Quote of the day:
"The Light that shines from the humble manger is strong enough to lighten our way to the end of our days.” —Vita-Rays Reflection: Since in most countries they start putting up Christmas decorations in late November I thought it might be interesting to hear one of the stories behind the Christmas nativity story. The story of the first Nativity scene is a well-known Christmas standard: Saint Francis of Assisi is traditionally believed to have asked the citizens of the village of Grecchio, in 1223, to play the characters in the Nativity. What’s certain is that these “living cribs” became highly popular and the tradition spread around the world. The trouble was that these were large-scale affairs that often required dozens of actors and a great deal of preparation. During the French Revolution, religious reenactments were suppressed, and Nativities were reduced to miniature scenes that families could recreate at home. Some of the most famous of these are the brightly colored “santouns” (small saints, in the local dialect) from Provence. In addition to the biblical players—Jesus’ family, the shepherds, angels, and kings—these Nativity scenes usually include a collection of everyday characters and traditional trades. There is one character you may not immediately recognize but who is essential to any Provençal Nativity. He isn’t bringing any gifts, but his arms are raised and his expression is one of intense surprise and joy. He is Lou Ravi (the delighted one). In Italy, a similar Nativity figure is called Lo Stupito (the astonished one), and their shared characteristic is a strong sense of awe and marvel. They seem empty-handed, but actually, they’re bringing the most beautiful gift of all: their wonder. We who know the story of Christmas so well can easily grow familiar with its blessing. Jesus’ birthday becomes a traditional, recurring event much like any other, when in fact, it’s anything but. The truth is: God loves us so much that He came to earth as a human, in the form of His Son, Jesus, so we could get to know Him and learn to trust Him and love Him back. May we always retain Lou Ravi’s childlike wonder at this incredible gift!
0 Comments
Quote of the day:
“I live by this credo: Have a little laugh at life and look around you for happiness instead of sadness. Laughter has always brought me out of unhappy situations. Even in your darkest moment, you usually can find something to laugh about if you try hard enough.” —Red Skelton Reflection: I love the following story. The choices this young man made influenced a lot of people for good. Jerome K. Jerome was a British writer whose father died when he was 12. At age 14, he had to go to work to support his mother and sister. His life got even harder when his mother died, but after many different jobs, the end result was that he became a writer—not of sad stories, but a famous humorist, writing funny stories to encourage others. After such a difficult beginning in life, he said, “It is from the struggle, not the victory, that we gain strength.” Maybe he was influenced by Mark Twain when he said, “The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.” There is enough good and bad in everyone’s life—ample sorrow and happiness, sufficient joy and pain—to find a rational basis for becoming either an optimist or pessimist. We can choose to laugh or cry, bless or curse. It’s our decision. Which perspective do we want to view life? Vitamins for the Soul
A quote a day helps you remember what’s important. Here are this week’s quotes on gratitude.
Quote of the day:
“When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food, and the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies with yourself." —Tecumseh Reflection: One thing that seems to be universally appreciated is gratitude. Many holidays around the world celebrate harvests, independence, victory in historical battles, and so on. Having a special day of remembrance gives us an opportunity to count our blessings for all the wonderful things we have in our lives that we often take for granted. Whether or not you celebrate Thanksgiving as a traditional holiday, it’s a wonderful idea to pick a time or day when you can focus on being grateful for the good in your life. Gratitude adds so many benefits to our daily lives. One study found that “Gratitude makes us nicer, more trusting, more social and more appreciative. As a result, it helps us make more friends, deepen our existing relationships, and improve our marriage.” That’s pretty impressive! It’s also been shown to make one:
And the list goes on…It’s hard to grumble about all the things we’re not happy with when we spend time celebrating the wonderful friendships, life experiences, children, or other important parts of our lives that we love and cherish. Take time to be grateful. Quote of the day:
"Be the change you wish to see in the world.” —Gandhi Reflection: Sustaining the environment has become a serious concern of nearly every nation. Debates on how to best achieve this are continuous and often contentious. Overwhelmed by the complexity of the issue, most of us look to scientists and others with more knowledge and resources to find solutions. However, Abdul Kareem is one man who hasn’t waited on anybody else. Here is his story. If you were to visit him at his home in southern India, you would see acres of rich forest with abundant wildlife. In a part of the world where water is often in short supply, his land and the villages around it have no such problem. But it hasn’t always been that way. Twenty-five years ago, the area was a series of dry, rocky, lifeless hills. Kareem was strangely drawn to the area during visits to his wife’s family, who lived there. “I would walk around the area and see barren hillsides,” he recalls. “It was a heartache of a sight, and yet the pull on me was strong. I suddenly realized that I had often—though only for brief moments—dreamt of the Kaavu of India’s collective memory. They were the Sacred Groves that every village had once upon a time. I had been told of them as a child. I think I had subconsciously yearned for one.” On an impulse, he bought five acres. In spaces between rocks, he planted saplings of trees native to the region. The well on the property barely yielded a bucketful of water at a time, so for three summers Kareem used a motorbike to haul water from a source a kilometer (about 2/3 mile) away. During this time he also bought adjoining land from neighbors who were happy to exchange their desolate properties for cash. The fourth year, Kareem’s efforts began to pay off. The new vegetation, sparse as it was, helped his land retain more rainwater. The water level in his well rose, and that made it possible for him to gradually plant and tend the rest of his property, which had grown to nearly 13 hectares (32 acres). The transformation was slow but steady. As the saplings grew, birds flocked to the area and sowed the seeds of a variety of other plants. A natural revival was underway. Year by year, more vegetation grew, more wildlife arrived, and the water table continued to rise. As a result, other wells within a 10 kilometer (6.2 mile) radius of Kareem’s, now also have more water. With few resources at his disposal, Kareem has changed his part of the world, day by day and step by patient step. Source: www.goodnewsindia.com/Pages/content/inspirational/abdulKareem.html This is just one man’s story on how he changed his part of the world. We can all do something, even if it’s not as grand as this, but every bit helps. Vitamins for the Soul
A quote a day helps you remember what’s important. Here are this week’s quotes on sharing.
Quote of the day:
“People who consider themselves victims of their circumstances will always remain victims unless they develop a greater vision for their lives.” —Stedman Graham Reflection: Some say life is a struggle. If it is, every problem we face leads us to one of two choices. Either we choose to be victorious, or we choose to be a victim. Either we choose to be responsible for the life we create, or we shirk our responsibility by blaming others for our failures and unhappiness. Those who choose to be victorious don’t find life to be a struggle. They find it to be exhilarating. They don’t encounter problems; they merely face things they wish to change. When they find something blocking their way, they look for a way to get around it, or to overcome it. In a word, they look for, and find, solutions. On the other hand, those who choose to be victims are experts at looking for excuses. They almost delight in finding others to blame for their self-inflicted misery. Here are two real-life examples: Carl is in his fifties and claims he wishes to recover from a long string of failures. To this end, he enrolled in a college course to update his skills. One day, when the instructor was writing on the blackboard, he shouted from the back of the room, “Write larger! I can’t read what you’re writing.” Carl was miffed when the instructor ignored his pleas. A few weeks later, he complained to his classmates, “I’m afraid I’ll have to drop out of this course. I have bad eyes and our teacher writes too small. How can I take notes and learn the material? Our instructor doesn’t seem to care about my disability.” “Why don’t you come to class early so you can get a seat in the front of the room?” suggested a classmate. “Because the bus in my area runs only once an hour. If I took the earlier bus, I would arrive much too early.” replied Carl. “Get a pair of glasses.” another classmate advised. “I have a pair,” said Carl, “but they are not very helpful.” Exasperated, another classmate asked, “Well then, why don’t you get a pair of opera glasses?” Carl had an answer for that too: “I can’t afford opera glasses. I can barely afford to pay the bus fare to get here.” Carl had an answer for every question. Although he could never find solutions for whatever was troubling him, he was proficient in finding excuses for his inaction. He was convinced he had certain “disabilities” that warranted special treatment. The world should conform to his “special needs,” he reasoned. Kyle Maynard is an entirely different breed. Born with stumps in the place of arms and legs, he believed it was his responsibility to adapt to the world rather than demanding the world change for him. Despite the enormous obstacles facing Kyle, his lack of arms and legs did not prevent him from learning how to write and type. Neither did it prevent him from becoming a defensive lineman on a football team, a university student, and a top wrestler. You can add to his list of accomplishments author, world traveler, and motivational speaker. “No Excuses” is the title of Kyle’s book (Regnery Publishing, Inc., 2005), and it points out the difference between him and Carl. Kyle realizes that making excuses holds us back, while assuming responsibility moves us forward. He understands that responsibility is empowering, and the more of it we take on, the more we will be, do, and have what we want. Which are you a problem solver or a victim? Quote of the day:
“Challenges make life interesting; however, overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” —Mark Twain Reflection: I have sent this story out via video, but it has such a good message I wanted to send it via email as well. A young woman went to see her mother and told her about all her troubles. Life was hard, and she felt like giving up. No sooner had one problem been resolved, it seemed, a new one took its place. She was tired of the constant struggle. Her mother took her into the kitchen and filled three pots with water. In the first pot, she placed a carrot, in the second, she placed an egg, and in the third, she placed some ground coffee beans. She lit the stove and set the three pots to boil without saying a word. Twenty minutes later, she fished the carrot out and put it in a bowl. She pulled the egg out and put it in another bowl. Then she ladled the coffee through a strainer and into a cup. Turning then to her daughter, she asked, “What do you see?” “A carrot, an egg, and coffee,” the young woman replied. “Feel the carrot,” the mother said. The daughter tried to pick it up, but it fell apart between her fingers. It had turned to mush. “Now the egg,” the mother said. The daughter cracked the egg on the edge of the bowl, peeled away the shell, and pronounced it hard-boiled. “Now try the coffee.” The daughter smiled as she lifted the cup toward her mouth and breathed in the aroma, and she smiled even more broadly after the first sip. It tasted rich and full. “So what’s your point, Mother?” the young woman asked. “The point is that the carrot, the egg, and the coffee all faced the same hardship— the boiling water—but each reacted differently. The carrot went in hard, strong, and unrelenting, but became weak and fell apart. The egg had been fragile, but after sitting in the boiling water, it became hardened. The coffee beans were different. When they sat in boiling water, they changed the water. “Which are you?” the mother asked. When adversity knocks at your door how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean? Vitamins for the Soul
A quote a day helps you remember what’s important. Here are this week’s quotes on making a difference.
Quote of the day:
“History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to be discouraged by their defeats.” —B.C. Forbes Reflection: This story is a little longer than usual. Nevertheless I want to share it, as I’m pretty sure this has happened to all of us at one time or another, in one way or another. If it hasn’t happened to you, sooner or later it will. I had been working for weeks to secure a deal that would give me a nice commission. I picked up the phone and called the customer to get the deal finalized, only to hear that all purchases were put on hold. I had so concentrated on this deal that I had not worked much on my other customers, and knew that instead of getting a big fat paycheck I’d be having one of the smallest ones I had ever received. I just couldn’t stay at my desk. I got up and went to get some coffee. The cleaning lady was just washing the vending machine. I slumped to a chair and felt awful. “Bad day?” she asked. Startled, I looked up. The cleaning lady was looking at me. “You could say that again,” I sighed. “What is the matter?” she asked. I suddenly found myself telling the whole pitiful story to her. She listened intently. “Your situation reminds me of my own father,” she said. “He was also a salesman, but not lucky enough to be able to sit in one office. He was a traveling salesman. You know, big suitcases and all. Vanished for weeks sometimes and came back with an empty bag, pay check, and a big hug for us kids and mother.” I looked at her, not knowing where she was going with this. “There was a time when he also lost a big sale. It was just before the holidays and he had to tell us children that there would be very few presents. We were disappointed, but he gathered us around him and told a story, I never forgot. “First, he asked us which animals we liked best. My answer was cats. My older brother liked dogs and my younger brother loved ponies. Then, he asked if we wanted to know which animals he admired the most and, of course, we did. The bees, the ants, and the spiders, he told us.” “Now, of course, we did not agree with him but he explained it to us and what he told us has guided me ever since. “He said he liked the bees because if a bear breaks their nest and steals their honey, they keep on building their honeycombs, making more honey. He liked the ants because if the same bear destroys their nest, they also immediately start building their nest anew, working together for a common goal. And he liked the spiders because if their webs are destroyed, they start repairing the damage right away—or building a whole new, better one. “He said that the lesson he had learned from these little insects was that the world may surprise us sometimes by destroying even our most carefully-built plans, but if we choose to be ready to start all over again, no matter what, we eventually will see great results. We just have to start again, one step at a time.” At that, the cleaning lady nodded to me and pushed her cart out of the room. I sat there for a while, thinking of what she had said. Then, I got up, walked back to my desk, and started to build my next paycheck, one customer at a time. Let’s take heart to this wise advice from a traveling salesman. Remember that if disappointments or surprises come your way that destroy even your most carefully-built plans—choose to start all over again, no matter what, and eventually you’ll see great results. Just start again, one step at a time. |
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
August 2023
Categories
All
|