Spiritual Thoughts

Courage is fear that has said its prayers. -Karl Barth And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, "Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me." And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him here." So they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you." Mark 10:47, 49

"Courage means to keep working on a relationship, to continue seeking solutions to difficult problems, and to stay focused during stressful periods." - Denis Waitley "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." John 16:33

There is true courage in the acts of every day living. Rick Beneteau Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD. Psalm 31:24

Le me be a little kinder , let me be a little blinder To the faults of those about me; let me praise a little more. Let me be a little meeker with the brother who is weaker; Let me think more of my neighbor and little less of me. Godspell 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

Kindness is like the snow - it beautifies everything it covers. Anonymous What is desirable in a man is his kindness. . . Proverbs 19:22

Kindness is the controlling spring which holds back the slamming door. Anonymous Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12

Kindness is the language that the deaf can hear and the blind can understand. Anonymous Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart. Proverbs 3:3

Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless. unknown An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up. Proverbs 12:25

I do not ask to walk smooth paths nor bear an easy load. I pray for strength and fortitude to climb the rock-strewn road. Give me such courage and I can scale the hardest peaks alone, and transform every stumbling block into a stepping stone. - Gale Brook Burket You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. 1 Peter 2:5-7

Test of Trust Life is a test; Of that I am sure today. I will try to do my best And let God show me the way. Today is a special blessing As I sit on my porch and feel the breeze; Waiting to learn God’s lesson And pursue His life of ease. Nothing is easy on this earth, Learning to trust is tough, I say. We must take a stand from day of birth And prepare to let God show the way. Life is an assignment – only temporary As we prepare for His Son from above; Many are the times we are wary But God will always show us His love. Seek God’s love in all your life; Perseverance is needed for your time on this land; Deal with the hard times and strife For God will reach out to you His hand. -Judy Winsor (amended) I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:13-14

A small trouble is like a pebble. Hold it too close to your eye and it fills the whole world and puts everything out of focus. Hold it at a proper distance and it can be examined and properly classified. Throw it at your feet and it can be seen in its true setting, just one more tiny bump on the pathway of life. - Celia Luce T herefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

HOW OLD ARE YOU? “You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your confidence, as old as your fear; as young as your hope, as old as your despair. In the central place of every heart there is a recording chamber; so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer and courage, so long are we young. When the wires are all down and your heart is covered with the snows of pessimism and the ice of cynicism, then and then only are you grown old.” - General Douglas MacArthur Like the coolness of snow at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the spirit of his masters. Proverbs 25:13

The Blessing of Burdens Therefore I am well content with weaknesses,...with distresses,...with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10 Sadhu Sundar Singh, a Hindu convert to Christianity, became a missionary to his people in India. Late one afternoon Sadhu was traveling on foot through the Himalayas with a Buddhist monk. It was bitterly cold and the wind felt like sharp blades slicing into their skins. Night was fast approaching when the monk warned Sadhu that they were in danger of freezing to death if they did not reach the monastery before darkness fell. Suddenly, on a narrow path above a steep precipice, they heard a cry for help. At the foot of the cliff lay a man, fallen and badly hurt. The monk looked at Sadhu and said, "Do not stop. God has brought this man to his fate. He must work it out for himself. Let us hurry on before we, too, perish." But Sadhu replied, "God has sent me here to help my brother. I cann...

Be ye fishers of men. You catch them - He'll clean them. Anonymous And Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." Mark 1:17 But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. for we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." Acts 4:19-20

Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight. Benjamin Franklin Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34

Most of us can read the writing on the wall; we just assume it's addressed to someone else. Ivern Ball He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. Revelation 3:5

Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't even see the whole staircase. Martin Luther King "Lord, I do believe; help my unbelief." Mark 9:24

We find by losing. We hold fast by letting go. We become something new by ceasing to be something old. Frederick Buechner And He was also telling them a parable: "No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old." Luke 5:36

"To succeed... you need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you." Tony Dorsett "And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever." 1 Chronicles 28:9

It’s important to run not on the fast track, but on your own track. Pretend you have only six months to live and make three lists: the things you have to do, want to do, and neither have to do or want to do. Then, for the rest of your life, forget everything on the third list. – Robert Eliot The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10 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

It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task, which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome. - William James 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

Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. - Thomas Jefferson I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14

How to make resolutions that stick! 1. Rethink your goals at any time. The start of a new year may have inspired you to plan to do too much, a sure invitation to failure. Pare down your list to one or two, three tops. For everyone that takes something away, such as quitting smoking or spending less, try to give yourself a positive, such as learning to play a musical instrument or learning to speak a new language. 2. Select the most important resolution and start working on it. You can delay the others until later once you’re sticking with #1. 3. Consider the psychological factors that might get in your way – like when you’re feeling tired or frustrated – and how you’re going to overcome them. 4. Always celebrate each step you take by telling yourself, “I feel great about moving up one level on the exercise bike.” Nothing is too small to feel good about. Minimal advancements, maximally appreciated, eventually add up to success. Most important, positive feelings don’t create me...