Spiritual Thoughts

  Friday Tale ~ Choices M ichael is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Michael was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Michael and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Michael replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or . . . you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or . . . I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept t...

  T here are really only two ways to approach life - as a victim or as a gallant fighter.  You must decide if you want to act or react, deal your own cards, or play with a stacked deck. And if you don't decide which way to play with life, it always plays with you . ~ Merle Shain F inally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the false accuser.    ~ Ephesians 6:10-11

  N o sense in being pessimistic. It wouldn't work anyway. ~ from Bits & Pieces H ave the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all ~ yes, looking to the promises of God, he wavered not through unbelief, BUT waxed strong by faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.    ~ Romans 4:16, 20-21

  H e who is content with little has everything. Why not learn to enjoy the little things - there are so many of them. ~ from Bits & Pieces B ut Godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.    ~ 1 Timothy 6:6-8

   O nly those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. ~ T. S. Eliot B ut the Lord said to him, "Go for he is a chosen instrument of mine, to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel . [speaking of Paul]    ~ Acts 9:15

  Friday Tale ~ Twenty Dollar Bill A speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200 people, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?” Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this.” He proceeded to crumple the dollar bill up. He then asked, "Who still wants it?” Still the hands were up in the air. “Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. “Now who still wants it?” Still the hands went into the air. “My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless....

  C haracter is that force that enables an individual to carry out a resolution once the mood in which that resolution was born has died. ~ from Bits & Pieces A nd not only this, BUT we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance, and perseverance, proven character (tried integrity), and character of this sort, HOPE.    ~ Romans 5:4 (Amplified)

  Y ou get the best effort from others not by lighting a fire beneath them, BUT by building a fire within. ~ Bob Wilson T hey said to one another, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?" And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, saying, "The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon."     ~ Luke 24:32-34

  N ever make a permanent decision based on a temporary storm. No matter how raging the billows are today, remind yourself: "This too shall pass!" ~ T. D. Jakes  T hen they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distresses. He caused the storm to be still, so that the waves of the sea were hushed.    ~ Psalm 10 7:28-29

  B irds sing after a storm, why shouldn't we? ~ Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy  T he flowers have already appeared in the land; The time has arrived for pruning the vines, And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land    ~ Song of Solomon 2:12

  Friday Tale ~ Emergency Friendship System Test A Friend.... (A)ccepts you as you are (B)elieves in "you" (C)alls you just to say "HI" (D)oesn't give up ! ! on you (E)nvisions the whole of you (even the unfinished parts) (F)orgives your mistakes (G)ives unconditionally H)elps you (I)nvites you over (J)ust "be" with you (K)eeps you close at heart (L)oves you for who you are (M)akes a difference in your life (N)ever Judges to condemn (O)ffer support (P)icks you up (Q)uiets your fears (R)aises your spirits (S)ays nice things about you (T)ells you the truth when you need to hear it (U)nderstands you (V)alues you (W)alks beside you (X)-plains thing you don't understand (Y)ells when you won't listen and (Z)aps you back to reality. ~ Unknown  G reater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.  ~ John 15:13