Gems #1

Years ago I indexed a publication that began publication in 1885. It was fascinating, and I was amazed at how up-to-date the articles were; they could have been written today. I would like to share these thoughts with you now and then. Most of these are from the 1923 issue:

*Never fancy you could be something if only you had a different lot and sphere assigned you. The very things that you most deprecate as fatal limitations or obstructions, are probably what you most want. What you call hindrances, obstacles, discouragements, are probably God's opportunities. Anonymous.

*There is no sense is always telegraphing to Heaven for God to send a cargo of blessings unless we are at the wharf to unload the vessel when it comes. F.B. Meyer.

*What have I done that I should be anathematized? Am I not strong and green and pleasant? Have I injured anyone? Have I done harm in any way? It is not what you have done, but what you have not done. You have received God's gift of sunshine and shower and returned nothing but leaves. The world of hungry people expected fruit from you. They found it not. Exchange.

*LET IT OUT - Not the harsh word. Not the prompt and perhaps justifiable censure. Not the sarcasm which bites and stings. These slip out all too easily. Ordinarily they were best kept in. We shall rarely reproach ourselves in after years for failing to say cutting things. But the kind word, the praise which cheers, the encouragement which everybody needs -- let it out. If there is any good you can say, say it eagerly. Where got we the heathenish idea that gracious words are to be saved as a miser saves pennies? Say the very best thing you can think of concerning your friends, or even your enemies. Better far to exaggerate his virtues than his faults. If we must err, let it be on the side of kindness. George Clark.

*THE THREE Cs

The three Cs will carry you, as an individual or as a class, through almost any situation.
I will be CHEERFUL. -- The grouch never gets anywhere. If he happens to have an idea no one is willing to help him work it out, and one cannot do much alone. It takes cheerfulness to grow success, just as it takes sunshine to grow flowers. Don't let the glums get a hold upon you or upon your class.
I will be COURAGEOUS. -- Courage begets confidence. Face one difficulty and you will gather confidence to face a greater one. And there is nothing to be afraid of, if we only knew it. If you, or your class, set out to do a thing that is right and worth doing, man cannot stop you unless you are a coward and let him.
I will be CREATIVE. -- This does not mean that you must paint a great picture, or write a great book, or build a great building. It means that you must think your own thoughts, plan your own plans, work out your own ideas. The individual or the class that never tries anything except what someone else has tried before will soon get into a hopeless rut. -- Exchange.

*The woman who is successful in making a true home, where peace and love dwell, in which the children whom God gives her feel the sacredness and holy meaning of life, where her husband renews his strength for the struggles and activities of his life, in which all unite to promote the happiness and highest welfare of each other -- that woman has won the best crown there is in life, and she has served the world in a very high degree. The union of man and woman for the creation of a home breathing an atmosphere of love is Christ's best parable of the highest possible spiritual union where the soul is the bride and he is the Eternal Bridegroom, and they are one. Exchange.

*Don't delude yourself into thinking there is any new morality. We are still bound by the old eternal values that have not changed and will not change, and that makes the Ten Commandments the only rule of life. Dorothy Dix.

*The first five books of the Bible are called Penteteuch. Moses is the writer. It covers one-third of human history. It starts in a garden and ends in a wilderness. The books are:
Genesis -- The way down. The Fall, the Flood and the famine.
Exodus -- The way out. Moses, miracles and morals.
Leviticus -- The way up. Compassion, Confession, Communion.
Numbers -- The way around. Wandering, wondering, wonderful.
Deuteronomy -- The way home. Reviewing, renewing, returning. Anonymous.

*(From a 1920 issue): BE STILL: "Life today is a mad, wild rush. This busy, bustling age is so set on doing things that we scarcely have time to eat or sleep, much less rest or think. Consequently many are old before their time, grow weary of the strife, and occasionally put an end to it all. And slow suicide accomplishes the same end as razors, pistols and poison. but we have no more right to destroy life gradually than we have to destroy it instantly. And the restless rush of the day counts against us spiritually as well as physically. Of course, He is present everywhere, but we feel Him more plainly and feel Him more sensibly in the quiet of the closet than in the stir of the street. Therefore, for body's sake, for the mind's sake, and for the soul's sake, sit down some time and think whence you came, what you are, and whither you are bound. `Be still and know that I am God.'--Psalm 46:10." Anonymous.

*"Cheerfulness is what greases the axles of the world; some people go through life creaking." Anonymous.

***THE MASTER'S REWARD (1912 issue): "The master commits five talents to the servant, and the trust is shrewdly managed. The five become ten, and the master is fully satisfied. What reward does he propose for his servant? Is it a release from labor and responsibility, a future in contrast with the past? No; the past shapes the future, and this servant having served his apprenticeship, becomes himself a master, `ruler over many things.' So he entered into the joy of his Lord. And the joy for which Jesus endured the cross is a patient and perpetual ministry. Life will be raised, not reversed; work will not be closed, it will be emancipated. The fret will be gone, not the labor; the disappointment, not the responsibility. Our disability shall be no more; our capacity shall be ours forever, and so the thorns shall be taken from our crown." Ian Maclaren.

The Problem Pupil

Teddy – the Problem Pupil		Because Teddy was a sullen little boy, no one else seemed to enjoy him, either. At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's records and put Teddy's off until last. When she opened his file, she was in for a surprise. His first-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright, inquisitive child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners...he is a joy to be around." His second-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student well-liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle." His third-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy continues to work hard but his mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken." Teddy's fourth-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and sometimes sleeps in class. He is tardy and could become a problem." By now Mrs. Thompson realized the problem but Christmas was coming fast. It was all she could do, with the school play and all, until the day before the holidays began and she was suddenly forced to focus on Teddy Stoddard. Her children brought her presents, all in beautiful ribbon and right paper, except for Teddy's, which was clumsily wrapped in the heavy,brown paper of a scissored grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full of cologne. She stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume behind the other wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed behind just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my mom used to." After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, and writing, and speaking. Instead, she began to teach children. Jean Thompson paid particular attention to one they all called "Teddy." As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. On days there would be an important test, Mrs. Thompson would remember that cologne. By the end of the year he had become one of the smartest children in the class and...well, he had also become the "pet" of the teacher who had once vowed to love all of her children exactly the same. A year later she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that of all the teachers he'd had in elementary school, she was his favorite. Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still his favorite teacher of all time. Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs.Thompson she was still his favorite teacher. Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still his favorite teacher but that know his name was a little longer. The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, M.D. The story doesn't end there. You see, there was yet another letter that Spring. Teddy said he'd met this girl and was to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering...well, if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the pew usually reserved for the mother of the groom. And guess what, she wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. And I bet on that special day, Jean Thompson smelled just like... well, just like the way Teddy remembered his mother smelling on their last Christmas together. THE MORAL: You never can tell what type of impact you may make on another's life by your actions or lack of action. Consider this fact in your venture through life. Time is of little essence, when Life continues on take Time to remember the little things the little things mean the most and Life falls into place. Don't sweat the small stuff...it is all small stuff.
From: Kasha Linka

Your life is Jesus to someone! - Anonymous

YOUR LIFE is Jesus to someone,
though tattered and torn it may be.
Though often times weak and unstable,
you're all of God someone will see.

YOUR TONGUE is Jesus to someone.
That idle, insensitive word
reflects to at least one searching heart
an idle, insensitive Lord.

YOUR GOALS are Jesus to someone.
What you put first, they believe,
are the goals of God for the Christian.
Your life is all they receive.

YOUR FAITHFULNESS ... that's Jesus to someone.
Their judgment of how God is true,
rests unquestionably in the faithfulness
they see day by day in you.

YOUR LOVE is Jesus to someone--
that someone who is seeking to know
that Jesus will follow and guide and
befriend wherever in life they might go.

SO BEWARE lest others blaspheme
God by what you say or do,
for the only Jesus that someone knows
is the Jesus they see in you.

Author Unknown

Serenity - James Allen

This is a chapter from a wonderful book by James Allen, As a Man Thinketh. Our 17-year-old granddaughter is the epitome of serenity. Age has nothing to do with it; maturity has everything to do with it.

 

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Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom. It is the result of long and patient effort in self-control. Its presence is an indication of ripened experience, and of a more than ordinary knowledge of the laws and operations of thought. A man becomes calm in the measure that he understands himself as a thought-evolved being. For such knowledge necessitates the understanding of others as the result of thought, and as he develops a right understanding, and sees ever more clearly the internal relations of things by the action of cause and effect, he ceases to fuss, fume, worry, and grieve. He remains poised, steadfast, serene.

 

The calm man, having learned how to govern himself, knows how to adapt himself to others. And they, in turn reverence his spiritual strength. They feel that they can learn from him and rely upon him. The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good. Even the ordinary trader will find his business prosperity increase as he develops a greater self-control and equanimity, for people will always prefer to deal with a man whose demeanor is equitable.

 

The strong, calm man is always loved and revered. He is like a shade-giving tree in a thirsty land, or a sheltering rock in a storm. Who does not love a tranquil heart? a sweet-tempered, balanced life? It does not matter whether it rains or shines, or what changes come to those who possess these blessings. For they are always serene and calm. That exquisite poise of character that we call serenity is the last lesson of culture. It is the flowering of life, the fruitage of the soul. It is as precious as wisdom, and more desirable than fine gold. How insignificant mere money-seeking looks in comparison with a serene life. A life that dwells in the ocean of truth, beneath the waves, beyond the reach of the tempests, in the eternal calm!

How many people we know who sour their lives, who ruin all that is sweet and beautiful by explosive tempers, who destroy their poise of character and make bad blood! It is a question whether the great majority of people do not ruin their lives and mar their happiness by lack of self-control. How few people we meet in life who are well balanced, who have that exquisite poise which is characteristic of the finished character." Yes, humanity surges with uncontrolled passion, is tumultuous with ungoverned grief, is blown about by anxiety and doubt. Only the wise man, only he whose thoughts are controlled and purified, makes the winds and the storms of the soul obey him.

Tempest-tossed souls, wherever you may be, under whatever conditions you may live, know this: In the ocean of life the isles of blessedness are smiling and the sunny shore of your ideal awaits your coming. Keep your hands firmly upon the helm of thought. In the core of your soul reclines the commanding Master; He does but sleep; wake Him. Self-control is strength. Right thought is mastery. Calmness is power. Say unto your heart, "Peace. Be still."

For lo! the winter is past!

"For lo, the winter is past...The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come" (Song of Solomon 2:11,12).

Someone has said that God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb. Perhaps the verse that best fits this is 1 Corinthians 10:13: "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."

For lo, our winter will pass, and spring with its beauty will come once more into our life. At the time of sorrow this seems impossible. When we are in the vise of grief we resent those who try to convince us that time indeed heals. "Like one who takes away a garment in cold weather...is one who sings songs to a heavy heart." (Proverbs 25:20.) In a way we are taking away the distraught's garment of protection when we quote our quota of grand platitudes while the person is simply trying to survive the next minute. Intellectually we all know--or certainly want to believe--that healing comes eventually but, while passing through the valley, the wind whips into us with such fury that we feel we will never be warm again.

God tempers the wintry winds to His shorn lamb! What a comforting thought this is. Others may steal our coat of trust and hope, but our precious God comes along and covers us with His feathers! Psalm 91:4 gives us this promise: "He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge..." Feathers may not seem much of a covering but, when we consider the mother hen safeguarding her young, it takes on enormous significance. In Deuteronomy 32:11-12 we are given yet another aspect of this thought: "As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings, so the Lord alone led him..."

There's another encouraging thought here about being covered with God's protective wings, away from the blows of life: we are hidden close to His heart while He heals us of the anger and ache that so often come from sudden catastrophe. We can feel the rhythm of God's own heart and be re-timed, so to speak. Grief gives us that period where we can reset our spiritual clocks and get our priorities back in order. Sometimes we even draft a new blueprint for our life, finally understanding that God is the Author and the Finisher of our new life.

In Matthew 23:37, Jesus says to Jerusalem and to us all, "How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!" Jesus wept over Jerusalem and He weeps over us. He wants to gather us under His love and truth that protect us from the world's winters.

Are we electronegative chargers?

"As thy days, so shall thy strength be" (Deut.33:25).

A.B. Simpson tells us this delightful parable:

The clock maker has just put the finishing touches on a little clock and set it on a shelf in his warehouse between two older clocks that were busy ticking away the rapid seconds. "Well," said one of the clocks to the newcomer, "So, you've started on this task. I am sorry for you; you're ticking away bravely now, but you'll be tired enough before you get through thirty-five million ticks." "Thirty-three millions ticks!" said the frightened clock. "Why, I could never do that!" And it stood still instantly with despair. "Why, you silly things," said the other clock at this moment. "Why do you listen to such words? It's nothing of the kind. You've only got to make one tick this moment. There now, isn't that easy?" "Oh, if that's all," cried the new clock, "that's easily done, so here I go." And it started bravely on again, making a tick a moment and not counting the months and the millions. But at the year's end, it had made thirty-three million vibrations without knowing it.

I think every family has its electronegative charger who zaps our good plans and our good thoughts. I personally know of a family whose children called their father Chief Black Cloud. He had a gift of raining on everything. It takes a special kind of strength to live with a person whose train of thought runs down a blackball track. Perhaps the saddest aspect of the constant negativity is that the person is unaware of what s/he is doing. The husband who tells the wife not to wreck the car every time she leaves has no idea of what he is doing to her sense of worth. The parent who constantly scolds a child wonders why the child fails. And on it goes, into eternity, unfortunately.

Next time we want to tell our family member (unwittingly, of course) how stupid s/he is, let’s stop, look and listen! Let’s encourage our loved ones. When we do that, we give them courage and strength for each day.

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.