"...You ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed
by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him" (2
Corinthians 2:7).
Sorrow can make one look through a dark glass when
he or she is swallowed up in anguish. One struggling with somber thoughts is
unable to "behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18). This
particular passage deals with a backslider, but this wise advice to realize and
reassure our love for a troubled one is true for any who need mercy and solace
and restoration to the family or community. We all need reaffirmation at
times.
Love is encouragement: "Let us consider how we may spur one
another on toward love and good deeds" (Hebrews 10:24). It is possible to look
beyond what people are and have done, and love them for what they can be. Love
then becomes redemptive and rejuvenating. It is said that Michelangelo found a
piece of rough marble that had been cast aside as useless. He was told that no
good thing could come from it, but Michelangelo said, "It is not useless. Send
it to my studio. There is an angel imprisoned within it, and I must set it
free." We can help release the distressed caught in the hard marble of life
through showing them God's forgiveness and love.
Jesus went about freeing
angels from within seemingly useless or sinful human beings finally released by
His love: Zacchaeus the tax collector, Mary Magdalene, Saul to become Paul, the
thief on the cross, the woman of Samaria and us! Jesus sees what we can be and
He treats us accordingly. And He asks that we do the same for others: treat them
as they can be, through His transforming grace.
Pat Nordman
©
Light for the Way
Monday, April 7, 2014
Let's cut the frets!
“Do not fret because of evil men…”; “Do not fret when men succeed in their evil ways…” (Psalm 37:1,7).
It would be so easy today to fret over just about everything. I think the secret to cutting out the frets is to acknowledge our fortunes and blessings - with a bit of thought, we have many. We dwell too much on our misfortunes and what we don’t have. I realize the grass sometimes looks greener next door, but we have no idea what the upkeep costs. Years ago I was talking with one of our richer relatives and she informed me that she had to spend a fortune insuring her furs and jewelry. I found myself thanking God that I didn’t have that problem! I’ve never understood the mindset behind purchasing millions of dollars worth of jewelry only to wear fakes for fear of them being stolen.
I’d like to share the following jewel:
“There is one sin which is everywhere underestimated and quite too often much overlooked in valuation of character. It is the sin of fretting. It is as common as air, as speech; so common that unless it rises above its usual monotone, we do not even observe it. Watch an ordinary coming together of people, and see how many minutes it will be before somebody frets; that is, making more or less complaining statements of something or other which most probably, every one in the room, or in the car, or on the street corner, it may be, knew before, and which probably nobody can help. Why say anything about it? It is cold, it is hot, it is dry; somebody has broken an appointment, ill-cooked a meal; stupidity or bad faith has resulted in discomfort. There are plenty of things to fret about. It is simply astonishing how much annoyance may be found in the course of every day's living, even at the simplest, if one only keeps a sharp eye out on that side of things. Even Holy writ says we are prone to trouble ‘as sparks fly upward.’ But even to the sparks that fly upward, in the blackest smoke, there is a blue sky above, and the less time they waste on the road, the sooner they will reach it. Fretting is all ‘time wasted on the road.’” Herald of Peace.
Fretting is a sin first against God because we tell Him that He doesn’t know what is best for us; second, it is a sin against others, for it robs them of their peace of mind and happiness. third, we sin against ourselves because we destroy our own peace of mind, and we harbor bitterness and fault-finding.
One of Cromwell’s friends was a fretting Christian, to whom everything went wrong. On a certain occasion, when unusually fretful, his sensible servant said, “Master, don’t you think that God governed the world very well before you came into it? Yes; but why do you ask? Master, don’t you think God will govern the world very well after you go out of it?” “Of course I do.” “Well, then, can’t you trust Him to govern it for the little time you are in it?”
So let us trust that God will govern us and our world for the short time we are in it!
It would be so easy today to fret over just about everything. I think the secret to cutting out the frets is to acknowledge our fortunes and blessings - with a bit of thought, we have many. We dwell too much on our misfortunes and what we don’t have. I realize the grass sometimes looks greener next door, but we have no idea what the upkeep costs. Years ago I was talking with one of our richer relatives and she informed me that she had to spend a fortune insuring her furs and jewelry. I found myself thanking God that I didn’t have that problem! I’ve never understood the mindset behind purchasing millions of dollars worth of jewelry only to wear fakes for fear of them being stolen.
I’d like to share the following jewel:
“There is one sin which is everywhere underestimated and quite too often much overlooked in valuation of character. It is the sin of fretting. It is as common as air, as speech; so common that unless it rises above its usual monotone, we do not even observe it. Watch an ordinary coming together of people, and see how many minutes it will be before somebody frets; that is, making more or less complaining statements of something or other which most probably, every one in the room, or in the car, or on the street corner, it may be, knew before, and which probably nobody can help. Why say anything about it? It is cold, it is hot, it is dry; somebody has broken an appointment, ill-cooked a meal; stupidity or bad faith has resulted in discomfort. There are plenty of things to fret about. It is simply astonishing how much annoyance may be found in the course of every day's living, even at the simplest, if one only keeps a sharp eye out on that side of things. Even Holy writ says we are prone to trouble ‘as sparks fly upward.’ But even to the sparks that fly upward, in the blackest smoke, there is a blue sky above, and the less time they waste on the road, the sooner they will reach it. Fretting is all ‘time wasted on the road.’” Herald of Peace.
Fretting is a sin first against God because we tell Him that He doesn’t know what is best for us; second, it is a sin against others, for it robs them of their peace of mind and happiness. third, we sin against ourselves because we destroy our own peace of mind, and we harbor bitterness and fault-finding.
One of Cromwell’s friends was a fretting Christian, to whom everything went wrong. On a certain occasion, when unusually fretful, his sensible servant said, “Master, don’t you think that God governed the world very well before you came into it? Yes; but why do you ask? Master, don’t you think God will govern the world very well after you go out of it?” “Of course I do.” “Well, then, can’t you trust Him to govern it for the little time you are in it?”
So let us trust that God will govern us and our world for the short time we are in it!
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
God's Will
"Thus it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish” (Matthew 18:14 NAS).
During World War II Dr. Leslie D. Weatherhead gave five talks on the will of God to his City Temple congregation in England. Fortunately for the rest of the world, they were published. Every time I hear "It's God's will," I think of this remarkable little book and how it clarified God's will for me.
Dr. Weatherhead separated God's will into three parts:
1) Intentional;
2) Circumstantial, and
3) Ultimate (ICU).
1. God's INTENTIONAL WILL is for our good. This is Adam and Eve in the Garden. When God created Adam and Eve, it was His intention that they live forever and be happy. But they sinned and were expelled from Paradise.
2. His CIRCUMSTANTIAL WILL is because of the circumstances in our lives. It is within this will that we find God's permissive will. This is Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. This is Job 42:2: "I know (faith) that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted."; It is the all of Romans 8:28, that glorious rod
and staff of the grieving: "We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." I know (wisdom) I can (possibility) do (accomplishment) all things whatsoever He asks!
3. His ULTIMATE WILL is for His glory and our good. This is Christ's resurrection and our resurrection. It is us all in the New Earth.
The wonderful revelation as I read this book is that God's intentional will finally becomes His ultimate will, even as we go through the circumstances of our life. Dr. Weatherhead gives the example of the young man in London whose intention was to be an architect but, because the war changed his circumstances, he joined the Army. At the time this was the honorable course. The young man could not control the evil circumstances of Hitler and his desire to conquer the
world, but he could control his reaction to them.
As I read the book I was comforted in the fact that nothing falls outside the circle of Divine Providence:
1) the knowledge of God embraces it;
2) His power is sovereign over it;
3) His mercy holds it creatively.
The key here is God's goodness. The parent does not will evil for his or her child; neither would a perfect God will evil for His children. At the time Dr. Weatherhead gave his talks, the people in England needed desperately to know that there was a living and loving God in spite of the horror going on.
We need to understand God's will and its components before we tell the person prostrate with grief that "It's God's will." As I read this incredible treatise, I viewed us as being in God's ICU unit and God taking care of us as only He can do, no matter what our circumstances.
Thank You, Father, for being our Physician in Your ICU unit!
Patricia Erwin Nordman
During World War II Dr. Leslie D. Weatherhead gave five talks on the will of God to his City Temple congregation in England. Fortunately for the rest of the world, they were published. Every time I hear "It's God's will," I think of this remarkable little book and how it clarified God's will for me.
Dr. Weatherhead separated God's will into three parts:
1) Intentional;
2) Circumstantial, and
3) Ultimate (ICU).
1. God's INTENTIONAL WILL is for our good. This is Adam and Eve in the Garden. When God created Adam and Eve, it was His intention that they live forever and be happy. But they sinned and were expelled from Paradise.
2. His CIRCUMSTANTIAL WILL is because of the circumstances in our lives. It is within this will that we find God's permissive will. This is Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. This is Job 42:2: "I know (faith) that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted."; It is the all of Romans 8:28, that glorious rod
and staff of the grieving: "We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." I know (wisdom) I can (possibility) do (accomplishment) all things whatsoever He asks!
3. His ULTIMATE WILL is for His glory and our good. This is Christ's resurrection and our resurrection. It is us all in the New Earth.
The wonderful revelation as I read this book is that God's intentional will finally becomes His ultimate will, even as we go through the circumstances of our life. Dr. Weatherhead gives the example of the young man in London whose intention was to be an architect but, because the war changed his circumstances, he joined the Army. At the time this was the honorable course. The young man could not control the evil circumstances of Hitler and his desire to conquer the
world, but he could control his reaction to them.
As I read the book I was comforted in the fact that nothing falls outside the circle of Divine Providence:
1) the knowledge of God embraces it;
2) His power is sovereign over it;
3) His mercy holds it creatively.
The key here is God's goodness. The parent does not will evil for his or her child; neither would a perfect God will evil for His children. At the time Dr. Weatherhead gave his talks, the people in England needed desperately to know that there was a living and loving God in spite of the horror going on.
We need to understand God's will and its components before we tell the person prostrate with grief that "It's God's will." As I read this incredible treatise, I viewed us as being in God's ICU unit and God taking care of us as only He can do, no matter what our circumstances.
Thank You, Father, for being our Physician in Your ICU unit!
Patricia Erwin Nordman
Thursday, February 27, 2014
A Prayer for our Leaders - Patricia Nordman
A Prayer for Our Leaders - Patricia Nordman
Holy Spirit, we come before you this day in humility and gratitude to plead for your blessings upon those who govern to insure our life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Grant them in abundance your gifts of:
WISDOM: that they may always be guided to place the spiritual good of communities and the nation as the highest good.
UNDERSTANDING: that they may recognize the simplicity of truth.
COUNSEL: that they may recognize the will of God under circumstances that discourage lesser men and women.
FORTITUDE: that they may be given the spiritual and physical strength to accept the inevitable burdens of leadership with courageous endurance.
KNOWLEDGE: that they may know the vastness of their mission and yet retain humility of spirit and charity for each and every soul.
PIETY: that in the manifold duties of their offices they may always find time to communicate quietly with YOU and therein find peace for their souls.
FEAR OF THE LORD: that they would forego worldly honors and recognition rather than bow to the will of evil men.
May you bless and direct our leaders for as long as it is your will for them to guide the destiny of this community, the nation, and the world.
LORD, we thank you that you hear our prayer. Please remind us, too, that you are still in control!
Amen.
Holy Spirit, we come before you this day in humility and gratitude to plead for your blessings upon those who govern to insure our life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Grant them in abundance your gifts of:
WISDOM: that they may always be guided to place the spiritual good of communities and the nation as the highest good.
UNDERSTANDING: that they may recognize the simplicity of truth.
COUNSEL: that they may recognize the will of God under circumstances that discourage lesser men and women.
FORTITUDE: that they may be given the spiritual and physical strength to accept the inevitable burdens of leadership with courageous endurance.
KNOWLEDGE: that they may know the vastness of their mission and yet retain humility of spirit and charity for each and every soul.
PIETY: that in the manifold duties of their offices they may always find time to communicate quietly with YOU and therein find peace for their souls.
FEAR OF THE LORD: that they would forego worldly honors and recognition rather than bow to the will of evil men.
May you bless and direct our leaders for as long as it is your will for them to guide the destiny of this community, the nation, and the world.
LORD, we thank you that you hear our prayer. Please remind us, too, that you are still in control!
Amen.
Bill of No-Rights - Mitchell Kaye
This has been around for a while but it needs to make the rounds again!
==============
The following has been attributed to State Representative Mitchell Kaye from GA.
"We the sensible people of the United States, in an attempt to help everyone get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid more riots, keep our nation safe, promote positive behavior, and secure the blessings of debt free liberty to ourselves and our great-great-great-grandchildren, hereby try one more time to ordain and establish some common sense guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt ridden, delusional, and other liberal bed-wetters.
We hold these truths to be self-evident: that a whole lot of people are confused by the Bill of Rights and are so dim they require a Bill of NO Rights."
ARTICLE I: You do not have the right to a new car, big screen TV, or any other form of wealth. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no one is guaranteeing anything.
ARTICLE II: You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone -- not just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc.; but the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be.
ARTICLE III: You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful. Do not expect the tool manufacturer to make you and all your relatives independently wealthy.
ARTICLE IV: You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans are the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need, but we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generation after generation of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes.
ARTICLE V: You do not have the right to free health care. That would be nice, but from the looks of public housing, we're just not interested in public health care.
ARTICLE VI: You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If you kidnap, rape, intentionally maim, or kill someone, don't be surprised if the rest of us want to see you fry in the electric chair.
ARTICLE VII: You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you rob, cheat, or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don't be surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where you still won't have the right to a big screen color TV or a life of leisure.
ARTICLE VIII: You do not have the right to a job. All of us sure want you to have a job, and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you to take advantage of the opportunities of education and vocational training laid before you to make yourself useful.
ARTICLE IX: You do not have the right to happiness. Being an American means that you have the right to PURSUE happiness, which by the way, is a lot easier if you are unencumbered by an over abundance of idiotic laws created by those of you who were confused by the Bill of Rights.
ARTICLE X: This is an English speaking country. We don't care where you are from, English is our language. Learn it or go back to wherever you came from.
(lastly....)
ARTICLE XI: You do not have the right to change our country's history or heritage. This country was founded on the belief in one true God. And yet, you are given the freedom to believe in any religion, any faith, or no faith at all; with no fear of persecution. The phrase IN GOD WE TRUST is part of our heritage and history, and if you are uncomfortable with it, TOUGH!!!!
==============
The following has been attributed to State Representative Mitchell Kaye from GA.
"We the sensible people of the United States, in an attempt to help everyone get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid more riots, keep our nation safe, promote positive behavior, and secure the blessings of debt free liberty to ourselves and our great-great-great-grandchildren, hereby try one more time to ordain and establish some common sense guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt ridden, delusional, and other liberal bed-wetters.
We hold these truths to be self-evident: that a whole lot of people are confused by the Bill of Rights and are so dim they require a Bill of NO Rights."
ARTICLE I: You do not have the right to a new car, big screen TV, or any other form of wealth. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no one is guaranteeing anything.
ARTICLE II: You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone -- not just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc.; but the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be.
ARTICLE III: You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful. Do not expect the tool manufacturer to make you and all your relatives independently wealthy.
ARTICLE IV: You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans are the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need, but we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generation after generation of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes.
ARTICLE V: You do not have the right to free health care. That would be nice, but from the looks of public housing, we're just not interested in public health care.
ARTICLE VI: You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If you kidnap, rape, intentionally maim, or kill someone, don't be surprised if the rest of us want to see you fry in the electric chair.
ARTICLE VII: You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you rob, cheat, or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don't be surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where you still won't have the right to a big screen color TV or a life of leisure.
ARTICLE VIII: You do not have the right to a job. All of us sure want you to have a job, and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you to take advantage of the opportunities of education and vocational training laid before you to make yourself useful.
ARTICLE IX: You do not have the right to happiness. Being an American means that you have the right to PURSUE happiness, which by the way, is a lot easier if you are unencumbered by an over abundance of idiotic laws created by those of you who were confused by the Bill of Rights.
ARTICLE X: This is an English speaking country. We don't care where you are from, English is our language. Learn it or go back to wherever you came from.
(lastly....)
ARTICLE XI: You do not have the right to change our country's history or heritage. This country was founded on the belief in one true God. And yet, you are given the freedom to believe in any religion, any faith, or no faith at all; with no fear of persecution. The phrase IN GOD WE TRUST is part of our heritage and history, and if you are uncomfortable with it, TOUGH!!!!
Gems #5
Gems
#5
If they tried to be as agreeable as in courtship days.
If each would remember the other was a human being, not an angel.
If each was as kind to the other as when they were lovers.
If fuel and provisions were laid in during the high tide of summer work.
If both parties remembered that they married for worse as well as for better.
If men were as thoughtful for their wives as they were for their sweethearts.
If there were fewer silk and velvet street costumes, and more plain, tidy house dresses.
Don't measure your respect to a person by the clothes he wears.
Don't try to make your fortune by easier means than hard work.
Don't speak carelessly of a lady's character. It is her only anchor.
Don't forget that the best and greatest man that ever walked the earth was a boy.
Don't fix your stare on the fair ones who pass along the streets. To stare at anyone is not manly at all.
Don't sneer at the opinions of others. You may learn wisdom from those far less pretentious than yourself.
Don't swear. It is not necessary and does not good. It is neither wise, manly or polite, nor agreeable to others.
Don't grow up to be a sour old bachelor, when there are so many true and lovely girls that will make such excellent wives.
Don't flirt with a young lady to whom you are a perfect stranger. It looks ridiculous; and you may get thrashed for it some day.
Don't unnecessarily make enemies. The will of a dog is better than its ill will.
Don't cripple your independence and your individuality to please friends.
3. By having unbounded faith in God, and a right confidence in self, with God's help, not foolish over confidence.
4. By cultivating all one's resources; seizing all one's opportunities; never giving up to discouragement; rising superior to obstacles; being a whole man and woman, brave, cheery, hopeful.
5. By being the best to others and getting the best out of others in return; never by harming or envying others or running them down.
6. By living daily in the companionship of Jesus. Anonymous.
"Of
all the dispositions and habits that can lead to political posterity, religion
and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the
tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human
happiness, these firmest props of the duties of … citizens. And let us with
caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion.
Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of
peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national
morality can prevail in exclusion to religious principle." (George Washington.)
Married
People Would Be Happier (published in 1886):
If
home troubles were never told to a neighbor.
If
expenses were proportioned to receipts.If they tried to be as agreeable as in courtship days.
If each would remember the other was a human being, not an angel.
If each was as kind to the other as when they were lovers.
If fuel and provisions were laid in during the high tide of summer work.
If both parties remembered that they married for worse as well as for better.
If men were as thoughtful for their wives as they were for their sweethearts.
If there were fewer silk and velvet street costumes, and more plain, tidy house dresses.
"You
must not spread your feelings all around, so far, but remember other people have
feelings too. Your feelings are sure "to be stepped on" if you do not
keep them at home." (1887.)
Boys,
Don't (1911):
Don't
forget that you are to be men and husbands.
Don't
smoke in the presence of ladies. It is never respectful.Don't measure your respect to a person by the clothes he wears.
Don't try to make your fortune by easier means than hard work.
Don't speak carelessly of a lady's character. It is her only anchor.
Don't forget that the best and greatest man that ever walked the earth was a boy.
Don't fix your stare on the fair ones who pass along the streets. To stare at anyone is not manly at all.
Don't sneer at the opinions of others. You may learn wisdom from those far less pretentious than yourself.
Don't swear. It is not necessary and does not good. It is neither wise, manly or polite, nor agreeable to others.
Don't grow up to be a sour old bachelor, when there are so many true and lovely girls that will make such excellent wives.
Don't flirt with a young lady to whom you are a perfect stranger. It looks ridiculous; and you may get thrashed for it some day.
Don't unnecessarily make enemies. The will of a dog is better than its ill will.
Don't cripple your independence and your individuality to please friends.
Anonymous
"Not
our circumstances, but the use we make of our circumstances decides the question
of our gain or loss day by day in our earthly course. According to the spirit
in which we meet them, helps will prove hindrances or hindrances prove helps in
our pilgrim path." Anonymous (1911).
"What
we need above all things in these crowded days is the setting apart of many
listening times; times of quiet in which we can hear the heavenly voices that
call us, unregarded in the busy day.” Selected.
"There
are two good rules which ought to be written on every heart: Never believe
anything bad about anybody unless you positively know it is true; never tell
even that, unless you feel that it is absolutely necessary, and that God is listening
while you tell it." Henry Van Dyke.
At
the foundation, this sentiment arises from an overestimation of ourselves. We are
some important personage, and we demand that certain consideration be accorded
to us, and in the event that this is not done, we are angry or displeased. We
need to be reminded of Paul's advice: "Let no man think more highly of
himself than he ought to think." Anonymous.
"Little
words are the sweetest to hear; little charities fly farthest, and stay longest
on the wing; little lakes are the stillest; little hearts are the fullest, and
little farms are the best tilled. Little books are read the most, and little
songs are dearest loved. And when Nature would make any thing especially rare
and beautiful, she makes it little. The Sermon on the Mount is little, but the last
dedication discourse was an hour long. Life is made up of littles; death is
what remains of them all. Day is made up of little beams, and night is glorious
with the little stars." Anonymous.
"If
we only knew what the weakest and worst had borne, if we only understood how they
were tempted, if we could read the story of their secret battle, could fathom
their wretchedness, I think we should cease despising in that hour. Nothing
shows the littleness of one's mind so much as a habit of speaking slightingly
of others." Selected.
"It
cannot be that the earth is man's only abiding place. It cannot be that our life
is a mere bubble cast up by eternity to float a moment on its waves and then
sink into nothingness. Else why is it that the glorious aspirations which leap
like angels from the temple of our hearts are forever wandering unsatisfied?
Why is it that all the stars that hold their festival around the midnight
throne are set above the grasp of our limited faculties, forever mocking us
with their unapproachable glory? And, finally, why is it that bright forms of
human beauty presented to our view are taken from us, leaving the thousand
streams of our affections to flow back in Alpine torrents upon our hearts?
There is a realm where the rainbow never fades; where the stars will spread out
before us like islands that slumber in the ocean; and where the beautiful
beings which now pass before us like shadows will stay in our presence forever."
(Prentice in "Man's Higher Destiny".)
Getting
The Best Out Of Oneself:
1.
By seeing one's best possible and actual self. Hold up character to the mirror
of Jesus.
2.
By getting thorough acquaintance with one's own powers and capacities and limitations.
We do not begin to know ourselves and do not try to some do not want to.3. By having unbounded faith in God, and a right confidence in self, with God's help, not foolish over confidence.
4. By cultivating all one's resources; seizing all one's opportunities; never giving up to discouragement; rising superior to obstacles; being a whole man and woman, brave, cheery, hopeful.
5. By being the best to others and getting the best out of others in return; never by harming or envying others or running them down.
6. By living daily in the companionship of Jesus. Anonymous.
The Gift Of Appreciation
"For
the best results, the cultivation of higher ideals and the gift of appreciation
must go together. Lacking a normal sense of appreciation the farther one
advances in his ideals the more unhappy and disagreeable he becomes. The
hypercritical spirit and habit are not necessarily a testimony of superior wisdom
and goodness or of exceptional attainments. One can easily form a habit of
regarding others and their efforts with depreciation instead of appreciation, and
of undervaluing one's own God given benefits to such a degree to eliminate all
gladness and goodness from his lot and mission in life. The spirit and exercise
of appreciation are the very essence of gratitude and thankfulness, in principle.
The exercise of an appreciative spirit is conducive to one's own happiness and
to be merited encouragement of others. It is a good thing to want to see merit
rather than demerit in others. It is better for one's self to look for the
bright side of things than to dwell in the shadows. It is far better to dwell
on the good points of another than to speak of his faults and reflect discredit
on his worth in undue proportion. It requires the same skill to discover the
merit of a work of art as to detect its defects. The same principle applies
when an estimate is to be made on personal merit and demerit. One should cultivate
the faculty of discovering the better part, the better side of others and their
efforts, rather than to take pleasure in portraying their weaknesses and in
advertising their shortcomings." The Evangelical Messenger.
"Let
us remember our influence. A good deal of our writing is done with invisible
ink we cannot read it at the time. The flower does not know what becomes of its
breath; it sails away on the air. We cannot tell what becomes of our breath; it
goes off likewise on its mighty mission." (Anonymous, 1918.)
"Zacharias
and Elizabeth took God at His word and entered into covenant with Him to do
their part. That must be our attitude toward Him, if we would receive His blessings.
If we are not doing what He expects of us, we will not be in a position to
receive His blessings. It will be no adequate excuse for us to say, `It is too
hard for me.' Depend upon it, in every command of God there is wrapped up a
promise that strength will be given to obey. All God's biddings are enablings."
"Too
many people know the Bible only as literature. It is as if they knew the guideposts
of a country and nothing of the climate. They take up the Bible as literature
and not as a revelation; they go to the Bible as students, but never as
sinners; with curiosity, but not with need; they know the letter and not the spirit.
They do everything with the Bible except try it. That is the one indispensable
thing." (Jowett, 1912).
Gems #4
Gems
#4
"If
the pastor does not move his church, his church will move him." J.T. McGlothlin.
“Great
leaders, great statesmen, great poets, great teachers, great inventors, great
philosophers are gifts of God to the nations. The service they have rendered
cannot be computed. We are all indebted to God for them more than we can tell.
But above them all stands our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the only begotten
Son of God, his unspeakable gift to men. He spared not his own Son, but delivered
Him up freely for us all. Love is a great gift. Take love away and the world
would be darker and drearier than it would be if the sun were blotted out. All
these great gifts, and many more, God has given unto us." Selected.
"There
is too much truth, we fear, in the suggestion that the reason we shrink from
the furnace that is to try us is our consciousness that there is so little gold
and so much dross in us." (1913.)
"As
everybody knows fashions in America are dictated by the imperious edicts issuing
out of Paris. Many of these fashions are not only grotesque and ridiculous, but
what is worse, are positively indecent..." (1914.)
"Is
it not a glorious thing to die at exactly the right time? Not one of us knows
perhaps just when that is; but now and then a man outlives his usefulness or at
last kicks over the pail full of the good deeds of his best years. Said Joseph
Cook concerning an eminent American preacher: `He would have lived longer if he
had died sooner.' How true is the paradox in many a life." (1915.)
DARWIN'S
RELIGIOUS LIFE, Zion's Herald. From the article: "I was a young man with
unformed ideas. I threw out queries, suggestions, wondering all the time over
everything; and to my astonishment, the ideas took like wildfire. People made a
religion of them." (1915.)
"As
the flowers carry dewdrops trembling on the edge of the petals, and ready to fall
at the first waft of the wind, or brush of the wing of a bird, so the heart should
carry its beaded words of thanksgiving, and at the first breath of heavenly
favor let down the shower, perfumed with the heart's gratitude." Beecher.
(1916.)
"No
man or woman of the humblest sort can really be strong, gentle, pure, and good
without somebody being helped and comforted by the very existence of that goodness."
Phillips Brooks. (1916.)
"I
felt once that I was responsible for the conduct of universal affairs, but I have
recently come to believe otherwise. So long as I tried to run the world I was
miserable; it makes me happy now to trust in God." Lyman Beecher. (1916.)
"The
tomb is not a blind alley. It is a thoroughfare." Victor Hugo.
"Why
do men try to account for Jesus Christ and to give a satisfactory explanation
on natural grounds of all that He was and did? Men do not try to prove that
Shakespeare was a mere man, or Socrates, or Luther, or Washington. That is only
too obvious. But Jesus Christ has never been accounted for except as the Living
Bread which came down from heaven." Anonymous. (1916.)
The
old are hungering for love more than bread. If you can help the poor on with a
garment of praise, they will appreciate it as much as a woolen blanket on a
winter's night. If you can win the straying from the error of his way and bring
him to Christ for salvation, you will indeed hide a multitude of sins through
their forgetfulness. If you can maintain a cheerful and patient spirit toward
your enemies, you will have presented Jesus to a needy heart and won for
yourself a place of gratitude in the life and thought of him who was your
enemy. If you would be a light bearer, you must have the light in your own
heart and life, for then only can you take it to others and so assist in
winning them from the ways of darkness and ruin to the realms of light and
everlasting joy. Selected.
An
infidel once taunted a minister with this question..."What right has such a
man as that to enter the pearly gates?" "I don't know, when I get
there, I will ask him," replied the minister. "But suppose he is not
there?" "In that case, you ask him," replied the minister.
(1916.)
"As
a further indignity to Belgium, Germany has deported 30,000 Belgians to Germany
for labor purposes. This was done without their consent. They were simply
huddled in freight cars like so many cattle, and scattered throughout Germany,
and may never again see their families or their native land. Germany continued
to commit outrages against civilization." Shades of Nazi Germany years later!
(1916.)
"It
has been said that an American tramp can live on what an American family wastes,
and that a European tramp can live on what an American tramp throws away."
(1917.)
"Better
leave your money in your child than to your child."
"Every
thought you entertain is a force that goes out, and every thought comes back
laden with its kind."
"Away
with your sleeveless, manicured, befuddled, be powdered, society dames, and
give us back the old time, bread making, stocking darning, trousers minding, praying
mothers, and our homes will be saved." Biederwolf.
"The
man who builds a fence around himself, fences out more than he fences in."
Dr. E.M. Poteat.
"It
is a comfort to know that the real strength of men like that of tea, is only drawn
out by being in hot water." Anonymous.
Dr.
Len G. Broughton, in a Chautaqua lecture: "The greatest peril that
threatens the American people today is not the danger of war, but the danger
that lurks in the lack of respect to constituted authority. A majority of our
young [people] are not under proper parental authority. Our public schools
cannot administer disciplinary measures; the very laws of our land are lax, and
in too many instances the violator of the law goes unpunished." (1917!)
"Any
thought persistently indulged in will find its way to the motor track of the
brain." J.R. Miller.
"The
opinion of the Bible bred in me not only by the teaching of my home when I was
a boy, but also by every turn and experience of my life and every step of study,
is that it is the one supreme source of revelation, the revelation of the meaning
of life, the nature of God, and the spiritual nature and needs of men. It is
the only guide of life which leads the spirit in the way of peace and salvation."
Woodrow Wilson.
"There
is something radically wrong when a prize fighter can earn more money in fifteen
minutes than a preacher can in fifteen years." Billy Sunday. (1917.)
"The
Biblical Recorder calls our attention to the fact that a leaning tree is a menace
to the forest. Its own foundation being insecure, it leans on it neighbor for
support. So also the leaning trees of humanity. So we might also say concerning
those who are leaning on others in the churches. Stand erect, and have your own
opinions and be able to give a reason for the hope with you." (1917.)
"Before
you refrain from doing a good deed for one who may not appreciate it, and
justify your course in that passage ‘Give not that which is holy unto dogs, and
cast ye not pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet and turn
again and rend you;’ but be reasonably sure of two things: 1. That what you are
casting is "pearls," and 2. that those to whom you are casting them
are ‘swine.’ Before you quote this passage in justification, just be sure of
these two points." Anonymous.
"I
find that there is no worthy pursuit but the idea of doing some good to the world.
Some do it with their society, some with their wit, some with benevolence, some
with a sort of power of conferring pleasure and good humor on all they
meet." John Keats. (1917.)
Lloyd
George's reply to someone who complained about his small size: "I am grieved
to find that our chairman is disappointed in my size. But his is owing to the
way you have here of measuring a man. In North Wales we measure a man from his
chin up, but you evidently measure him from his chin down."
TWELVE
THINGS TO REMEMBER: 1. The value of time. 2. The success of perseverance. 3.
The pleasure of working. 4. The dignity of simplicity. 5. The worth of character.
6. The power of kindness. 7. The influence of example. 8. The obligation of
duty. 9. The wisdom of economy. 10. The virtue of patience. 11. The improvement
of talent. 12. The joy of originating.
"We
cannot serve God and mammon, but we can serve God with mammon." Robert E. Speer.
"Try
to be happy in this very present moment, and not put off being so to a time to
come, as though that time should be of another man from this which is already come
and is ours." Fuller.
"If
the day and night are such that you greet them with joy, and life emits a fragrance
like flowers and sweet smelling herbs that is your success." Maeterlinck.
"One
may not be bound to do more than his duty, but he is bound to do up to the extent
of his duty." Rev. J. Clark.
"There
are continually things to be forgiven. Intended and unintended, by forethought
and for lack of thought, for things said and done, and for things not said or
done. We are to have the spirit and attitude of forgiveness at all times for
all things. On our part, and as far as is possible for us, it is always already
done. As heart action is the real action and this is always already done. It
may not be appreciated by others, but it is already freely forgiven. Tenderness
of heart and kindness of act are related as the fountain to the stream. The
movement bears the conditions which impel it. Where the heart is full of
confidence, tenderness springs indigenous into activity. For this there is one
all sufficient cause, the remedial blood of Jesus which gives ‘a heart in every
thought renewed, and full of love divine.’ This is the pattern shown us in the
heavenlies. In our prayers we say "forgive as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven
you." How rich and full the forgiveness of infinite love in atoning blood.
As we appropriated it, how free and full we found it. So with us, it is to flow
to all who will.” Selected.
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