Spiritual Thoughts

  Y ou cannot always control what goes on outside. BUT you can always control what goes on inside. ~ Wayne Dyer N ow may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement, grant you to be of the same mind with one another like Christ Jesus. ~ Romans 15:5

  Friday Tale ~ Lessons from Geese N ext fall when you see geese heading south for the winter... flying along in V formation...you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way:   Fact 1:         As each goose flaps its wings it creates an uplift for the birds that follow. By flying in a V formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone. Lesson:      People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.   Fact 2:         When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it. Lesson:       If we have as much sense as...

  H elp people,  even when you know  they cannot help you back - especially when they  can't help you back! ~ Unknown W e urge you to admonish the unruly, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak,  be patient with everyone. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:14

  E ither we are pulling together or we are pulling apart. ~ Kobi Yamada L et us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, BUT  encouraging one another; and all the more as you see  the day dawning near. ~ Proverbs 2:2-6

  Friday Tale - The Extra Mile J esus told us to go the extra mile in our service to each other. In his letter, Peter reinforces that in a very practical way. These are the things he encourages us to do: ·     Be alert and of sober mind. (1 Peter 4 v 7). ·     Love each other. (v 8). ·     Offer hospitality to one another. (v 9). ·     Use whatever gift you have received. (v 10). ·     Be stewards of God's grace. (v 10).   Written this way, it seems like a full and complete list of instructions, but if you are following through in your Bible, you will note that I left out the extra mile parts to each of these.   There is no point stopping at the basics. Aim...

  Be an encourager.       The world has plenty of critics already. ~ Dave Willis   For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that we will live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build up one another. ~   1 Thessalonians 5:9-11

E ncourage, lift and  strengthen one another.  For the positive energy spread to one will be felt by us all.  ~ Deborah Day   E ncourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble. Say to those with an anxious heart, "Take heart, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance on the evil. The reward will come, and  He will save you." ~ Isaiah 35:3-4

B e an encourager. The world has plenty of critics already.  ~ Dave Willis   T herefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:11

T oday is a great opportunity to say something positive about the people you come in contact with. Celebrate today by offering sincere compliments to people you know. ~ Audri and Jim Landford   T herefore encourage one another and build up one another. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:11

O ne tree can start a forest. One smile can begin a friendship. One hand can lift a soul. One word can frame a goal. One candle can wipe out darkness. One laugh can conquer gloom. One touch can show you care. One life can make a difference. Be that one today. ~ Unknown   A nd we urge you.... encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:14

  Friday Tale - Happier Life Tips   A sk for what you need. B e dependable. C are about others. D are to live your dreams. E ase away from fear. F ind Faith. G ive to another. H ug a friend. I nspire someone to greatness. J ump over a boundary. K ick a bad habit. L eap across a fear. M ention something uplifting. N ever say never. O pen your mind and heart. P ursue justice. Q uit complaining. R estore your smile. S et your sights high. T rust God. U se all the day. V alue everything. W ait to speak. X press yourself. Y ank weeds from your mental garden. Z oom into the now. ~ Carol James (amended)   E ncourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble. ~ Isaiah 35:3

I don't see the point of measuring life in terms of time, I would rather measure life in terms of making a difference. ~ Stephen Sutton   E ncourage the exhausted and strengthen the feeble. Say to those with an anxious heart, "Take courage, fear not. Behold your God will come....". ~ Isaiah 35:3

B e somebody who makes everyone feel like a somebody. ~ Robby Novak   S o then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. ~ Romans 14:19

A s we work to create light for others, we naturally light our own way. ~ Mary Anne Radmacher   BUT since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For did place us to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:8

Friday Tale - Butterflies of Hope    I was four months pregnant with our first child when the unimaginable happened. Our baby's heart stopped beating, leaving me in a state of heart-wrenching devastation. The grief I felt was indescribable, and as the days passed, I found myself nervous about returning to work. I was a middle school teacher, and the thought of facing a classroom full of kids felt like an insurmountable challenge. The pain was still fresh, and I couldn't fathom how to gather the strength to stand before my students.   After four weeks of trying to recover and heal from the emotional and physical scars, the day came when I had to face the world again. I mustered the courage to walk into my empty classroom, not knowing what to expect. I turned on the lights, and the room slowly came to life.   Then, something remarkable...

  Friday Tale -  A Life that Makes a Difference   "How do you account for your remarkable accomplishment in life?” Queen Victoria of England asked Helen Keller. “How do you explain the fact that even though you were both blind and deaf, you were able to accomplish so much?”     Ms. Keller’s answer is a tribute to her dedicated teacher. “If it had not been for Anne Sullivan, the name of Helen Keller would have remained unknown.”     “Little Annie” Sullivan, as she was called when she was young, was no stranger to hardship. She was almost sightless herself, due to a childhood infection at the age of five. Her mother died three years later and her father left the children when she was ten. She and her younger brother were sent to an overcrowded home for the destitute where her brother Jimmie died in a couple of months. Little Annie was, at one time, considered hopelessly “insane” by her caregivers and locked in the basement. On o...

  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

N ever look down on anybody   unless you're helping them up. ~ Jesse Jackson   W e urge you to admonish the unruly,   encourage the faint-hearted,  help the weak,  be patient with everyone. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:14

  T here are people in your life who will  either lift you up  or weigh you down. Which one are you to them? ~ Anonymous   A nd we urge you warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:14

Friday Tale - The Smiling Game   It has been said that a smile is the lighting system of the face, the cooling system of the head and the heating system of the heart. But a smile is also a powerful weapon against toxic attitudes of all kinds.      Lisa Gurnsey, of Portland, Oregon, wrote to me about a man whose smile quite literally changed her life: "I was having a horrible day -- hating my job, tired of the weather, tired of trying to keep up on bills, and just completely stressed out. I stopped at the post office in the morning and, as I was entering, an older business man commented to me that it was going to be a good day and life shouldn't be as bad as I make it look. I glared at him and simply said, 'I wish it was Friday.’ "I felt better about my day when I left the post office...that man's smile and comment, although irritating at first, made me think. "The second time I ran into the man I went out of my way to say 'Happy Friday' to hi...