Sometimes you have let go of something from yesterday if you want to latch onto something for today.
-Maybe you need to let go of an old job in order to take a new one.
-Maybe you have to let go of an old relationship before fitting a new one into your life.
-Maybe you have to let go of other priorities on your time or money before grasping that new opportunity.
For a while you may feel suspended in mid-air. You've committed to something new and let go of the past, but you have not yet grasped what is ahead. You feel vulnerable and you may be frightened, but you know that the only way you can reach the new is to let go of the old.
You don't realize that if you stop looking backwards craving the love and acceptance which you didn't receive from your past, then you might open your eyes to what is available for you now. But you have to let go. If only you could see that looking back into an incomplete and imperfect past, with regret, blame, guilt or resentment is keeping you from the treasures that await you here now.
The past has gone. You cannot rectify something that is no longer with you.
Letting go doesn't mean you don't care or that you shut yourself down-it simply means you stop trying to force outcomes. It means you give up resisting the way things are and trying to do the impossible. It means simply that you concentrate on what is possible through Christ and with gentleness, kindness, and love press forward into the future.
Some things you cannot change, but many things will change if you are willing to just let go of them. So as we approach 2012 just let go and let God have His way in your life. You'll find then the joys of today outweigh the sorrows of yesterday and that tomorrow will take care of itself.
Happy New Year!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
10 Steps for 2012
1. Take the life that you have been given and guard it daily.
2. Think positive and rest in Christ Jesus.
3. Face the challenges that life has laid at your feet.
4. Be thankful for each day the Lord gives you.
5. Give forgiveness to yourself if you stumble and fall.
6. Put forth your best effort everyday in all that you do.
7. Take the love that you’re given and return it with care.
8. Have faith in God's promises in each step of your journey.
9. Take time to find the beauty in the things that you see.
10. Remember life’s simple pleasures are closer than you think.
2. Think positive and rest in Christ Jesus.
3. Face the challenges that life has laid at your feet.
4. Be thankful for each day the Lord gives you.
5. Give forgiveness to yourself if you stumble and fall.
6. Put forth your best effort everyday in all that you do.
7. Take the love that you’re given and return it with care.
8. Have faith in God's promises in each step of your journey.
9. Take time to find the beauty in the things that you see.
10. Remember life’s simple pleasures are closer than you think.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Forgiveness Is The Sweetest Revenge
Forgiveness truly is the sweetest revenge.
-It can turn an enemy into a friend.
-It can free a heart from the chains of anger, hatred, and pain.
-It can open a soul to the sweetness of love and joy once again.
-It can help you to live by the Golden Rule and to create a Golden Life.
-It can bring you back to oneness with God in everything you think, feel, and do.
That is why we should often pray, "God help me to forgive, help me to give, and help me to love."
So as we prepare to enter 2012 let go of the things that have held you back or harmed you by simply forgiving those who have wronged you or treated you in a negative way in 2011. Your whole new year will be ruined if you allow their attacks on you to make you bitter rather than make you strong. Find the strength within your heart to forgive and 2012 will bring a sigh of relief and healing for the pain they put you through.
Trust me I know.
-It can turn an enemy into a friend.
-It can free a heart from the chains of anger, hatred, and pain.
-It can open a soul to the sweetness of love and joy once again.
-It can help you to live by the Golden Rule and to create a Golden Life.
-It can bring you back to oneness with God in everything you think, feel, and do.
That is why we should often pray, "God help me to forgive, help me to give, and help me to love."
So as we prepare to enter 2012 let go of the things that have held you back or harmed you by simply forgiving those who have wronged you or treated you in a negative way in 2011. Your whole new year will be ruined if you allow their attacks on you to make you bitter rather than make you strong. Find the strength within your heart to forgive and 2012 will bring a sigh of relief and healing for the pain they put you through.
Trust me I know.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Chill
A common American expression is, "Chill." Are you anxious and uptight? Chill. Need to de-stress? Just take it easy? Chill.
Chilling is pretty good advice, actually. Especially if the word "chill" is spelled this way:
C - Calm down. When you're anxious, frenzied or pressed, stop. Take a deep breath and ask yourself, "Why?"
H - Hold back. Set a reasonable pace. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. If you want to last, pace yourself. And take time to rest.
I - Indulge your desire for fun. Do something fun everyday and try to put fun in your usual activities.
L - Learn how to just be. You already know how to do. Take time to be. Don't measure your life by what you accomplish, but by who you are. Be present. Be attentive. But be.
L - Let it go. You are not responsible for everything and everybody. You don't have to do it all yourself; you don't have to do it all right now. And some of it you may not have to do at all.
You may feel like you're wrestling with an unsolvable problem or maybe you just feel as if you're living too fast. If you need some relief, "chill" is a good word to remember. Spell it right and you just might get something you don't expect-joy, peace, and happiness.
Chilling is pretty good advice, actually. Especially if the word "chill" is spelled this way:
C - Calm down. When you're anxious, frenzied or pressed, stop. Take a deep breath and ask yourself, "Why?"
H - Hold back. Set a reasonable pace. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. If you want to last, pace yourself. And take time to rest.
I - Indulge your desire for fun. Do something fun everyday and try to put fun in your usual activities.
L - Learn how to just be. You already know how to do. Take time to be. Don't measure your life by what you accomplish, but by who you are. Be present. Be attentive. But be.
L - Let it go. You are not responsible for everything and everybody. You don't have to do it all yourself; you don't have to do it all right now. And some of it you may not have to do at all.
You may feel like you're wrestling with an unsolvable problem or maybe you just feel as if you're living too fast. If you need some relief, "chill" is a good word to remember. Spell it right and you just might get something you don't expect-joy, peace, and happiness.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Change
Arnold Toynbee, in his work THE STUDY OF HISTORY (1987), says that the great lesson of history is this: civilizations that changed when confronted with challenges thrived. Those that did not change died. In other words, when life got hard, it killed off those who didn't make needed changes. The key to survival is often about "change."
And what about us? What about you and me? It's good to accept ourselves as we are, but when an unhealthy attitude or a destructive behavior gets in the way, when we wish we could change something about ourselves, we had better change. People who embrace change thrive; those who resist it die.
If you have been waiting for a sign to make that needed change, this may be it. I am convinced that it is never too late to be the person you might have been. It's never too late to be happy. It's never too late to do something different or to do something better. It's never too late to change a habit. It's never too late to live.
Begin making that necessary change today. Then tomorrow, and every tomorrow thereafter, can truly be different.
And what about us? What about you and me? It's good to accept ourselves as we are, but when an unhealthy attitude or a destructive behavior gets in the way, when we wish we could change something about ourselves, we had better change. People who embrace change thrive; those who resist it die.
If you have been waiting for a sign to make that needed change, this may be it. I am convinced that it is never too late to be the person you might have been. It's never too late to be happy. It's never too late to do something different or to do something better. It's never too late to change a habit. It's never too late to live.
Begin making that necessary change today. Then tomorrow, and every tomorrow thereafter, can truly be different.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Teach The Children
Just a week before Christmas I had a visitor. This is how it happened. I just finished the household chores for the night and was preparing to go to bed when I heard a noise in the front of the house. I opened the door to the front room, and to my surprise, Santa himself stepped out from behind the Christmas tree. He placed his finger over his mouth so I would not cry out. "What are you doing?" I started to ask him.
The words choked in my throat, as I saw he had tears in his eyes. His usual jolly manner was gone. Gone was the eager boisterous soul we all know. He then answered me with a simple statement, TEACH THE CHILDREN! I was puzzled: What did he mean? He anticipated my question, and with one quick movement brought forth a miniature toy bag from behind the tree.
As I stood there bewildered, Santa said, Teach the Children! Teach them the old meaning of Christmas. The meaning that a now-a-day Christmas has forgotten!
Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a FIR TREE and placed it on the mantle. Teach the Children that the pure green color of the stately fir tree remains green all year round, depicting the everlasting hope of mankind. All the needles point heavenward, making it a symbol of man's thoughts turning
toward heaven.
He again reached into his bag and pulled out a brilliant STAR. Teach the Children that the star was the heavenly sign of promises long ago. God promised a Savior for the world, and the star was the sign of fulfillment of that promise.
He then reached into the bag and pulled out a CANDLE. Teach the Children that the candle symbolizes that Christ is the light of the world, and when we see this great light we are reminded of He who displaces the darkness.
Once again he reached into his bag and then removed a WREATH and placed it on the tree. Teach the Children that the wreath symbolizes the eternal nature of love. Real love never ceases. Love is one continuous round of affection.
He then pulled out from his bag an ornament of HIMSELF. Teach the Children that Santa Claus symbolizes the generosity and good will we feel during the month of December.
He reached in again and pulled out a HOLLY LEAF. Teach the Children the holly plant represents immortality. It represents the crown of thorns worn by our Savior. The red holly berries represent blood shed by Him.
Next he pulled out a GIFT from the bag and said, "Teach the Children that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift. Teach the Children that the wise men bowed before the holy babe and presented Him with gold, frankincense, and myrrh. We should give gifts in the same spirit as the wise men."
Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a CANDY CANE and hung it on the tree. Teach the Children that the candy cane represents the shepherd's crook. The crook on the shepherd's staff helps bring back strayed sheep from the flock. The candy cane is the symbol that we are our brother's keeper.
He reached in again and pulled out an ANGEL. Teach the Children that it was the angels that heralded in the glorious news of the Savior's birth. The angels sang 'Glory to God in the highest, on earth, peace and good will.'
Suddenly I heard a soft twinkling sound, and from his bag he pulled out a BELL. Teach the Children that as the lost sheep are found by the sound of a bell, it should bring people to the fold. The bell symbolizes guidance and return.
Santa looked at the tree and was pleased. He looked back at me and I saw the twinkle was back in his eyes. He said, "Remember, teach the Children the true meaning of Christmas, and not to put me in the center, for I am but a humble servant of the One who is, and I bow down and worship Him, our Lord, our God."
The words choked in my throat, as I saw he had tears in his eyes. His usual jolly manner was gone. Gone was the eager boisterous soul we all know. He then answered me with a simple statement, TEACH THE CHILDREN! I was puzzled: What did he mean? He anticipated my question, and with one quick movement brought forth a miniature toy bag from behind the tree.
As I stood there bewildered, Santa said, Teach the Children! Teach them the old meaning of Christmas. The meaning that a now-a-day Christmas has forgotten!
Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a FIR TREE and placed it on the mantle. Teach the Children that the pure green color of the stately fir tree remains green all year round, depicting the everlasting hope of mankind. All the needles point heavenward, making it a symbol of man's thoughts turning
toward heaven.
He again reached into his bag and pulled out a brilliant STAR. Teach the Children that the star was the heavenly sign of promises long ago. God promised a Savior for the world, and the star was the sign of fulfillment of that promise.
He then reached into the bag and pulled out a CANDLE. Teach the Children that the candle symbolizes that Christ is the light of the world, and when we see this great light we are reminded of He who displaces the darkness.
Once again he reached into his bag and then removed a WREATH and placed it on the tree. Teach the Children that the wreath symbolizes the eternal nature of love. Real love never ceases. Love is one continuous round of affection.
He then pulled out from his bag an ornament of HIMSELF. Teach the Children that Santa Claus symbolizes the generosity and good will we feel during the month of December.
He reached in again and pulled out a HOLLY LEAF. Teach the Children the holly plant represents immortality. It represents the crown of thorns worn by our Savior. The red holly berries represent blood shed by Him.
Next he pulled out a GIFT from the bag and said, "Teach the Children that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift. Teach the Children that the wise men bowed before the holy babe and presented Him with gold, frankincense, and myrrh. We should give gifts in the same spirit as the wise men."
Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a CANDY CANE and hung it on the tree. Teach the Children that the candy cane represents the shepherd's crook. The crook on the shepherd's staff helps bring back strayed sheep from the flock. The candy cane is the symbol that we are our brother's keeper.
He reached in again and pulled out an ANGEL. Teach the Children that it was the angels that heralded in the glorious news of the Savior's birth. The angels sang 'Glory to God in the highest, on earth, peace and good will.'
Suddenly I heard a soft twinkling sound, and from his bag he pulled out a BELL. Teach the Children that as the lost sheep are found by the sound of a bell, it should bring people to the fold. The bell symbolizes guidance and return.
Santa looked at the tree and was pleased. He looked back at me and I saw the twinkle was back in his eyes. He said, "Remember, teach the Children the true meaning of Christmas, and not to put me in the center, for I am but a humble servant of the One who is, and I bow down and worship Him, our Lord, our God."
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
When It Comes To Christmas
When it comes to Christmas, I feel like the man who was once asked to name the 10 most important people in the history of the world, as he reckoned them. His list was impressive. When he finished, he was asked why he had not named Jesus Christ. “Oh,” he said, “because he doesn’t belong on that list. You see, Jesus Christ is incomparable.” He was right, of course.
That’s how it is with the celebration of the nativity. It is the singular event on the calendar of Christians the world over that has no equal. Christmas is everything.
I am aware that people groan about the claptrap of commercialization, exploitation, and degradation associated with the secularization of the season. But that’s of little concern to me. For those who are proper believers, Christmas is the premier season of the year that can be said to have a heart. Name all of the other holidays you’ll find something unique about each, but Christmas is special. It is a day when no one is left behind. It is the true Jesus day for one and all.
Children anticipate it throughout the year and for more reasons than just a pile of wrapping paper and toys that will too soon be cast aside. The baby Jesus in the manger, the songs, the stories, and the celebration mark the soul in a wonderful way. And if you take the time to think about, there’s something quite miraculous in how young children are drawn to Jesus with an instinctive kind of love. That is as true today as it was when He took them in His arms and blessed them, as only deity could.
But what about the rest of us?
Well, it’s our day, too, and I’ll tell you why. We are living in a frightful time in the history of our planet. There are wars, natural disasters, a culture gone mad, and a clash of civilizations the likes of which we have never seen before. Sit down with any parent or grandparent and ask them what they think their offspring will experience, as opposed to what we have known of life. Most likely you’ll see a look of concern and uncertainty on their faces. And there is reason for concern and uncertainty. We live in a world where boundaries have been broken, morals corrupted, and millions of people exist without any spiritual guidelines. It’s not a pretty picture, but it’s an accurate one.
But, be that as it may, it isn’t all there is. And that’s because of Christmas. Not just a cheery few days to break the icicles off a dreary month or dampened spirits. It’s the reality of what took place in a stable two thousand years ago. The world talks and sings of a love it actually knows nothing about. God delivered love in Bethlehem that day. There is endless talk of peace in a world that is incapable of achieving it. Peace, true peace, arrived by special delivery among wondering shepherds and caroling angels. We hear words spoken about the goodness and fraternity of humankind that are more shallow speech than reality. God’s goodwill was nestled in the arms of a young Jewish mother in that little town of Bethlehem that we sing about.
The peace, joy, and goodwill He brought to all who would receive Him are ours to have. And with them, everything else good, bad, or indifferent becomes less relevant. Therefore, Christmas separates itself from every other season of the year. Why? Because the Incarnation is indispensable. Without His coming, we are irreparably lost, but because He came we can be found.
Merry Christmas!
That’s how it is with the celebration of the nativity. It is the singular event on the calendar of Christians the world over that has no equal. Christmas is everything.
I am aware that people groan about the claptrap of commercialization, exploitation, and degradation associated with the secularization of the season. But that’s of little concern to me. For those who are proper believers, Christmas is the premier season of the year that can be said to have a heart. Name all of the other holidays you’ll find something unique about each, but Christmas is special. It is a day when no one is left behind. It is the true Jesus day for one and all.
Children anticipate it throughout the year and for more reasons than just a pile of wrapping paper and toys that will too soon be cast aside. The baby Jesus in the manger, the songs, the stories, and the celebration mark the soul in a wonderful way. And if you take the time to think about, there’s something quite miraculous in how young children are drawn to Jesus with an instinctive kind of love. That is as true today as it was when He took them in His arms and blessed them, as only deity could.
But what about the rest of us?
Well, it’s our day, too, and I’ll tell you why. We are living in a frightful time in the history of our planet. There are wars, natural disasters, a culture gone mad, and a clash of civilizations the likes of which we have never seen before. Sit down with any parent or grandparent and ask them what they think their offspring will experience, as opposed to what we have known of life. Most likely you’ll see a look of concern and uncertainty on their faces. And there is reason for concern and uncertainty. We live in a world where boundaries have been broken, morals corrupted, and millions of people exist without any spiritual guidelines. It’s not a pretty picture, but it’s an accurate one.
But, be that as it may, it isn’t all there is. And that’s because of Christmas. Not just a cheery few days to break the icicles off a dreary month or dampened spirits. It’s the reality of what took place in a stable two thousand years ago. The world talks and sings of a love it actually knows nothing about. God delivered love in Bethlehem that day. There is endless talk of peace in a world that is incapable of achieving it. Peace, true peace, arrived by special delivery among wondering shepherds and caroling angels. We hear words spoken about the goodness and fraternity of humankind that are more shallow speech than reality. God’s goodwill was nestled in the arms of a young Jewish mother in that little town of Bethlehem that we sing about.
The peace, joy, and goodwill He brought to all who would receive Him are ours to have. And with them, everything else good, bad, or indifferent becomes less relevant. Therefore, Christmas separates itself from every other season of the year. Why? Because the Incarnation is indispensable. Without His coming, we are irreparably lost, but because He came we can be found.
Merry Christmas!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
IMMEDIATE DOWNSIZING MEASURES EMPLOYED
The recent announcement that Donner and Blitzen have elected to take the early reindeer retirement package has triggered a good deal of concern about whether they will be replaced, and about other restructuring decisions at the North Pole.
Streamlining is due to the North Pole's loss of dominance of this season's gift distribution business. Home shopping channels, the Internet, and mail order catalogs have diminished Santa's market share. He could not sit idly by and permit further erosion of the profit picture.
The reindeer downsizing was made possible through the purchase of a late model Japanese sled for the CEO's annual trip. Improved productivity from Dasher and Dancer--who will retrain at the Harvard Business School--is anticipated. Reduction in reindeer will also lessen airborne environmental emissions for which the North Pole has received unfavorable press.
I am pleased to inform you that Rudolph's role will not be disturbed. Tradition still counts for something at the North Pole. Management denies, in the strongest possible language, the earlier leak that Rudolph's nose got that way, not from the cold, but from substance abuse. Calling Rudolph "a lush who was into the sauce and never did pull his share of the load" was an unfortunate comment, made by one of Santa's helpers and taken out of context at a time of year when he is known to be under executive stress.
Today's global challenges require the North Pole to continue to look for better, more competitive steps. Effective immediately, the following economic measures are to take place in the "Twelve Days of Christmas" subsidiary:
The partridge will be retained, but the pear tree never turned out to be the cash crop forecasted. It will be replaced by a plastic hanging plant, providing considerable savings in maintenance.
The two turtle doves represent a redundancy that is simply not cost-effective. In addition, their romance during working hours could not be condoned. The positions are therefore eliminated.
The three French hens will remain intact. After all, everyone loves the French.
The four calling birds were replaced by an automated voice mail system, with a call-waiting option. An analysis is underway to determine who the birds have been calling, how often and how long they talked.
The five golden rings have been put on hold by the Board of Directors. Maintaining a portfolio based on one commodity could have negative implications for institutional investors. Diversification into other precious metals as well as a mix of T-Bills and high technology stocks appear to be in order.
The six geese-a-laying constitutes a luxury which can no longer be afforded. It has long been felt that the production rate of one egg per goose per day is an example of the decline in productivity. Three geese will be let go, and an upgrading in the selection procedure by personnel will assure management that from now on every goose it obtains will be more productive.
The seven swans-a-swimming is obviously a number chosen in better times. Their function is primarily decorative. Mechanical swans are on order. The current swans will be retrained to learn some new strokes and therefore enhance their outplacement.
As you know, the eight maids-a-milking concept has been under heavy scrutiny by the EEOC. A male/female balance in the workforce is being sought. The more militant maids consider this a dead-end job with no upward mobility. Automation of the process may permit the maids to try a-mending, a-mentoring, or a-mulching.
Nine ladies dancing has always been an odd number. This function will be phased out as these individuals grow older and can no longer do the steps.
Ten Lords-a-leaping is overkill. The high cost of Lords plus the expense of international air travel prompted the Compensation Committee to suggest replacing this group with ten out-of-work Congresspersons. While leaping ability may be somewhat sacrificed, the savings are significant because we expect an oversupply of unemployed Congresspersons this year.
Eleven pipers piping and twelve drummers drumming is a simple case of the band getting too big. A substitution with a string quartet, a cutback on new music, and no uniforms will produce savings which will drop right down to the bottom line.
We can expect a substantial reduction in assorted people, fowl, animals and other expenses. Though incomplete, studies indicate that stretching deliveries over twelve days is inefficient. If we can drop ship in one day, service levels will be improved.
Regarding the lawsuit filed by the attorney's association seeking expansion to include the legal profession ("thirteen lawyers-a-suing"), action is pending.
Lastly, it is not beyond consideration that deeper cuts may be necessary in the future to stay competitive. Should that happen, the Board will request management to scrutinize the Snow White Division to see if seven dwarfs is the most efficient number
Streamlining is due to the North Pole's loss of dominance of this season's gift distribution business. Home shopping channels, the Internet, and mail order catalogs have diminished Santa's market share. He could not sit idly by and permit further erosion of the profit picture.
The reindeer downsizing was made possible through the purchase of a late model Japanese sled for the CEO's annual trip. Improved productivity from Dasher and Dancer--who will retrain at the Harvard Business School--is anticipated. Reduction in reindeer will also lessen airborne environmental emissions for which the North Pole has received unfavorable press.
I am pleased to inform you that Rudolph's role will not be disturbed. Tradition still counts for something at the North Pole. Management denies, in the strongest possible language, the earlier leak that Rudolph's nose got that way, not from the cold, but from substance abuse. Calling Rudolph "a lush who was into the sauce and never did pull his share of the load" was an unfortunate comment, made by one of Santa's helpers and taken out of context at a time of year when he is known to be under executive stress.
Today's global challenges require the North Pole to continue to look for better, more competitive steps. Effective immediately, the following economic measures are to take place in the "Twelve Days of Christmas" subsidiary:
The partridge will be retained, but the pear tree never turned out to be the cash crop forecasted. It will be replaced by a plastic hanging plant, providing considerable savings in maintenance.
The two turtle doves represent a redundancy that is simply not cost-effective. In addition, their romance during working hours could not be condoned. The positions are therefore eliminated.
The three French hens will remain intact. After all, everyone loves the French.
The four calling birds were replaced by an automated voice mail system, with a call-waiting option. An analysis is underway to determine who the birds have been calling, how often and how long they talked.
The five golden rings have been put on hold by the Board of Directors. Maintaining a portfolio based on one commodity could have negative implications for institutional investors. Diversification into other precious metals as well as a mix of T-Bills and high technology stocks appear to be in order.
The six geese-a-laying constitutes a luxury which can no longer be afforded. It has long been felt that the production rate of one egg per goose per day is an example of the decline in productivity. Three geese will be let go, and an upgrading in the selection procedure by personnel will assure management that from now on every goose it obtains will be more productive.
The seven swans-a-swimming is obviously a number chosen in better times. Their function is primarily decorative. Mechanical swans are on order. The current swans will be retrained to learn some new strokes and therefore enhance their outplacement.
As you know, the eight maids-a-milking concept has been under heavy scrutiny by the EEOC. A male/female balance in the workforce is being sought. The more militant maids consider this a dead-end job with no upward mobility. Automation of the process may permit the maids to try a-mending, a-mentoring, or a-mulching.
Nine ladies dancing has always been an odd number. This function will be phased out as these individuals grow older and can no longer do the steps.
Ten Lords-a-leaping is overkill. The high cost of Lords plus the expense of international air travel prompted the Compensation Committee to suggest replacing this group with ten out-of-work Congresspersons. While leaping ability may be somewhat sacrificed, the savings are significant because we expect an oversupply of unemployed Congresspersons this year.
Eleven pipers piping and twelve drummers drumming is a simple case of the band getting too big. A substitution with a string quartet, a cutback on new music, and no uniforms will produce savings which will drop right down to the bottom line.
We can expect a substantial reduction in assorted people, fowl, animals and other expenses. Though incomplete, studies indicate that stretching deliveries over twelve days is inefficient. If we can drop ship in one day, service levels will be improved.
Regarding the lawsuit filed by the attorney's association seeking expansion to include the legal profession ("thirteen lawyers-a-suing"), action is pending.
Lastly, it is not beyond consideration that deeper cuts may be necessary in the future to stay competitive. Should that happen, the Board will request management to scrutinize the Snow White Division to see if seven dwarfs is the most efficient number
Monday, December 19, 2011
Great Expectations
"Your attitude is an expression of your values, beliefs and expectations." This quote by Brian Tracy says it all. Here are some more inspirational quotes on expectation.
Abraham Lincoln
The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
The little that is completed, vanishes from the sight of one who looks forward to what is still to do.
William Congreve
Uncertainty and expectation are the joys of life.
Orison Swett Marden
We advance on our journey only when we face our goal, when we are confident and believe we are going to win out.
Earl Nightingale
We tend to live up to our expectations.
Claude M. Bristol
We usually get what we anticipate.
Brian Tracy
We will always tend to fulfill our own expectation of ourselves.
Viktor E. Frankl
What was really needed was a fundamental change in our attitude toward life. We had to learn ourselves and, furthermore, we had to teach the despairing men, that it did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us.
Benjamin Disraeli
What we anticipate seldom occurs, what we least expected generally happens.
John Lubbock
What we see depends mainly on what we look for.
Brian Tracy
Whatever we expect with confidence becomes our own self-fulfilling prophecy.
Michael Jordan
You have to expect things of yourselves before you can do them.
Abraham Lincoln
The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
The little that is completed, vanishes from the sight of one who looks forward to what is still to do.
William Congreve
Uncertainty and expectation are the joys of life.
Orison Swett Marden
We advance on our journey only when we face our goal, when we are confident and believe we are going to win out.
Earl Nightingale
We tend to live up to our expectations.
Claude M. Bristol
We usually get what we anticipate.
Brian Tracy
We will always tend to fulfill our own expectation of ourselves.
Viktor E. Frankl
What was really needed was a fundamental change in our attitude toward life. We had to learn ourselves and, furthermore, we had to teach the despairing men, that it did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us.
Benjamin Disraeli
What we anticipate seldom occurs, what we least expected generally happens.
John Lubbock
What we see depends mainly on what we look for.
Brian Tracy
Whatever we expect with confidence becomes our own self-fulfilling prophecy.
Michael Jordan
You have to expect things of yourselves before you can do them.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Missed Opportunities
The story is told of a young man who wished to marry the farmer's beautiful daughter. He went to the farmer to ask his permission. The farmer looked him over and responded, "Son, go stand out in that field and I'm going to release three bulls, one at a time. If you can catch the tail of any one of the three bulls, you can marry my daughter."
The young man stood in the pasture awaiting the first bull. The barn door opened and out ran the biggest, meanest-looking bull he had ever seen. He decided that one of the next bulls had to be a better choice than this one, so he ran over to the side and let the bull pass through the pasture out the back gate.
The barn door opened again. Unbelievable. He had never seen anything so big and fierce in his life. It stood - pawing the ground, grunting, slinging slobber - as it eyed him. Whatever the next bull was like, it had to be a better choice than this one. He ran to the fence and let the bull pass through the pasture, out the back gate.
The door opened a third time. A smile came across his face. This was the weakest, scrawniest little bull he had ever seen. This one was his bull. As the bull came running by, he positioned himself just right and jumped at just the exact moment. He grabbed... but the bull had no tail!
Life is full of opportunities. Some will be easy to take advantage of, some will be difficult. But once we let them pass (often in hopes of something better), those opportunities may never again be available.
The same thing is also true of opportunities to serve Christ. God often opens doors -- opportunities to speak up for Him, opportunities to minister to someone who is hurting or in need, opportunities to make an influence on the world around us. If we allow them to pass by (perhaps because we are waiting for something easier to come along), we may miss out on them altogether.
The young man stood in the pasture awaiting the first bull. The barn door opened and out ran the biggest, meanest-looking bull he had ever seen. He decided that one of the next bulls had to be a better choice than this one, so he ran over to the side and let the bull pass through the pasture out the back gate.
The barn door opened again. Unbelievable. He had never seen anything so big and fierce in his life. It stood - pawing the ground, grunting, slinging slobber - as it eyed him. Whatever the next bull was like, it had to be a better choice than this one. He ran to the fence and let the bull pass through the pasture, out the back gate.
The door opened a third time. A smile came across his face. This was the weakest, scrawniest little bull he had ever seen. This one was his bull. As the bull came running by, he positioned himself just right and jumped at just the exact moment. He grabbed... but the bull had no tail!
Life is full of opportunities. Some will be easy to take advantage of, some will be difficult. But once we let them pass (often in hopes of something better), those opportunities may never again be available.
The same thing is also true of opportunities to serve Christ. God often opens doors -- opportunities to speak up for Him, opportunities to minister to someone who is hurting or in need, opportunities to make an influence on the world around us. If we allow them to pass by (perhaps because we are waiting for something easier to come along), we may miss out on them altogether.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Use It Wisely
Man's capacity to love is the greatest gift He has. At the root of kindness and love, and each act of love also teaches us a lesson.
When someone loves us, it teaches us love, kindness, charity, honesty, humility, forgiveness, acceptance, and all of these can counteract all the evil in the world. For every good deed, there is one evil deed. Man alone has the power to control the balance between good and evil, but because the lessons of love are not taught often enough, the power is too often abused.
When you enter someone's life, whether by plan, chance or coincidence, consider what your lesson will be. Will you teach love or a harsh lesson of reality? When you die, will your life have resulted in more loving or more hurting? More comfort or more pain? More joy or more sadness? Each one of us has the power over the balance of the love in the world. Use it wisely!
When someone loves us, it teaches us love, kindness, charity, honesty, humility, forgiveness, acceptance, and all of these can counteract all the evil in the world. For every good deed, there is one evil deed. Man alone has the power to control the balance between good and evil, but because the lessons of love are not taught often enough, the power is too often abused.
When you enter someone's life, whether by plan, chance or coincidence, consider what your lesson will be. Will you teach love or a harsh lesson of reality? When you die, will your life have resulted in more loving or more hurting? More comfort or more pain? More joy or more sadness? Each one of us has the power over the balance of the love in the world. Use it wisely!
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
10 Things Pastors Want For Christmas (And The Rest Of The Year As Well)
1. Pastors want harmony in the churchrather than unresolved and destructive conflicts which damage the testimony of the church in the community.
2. Pastors want to love their church family and want to be love in return.
3. Pastors want honesty and to be told the truth rather than gossip or hearsay.
4. Pastors want acceptance and understanding when it come to making decisions that affect the whole body and not just the negative thoughts of a select few.
5. Pastors want their church family to be friends with the hurting, lost, and needy; and to welcome all in the house of the Lord.
6. Pastors want and desire comradeship with their church family as brothers and sisters in the Lord.
7. Pastors want their members to pay attention to what God is saying to the church through his/her leadership and act accordingly with faith and perseverance to see that it gets done..
8. Pastors want consideration from their members for their own personal time and privacy.
9. Pastors want positive support from their members. They pray for them to concentrate on his good points rather than his weaknesses and to help him do what God has called him to do in that congregation.
10. Pastors want consistency from their member in their affections, moods, and commitments.
2. Pastors want to love their church family and want to be love in return.
3. Pastors want honesty and to be told the truth rather than gossip or hearsay.
4. Pastors want acceptance and understanding when it come to making decisions that affect the whole body and not just the negative thoughts of a select few.
5. Pastors want their church family to be friends with the hurting, lost, and needy; and to welcome all in the house of the Lord.
6. Pastors want and desire comradeship with their church family as brothers and sisters in the Lord.
7. Pastors want their members to pay attention to what God is saying to the church through his/her leadership and act accordingly with faith and perseverance to see that it gets done..
8. Pastors want consideration from their members for their own personal time and privacy.
9. Pastors want positive support from their members. They pray for them to concentrate on his good points rather than his weaknesses and to help him do what God has called him to do in that congregation.
10. Pastors want consistency from their member in their affections, moods, and commitments.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
The Power of Laughter-Part 2-10 Things To Do With a Fruitcake Besides Eating It
- Home base in your family’s annual championship game of snowball baseball.
- Frisbee!
- Set it next to a door that stubbornly refuses to stay open. Best used with a door you have no intention of ever closing, as removing the new doorstop may be a challenge.
- Leave it out for Santa to eat and catch him as he’s trying to wedge himself back up the chimney, weighted down with your fruit cake, a can of pressurized whipped cream, and a quart of whole milk.
- Stick feathers in it during duck hunting season to make a festive decoy.
- A dog chew toy. . . what do you mean not even your dog will touch it?
- Crumble it up into small pieces and. . . . just kidding. We know you can’t actually break up a fruit cake!
- “Pull!” – An inexpensive skeet. Reusable, too.
- Use as freeweights to bulk up your biceps.
- Place in a catapult when besieging a castle. Fire.
Friday, December 9, 2011
The Power of Laughter (Part 1)
Laughter has a powerful effect on your health and well-being. A good laugh relieves tension and stress, elevates mood, enhances creativity and problem-solving ability, and provides a quick energy boost. But even more importantly, laughter brings people together. Mutual laughter and play are an essential component of strong, healthy relationships. By making a conscious effort to incorporate more humor and play into your daily interactions, you can improve the quality of your love relationships—as well as your connections with co-workers, family members, and friends.
Playful communication is one of the most effective tools for keeping relationships exciting, fresh, and vital. Laughter and play enrich your interactions and give your relationships that extra zing that keeps them interesting, light, and enjoyable. This shared pleasure creates a sense of intimacy and connection—qualities that define solid, lasting relationships.
People are attracted to happy, funny individuals. Laughter draws others to you and keeps them by your side. When you laugh with one another, a positive bond is created. This bond acts as a strong buffer against stress, disagreements, and disappointment. And laughter really is contagious—just hearing laughter primes your brain to smile and join in on the fun.
Playful communication is one of the most effective tools for keeping relationships exciting, fresh, and vital. Laughter and play enrich your interactions and give your relationships that extra zing that keeps them interesting, light, and enjoyable. This shared pleasure creates a sense of intimacy and connection—qualities that define solid, lasting relationships.
People are attracted to happy, funny individuals. Laughter draws others to you and keeps them by your side. When you laugh with one another, a positive bond is created. This bond acts as a strong buffer against stress, disagreements, and disappointment. And laughter really is contagious—just hearing laughter primes your brain to smile and join in on the fun.
Playful communication helps you:
- Connect to others. Your health and happiness depend, to a large degree, on the quality of your relationships—and laughter binds people together.
- Smooth over differences. Using gentle humor often helps you broach sensitive subjects, resolve disagreements, and reframe problems.
- Feel relaxed and energized at the same time. Laughter relieves fatigue and relaxes your body, while also recharging your batteries and helping you accomplish more.
- Overcome problems and setbacks. A sense of humor is the key to resilience. It helps you take hardships in stride, weather disappointment, and bounce back from adversity and loss.
- Put things into perspective. Most situations are not as bleak as they appear to be when looked at from a playful and humorous point of view.
- Be more creative. Humor and playfulness loosen you up, energizing thinking and inspiring creative problem solving.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Don't Buy This House!
Top ten things you don't want to hear from your real estate agent when you go to 'close' on your new home . . . .
- "I think unexplained crop circles add a unique flair to any home's garden."
- "Actually, it's only the rear portion of the yard that overlaps the ancient Indian burial ground."
- "Yes, the last owner did donate the house to the Hell's Angels, but I'm told that the judge has ordered them not to come within 50 feet of it."
- "Listen, one bleeding mirror doesn't necessarily mean it's haunted."
- "Your neighbor has assured me that, technically, they're not really 'killer' bees."
- "Even if there was a full-scale mudslide, it's unlikely that it would reach as far back as your property."
- "I read that it's quite common for roaches to grow that big even when not in the presence of radioactivity."
- "Did you know that the famous punk band "Grave Robber" holds their practice sessions right next door?"
- "Yes it's true that they died in the house, but the prosecutor was never actually been able to prove it was murder."
- "Don't worry, you can barely hear the sheet metal factory at night."
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Chocolate is a Vegetable
Other little known Chocolate facts:
- Chocolate is derived from cacao beans. Bean = vegetable. Sugar is derived from either sugar CANE or sugar BEETS. Both are plants, which places them in the vegetable category. Thus, chocolate is a vegetable.
- To go one step further, chocolate candy bars also contain milk, which is dairy product. So candy bars are a health food.
- Chocolate-covered raisins, cherries, orange slices and strawberries all count as fruit; so eat as many as you want.
- If you've got melted chocolate all over your hands, you're eating it too slowly.
- Problem: How to get 2 pounds of chocolate home from the store in a hot car. The solution: Eat it in the parking lot.
- Diet tip: Eat a chocolate bar before each meal. It'll take the edge off your appetite, and you'll eat less.
- If calories are an issue, store your chocolate on top of the fridge. Calories are afraid of heights, and they will jump out of the chocolate to protect themselves. (We're testing this with other snack foods as well.)
- If I eat equal amounts of dark chocolate and white chocolate, is that a balanced diet? Don't they actually counteract each other?
- Chocolate has many preservatives. Preservatives make you look younger. Therefore, you need to eat more chocolate.
- Put "eat chocolate" at the top of your list of things to do today. That way, at least you'll get one thing done.
- A nice box of chocolates can provide your total daily intake of calories in one place. Now, isn't that handy?
- If you can't eat all your chocolate, it will keep in the freezer. But if you can't eat all your chocolate, what's wrong with you?
- If not for chocolate, there would be no need for control top pantyhose. An entire garment industry would be devastated. You can't let that happen, can you?
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Kiss Your Luggage Good-Bye
It was the beginning of December. The trip had gone reasonably well, and he was ready to go back. The airport on the other hand had turned a tacky red and green with loudspeakers blared annoying elevator renditions of cherished Christmas carols.
Being someone who took Christmas very seriously, and being slightly tired, he was not in a particularly good mood.
Going to check in his luggage, he saw hanging mistletoe. Not real mistletoe, but very cheap plastic with red paint on some of the rounder parts and green paint on some of the flatter and "pointier" parts, that could be taken for mistletoe only in a very Picasso sort of way.
With a considerable degree of irritation and nowhere else to vent it, he said to the lady attendant, "Even if I were not married, I would not want to kiss you under such a ghastly mockery of mistletoe."
"Sir, look more closely at where the mistletoe is."
(pause)
"Ok, I see that it's above the luggage scale, which is the place you'd have to step forward for a kiss."
"That's not why it's there."
(pause)
"Ok, I give up. Why is it there?"
"It's there so you can kiss your luggage goodbye."
Being someone who took Christmas very seriously, and being slightly tired, he was not in a particularly good mood.
Going to check in his luggage, he saw hanging mistletoe. Not real mistletoe, but very cheap plastic with red paint on some of the rounder parts and green paint on some of the flatter and "pointier" parts, that could be taken for mistletoe only in a very Picasso sort of way.
With a considerable degree of irritation and nowhere else to vent it, he said to the lady attendant, "Even if I were not married, I would not want to kiss you under such a ghastly mockery of mistletoe."
"Sir, look more closely at where the mistletoe is."
(pause)
"Ok, I see that it's above the luggage scale, which is the place you'd have to step forward for a kiss."
"That's not why it's there."
(pause)
"Ok, I give up. Why is it there?"
"It's there so you can kiss your luggage goodbye."
Monday, December 5, 2011
Eight Gifts That Do Not Cost A Cent!
- THE GIFT OF LISTENING . . .
But you must REALLY listen. No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your response. Just listening.
- THE GIFT OF AFFECTION . . .
Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.
- THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER . . .
Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you."
- THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE . . .
It can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet. A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime, and may even change a life.
- THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT . . .
A simple and sincere, "You look great in red," "You did a super job" or "That was a wonderful meal" can make someone's day.
- THE GIFT OF A FAVOR . . .
Every day, go out of your way to do something kind.
- THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE . . .
There are times when we want nothing better, than to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.
- THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION . . .
The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone, really it's not that hard to say, Hello or Thank You.
- THE GIFT OF LISTENING . . .
But you must REALLY listen. No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your response. Just listening.
- THE GIFT OF AFFECTION . . .
Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.
- THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER . . .
Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you."
- THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE . . .
It can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet. A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime, and may even change a life.
- THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT . . .
A simple and sincere, "You look great in red," "You did a super job" or "That was a wonderful meal" can make someone's day.
- THE GIFT OF A FAVOR . . .
Every day, go out of your way to do something kind.
- THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE . . .
There are times when we want nothing better, than to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.
- THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION . . .
The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone, really it's not that hard to say, Hello or Thank You.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Dog's Rules For Christmas
- Be especially patient with your humans during this time. They may appear to be more stressed-out than usual and they will appreciate long comforting dog leans.
- They may come home with large bags of things they call gifts. Do not assume that all the gifts are yours.
- Be tolerant if your humans put decorations on you. They seem to get some special kind of pleasure out of seeing how you look with fake antlers.
- They may bring a large tree into the house and set it up in a prominent place and cover it with lights and decorations. Bizarre as this may seem to you, it is an important ritual for your humans, so there are some things you need to know: Don't wet on the tree Don't drink water in the container that holds the tree. Mind your tail when you are near the tree. If there are packages under the tree, even ones that smell interesting or that have your name on them, don't rip them open Don't chew on the cord that runs from the funny-looking hole in the wall to the tree
- Your humans may occasionally invite lots of strangers to come visit during this season. These parties can be lots of fun, but they also call for some discretion on your part: Not all strangers appreciate kisses and leans Don't eat off the buffet table. Beg for goodies subtly Be pleasant, even if unknowing strangers sit on your sofa. Don't drink out of glasses that are left within your reach unless you can get away with it...
- Likewise, your humans may take you visiting. Here your manners will also be important: Observe all the rules in #4 for trees that may be in other people's houses. (4a is particularly important) Respect the territory of other animals that may live in the house Tolerate children Turn on your charm big time.
- A big man with a white beard and a very loud laugh may emerge from your fireplace in the middle of the night. DO 'NOT' BITE HIM!!!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
How Cold Is It?
We have had some real cold weather the past few days which led me to this thought-How cold is it?
-70+ Californians put on sweaters.
-60+ Miami residents turn on the heat.
-50+ Vermont residents go to outdoor concert.
-40+ You can see your breath.Californians shiver uncontrollably. Minnesotans go swimming.
-35+ Italian cars don't start.
-32+ Water freezes.
-30+ You plan your vacation in Australia.
-25+ Ohio water freezes. Californians weep pitiably. Minnesotans eat ice cream. Canadians go swimming.
-20+ Politicians begin to talk about the homeless. New York City water freezes. Miami residents plan vacation further south.
-15+ French cars don't start. Cat insists on sleeping with you.
-10+ You need jumper cables to get the car going.
-05+ American cars don't start.
-0+ Alaskans put on T-shirts.
-10 German cars don't start. Eyes freeze shut when you blink.
-15 You can cut your breath and use it to build an igloo. Arkansans stick tongues on metal objects. Miami residents cease to exist.
-20 Cat insists on sleeping in pajamas with you. Politicians actually do something about the homeless.
Minnesotans shovel snow off roof. Japanese cars don't start.
-25 Too cold to think. You need jumper cables to get the driver going.
-30 You plan a two week hot bath. Swedish cars don't start.
-40 Californians disappear. Minnesotans button top button. Canadians put on sweater. Your cat helps you plan your trip south.
-50 Congressional hot air freezes. Alaskans close the bathroom window.
-80 Hell freezes over. Polar bears move south. Green Bay Packer fans order hot cocoa at the game.
-90 Lawyers put their hands in their own pockets.
-100 Canadian buildings turn off air conditioning.
-70+ Californians put on sweaters.
-60+ Miami residents turn on the heat.
-50+ Vermont residents go to outdoor concert.
-40+ You can see your breath.Californians shiver uncontrollably. Minnesotans go swimming.
-35+ Italian cars don't start.
-32+ Water freezes.
-30+ You plan your vacation in Australia.
-25+ Ohio water freezes. Californians weep pitiably. Minnesotans eat ice cream. Canadians go swimming.
-20+ Politicians begin to talk about the homeless. New York City water freezes. Miami residents plan vacation further south.
-15+ French cars don't start. Cat insists on sleeping with you.
-10+ You need jumper cables to get the car going.
-05+ American cars don't start.
-0+ Alaskans put on T-shirts.
-10 German cars don't start. Eyes freeze shut when you blink.
-15 You can cut your breath and use it to build an igloo. Arkansans stick tongues on metal objects. Miami residents cease to exist.
-20 Cat insists on sleeping in pajamas with you. Politicians actually do something about the homeless.
Minnesotans shovel snow off roof. Japanese cars don't start.
-25 Too cold to think. You need jumper cables to get the driver going.
-30 You plan a two week hot bath. Swedish cars don't start.
-40 Californians disappear. Minnesotans button top button. Canadians put on sweater. Your cat helps you plan your trip south.
-50 Congressional hot air freezes. Alaskans close the bathroom window.
-80 Hell freezes over. Polar bears move south. Green Bay Packer fans order hot cocoa at the game.
-90 Lawyers put their hands in their own pockets.
-100 Canadian buildings turn off air conditioning.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
The Senility Prayer -- Getting Older
God grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, the good fortune to run into the ones that I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference.
Now that I'm 'older' here are 16 things I've discovered:
I CAN'T REMEMBER IF I TOLD YOU THIS BEFORE OR NOT, AND DOUBT IF YOU CAN EITHER.
Now that I'm 'older' here are 16 things I've discovered:
- I started out with nothing, and I still have most of it.
- My wild oats have turned into prunes and All Bran.
- I finally got my head together; now my body is falling apart.
- Funny, I don't remember being absent minded...
- All reports are in; life is now officially unfair.
- If all is not lost, where is it?
- It is easier to get older than it is to get wiser.
- Some days you're the dog; some days you're the hydrant.
- I wish the buck stopped here; I sure could use a few...
- It's hard to make a comeback when you haven't been anywhere.
- The only time the world beats a path to your door is when you're in the bathroom.
- If God wanted me to touch my toes, he would have put them on my knees.
- When I'm finally holding all the cards, why does everyone decide to play chess?
- It's not hard to meet expenses... they're everywhere.
- The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.
- These days, I spend a lot of time thinking about the hereafter. I go somewhere to get something and then wonder what I'm here after.
I CAN'T REMEMBER IF I TOLD YOU THIS BEFORE OR NOT, AND DOUBT IF YOU CAN EITHER.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Things you're glad you didn't hear during surgery . . . .
I have listened to doctors over the years share the news with family members about a loved one who has just come through surgery. I also have had my share of those these last few years and even remember telling the doctor not to start the surgery until I went to sleep only to wake up in the recovery room. I can barely remember hearing the doctor and his assistants talking in the operating room, but in saying that I am glad I did not hear some of these things while I was lying on the operating table. These are things you're glad you didn't hear during surgery.
-Wait a minute, if that's his spleen, then what's this?
-Hand me that...uh...that uh...thingie.
-Oops! Hey, has anyone ever survived 500ml of this stuff before?
-Could you stop that thing from beating? It's bothering my concentration.
-What's this doing here?
-I hate it when they're missing stuff in here.
-Somebody call the janitor -- we're going to need a mop.
-I sure wish I had my glasses.
-Well folks, this will be an experiment for us all.
-Oh no! I just lost my Rolex.
-Sterile, shmerile. The floor's clean enough.
-What do you mean he wasn't in for a sex change?!
-Anyone see where I left my scalpel?
-Nurse, did this patient sign the organ donation card?
-What do you mean you want a divorce?!
-Wait a minute, if that's his spleen, then what's this?
-Hand me that...uh...that uh...thingie.
-Oops! Hey, has anyone ever survived 500ml of this stuff before?
-Could you stop that thing from beating? It's bothering my concentration.
-What's this doing here?
-I hate it when they're missing stuff in here.
-Somebody call the janitor -- we're going to need a mop.
-I sure wish I had my glasses.
-Well folks, this will be an experiment for us all.
-Oh no! I just lost my Rolex.
-Sterile, shmerile. The floor's clean enough.
-What do you mean he wasn't in for a sex change?!
-Anyone see where I left my scalpel?
-Nurse, did this patient sign the organ donation card?
-What do you mean you want a divorce?!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Sincerity
The Wall Street Journal once printed a little piece titled "Sincerity." It is one of my favorites and reads something like this:
I wish I were...
-big enough honestly to admit all my shortcomings;
-brilliant enough to accept praise without it making me arrogant;
-tall enough to tower above deceit;
-strong enough to welcome criticism;
-compassionate enough to understand human frailties;
-wise enough to recognize my mistakes;
-humble enough to appreciate greatness;
-staunch enough to stand by my friends;
-human enough to be thoughtful of my neighbor;
-and righteous enough to be devoted to the love of God.
I am really not all that strong. I don't always act with courage. I am certainly not as brilliant as others, as charming or as wise. But today I can be me. And when I lie down tonight, I'll sleep easy knowing it will have been enough.
When I am sincere, there's nothing to hide. I am just me. It's something I can't fake. And if I'm the best me that I can be, then what can I be that is any better?
I wish I were...
-big enough honestly to admit all my shortcomings;
-brilliant enough to accept praise without it making me arrogant;
-tall enough to tower above deceit;
-strong enough to welcome criticism;
-compassionate enough to understand human frailties;
-wise enough to recognize my mistakes;
-humble enough to appreciate greatness;
-staunch enough to stand by my friends;
-human enough to be thoughtful of my neighbor;
-and righteous enough to be devoted to the love of God.
I am really not all that strong. I don't always act with courage. I am certainly not as brilliant as others, as charming or as wise. But today I can be me. And when I lie down tonight, I'll sleep easy knowing it will have been enough.
When I am sincere, there's nothing to hide. I am just me. It's something I can't fake. And if I'm the best me that I can be, then what can I be that is any better?
Friday, November 25, 2011
Butterball Turket Hot-line
Over the years, the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line staff have had their share of memorable calls -- inquiries that stand out from the crowd because they're heartwarming or amusing. We asked some of the veteran staff members to tell us their favorites plus, we rounded up a bunch of our own personal favorites from the Talk-Line archives. It's hard to beat the call from a trucker who planned to cook his Thanksgiving turkey on the engine of his truck ("Will it cook faster if I drive faster?"), but some of these come pretty close. Warning: do not attempt to adjust your screen -- these are real incidents, true stories -- from the front lines!
Home alone, a Kentucky woman was in the doghouse when she called the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line. While preparing the turkey, her Chihuahua jumped into the bird's body cavity and couldn't get out. She tried pulling the dog and shaking the bird, but nothing worked. She and the dog became more and more distraught. After calming the woman down, the Talk-Line home economist suggested carefully cutting the opening in the cavity of the turkey wider. It worked and Fido was freed!
Birdie, eagle and turkey? Roasting a turkey doesn't have to interfere with the daily routine, so said a retired Floridian. He called "Turkey Central" for turkey grilling tips while waiting to tee off from the 14th hole.
Taking turkey preparation an extra step, a Virginian wondered, "How do you thaw a fresh turkey?" The Talk-Line staffer explained that fresh turkeys aren't frozen and don't need to be thawed.
Don't wait until the last minute! On Thanksgiving Day, a Georgian woman took the "Be prepared" motto to heart. She had just agreed to host Thanksgiving Dinner and called the Talk-Line a year ahead of time for turkey tips.
Happy Thanksgiving, President Obama! A Southern woman called to comment, "On Thanksgiving Day, the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line is more important than the President. He can take the day off, but the Talk- Line staff can't." (The Butterball Turkey Talk-Line is open Thanksgiving Day, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Central Standard Time.)
Tofu turkey? No matter how you slice it, Thanksgiving just isn't Thanksgiving without turkey. A restaurant owner in California wanted to know how to roast a turkey for a vegetarian menu.
White meat, anyone? A West Coast woman took turkey preparation to extremes by scrubbing her bird with bleach. Afterward, she called the Talk-Line to find out how to clean off the bleach. To her dismay, she was advised to dispose of the turkey.
A young girl called on behalf of her mother who needed roasting advice. To provide approximate roasting times, the home economist asked what size the turkey was. Without asking her mother the little girl paused, then replied, "Medium."
A novice turkey-cooking chef wanted to know if the yellow netting and wrapper around the turkey should be removed before roasting. Envisioning a melted plastic turkey blob, the home economist responded, "Yes," then offered complete roasting directions.
Thanksgiving Dinner on the run. A woman called 1-800-323-4848 to find out how long it would take to roast her turkey. To answer the question, the Talk-Line home economist asked how much the bird weighed. The woman responded, "I don't know, it's still running around outside."
Home alone, a Kentucky woman was in the doghouse when she called the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line. While preparing the turkey, her Chihuahua jumped into the bird's body cavity and couldn't get out. She tried pulling the dog and shaking the bird, but nothing worked. She and the dog became more and more distraught. After calming the woman down, the Talk-Line home economist suggested carefully cutting the opening in the cavity of the turkey wider. It worked and Fido was freed!
Birdie, eagle and turkey? Roasting a turkey doesn't have to interfere with the daily routine, so said a retired Floridian. He called "Turkey Central" for turkey grilling tips while waiting to tee off from the 14th hole.
Taking turkey preparation an extra step, a Virginian wondered, "How do you thaw a fresh turkey?" The Talk-Line staffer explained that fresh turkeys aren't frozen and don't need to be thawed.
Don't wait until the last minute! On Thanksgiving Day, a Georgian woman took the "Be prepared" motto to heart. She had just agreed to host Thanksgiving Dinner and called the Talk-Line a year ahead of time for turkey tips.
Happy Thanksgiving, President Obama! A Southern woman called to comment, "On Thanksgiving Day, the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line is more important than the President. He can take the day off, but the Talk- Line staff can't." (The Butterball Turkey Talk-Line is open Thanksgiving Day, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Central Standard Time.)
Tofu turkey? No matter how you slice it, Thanksgiving just isn't Thanksgiving without turkey. A restaurant owner in California wanted to know how to roast a turkey for a vegetarian menu.
White meat, anyone? A West Coast woman took turkey preparation to extremes by scrubbing her bird with bleach. Afterward, she called the Talk-Line to find out how to clean off the bleach. To her dismay, she was advised to dispose of the turkey.
A young girl called on behalf of her mother who needed roasting advice. To provide approximate roasting times, the home economist asked what size the turkey was. Without asking her mother the little girl paused, then replied, "Medium."
A novice turkey-cooking chef wanted to know if the yellow netting and wrapper around the turkey should be removed before roasting. Envisioning a melted plastic turkey blob, the home economist responded, "Yes," then offered complete roasting directions.
Thanksgiving Dinner on the run. A woman called 1-800-323-4848 to find out how long it would take to roast her turkey. To answer the question, the Talk-Line home economist asked how much the bird weighed. The woman responded, "I don't know, it's still running around outside."
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Take A Moment To Give Thanks
Lord Jesus:
We thank thee for food and remember the hungry.
We thank thee for health and remember the sick.
We thank thee for friends and remember the friendless.
We thank thee for freedom and remember the enslaved.
May these remembrances stir us to service,
that thy gifts to us may be used for others.
Amen.
Since today is Thanksgiving, take just a moment to reflect upon all of the things for which you are thankful.
-How's your health? Not so good? Well, thank God you've lived this long. A lot of people haven't. You're hurting? Thousands -- maybe millions -- are hurting even more.
-If you awakened this morning able to hear the birds sing, use your vocal cords to utter human sounds, walk to the breakfast table on two good legs, and read the newspaper with two good eyes, praise the Lord! A lot of people couldn't.
-How's your pocketbook? Thin? Well, most of the world is a lot poorer. No pensions, no welfare. No food stamps, no Social Security. In fact, one-third of the people in the world will go to bed hungry tonight.
-Are you lonely? The way to have a friend is to be one. If nobody calls you, pick up the phone and call someone.
-Are you concerned about our country's future? Hooray! Our system has been saved by such concern. Our country may not be a rose garden, but neither is it a patch of weeds.
Freedom rings! Look and listen. You can worship at the church of your choice, cast a secret ballot, and you can even criticize your government without fearing a knock on the head or a knock on the door at midnight. And if you want to live under a different system, you are free to go. There are no walls or fences -- nothing to keep you here.
A final thought: Want an instant high? The surest cure for the holiday blues is doing something nice for someone. Why not call a person who lives alone and invite him or her to share dinner?
Better yet, call and say, "I'm coming to get you, and I'll see that you get home." (Some older people don't drive, and those who do may not like to be behind the wheel after dark.)
Try it and give thanks for everything He has blessed you with.
Happy Thanksgiving!
We thank thee for food and remember the hungry.
We thank thee for health and remember the sick.
We thank thee for friends and remember the friendless.
We thank thee for freedom and remember the enslaved.
May these remembrances stir us to service,
that thy gifts to us may be used for others.
Amen.
Since today is Thanksgiving, take just a moment to reflect upon all of the things for which you are thankful.
-How's your health? Not so good? Well, thank God you've lived this long. A lot of people haven't. You're hurting? Thousands -- maybe millions -- are hurting even more.
-If you awakened this morning able to hear the birds sing, use your vocal cords to utter human sounds, walk to the breakfast table on two good legs, and read the newspaper with two good eyes, praise the Lord! A lot of people couldn't.
-How's your pocketbook? Thin? Well, most of the world is a lot poorer. No pensions, no welfare. No food stamps, no Social Security. In fact, one-third of the people in the world will go to bed hungry tonight.
-Are you lonely? The way to have a friend is to be one. If nobody calls you, pick up the phone and call someone.
-Are you concerned about our country's future? Hooray! Our system has been saved by such concern. Our country may not be a rose garden, but neither is it a patch of weeds.
Freedom rings! Look and listen. You can worship at the church of your choice, cast a secret ballot, and you can even criticize your government without fearing a knock on the head or a knock on the door at midnight. And if you want to live under a different system, you are free to go. There are no walls or fences -- nothing to keep you here.
A final thought: Want an instant high? The surest cure for the holiday blues is doing something nice for someone. Why not call a person who lives alone and invite him or her to share dinner?
Better yet, call and say, "I'm coming to get you, and I'll see that you get home." (Some older people don't drive, and those who do may not like to be behind the wheel after dark.)
Try it and give thanks for everything He has blessed you with.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Marriage Instructions
MARRIAGE EXPECTATIONS: A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't. A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change and she does.
MARRIAGE DECISIONS: Men marry because they are tired. Women marry because they are curious. Both are disappointed.
MARRIAGE AND THE FUTURE: A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband, A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.
CHILDREN: A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams. A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.
SUCCESS: A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend. A successful woman is one who can find such a man.
STYLE: Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed. Women somehow deteriorate during the night.
MONEY MANAGEMENT: A man is a person who will pay two dollars for a one dollar item he wants. A woman will pay one dollar for a two dollar item that she doesn't want.
THE BATTLE: A woman always has the last word in any argument. Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.
MEMORIES: A woman will always cherish the memory of the man who wanted to marry her. A man cherishes the memory of the woman who he didn't marry.
MISTAKES: Any married man should forget his mistakes - no use two people remembering the same thing.
UNDERSTANDING WOMEN: There are two times when a man doesn't understand a woman - before marriage and after marriage.
WHAT A WOMAN WANTS: Only two things are necessary to keep one's wife happy... One is to let her think she is having her own way. The other is to let her have it.
LONGEVITY: Married men live longer than single men, but married men are a lot more willing to die.
HAPPINESS: To be happy with a man you must understand him a lot and love him a little. To be happy with a woman you must love her a lot and not try to understand her at all.
MARRIAGE DECISIONS: Men marry because they are tired. Women marry because they are curious. Both are disappointed.
MARRIAGE AND THE FUTURE: A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband, A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.
CHILDREN: A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams. A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.
SUCCESS: A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend. A successful woman is one who can find such a man.
STYLE: Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed. Women somehow deteriorate during the night.
MONEY MANAGEMENT: A man is a person who will pay two dollars for a one dollar item he wants. A woman will pay one dollar for a two dollar item that she doesn't want.
THE BATTLE: A woman always has the last word in any argument. Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.
MEMORIES: A woman will always cherish the memory of the man who wanted to marry her. A man cherishes the memory of the woman who he didn't marry.
MISTAKES: Any married man should forget his mistakes - no use two people remembering the same thing.
UNDERSTANDING WOMEN: There are two times when a man doesn't understand a woman - before marriage and after marriage.
WHAT A WOMAN WANTS: Only two things are necessary to keep one's wife happy... One is to let her think she is having her own way. The other is to let her have it.
LONGEVITY: Married men live longer than single men, but married men are a lot more willing to die.
HAPPINESS: To be happy with a man you must understand him a lot and love him a little. To be happy with a woman you must love her a lot and not try to understand her at all.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Truths From Little Children
No matter how hard you try, you can't baptize cats.
When your mom is mad at your dad, don't let her brush your hair.
If your sister hits you, don't hit her back. They always catch the second person.
Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.
You can't trust dogs to watch your food.
Reading what people write on desks can teach you a lot.
Don't sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.
Dogs still have bad breath even after eating a tic tac.
Never hold a Dustbuster and a cat at the same time.
School lunches stick to the wall.
You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
Don't wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.
The best place to be when your sad is in Grandma's lap.
Moms get mad when you cut your own bangs.
Never put chewed gum in your pocket without a wrapper
Moms gets even madder when you let your friend cut your bangs.
Putting crayons in the microwave or the clothes dryer is a no-no.
It's not a good idea to shine the bathroom floor with Vaseline.
You can never put toothpaste back in the tube.
[ Author Unknown -- from 'Aiken Drum' (AIKENSLongJoke@topica.com) ]
When your mom is mad at your dad, don't let her brush your hair.
If your sister hits you, don't hit her back. They always catch the second person.
Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.
You can't trust dogs to watch your food.
Reading what people write on desks can teach you a lot.
Don't sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.
Dogs still have bad breath even after eating a tic tac.
Never hold a Dustbuster and a cat at the same time.
School lunches stick to the wall.
You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
Don't wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.
The best place to be when your sad is in Grandma's lap.
Moms get mad when you cut your own bangs.
Never put chewed gum in your pocket without a wrapper
Moms gets even madder when you let your friend cut your bangs.
Putting crayons in the microwave or the clothes dryer is a no-no.
It's not a good idea to shine the bathroom floor with Vaseline.
You can never put toothpaste back in the tube.
[ Author Unknown -- from 'Aiken Drum' (AIKENSLongJoke@topica.com) ]
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Shot By A Turkey
Larry Lands Sr. suffered a shotgun wound to one of his legs. The assailant was a dead turkey.
Larry Sr. and his son, Larry Jr., had been out poaching in Washington County, Missouri, when Larry Jr. spotted an eastern wild turkey.
After successfully calling the bird in to his range, Larry Jr. shot the bird. It was not yet the season for wild turkey hunts, so Larry Jr. had to hurry up and bag the bird as fast as he could, tossing the prize into the trunk of their car, along with his semi-automatic shotgun.
After several minutes of sounds coming from the trunk of the car, the Lands duo stopped their car to investigate. (For those of you unaware of the neurological phenomenon of fowl, turkeys, much like chickens, have an pseudo-active nervous system which can last many minutes even after the body has died.)
Upon opening the trunk of the car, they saw the turkey, standing on its own two feet, flapping its wings and obviously reacting in the way that dying birds behave.
Unsure of what to do, they slammed shut the trunk of the car, at which point the turkey slipped onto the shotgun's trigger, discharging a round through the body of the car, and lodging itself into the leg of Mr. Lands Sr.
The moral of the story? Always unload or fully discharge your shotgun after use, leave the safety on, and for heaven's sake, beware of the dying bird!
Larry Sr. and his son, Larry Jr., had been out poaching in Washington County, Missouri, when Larry Jr. spotted an eastern wild turkey.
After successfully calling the bird in to his range, Larry Jr. shot the bird. It was not yet the season for wild turkey hunts, so Larry Jr. had to hurry up and bag the bird as fast as he could, tossing the prize into the trunk of their car, along with his semi-automatic shotgun.
After several minutes of sounds coming from the trunk of the car, the Lands duo stopped their car to investigate. (For those of you unaware of the neurological phenomenon of fowl, turkeys, much like chickens, have an pseudo-active nervous system which can last many minutes even after the body has died.)
Upon opening the trunk of the car, they saw the turkey, standing on its own two feet, flapping its wings and obviously reacting in the way that dying birds behave.
Unsure of what to do, they slammed shut the trunk of the car, at which point the turkey slipped onto the shotgun's trigger, discharging a round through the body of the car, and lodging itself into the leg of Mr. Lands Sr.
The moral of the story? Always unload or fully discharge your shotgun after use, leave the safety on, and for heaven's sake, beware of the dying bird!
Friday, November 18, 2011
Advise To Our Younger Selves
All of us at some point in our lives have wished that we could write a letter to our younger selves. We have wished we could pass on the wisdom we have learned and help them to avoid some of the pain and struggles that we have gone through. I think that my own advice to the younger me would be quite simple. This is what I would say.
Wake up earlier more often and take the time to watch the sun rising over the hills. Bend down to smell the flowers in the Spring. Swim more in the Summer. Play in the Fall leaves. Make snow angels every Winter. Turn the TV off in the afternoon and go play with your dogs instead. Don’t rush through those Sunday family dinners. Savor every bite of food and joy in them. Tell your Mom and Grandma you love them everyday and hug them every chance you can. . Don’t complain about chopping wood with your Dad. Enjoy every moment you have with him. And don’t argue so much with your brothers. Life is too short to spend being miserable.
Stop being so shy. Other people are just like you inside. Smile more. Laugh a lot. Sing often. They are joy creators. Share a kind word every chance you get. Give your inner goodness to everyone. Don’t worry about the future. Instead enjoy this day God has given you. Make the time to play with your young children. One day you will blink and they will be as big as you are. Quit wishing you were rich in money. Yet. rejoice at being rich in heart. Realize that happiness is simple. It is we who are complicated. Know in your heart that God loves you just as you are. Know in your heart that you can love too. Then go out and share your love with the world. When you do you will have the joy you have always longed for.
How I wish I could give this advice to the younger me, but I can’t. He probably wouldn’t have listened anyway. Still, it isn’t too late to follow this advice today and that is all that matters.
Wake up earlier more often and take the time to watch the sun rising over the hills. Bend down to smell the flowers in the Spring. Swim more in the Summer. Play in the Fall leaves. Make snow angels every Winter. Turn the TV off in the afternoon and go play with your dogs instead. Don’t rush through those Sunday family dinners. Savor every bite of food and joy in them. Tell your Mom and Grandma you love them everyday and hug them every chance you can. . Don’t complain about chopping wood with your Dad. Enjoy every moment you have with him. And don’t argue so much with your brothers. Life is too short to spend being miserable.
Stop being so shy. Other people are just like you inside. Smile more. Laugh a lot. Sing often. They are joy creators. Share a kind word every chance you get. Give your inner goodness to everyone. Don’t worry about the future. Instead enjoy this day God has given you. Make the time to play with your young children. One day you will blink and they will be as big as you are. Quit wishing you were rich in money. Yet. rejoice at being rich in heart. Realize that happiness is simple. It is we who are complicated. Know in your heart that God loves you just as you are. Know in your heart that you can love too. Then go out and share your love with the world. When you do you will have the joy you have always longed for.
How I wish I could give this advice to the younger me, but I can’t. He probably wouldn’t have listened anyway. Still, it isn’t too late to follow this advice today and that is all that matters.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
If College Students Wrote The Bible
- The Last Supper would have been eaten the next morning -- cold.
- The Ten Commandments would actually be only five -- double-spaced and written in a large font.
- A new edition would be published every two years in order to limit reselling.
- Forbidden fruit would have been eaten because it wasn't cafeteria food.
- Paul's letter to the Romans would become Paul's email to abuse@romans.gov.
- The reason Cain killed Abel: they were roommates.
- The reason why Moses and followers walked in the desert for 40 years: they didn't want to ask directions and look like freshmen.
- Instead of God creating the world in six days and resting on the seventh, He would have put it off until the night before it was due and then pulled an all-nighter.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
HOW TO KEEP A HEALTHY LEVEL OF INSANITY
- At lunch time, sit in your parked car with sunglasses on and point a hair dryer at passing cars. See if they slow down.
- Page yourself over the intercom. Don't disguise your voice.
- Insist that your email address is: Xena-Warrior-Princess@companyname.com
- Every time someone asks you to do something, ask if they want fries with that.
- Encourage your colleagues to join you in a little synchronized chair dancing.
- Put your garbage can on your desk and label it "IN".
- Develop an unnatural fear of staplers.
- Put decaf in the coffee maker for 3 weeks. Once everyone has gotten over their caffeine addictions, switch to espresso.
- In the memo field of all your checks, write 'wouldn't you like to know'.
- Reply to everything someone says with, "That's what you think."
- Finish all your sentences with "In accordance with the prophecy."
- Adjust the tint on your monitor so that the brightness level lights up the entire work area. Insist to others that you like it that way.
- Dont use any punctuation
- As often as possible, skip rather than walk.
- Ask people what sex they are. Laugh hysterically after they answer.
- Specify that your drive-through order is "to go."
- Sing along at the opera.
- Go to a poetry recital and ask why the poems don't rhyme.
- Find out where your boss shops and buy exactly the same outfits. Wear them one day after your boss does. (This is especially effective if your boss is of the opposite gender.)
- Send e-mail to the rest of the company to tell them what you're doing. For example, "If anyone needs me, I'll be in the bathroom, in Stall #3."
- Put mosquito netting around your cubicle. Play a tape of jungle sounds all day.
- Five days in advance, tell your friends you can't attend their party because you're not in the mood.
- Call the psychic hotline and don't say anything...
- Have your coworkers address you by your wrestling name, Bad News.
- When the money comes out of the ATM, scream "I Won!" "I Won!" "3rd time this week!!!"
- When leaving the zoo, start running towards the parking lot, yelling "Run for your lives, they're loose!"
- Tell your boss, "It's not the voices in my head that bother me, its the voices in your head that do."
- Tell your children over dinner: "Due to the economy, we are going to have to let one of you go."
- Every time you see a broom, yell "Honey, your mother is here!"
Send this to everyone in your address book, even if they sent it to you - it's worth the laughter!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Somebody Knows More Than God-Or Did They?
I talked with a Ministry friend of mine yesterday who shared an interesting story with me about one of my former members in Union where I pastored for 13 years. She was tending to his sick mother and found out he was a Church of God pastor. My name came up in the conversation and she shared that I had received her family into the church as members during my pastorate. I had only pastored their family for a few years, but she made the statement that I probably stayed too long at the church or that I should have left a couple of years earlier. He corrected her with kindness saying that nobody but God really knows how many years a man or woman in ministry should stay at a place God has put them and she quickly corrected her statement. He just tried to remind her that nobody knows what God's will is for a person, but God and that person.
If somebody knew more than God I sure wish they would told me that I should have moved in 2008 rather than in 2010. Here's what it would have saved me:
-Several hundred dollars that Becky and I put into the building program to help build the Family Life Center.
-Long hours of labor, cleaning, preparing and planning to get the FLC up, finished, and running along with buying equipment and getting donations to help defray the costs.
-Hours of heartbreak having to bury two of my dearest members and seeing others I loved and pastored for so long suffer and go through physical and finanical hardship.
-Oh yes, and I would never have been able to take the one that spoke these words into the fellowship of the church.
The hardest thing in the world is to leave people you love and a community that you have served in for years. I had only inquired about moving once in my 13 years there and turned down many offers during that time. I thought I would be there for life. But God did have other plans and when He spoke to me, I knew it was time.
I hope you can guess by now I'm just having a little fun with this, but it did really bother me that somebody implied that knew more about God's will for my life than I did. So on that note I say to all of you who think you have heard from God about somebody else find out what He wants for you first. He might just tell you to mind your own business.
If somebody knew more than God I sure wish they would told me that I should have moved in 2008 rather than in 2010. Here's what it would have saved me:
-Several hundred dollars that Becky and I put into the building program to help build the Family Life Center.
-Long hours of labor, cleaning, preparing and planning to get the FLC up, finished, and running along with buying equipment and getting donations to help defray the costs.
-Hours of heartbreak having to bury two of my dearest members and seeing others I loved and pastored for so long suffer and go through physical and finanical hardship.
-Oh yes, and I would never have been able to take the one that spoke these words into the fellowship of the church.
The hardest thing in the world is to leave people you love and a community that you have served in for years. I had only inquired about moving once in my 13 years there and turned down many offers during that time. I thought I would be there for life. But God did have other plans and when He spoke to me, I knew it was time.
I hope you can guess by now I'm just having a little fun with this, but it did really bother me that somebody implied that knew more about God's will for my life than I did. So on that note I say to all of you who think you have heard from God about somebody else find out what He wants for you first. He might just tell you to mind your own business.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Humor Week-Men's Rules
- The floor is considered an acceptable clothing storage location.
- Never ask me to purchase feminine products. Assume that I will come home with the wrong thing.
- When we are watching your show and I change the channels during a commercial, do not hassle me that the commercials have probably finished, and to change the channel back. I always know when the timing is right. Also, when we are channel surfing do not ask me to go back, there was a good reason why I skipped it.
- If you need help with the laundry, I am more than willing to carry it from the bedroom to the washer. In my mind this is half the chore and I am now free to return to the couch.
- If I mention that a male friend of mine is allowed to do something it is not necessary for you to call his wife/girlfriend to discuss it.
- If you don't like the way I am driving, close your eyes. And I would appreciate it if you would refrain from making that reverse inhaling alarmed noise. I haven't hit anything yet and if I do it will be your fault.
- I go clothes shopping to buy, never to look.
- Just tell me what you want me to wear before I get dressed. And remember that this takes me less than ten minutes no matter what the occasion is. After all, I am getting dressed, not getting ready.
- Don't ask me if I prefer one outfit over another or if a certain accessory should be worn or not. I consider this a no win situation and would rather just wait for you to get dressed while watching TV.
- If you want me to put the seat down when I am finished then you should leave the seat up when you are finished. It's only fair.
- I will cook anything as long as it is on the BBQ.
- Yelling to me across the house sounds exactly like stadium crowd background noise to me. I am not ignoring you.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Humor Week-If You Love Somebody
- THE ORIGINAL VERSION:
If you love something,
Set it free...
If it comes back, it's yours,
If it doesn't, it never was yours....
- THE PESSIMIST VERSION:
If you love somebody,
Set her free ...
If she ever comes back, she's yours,
If she doesn't, well, as expected, she never was.
- THE OPTIMIST VERSION:
If you love somebody,
Set her free ...
Don't worry, she will come back.
- THE SUSPICIOUS VERSION:
If you love somebody,
Set her free ...
If she ever comes back, ask her why.
- THE IMPATIENT VERSION:
If you love somebody,
Set her free ...
If she doesn't comes back within some time limit,
forget her.
- THE PATIENT VERSION:
If you love somebody,
Set her free ...
If she doesn't come back, continue to wait
until she comes back ...
- THE PLAYFUL VERSION:
If you love somebody,
Set her free ...
* If she comes back, and if you love her still,
set her free again, repeat *
- THE LAWYER'S VERSION:
If you love somebody,
Set her free...
Clause 1a of Paragraph 13a-1 in the second
amendment of the Matrimonial Freedom Act clearly states that...
- THE STATISTICIAN'S VERSION::
If you love somebody,
Set her free...
If she loves you, the probability of her coming back is high
If she doesn't, your relationship was improbable anyway.
- THE POSSESSIVE VERSION:
If you love somebody
don't ever set her free.
- THE MBA VERSION:
If you love somebody
set her free...
instantaneously...
and look for others simultaneously.
- THE PSYCHOLOGIST'S VERSION:
If you love somebody
set her free...
If she comes back, her super ego is dominant
If she doesn't come, back her id is supreme
If she doesn't go, she must be crazy.
- THE FINANCE EXPERT VERSION:
If you love somebody
set her free...
If she comes back, its time to look for fresh loans.
If she doesn't, write her off as an asset gone bad.
- THE MARKETING VERSION:
If you love somebody
set her free...
If she comes back, she has brand loyalty
If she doesn't, reposition the brand in new markets.
- THE ORIGINAL VERSION:
If you love something,
Set it free...
If it comes back, it's yours,
If it doesn't, it never was yours....
- THE PESSIMIST VERSION:
If you love somebody,
Set her free ...
If she ever comes back, she's yours,
If she doesn't, well, as expected, she never was.
- THE OPTIMIST VERSION:
If you love somebody,
Set her free ...
Don't worry, she will come back.
- THE SUSPICIOUS VERSION:
If you love somebody,
Set her free ...
If she ever comes back, ask her why.
- THE IMPATIENT VERSION:
If you love somebody,
Set her free ...
If she doesn't comes back within some time limit,
forget her.
- THE PATIENT VERSION:
If you love somebody,
Set her free ...
If she doesn't come back, continue to wait
until she comes back ...
- THE PLAYFUL VERSION:
If you love somebody,
Set her free ...
* If she comes back, and if you love her still,
set her free again, repeat *
- THE LAWYER'S VERSION:
If you love somebody,
Set her free...
Clause 1a of Paragraph 13a-1 in the second
amendment of the Matrimonial Freedom Act clearly states that...
- THE STATISTICIAN'S VERSION::
If you love somebody,
Set her free...
If she loves you, the probability of her coming back is high
If she doesn't, your relationship was improbable anyway.
- THE POSSESSIVE VERSION:
If you love somebody
don't ever set her free.
- THE MBA VERSION:
If you love somebody
set her free...
instantaneously...
and look for others simultaneously.
- THE PSYCHOLOGIST'S VERSION:
If you love somebody
set her free...
If she comes back, her super ego is dominant
If she doesn't come, back her id is supreme
If she doesn't go, she must be crazy.
- THE FINANCE EXPERT VERSION:
If you love somebody
set her free...
If she comes back, its time to look for fresh loans.
If she doesn't, write her off as an asset gone bad.
- THE MARKETING VERSION:
If you love somebody
set her free...
If she comes back, she has brand loyalty
If she doesn't, reposition the brand in new markets.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Humor Week-10 Signs Your Husband Hates Shopping
Here Are 10 Signs That Your Guy Hates Going Shopping With You.
- You catch him staring into the store's security cameras, waving his arms in the air and mouthing: "Help me!"
- In the last year of hitting the mall together, he's gained 20 pounds trying to self-medicate on cheese fries from the food court.
- He sleeps like a baby . . . in Victoria's Secret.
- The store's lounge area has turned into a therapy circle for men, with your Guy acting as moderator.
- You catch him shooting the breeze about baseball and trying to place an eighth-inning bet . . . with a mannequin.
- On trips to the shopping outlets,he routinely grabs the arms of little boys and shouts " run for your life, child, before it's too late"
- When you suggest he bring a magazine to read to pass the time, he lugs an entire year's worth of back issues.
- The saleswoman at the cosmetics counter has complained that your man is a little to fond of "smelling" the nail polish testers.
- He starts shoplifting in an attempt to "spice things up"
- You hand him a pair of khakis you think might look good on him, and he absentmindedly fashions then into a noose.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Humor Week-Famous Last Words
- "Are you sure the power is off?"
- "Don't be so superstitious."
- "He's probably just hibernating."
- "I can do that with my eyes closed."
- "I wonder where the mother bear is?"
- "I'll get a world record for this."
- "I'll hold it and you light the fuse."
- "And that one over there, the red flashing
one, what does that mean?"
- "I'm making a citizen's arrest."
- "It's fireproof."
- "It's strong enough for both of us."
- "I've done this before."
- "I've seen this done on TV."
- "Let it down slowly."
- "Nice doggie."
- "Now watch this..."
- "Pull the pin and count to what?"
- "Rat poison only kills rats."
- "So, you're a cannibal..."
- "Listen, I'm taking a course in chemistry,
I know what I'm doing."
- "That's odd..."
- "These are the good kind of mushrooms."
- "This doesn't taste right."
- "What does this button do?"
- "Which wire was I supposed to cut?"
Friday, November 4, 2011
Can America Be Saved Again? (Part 2)
America’s future will be determined by the basic decisions that we as a people make concerning the fundamental issue of what constitutes reality, what we recognize as truth. And this is where we come in!
While the Body of Christ can and should be a restrainer of evil, we must recognize that we are not going to change the course of this world. Too often we have forgotten--if we have known at all--what the Bible actually says about the society in which we live:
Galatians 1:4 "[Christ] gave himself for our sins, THAT HE MIGHT DELIVER US FROM THIS PRESENT EVIL WORLD, ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD AND OUR FATHER."
James 4:4 " ...KNOW YE NOT THAT THE FRIENDSHIP OF THE WORLD IS ENMITY WITH GOD? WHOSOEVER THEREFORE WILL BE A FRIEND OF THE WORLD IS THE ENEMY OF GOD."
I John 5:19 " ...THE WHOLE WORLD LIETH IN WICKEDNESS."
Ephesians 2:2 "...in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience."
1 Corinthians 2:12 "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God..."
Galatians 6:14 "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom THE WORLD IS CRUCIFIED UNTO ME, AND I UNTO THE WORLD."
The Body of Christ is not here to reform the world system, solve the problems facing society, inaugurate social justice, etc. While true believers can and should have a powerful impact for good wherever they are, we are not going to improve the world system about us. In fact, part of our task is to testify to the fact that the world is not going to be made acceptable to God but rather as the age progresses will grow worse, morally and spiritually, until Christ comes to put down man’s rebellion and establish His reign.
The Church is here to save men out of this world system, to deliver men from "the present evil world." This is the way to make our ministry relevant to the realities of our time. We are not here to save the wreck man has made of society. We are here to save perishing souls from the wreck doomed to destruction.
Tragically, when needed most the Church has become totally irrelevant and ineffectual in the culture of our day as it flounders in confusion. Seemingly aware of its impotence, movements abound to seek social and political power in order to gain attention to causes dear it. Yet for all the effort in everything from political action to new, contemporary methodologies, the world about us rushes forward largely untouched by the truth deposited in our care.
Why is this? What is the problem? Answers abound: lack of prayer, absence of real separated living, indifference to the lost and the task of world evangelism, disregard of the felt needs of those about us, etc. But wait: These are really the symptoms, the results. What is the core cause? It isn’t really that difficult to identify.
Departure from God’s message and program for our day as revealed through the epistles of Paul--this is the real root of the trouble. My friend, just as it was departure from Moses’ law that constantly got Israel into trouble, with the Church it has been departure from Pauline truth. Just as surely as the dispensation of the law was committed to Moses, so surely was the dispensation of grace committed to Paul (Ephesians 3:1-9).
Only when the Church returns to God's program for today will it be able to fulfill its true role as "the pillar and ground of the truth" (I Timothy 3:15). This is the true path to the revival so desparately needed and the only avenue that can lead to another genuine spiritual awakening for our nation.
Will America be saved? We do not know. Can America be saved? YES! But not without a basic change in course.
America does indeed stand at the crossroads. Decisions made during the next few years will set the course for our nation's future well into the 21st century. A spiritually healthy, vibrant Church has a vital part to play. This is where those of us who rejoice in the rightly divided Word fit in, for only by recognizing God’s program for today will the Church be up to the task.
The Body of Christ, of course, belongs to the Lord and in the wider sense is His responsibility. Each of us, however, has a part to play in its functioning. It is true that there is much we cannot do, but the fact remains that there is much we can and should be doing.
The greatest single thing you and I as believers can do for our generation, for our nation, is to have Christ live through us in our own everyday lives. As we study God's Word and learn sound doctrine, as we testify of Christ and live in obedience to Him, the Word takes root in our hearts and produces genuine spiritual growth.
When Christ lives through us personally, our families will be impacted; as He lives through our families, our communities will be impacted; as He lives in our communities, our state, nation and world will be touched by truth.
And it is the understanding of the message of God’s grace to us in Christ that will motivate and empower us in reaching out in every possible way to every possible person with the good news we have to proclaim. For the lost we have unconditional love and forgiveness in Christ to freely offer. For believers ensnared in religious bondage we have the freedom and purpose of "Christ in you the hope of glory." For all those bound by sin's fetters we have deliverance and victory in Christ. For those whose hearts desire to serve the Lord we have the Word of His grace which is able to produce the godly edification that results in a maximum capacity for service.
We have an unprecedented opportunity to be engaged in the real work of the minsitry--to expose and win people to Christ, build them in the faith, train them to minister effectively and then send them to repeat the cycle of spiritual reproduction with others.
As you walk by faith in obedience to God’s Word to us, as you live godly in Christ Jesus in the details of your daily life, God is active in your world! May the love of Christ constrain us all to so live that others may know the truth as it is in Jesus Christ. This is what our generation, our nation, our world needs most!
While the Body of Christ can and should be a restrainer of evil, we must recognize that we are not going to change the course of this world. Too often we have forgotten--if we have known at all--what the Bible actually says about the society in which we live:
Galatians 1:4 "[Christ] gave himself for our sins, THAT HE MIGHT DELIVER US FROM THIS PRESENT EVIL WORLD, ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD AND OUR FATHER."
James 4:4 " ...KNOW YE NOT THAT THE FRIENDSHIP OF THE WORLD IS ENMITY WITH GOD? WHOSOEVER THEREFORE WILL BE A FRIEND OF THE WORLD IS THE ENEMY OF GOD."
I John 5:19 " ...THE WHOLE WORLD LIETH IN WICKEDNESS."
Ephesians 2:2 "...in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience."
1 Corinthians 2:12 "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God..."
Galatians 6:14 "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom THE WORLD IS CRUCIFIED UNTO ME, AND I UNTO THE WORLD."
The Body of Christ is not here to reform the world system, solve the problems facing society, inaugurate social justice, etc. While true believers can and should have a powerful impact for good wherever they are, we are not going to improve the world system about us. In fact, part of our task is to testify to the fact that the world is not going to be made acceptable to God but rather as the age progresses will grow worse, morally and spiritually, until Christ comes to put down man’s rebellion and establish His reign.
The Church is here to save men out of this world system, to deliver men from "the present evil world." This is the way to make our ministry relevant to the realities of our time. We are not here to save the wreck man has made of society. We are here to save perishing souls from the wreck doomed to destruction.
Tragically, when needed most the Church has become totally irrelevant and ineffectual in the culture of our day as it flounders in confusion. Seemingly aware of its impotence, movements abound to seek social and political power in order to gain attention to causes dear it. Yet for all the effort in everything from political action to new, contemporary methodologies, the world about us rushes forward largely untouched by the truth deposited in our care.
Why is this? What is the problem? Answers abound: lack of prayer, absence of real separated living, indifference to the lost and the task of world evangelism, disregard of the felt needs of those about us, etc. But wait: These are really the symptoms, the results. What is the core cause? It isn’t really that difficult to identify.
Departure from God’s message and program for our day as revealed through the epistles of Paul--this is the real root of the trouble. My friend, just as it was departure from Moses’ law that constantly got Israel into trouble, with the Church it has been departure from Pauline truth. Just as surely as the dispensation of the law was committed to Moses, so surely was the dispensation of grace committed to Paul (Ephesians 3:1-9).
Only when the Church returns to God's program for today will it be able to fulfill its true role as "the pillar and ground of the truth" (I Timothy 3:15). This is the true path to the revival so desparately needed and the only avenue that can lead to another genuine spiritual awakening for our nation.
Will America be saved? We do not know. Can America be saved? YES! But not without a basic change in course.
America does indeed stand at the crossroads. Decisions made during the next few years will set the course for our nation's future well into the 21st century. A spiritually healthy, vibrant Church has a vital part to play. This is where those of us who rejoice in the rightly divided Word fit in, for only by recognizing God’s program for today will the Church be up to the task.
The Body of Christ, of course, belongs to the Lord and in the wider sense is His responsibility. Each of us, however, has a part to play in its functioning. It is true that there is much we cannot do, but the fact remains that there is much we can and should be doing.
The greatest single thing you and I as believers can do for our generation, for our nation, is to have Christ live through us in our own everyday lives. As we study God's Word and learn sound doctrine, as we testify of Christ and live in obedience to Him, the Word takes root in our hearts and produces genuine spiritual growth.
When Christ lives through us personally, our families will be impacted; as He lives through our families, our communities will be impacted; as He lives in our communities, our state, nation and world will be touched by truth.
And it is the understanding of the message of God’s grace to us in Christ that will motivate and empower us in reaching out in every possible way to every possible person with the good news we have to proclaim. For the lost we have unconditional love and forgiveness in Christ to freely offer. For believers ensnared in religious bondage we have the freedom and purpose of "Christ in you the hope of glory." For all those bound by sin's fetters we have deliverance and victory in Christ. For those whose hearts desire to serve the Lord we have the Word of His grace which is able to produce the godly edification that results in a maximum capacity for service.
We have an unprecedented opportunity to be engaged in the real work of the minsitry--to expose and win people to Christ, build them in the faith, train them to minister effectively and then send them to repeat the cycle of spiritual reproduction with others.
As you walk by faith in obedience to God’s Word to us, as you live godly in Christ Jesus in the details of your daily life, God is active in your world! May the love of Christ constrain us all to so live that others may know the truth as it is in Jesus Christ. This is what our generation, our nation, our world needs most!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Can America Be Saved Again? (Part 1)
Proverbs 14:34, "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people."
The reproach (disgrace and shame) openly being manifested in America today is indicative of the fact that we are quickly becoming a people without God. Frankly, what this means is that the continued existence of our country is at stake. It may be that God usually judges individuals at the end of time, but the Bible clearly teaches that He judges nations in time. In Romans 1, the apostle Paul gives the four step decline in the history of a people that forgets God:
(1) A nation rejects God.
(2) It turns to false religion.
(3) It becomes bogged down in immorality and violence.
(4) God then judges it.
“Oh, that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence” (Isa. 64:1, KJV).
Despite the downward spiral in the spiritual condition of our nation, there is good reason for Christians to hope that God may grant a sovereign, widespread revival of grace and righteousness in our land. After all, God is still in absolute control of the affairs of this world. Time after time throughout history, usually when circumstances have been the darkest, God has burst upon the scene and caused gospel light to shine in gross darkness. Then multitudes are suddenly turned from the kingdom of Satan to the kingdom of God’s dear Son, and nations are born in a day.
However, if hope for a national revival is to be realized, we must face the fact that America is not too young to be destroyed. On the contrary, she could be too wicked to be spared without a divine invasion from heaven. Given an honest assessment of the spiritual condition of America, on what basis can the church genuinely hope for national revival?
God Is Still Gracious
One reason for hope is that God is still a gracious and merciful God. Where sin abounds, grace can still much more abound. Nothing of itself--national sin and scandal, political corruption, abortion, liberalism or lukewarmness in the church, compromise, prayerlessness, increasing pluralism, or doctrinal laxity--nothing can stand when God chooses to act in answer to the prayers of His people.
In Isaiah 63:15, the prophet is pleads for God’s mercy when he prays, “Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and thy glory: where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies . . . are they restrained?” Clearly, mercy in this case was ill-deserved and unearned. Yet every revival is the result of God’s mercy and grace, not the result of the perfect obedience of God’s people.
The fact that revival is based on God’s sovereignty and merciful kindness does not make Him any less holy or righteous. God is perfectly balanced in all His attributes. Nevertheless, He particularly loves to show mercy.
In Exodus 33, Moses cried out for God to reveal His glory. God responded by saying, “I will make all my goodness pass before thee . . . ;and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy” (v. 19). In the next chapter, God reiterates His merciful character, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth”(34:6). God does not delight in the death of the wicked; it is His judgment, not His grace, that is called His “strange work” (Isa. 28:21).
God’s grace has always been glorified by the powerful dispensing of saving power. It was grace that Jonah resisted when God purposed to save the entire city of Nineveh. Jonah hated the idea that God would have mercy on the enemies of Israel. Knowing the gracious character of God, Jonah suspected that God was sending him to the pagan Ninevites to do what he believed was a wasteful and wrong thing--to show grace to a group of people other than Israel. Not being able to stomach the broadness of God’s love, Jonah fled to Tarshish because he did not want Jehovah to have mercy on anyone except the Jews.
Think of all that Jonah experienced and saw of divine grace in less than a week’s time! He resisted all the way into the whale’s belly, and he tasted undeserved deliverance himself when the whale became God’s means of grace in his own life. He then preached God’s message begrudgingly to Nineveh and saw God save the whole city through one simple sermon. It is almost unbelievable that it is said of Jonah, “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry” (Jonah 4:1).
Jonah knew Nineveh deserved to be judged, and that is what he wanted. His sense of justice demanded that Nineveh not be given mercy. Yet God explained His actions to Jonah in the aftermath of Nineveh’s repentance in terms of His merciful character: “Should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand?” (Jonah 4:11). The fact is the only thing either Nineveh or Jonah deserved was judgment, but the only thing God gave to both was His
amazing grace.
It is important for us to remember that human affairs are never beyond hope until God brings final and irreversible judgment. Until that time, there is always hope. History proves that God has often set the stage with human helplessness, allowing circumstances to become so bad that the only solution is divine deliverance. Then He has moved with sudden and irresistible power.
Why does God send revival where and when it is most undeserved? The answer is simply because He is gracious, and, because He receives glory by pouring mercy out on the wicked. If God had not been “wastefully” and “outrageously” gracious to each of us, where would we be?
Why does God send revival where and when it is most undeserved? The answer is simply because He is gracious, and, because He receives glory by pouring mercy out on the wicked. If God had not been “wastefully” and “outrageously” gracious to each of us, where would we be?
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Unmovable
1 Corinthians 15:58 "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."
A steadfast an unmovable spirit is quite hard to create in the natural because in correct terminology a spirit is not tangible. As an analogy to help you understand a mountain would be considered steadfast an unmovable because it is tangible-physically seen, can be touched, and is incapable of being pushed over.
-You can inflict geographical changes quickly in a mountain by the use of explosives, but you cannot physically lift it up by your own strength or power.
-You can flatten a mountain by the usage of even more powerful forces, but you cannot push it forward or move it by your own strength.
-You can transform the appearance of a mountain instantly by those explosives or slowly by natural means such as erosion, but no matter what changes you will remember seeing it as a mountain.
Paul uses this passage (which embraces four themes) to encourage believers at Corinth and today that we should embrace these four things knowing that the promise of eternity is assured for the believer through the power of the resurrection.
These four things are:
-To be steadfast.
-To be Unmovable.
-Always abounding in the work of the Lord.
-The knowledge that your labors are not in vain.
(1) Supernatural strength gives you the ability to remain steadfast when everything within you says to give up.
We must be absolutely convinced that God will do what he says he will do. He will never leave us or forsake us, but he will stay by our side. When all the trials of life are over, we must believe that the rewards that await us are far greater than the trials we bore.
Ezekiel 18:31 "Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?"
Colossians 3:8-10 "But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him..."
(2) Unswerving character gives you the desire to become an unmovable object to the attacks and confrontations of the enemy.
We must anchor our souls in the Rock, Jesus Christ and never look back. This world has nothing to offer that can compare with the wondrous blessings of God.
Hebrews 6:18-20 The Message "We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It's an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us, in the order of Melchizedek."
(3) Evangelistic energy and empowered passion gives you the grace, mercy, and courage to keep on doing what's right even when the multitudes tell you to give up or give in.
2 Peter 1:8, 9 "For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins."
Let’s talk about that word abounding for a moment. It is the Greek word per-is-syoo’-o which come from the word per-is-sos’ which means:
1. over and above, more than is necessary,
2. exceeding abundantly, supremely
3. something further, much more than all,
4. superior, extraordinary, surpassing, uncommon
When we do the Lords work, which we all must do, Paul encourages us to go over and above, to do more than is necessary, to do much more then all. Just one glimpse of the glory of Heaven will make the trials and tests of this life fade into nothingness. Just one touch of the Master’s hand and it will be worth it all.
1. over and above, more than is necessary,
2. exceeding abundantly, supremely
3. something further, much more than all,
4. superior, extraordinary, surpassing, uncommon
When we do the Lords work, which we all must do, Paul encourages us to go over and above, to do more than is necessary, to do much more then all. Just one glimpse of the glory of Heaven will make the trials and tests of this life fade into nothingness. Just one touch of the Master’s hand and it will be worth it all.
(4) Defying all odds against reaching the vision God has given you to reach.We must remember that this world is not our home and that this is only a temporary home at best. It will soon be destroyed by fire. The only thing that we stand upon is the Word of God.
Hebrews 3:13-14, "But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end…"
I said these words as a message of exhortation to each of you.
I said these words as a message of exhortation to each of you.
-Take hold of the Word of God, your sure guide.
-Hold on to Jesus, your sure foundation.
-Don’t allow the tests and trials of life to draw you off course.
-Don’t allow the deceitfulness of sin to make you doubt God’s power to deliver you and bring you through victoriously.
We are the heirs of salvation! We are heirs and joint heirs with Jesus Christ! If we will be steadfast and unmovable in our faith in Christ, the reward of Heaven awaits and it won’t be long until we see Jesus face to face.
We are the heirs of salvation! We are heirs and joint heirs with Jesus Christ! If we will be steadfast and unmovable in our faith in Christ, the reward of Heaven awaits and it won’t be long until we see Jesus face to face.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)