure of inward progress.
“When the seed of the Chinese Bamboo Tree is planted, watered, and nurtured, for years it doesn’t outwardly grow as much as an inch. Nothing happens for the first year. There’s no sign of growth. Not even a hint. The same thing happens— or doesn’t happen—the second year, and then the third year. The tree is carefully watered and fertilized each year, but nothing shows. No growth. Nothing! “So it goes as the sun rises and sets for four solid years. The farmer and his wife have nothing tangible to show for their labor or effort. Then, along comes year five. After five years of fertilizing and watering have passed, with nothing to show for it, the bamboo tree suddenly sprouts and grows eighty feet in just six week! “Did the little tree lie dormant for four years only to grow exponentially in the fifth? Or, was the little tree growing underground, developing a root system strong enough to support its potential for outward growth in the fifth year and beyond? The answer is, of course, obvious. Had the tree not developed a strong unseen foundation it could not have sustained its life as it grew.” –Zig Zigglar Your dreams, no matter how big, are not in vain. Just because you don’t see signs of progress now, do not grow weary in continuing to build, to give it everything you’ve got within you. Even when overly critical friends remind you of how much easier it would be to give up, to be more realistic, more practical, or find a new passion choose to believe that growth is happening underground. A root system is being formed within your life, the kind of roots that will outlast storms because of the hard work and commitment it’s taken to stand in faith for something it cannot easily prove or qualify. Continue to nurture and develop your roots and foundations, because every step or minute of effort makes a difference, and every step you take makes an impact. You may not see the change right away, but growth is happening. With patience and perseverance to attain our goals, and with God’s help, we can surely reach our dreams. If only we could realize while we are yet mortals that day by day we are building for eternity, how different our lives in many ways would be! Every gentle word, every generous thought, every unselfish deed will become a pillar of eternal beauty in the life to come. We cannot be selfish and unloving in one life and generous and loving in the next. The two lives are too closely blended—one but a continuation of the other.—Rebecca Springer (1832–1904)
Do not think that love in order to be genuine has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.—Mother Teresa (1910–1997) Most of us can probably look forward to some extra attention on our birthday and other special occasions. But doesn’t it make you feel especially loved when, out of the blue, someone does some loving thing for you for no other reason than because he or she loves you? Why not do the same for others? If you stop to think about it, you’d probably be surprised at how many thoughtful little things you could find to do for others that would cost almost nothing and take almost no time. Want to transform your relationships with family, friends, and workmates? Become a master of the five-minute favor.—Shannon Shaylor St. Francis of Assisi stated, “All getting separates you from others; all giving unites you with others.” The heart of selflessness is generosity. It not only helps to unite the team, but it also helps to advance the team. —John C. Maxwell (b. 1947) If we make our goal to live a life of compassion and unconditional love, then the world will indeed become a garden where all kinds of flowers can bloom and grow.—Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (1926–2004) Good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered. Carve your name on hearts, not on marble.—Charles Spurgeon (1834–1892) I do not pretend to give such a sum; I only lend it to you. When you [...] meet with another honest man in similar distress, you must pay me by lending this sum to him; enjoining him to discharge the debt by a like operation, when he shall be able, and shall meet with another opportunity. I hope it may thus go thro’ many hands. … This is a trick of mine for doing a deal of good with a little money.—Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790), in a letter to Benjamin Webb Quote of the day:
“A quick temper will make a fool of you soon enough.” -- Bruce Lee Think about it: When the athlete was only a boy, it was obvious to everybody that he was blessed with special physical gifts. He loved all sports, and excelled at every one he ever tried. When he was nine years old, his father handed him a warped wooden tennis racquet. From the first swing of the racquet, the boy was hooked! It wasn’t long before he was beating all the kids his age throughout the country. By the time he was 12 he was regularly beating the best adult players in his country, and he could give tennis pros a run for their money. Everyone predicted he would be a world champion one day; that is, if he could only learn how to control his temper. You see, when something went wrong, like when he missed an easy shot or if an umpire made a bad call, the boy had a fit. His temper got so out of control that he began losing matches he should have won. One day his father came out to watch him in the finals of a big tournament. Sure enough, the boy started losing his temper, shouting, cursing, throwing his racquet. After 10 minutes of witnessing this obnoxious behavior, the father walked onto the court, and announced to everyone present, “This match is over. My son defaults.” And with that he walked over to his son and said in a stern voice, “Come with me.” When they got home the father placed the racquet in a closet and said, “You are not to touch this racquet or any other racquet for six months, end of discussion.” At the end of the six months, his father handed the racquet to his son with these words: “If I hear so much as one curse word, or see so much as one toss of your racquet in anger, I’ll take it from you for good. Either you control your temper or I will control it for you.” The boy was so overjoyed to be able to play that he took to the sport with more passion than ever before. By the time he was 16, he was winning professional tournaments all over Europe. With each tournament, the young man was getting better and better, and the press started calling him “teen angel”! You see, after his father’s suspension, the boy learned to manage his emotions even under the most stressful conditions. Whether it was the first point of an easy match or the last nerve-racking point of a hard-fought final, his expression and demeanor remained the same. He was in complete control of his emotions. He went on to become what many experts consider the greatest player ever. He won 14 major championships in all, including six French Open titles, the first when he was only 18 years old, and five straight Wimbledon titles. The one-time tennis brat, later known as “Teen-Angel,” was Bjorn Borg. Acting on runaway emotions will have consequences. To not think things through can have life-altering repercussions. And unfortunately, often those consequences can never be undone, nor those repercussions reversed. Therefore, it’s crucial that we fully understand and respect the power of our emotions, and that we learn to take responsibility for them and manage them well. It’s never too late to learn to control your temper or manage your emotions. Quote of the day:
“The monotony and solitude of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind.” – Albert Einstein Think about it: I read this article by Jewel Roque that really spoke to me. One part of the article was about the importance of “stillness.” Poets know the importance of stillness. They know that if they are still enough, long enough, the art they are working on will speak to them, tell them what it wants to be and what it needs from them to become it. All artists know this, whether they work with paint or clay, words or musical notes. Michelangelo knew how to be still before the stone and listen to the David within it. Strauss knew how to be still before the Danube and listen to the waltz that was eddying about in its waters. Monet knew how to be still before the pond and listen to the lilies sunning on its surface. Our culture knows little of this kind of listening. The best ideas, and the completion of them, require not only time to do them, but also stillness and quietness of body, mind, and spirit. The finishing work, whether of a small project or of life itself, requires stillness in mind and soul. It’s easy to start something. It’s good to start something. Well begun is half done, they say. But to finish something—to see it through to the end—that’s not always easy. It takes time. Patience. Faith. And those aren’t always easy to come by. We don’t always find them by looking within or looking around. But when we look up, and with peace and quiet of mind, listen to the still, small voice of God that whispers to us when we take time to listen, we will know the path to take. We will know how to complete what we have begun and what He has begun in our lives. I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot . . . and missed. And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why … I succeed.--Michael Jordan (b. 1963), American basketball player
Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently. --Henry Ford (1863–1947), founder of the Ford Motor Company Failure is success if we learn from it.--Malcom S. Forbes (1919–1990), publisher of Forbes magazine When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal.--Napoleon Hill (1883–1970), American author and pioneer of the personal-success genre Failure is the foundation of success, and the means by which it is achieved.--Lao Tzu (sixth-century BC), Chinese philosopher I’ve come to believe that all my past failure and frustration were actually laying the foundation for the understandings that have created the new level of living I now enjoy.--Tony Robbins (b. 1960), American author and speaker |
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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