Spiritual Thoughts

  Friday Tale - Begin the Day   B egin the day with friendliness, and only friends you’ll find. Yes, greet the dawn with happiness; keep happy thoughts in mind. Salute the day with peaceful thoughts, and peace will fill your heart; Begin the day with joyful soul, and joy will be your part. Begin the day with friendliness. Keep friendly all day long. Keep in your soul a friendly thought, your heart a friendly song. Have in your mind a word of cheer for all who come your way. And they will bless you, too, in turn, and wish you “Happy day.” Begin each day with friendly thoughts, and as the day goes on, Stay friendly, loving, good and kind, just as you were at dawn. The day will be a friendly one, and then at night you’ll find That you were happy all day long- through friendly thoughts in mind . ~ Frank B. Whitney   BUT as for me, I shall sing of Your strength, yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your loving-kindness in the morning, for You have been my stronghold and a refuge in the day of

  T o make a difference in someone's life, you don't have to be brilliant, rich, beautiful or perfect. You just have to care enough and be there. ~ Mandy Hale   F or I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited me in; naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me. The King will answer and say to them, "Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of mine, even the list of them, you did it to me." ~ Hebrews 12:1-2

  W hen life seems hard, the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat; instead, they are all the more determined to struggle for a better future. ~ Queen Elizabeth II   T herefore let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of God. ~ Hebrews 12:1-2

  T here are two ways of being rich. One is to have all you want, and the other is be satisfied with what you have. ~ Unknown   I am not saying this because I am in need,   for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  ~ Philippians 4:11 (NIV)

  I f people are doubting how far you'll go, go so far that you cannot hear them anymore. ~ Michele Ruiz   A braham believed and hoped, even when there was no reason for hoping, and so became the "father of many nations." Just as the scriptures says, "Your descendants will be as many as the stars." ~ Romans 4:18 (GNB)

  Friday Tale - Maria's Kindness    I n a small village in a remote area the people were poor, and they struggled to make ends meet. One day, a traveler came to the village and asked the people for food and shelter. The villagers, who had very little themselves, were hesitant to help the traveler.   However, one woman, named Maria, took pity on the traveler and invited him into her home. She gave him a warm meal and a place to sleep for the night. The traveler was grateful and thanked Maria for her kindness.   The next day, the traveler left the village and went on his way. Maria didn't think much of it and went about her day as usual. However, a few weeks later, a messenger arrived at her door with a letter from the traveler.   The letter read, "Dear Maria, I cannot thank you enough for your kindness and compassion. Your selflessness inspired me to do the same. I have since arrived in a nearby town and have found a job. I now have enough money to support myself a

  N ever under estimate the difference you can make in the lives of others. Step forward, reach out, and help. ~ Pablo W e urge you to admonish the unruly, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:14

  G reat opportunities to help others seldom come, BUT small ones surround us every day. ~ Sally Koch   T herefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help, in time of need. ~ Hebrews 4:16

  D ifficult times have helped me to understand better than before, how infinitely rich and beautiful life is in every way, and that so many things that one goes worrying about are of no importance whatsoever. ~ Isak Dinesen   I n this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ~ 1 Peter 1:6-8

  T o serve is beautiful BUT only if it is done with joy and a whole heart and a free mind. ~ Pearl S. Buck W hatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for me, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Jesus Christ whom you serve. ~ Colossians 3:23-24

  Friday Tale - Offer a Ride!   F ire department vehicle - not a truck - was pulled up in front of the supermarket this afternoon. Was there a fire?            Nope. Driver said a man had stumbled as he was walking on the sidewalk and was limping. The vehicle was parked nearby. Driver saw the man and asked him where he had to go.            He drove the man to the supermarket and waited outside. But as we were talking, the driver of the vehicle received a call to check out some sort of dangerous situation elsewhere in the city.            The driver gives me a description of the man. "Would you mind going into the supermarket and finding him? Tell him I had to go."            I did. But then I saw an ice cream truck parked nearby. The driver wasn't doing any business. He was just standing outside the truck. He heard me and the man talking as we left the store, and when he heard of the circumstances, he offered the shopper a ride home.            So tell me: wh

  I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet. ~ Mahatma Gandhi   H e who walks with wise men will be wise,   BUT the companion of fools will suffer harm. ~ Proverbs 13:20

  B e a good listener. Your ears will never get you into trouble. ~ Frank Tyger   L isten to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days. ~ Proverbs 19:20

  O ne small crack does not mean that you are broken, it means that you were put to the test and you did not fall apart. ~ Linda Poindexter   S earch me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the ever-lasting way. ~ Psalm 139:23-24

  I f you're going to start something - if it's worth starting - then it's worth finishing. ~ Marshall Faulk   B lessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. ~ James 1:12

  Friday Tale - Helping Out   O n the bus yesterday: a single mom is on the phone. It's the early evening. Her children are home. The kids are telling her in the phone conversation that they're short of some basic food items in the house.            But she's got to get home. She can't go shopping.            A passenger sitting nearby hears the conversation. When the mom gets off the phone, the passenger asks the woman what she needs, and offers to go to a neighborhood supermarket to purchase the items.            The bus driver hears the conversation between the helpful passenger and the mom and offers to drive the passenger to the supermarket and to wait for her in case it's too much to carry, to walk to the single mom's home.            I was one of just a few passengers left on the bus toward the end of the route. The few of us agreed to get off early, right there, walk just a bit more to our own homes so that the bus driver could take the single

  Y ou have got to be very careful   if you do not know where you are going, because you probably won't get there. ~ Yogi Berra   S o then dear friends, since you are looking forward to this {God's kingdom}, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation. ~ 2 Peter 3:14-15

  T he past is a place of reference,  not a place of residence; the past is a place of learning,  not a place of living. The future is where we're going. ~ Roy T. Bennett   F or 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, since what is seen is temporary, BUT what is unseen is eternal. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:18

  I nch by inch it's all a cinch,  by the year it's hard.  Go for it - no matter how slow  or how long the process seems. ~ Mardi Ballou   T herefore, my dear friends, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose. ~ Philippians 2:12-13

  J ust breathe in, breathe out, and  remember that moving forward  means taking it one step at a time. ~ Unknown   BUT on thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and  straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win   the prize for which God has called me. ~ Philippians 3:13

  Friday Tale ~ Be Nice!            I walked into the office this morning a bit late. Sorry. But there was a good reason. Well actually, one reason wasn't so great; a large amount of traffic at the entrance to Jerusalem.            The really good reason for my delay into the office this morning was that at a street corner near The Jerusalem Post building, a class of third-graders was gathered, wishing passersby: “Good morning; everything is for the good.”             The teacher explained to me that this is something she has done over the years in the winter, and in particular when wintry weather is in the forecast.  Today was sunny and not so chilly and it was a perfect chance for “troubled people walking by to be encouraged by these beautiful children who don’t yet have the worries of adulthood,” said the teacher.            With the teacher’s permission, I approached one of the children and asked: “If I could send a message from you to the whole world, what would it be?

  HOPE: E njoyment of the future in advance. ~ Unknown   S urely there is a future and a reward, and your hope and expectation   will not be cut off. ~ Proverbs 23:18 (Amplified)

  Strength doesn’t come from what you can do, it comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t do. ~ Unknown   Do not be overcome by evil, BUT overcome evil with good . ~ Romans 12:21