Spiritual Thoughts

"The more you recognize and express gratitude for the things you have, the more things you will have to express gratitude for." - Zig Ziglar "All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the LORD your God: Blessed shall you be . . ." Deuteronomy 28:2-14

If you must speak badly of someone, don't speak it, but write it ... in the sand, at the water's edge, near the waves. -Anonymous Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. James 4:11 . . . to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. Titus 3:2

Life is like a ten-speed bike. Most of us have gears we never use. -Charles M. Schultz Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Matthew 22:37-39

Man can live for about forty days without food, and about three days without water, about eight minutes without air ... but only for one second without hope. Unknown Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead... 1 Peter 1:3 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Romans 15:4

Right is right, even if everyone is against it; and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. -William Penn The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 1 John 2:4

A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes. -Hugh Downs Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving. Colossians 4:2

To go with the autumn season (and a requested repeat from previous years): A lady had recently been baptized. One of her co-workers asked her what it was like to be a follower of Christ. She was caught off guard and didn't know how to answer, but when she looked around she saw a jack-o'-lantern on the desk and answered: "It's like being a pumpkin." The worker asked her to explain that one. " Well, God picks you from the patch and brings you in and washes off all the dirt on the outside that you got from being around all the other pumpkins . Then He cuts off the top and takes all the yucky stuff out from inside. He removes all those seeds of doubt, hate, greed, pride, etc. Then He carves on you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all to see." I'll never look at a pumpkin the same way again! 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are beco...

I shall allow no man to belittle my soul by making me hate him. -Booker T. Washington Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all transgressions. Proverbs 10:12

As for me, I said in my alarm, "I am cut off from before Your eyes"; Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications When I cried to You. O love the LORD, all you His godly ones! The LORD preserves the faithful And fully recompenses the proud doer. Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD. Psalm 31:22-24 D o you ever fear that God doesn't hear your prayers? D avid has to account for his impatience in these verses. He hastily assumed that God wasn't paying attention to his cries for help. He soon realized that God had heard his prayers and answered them in due time. T oday, don't become discouraged because a prayer has yet to be answered. Trust in God. This psalms tells us that the "Lord preserves the faithful". David ends this psalm with encouragement for anyone who is waiting for a prayer to be answered: " Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD ".

"I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble." -Helen Keller Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? James 2:5

From your hope and faith, decide on a definite major goal . Write it down. Commit it to memory. Make it the fixed star on which you chart your course to success. Then take action to make it come true. Every success story with a happy ending starts with the words: “Once upon a time there was a man who hoped that some day …” Yours must start out the same way. - Napoleon Hill The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 1 Timothy 1:5

Calm Down Psalm 107:29-31 He calms the storm, So that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven. Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!

When Yesterday Can Say Goodbye When yesterday can say goodbye And carry away her worn-out bags Filled with broken promises Broken dreams And broken hearts When tomorrow can wait outside the door And keep her gifts ready But politely wrapped So as not to spoil the surprise Then today can come And sit And hold you in her strong embrace While she opens her own box of blessings Unseen before Lying buried in the shadows Beneath yesterdays clutter. Tim Wright This is the day which the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalms 118:24

What ought one to say then as each hardship comes? I was practicing for this, I was training for this. - Epictetus (55-135 AD) But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ died for sins once for all. 1 Peter 3:14, 17, 18

“The principle is competing against yourself. It’s about self-improvement, about being better than the day before.” - Steve Young Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge , self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance , and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness , and in your brotherly kindness, love. 2 Peter 1:5-7

Hope is the raw material with which you build success. Hope crystallizes into faith, faith into determination and determination into action. - Napoleon Hill But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31

You find what you look for in life. If you look for the good, you will find it. If you look for bad, you'll find that too. Choose to see the good! - James B. Richards A faithful man will abound with blessings. Proverbs 28:20

I bought a self-help tape called, "How to Handle Disappointment." I got it home and the box was empty. ~Jonathan Droll And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts. Romans 5:5

Diamonds are nothing more than chunks of coal that stuck to their jobs. Malcolm Forbes See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. Isaiah 48:10 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:6-7

I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving: To reach the port where God is, we must sail sometimes with wind and sometimes against it, but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor. — Oliver Wendell Holmes Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12

Character isn't something you were born with and can't change, like your fingerprints. It's something you weren't born with and must take responsibility for forming. Jim Rohn We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. Romans 5:3-4

Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you were. Cherie Carter-Scott A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32