Sept 2
"Although my memory is fading, I remember two things clearly. I am a great sinner ... and Christ is a great Savior." John Newton (from the movie about William Wilberforce
Lord keep Your arm around my shoulder and Your hand over my mouth.......
A closed mouth gathers no feet
THE TIDES OF LIFE PSALM 57:10 Norman Vincent Peale used to tell the story of a struggling businessman who reached a turning point in life after seeing a picture of a boat stuck in the sand. The caption said, "The Tide Always Comes Back."
There are two mistakes we make in life. When things are good we tend to think they will always be good. When things are bad, we tend to think they will always be bad. Both ideas are wrong. Life, and all it consists of -- our marriage, our ministry, our relationships, our finances, our "approval rating", etc. -- tends to go up and down in cycles.
As the old hymn says, there is an ebb and flow to life. There is one constant in all of this: God's faithfulness to us. And our ability to thrive depends on our faithfulness to him.
Today, whether your tide is in or out, lean on the faithfulness of God. Be thankful for his goodness; be thankful for his mercy. For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. (Psalm 57:10)
There were three guys talking at break time. Two of them were talking about the amount of control they have over their wives, while the third remained quiet. After a while one of the first two turned to the third and says, "Well, what about you, what sort of control do you have over your wife?" The third fellow said, "I'll tell you. Just the other night my wife came to me on her hands and knees." The first two guys were amazed. "Wow! What happened then?" they asked. The third man took a healthy swallow of his cup of coffee, sighed and said, "She said, 'Get out from under the bed and fight like a man!'"
"It is surmounting difficulties that makes heroes." – Louis Pasteur
"God does not ask your ability or your inability. He asks only your availability." -- Mary Kay Ashe
"The human race is divided into two classes--those who go ahead and do something, and those who sit still and inquire, 'Why wasn't it done the other way?'" – Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
"The place to improve the world is first in one's own heart and head and hands." -- Robert M. Pirsig
"To fly we have to have resistance." -- Maya Lin, architect
"The golden opportunity you are seeking is in yourself. It is not in your environment; it is not in luck or chance, or the help of others; it is in yourself alone." -- Orison Swett Marden
"Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success." -- Napoleon Hill
HAPPINESS IS A CHOICE By Michael Josephson of Character Counts (501.4)
In a Peanuts cartoon, Lucy asks Charlie Brown, "Why do you think we were put on earth?"
Charlie answers, "To make others happy."
Lucy replies, "I don't think I'm making anyone happy," and then adds, "but nobody's making me very happy either. Somebody's not doing his job!"
People like Lucy are so sure happiness is a matter of getting something that they ask(,) not what they can do for others but what others can and should do for them. They usually feel shortchanged or cheated. They become so preoccupied with what they don't have that
they can't enjoy what they do have.
What's more, they don't realize one of the best ways to be happy is to experience the joy and sense of self-worth of making others happy.
Dennis Prager, in his book, Happiness Is a Serious Problem, argues that it's human nature to want and feel we need more. The problem is, the quest for more is endless because we can always add more to whatever we have. As a result, the Lucys of the world often live in an "if only" world that keeps them one step away from happiness: "If only I could get this raise, make this sale, pay off my debts, or win this game, I'd be happy."
Abraham Lincoln understood that happiness is essentially a way of looking at one's life. "A person is generally about as happy as he's willing to be," he said. Thus, we're more likely to experience happiness if we realize it's not just getting what we want. It's learning to want what we get. This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
"Perfection is devastated by failure, while excellence learns from failure." -- Denis Waitley
COMMUNICATION/PERSUASION
"Learn to express, not impress." -- Jim Rohn
"Accept complete responsibility both for understanding and for being understood." -- Brian Tracy
"Communication is really all anyone ever gets paid for ultimately...and if you cannot effectively communicate...you will PAY...not get paid..." -- Doug Firebaugh
CONCENTRATION/FOCUS
"When you work, work. When you play, play. Don't mix the two." -- Jim Rohn
"Single-minded concentration in the direction of your dreams intensifies your desires and increases your self-confidence." -- Brian Tracy
"When every physical and mental resource is focused, one's power to solve a problem multiplies tremendously." -- Norman Vincent Peale
CONTENTMENT
"I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all." -- Laura Ingalls Wilder
"Never argue with the inevitable." -- Patricia Fripp
"For peace of mind, we need to resign as general manager of the universe." -- Larry Eisenberg
"I am a big believer in the 'mirror test.' All that matters is if you can look in the mirror and honestly tell the person you see there, that you've done your best." --
Shopper's Prayer
Our Cash, Which art on plastic,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy Gucci Watch,
Thy Prada Bag,
In Saks,
As it is in Neimans.
Give us each day our Platinum Visa.
And forgive us our Overdraft,
As we forgive those who cease our Mastercard.
Lead us not into Kmart.
And deliver us from Target.
For thine is Versace, the Akira & Armani,
For Chanel No. 5 and Eternity, Amex.
During their 50th anniversary wedding celebration at a banquet in their honor, my Dad was asked to give a brief account of the benefits achieved from being married for so long.
My father stood up, thought for a long moment, then said, "Well, I've learned that marriage is the best teacher of all. It teaches you loyalty, meekness, forbearance, self-restraint, forgiveness, and...." he paused.
"What?" someone cried out from the back of the room.
"...and a great many other qualities you wouldn't have needed if you'd stayed single!" my father exclaimed.
The room erupted.
FAST FOODAHOLIC For years I had been telling my friend, Pete, that he ate too much fast food but he always denied it. One day, however, he admitted I was right.
"What changed your mind?" I asked him.
"My grandson." he replied. "When my daughter told him I was coming to visit, he asked, 'Grandpa from Florida or Grandpa from Pizza Hut?' "
There are two kinds of fool. One says, "This is old, and therefore good." And one says, "This is new, and therefore better." -- John Brunner
My Dad and I were talking the other night about love and marriage. He told me that he knew as early as their wedding what marriage to my Mom would be like. It seems the minister asked my Mom, "Do you take this man to be your husband." And she said, "I do." Then the minister asked my Dad, "Do you take this woman to be your wife," and my Mom said, "He does."
We live as those who are on a journey home: a home we know will have the lights on and the door open and our Father waiting for us when we arrive. That means in all adversity our worship of God is joyful, our life is hopeful, our future is secure. There is nothing we can lose on earth that can rob us of the treasures God has given us and will give us. --John Oxenham
Mary was almost crazy with her three young kids. She complained to her best friend Judy: "They're driving me nuts! They give me no rest! I'm half way to the funny farm!"
"What you need," said Judy, "is a playpen.
So Mary bought a playpen. A few days later, Judy called to ask how things were going.
"Superb! I can't believe it," Mary said. "I get in that pen with a good book, a chocolate bar, and the kids don't bother me for hours!"
"The only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve." Albert Schweitzer
Baseball By Religion
Calvinists believe the game is fixed.
Lutherans believe they can't win, but trust the Scorekeeper.
Quakers won't swing.
Unitarians can catch anything.
The Amish walk a lot.
Pagans sacrifice.
Jehovah's Witnesses are thrown out, at home, often.
Televangelists get caught stealing.
Episcopalians pass the plate.
Evangelicals make effective pitches.
Fundamentalists balk.
Adventists have a seventh-inning stretch.
Atheists refuse to have an Umpire.
Baptists want to play hardball.
Catholics claim the Pope has never committed an error.
Things Overheard on Noah's Ark
10. "Did anyone think about bringing a couple umbrellas?"
9. "Hey, there are more than two flies in here!"
8. "Wasn't someone supposed to put two shovels on board?"
7. "OK, who's the wise-guy who brought the mosquitoes on board?"
6. "Help! I need some Pepto for the elephants, QUICK!"
5. "Don't Make Me Pull This Ark Over And Come Back There!"
4. "No Ham, you cannot eat the Pig!"
3. "And whatever you do, DO NOT pull this plug out."
2. "Nice Doggie!"
AND THE NUMBER ONE THING OVERHEARD ON NOAH'S ARK
1. "Are We There Yet?"
We will have set a record for misery: 29 days of at least 110 degrees in a year. On Tuesday, we tied the record of 28 days. Related records: May 8, 1989 Earliest occurrence of 110 degrees in a year. Sept. 15, 2000 Latest occurrence of 110 degrees in a year.
Aug. 9 Average date of the latest occurrence of 110 degrees in a year.
10 Average number of days reaching 110 degrees in a year.
18 Greatest number of consecutive days reaching 110 degrees (1974).
"The church is not like a country club; it's more like a hospital." That's what Jesus was saying here when he gave us the direction, "... do not invite your friends ... or your rich neighbors ... invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind...." You and I are not in the church to impress one another or to win power struggles; we are here to minister to one another in our weaknesses. We are here to be hospitable.
Mother Teresa was once asked, "How do you measure the success of your work?" She thought about the question and gave her interviewer a puzzled look, and said, "I don't remember that the Lord ever spoke of success. He spoke only of faithfulness in love. This is the only success that really counts."
Lord keep Your arm around my shoulder and Your hand over my mouth.......
A closed mouth gathers no feet
THE TIDES OF LIFE PSALM 57:10 Norman Vincent Peale used to tell the story of a struggling businessman who reached a turning point in life after seeing a picture of a boat stuck in the sand. The caption said, "The Tide Always Comes Back."
There are two mistakes we make in life. When things are good we tend to think they will always be good. When things are bad, we tend to think they will always be bad. Both ideas are wrong. Life, and all it consists of -- our marriage, our ministry, our relationships, our finances, our "approval rating", etc. -- tends to go up and down in cycles.
As the old hymn says, there is an ebb and flow to life. There is one constant in all of this: God's faithfulness to us. And our ability to thrive depends on our faithfulness to him.
Today, whether your tide is in or out, lean on the faithfulness of God. Be thankful for his goodness; be thankful for his mercy. For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. (Psalm 57:10)
There were three guys talking at break time. Two of them were talking about the amount of control they have over their wives, while the third remained quiet. After a while one of the first two turned to the third and says, "Well, what about you, what sort of control do you have over your wife?" The third fellow said, "I'll tell you. Just the other night my wife came to me on her hands and knees." The first two guys were amazed. "Wow! What happened then?" they asked. The third man took a healthy swallow of his cup of coffee, sighed and said, "She said, 'Get out from under the bed and fight like a man!'"
"It is surmounting difficulties that makes heroes." – Louis Pasteur
"God does not ask your ability or your inability. He asks only your availability." -- Mary Kay Ashe
"The human race is divided into two classes--those who go ahead and do something, and those who sit still and inquire, 'Why wasn't it done the other way?'" – Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
"The place to improve the world is first in one's own heart and head and hands." -- Robert M. Pirsig
"To fly we have to have resistance." -- Maya Lin, architect
"The golden opportunity you are seeking is in yourself. It is not in your environment; it is not in luck or chance, or the help of others; it is in yourself alone." -- Orison Swett Marden
"Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success." -- Napoleon Hill
HAPPINESS IS A CHOICE By Michael Josephson of Character Counts (501.4)
In a Peanuts cartoon, Lucy asks Charlie Brown, "Why do you think we were put on earth?"
Charlie answers, "To make others happy."
Lucy replies, "I don't think I'm making anyone happy," and then adds, "but nobody's making me very happy either. Somebody's not doing his job!"
People like Lucy are so sure happiness is a matter of getting something that they ask(,) not what they can do for others but what others can and should do for them. They usually feel shortchanged or cheated. They become so preoccupied with what they don't have that
they can't enjoy what they do have.
What's more, they don't realize one of the best ways to be happy is to experience the joy and sense of self-worth of making others happy.
Dennis Prager, in his book, Happiness Is a Serious Problem, argues that it's human nature to want and feel we need more. The problem is, the quest for more is endless because we can always add more to whatever we have. As a result, the Lucys of the world often live in an "if only" world that keeps them one step away from happiness: "If only I could get this raise, make this sale, pay off my debts, or win this game, I'd be happy."
Abraham Lincoln understood that happiness is essentially a way of looking at one's life. "A person is generally about as happy as he's willing to be," he said. Thus, we're more likely to experience happiness if we realize it's not just getting what we want. It's learning to want what we get. This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
"Perfection is devastated by failure, while excellence learns from failure." -- Denis Waitley
COMMUNICATION/PERSUASION
"Learn to express, not impress." -- Jim Rohn
"Accept complete responsibility both for understanding and for being understood." -- Brian Tracy
"Communication is really all anyone ever gets paid for ultimately...and if you cannot effectively communicate...you will PAY...not get paid..." -- Doug Firebaugh
CONCENTRATION/FOCUS
"When you work, work. When you play, play. Don't mix the two." -- Jim Rohn
"Single-minded concentration in the direction of your dreams intensifies your desires and increases your self-confidence." -- Brian Tracy
"When every physical and mental resource is focused, one's power to solve a problem multiplies tremendously." -- Norman Vincent Peale
CONTENTMENT
"I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all." -- Laura Ingalls Wilder
"Never argue with the inevitable." -- Patricia Fripp
"For peace of mind, we need to resign as general manager of the universe." -- Larry Eisenberg
"I am a big believer in the 'mirror test.' All that matters is if you can look in the mirror and honestly tell the person you see there, that you've done your best." --
Shopper's Prayer
Our Cash, Which art on plastic,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy Gucci Watch,
Thy Prada Bag,
In Saks,
As it is in Neimans.
Give us each day our Platinum Visa.
And forgive us our Overdraft,
As we forgive those who cease our Mastercard.
Lead us not into Kmart.
And deliver us from Target.
For thine is Versace, the Akira & Armani,
For Chanel No. 5 and Eternity, Amex.
During their 50th anniversary wedding celebration at a banquet in their honor, my Dad was asked to give a brief account of the benefits achieved from being married for so long.
My father stood up, thought for a long moment, then said, "Well, I've learned that marriage is the best teacher of all. It teaches you loyalty, meekness, forbearance, self-restraint, forgiveness, and...." he paused.
"What?" someone cried out from the back of the room.
"...and a great many other qualities you wouldn't have needed if you'd stayed single!" my father exclaimed.
The room erupted.
FAST FOODAHOLIC For years I had been telling my friend, Pete, that he ate too much fast food but he always denied it. One day, however, he admitted I was right.
"What changed your mind?" I asked him.
"My grandson." he replied. "When my daughter told him I was coming to visit, he asked, 'Grandpa from Florida or Grandpa from Pizza Hut?' "
There are two kinds of fool. One says, "This is old, and therefore good." And one says, "This is new, and therefore better." -- John Brunner
My Dad and I were talking the other night about love and marriage. He told me that he knew as early as their wedding what marriage to my Mom would be like. It seems the minister asked my Mom, "Do you take this man to be your husband." And she said, "I do." Then the minister asked my Dad, "Do you take this woman to be your wife," and my Mom said, "He does."
We live as those who are on a journey home: a home we know will have the lights on and the door open and our Father waiting for us when we arrive. That means in all adversity our worship of God is joyful, our life is hopeful, our future is secure. There is nothing we can lose on earth that can rob us of the treasures God has given us and will give us. --John Oxenham
Mary was almost crazy with her three young kids. She complained to her best friend Judy: "They're driving me nuts! They give me no rest! I'm half way to the funny farm!"
"What you need," said Judy, "is a playpen.
So Mary bought a playpen. A few days later, Judy called to ask how things were going.
"Superb! I can't believe it," Mary said. "I get in that pen with a good book, a chocolate bar, and the kids don't bother me for hours!"
"The only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve." Albert Schweitzer
Baseball By Religion
Calvinists believe the game is fixed.
Lutherans believe they can't win, but trust the Scorekeeper.
Quakers won't swing.
Unitarians can catch anything.
The Amish walk a lot.
Pagans sacrifice.
Jehovah's Witnesses are thrown out, at home, often.
Televangelists get caught stealing.
Episcopalians pass the plate.
Evangelicals make effective pitches.
Fundamentalists balk.
Adventists have a seventh-inning stretch.
Atheists refuse to have an Umpire.
Baptists want to play hardball.
Catholics claim the Pope has never committed an error.
Things Overheard on Noah's Ark
10. "Did anyone think about bringing a couple umbrellas?"
9. "Hey, there are more than two flies in here!"
8. "Wasn't someone supposed to put two shovels on board?"
7. "OK, who's the wise-guy who brought the mosquitoes on board?"
6. "Help! I need some Pepto for the elephants, QUICK!"
5. "Don't Make Me Pull This Ark Over And Come Back There!"
4. "No Ham, you cannot eat the Pig!"
3. "And whatever you do, DO NOT pull this plug out."
2. "Nice Doggie!"
AND THE NUMBER ONE THING OVERHEARD ON NOAH'S ARK
1. "Are We There Yet?"
We will have set a record for misery: 29 days of at least 110 degrees in a year. On Tuesday, we tied the record of 28 days. Related records: May 8, 1989 Earliest occurrence of 110 degrees in a year. Sept. 15, 2000 Latest occurrence of 110 degrees in a year.
Aug. 9 Average date of the latest occurrence of 110 degrees in a year.
10 Average number of days reaching 110 degrees in a year.
18 Greatest number of consecutive days reaching 110 degrees (1974).
"The church is not like a country club; it's more like a hospital." That's what Jesus was saying here when he gave us the direction, "... do not invite your friends ... or your rich neighbors ... invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind...." You and I are not in the church to impress one another or to win power struggles; we are here to minister to one another in our weaknesses. We are here to be hospitable.
Mother Teresa was once asked, "How do you measure the success of your work?" She thought about the question and gave her interviewer a puzzled look, and said, "I don't remember that the Lord ever spoke of success. He spoke only of faithfulness in love. This is the only success that really counts."
posted by joypastordon at 9:42 PM
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