Three boys are in the school yard bragging about their fathers. The first boy says, 'My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a poem, they give him $50.' The second boy says, 'That's nothing. My Dad scribbles a few words on piece of paper, he calls it a song, they give him $100..' The third boy says, 'I got you both beat. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a sermon, and it takes eight people to collect all the money!'
“...God...calls those things which do not exist as though they did.”
(Romans 4:17, NKJV) Very often, we see potential in other people that they can’t see in themselves. When you speak vision into them, when you tell them what they can become, you can help set the direction for their life. Your words have the power to push people into their divine destiny. I believe that the reason some people are not living at their full potential is because no one has ever spoken faith into them. No one has taken the time to say, “Hey, you’re great at this. You’ve got a gift here. You’re going to do something amazing.” I believe that one of our assignments in life is to call out the seeds of greatness in other people. Look around at who God has placed in your life. They’re not there by accident. Take time to study them. See what they’re good at. What are their gifts? What do they excel at? Don’t just think about it, speak vision into them. Tell them what they can become. Let your encouragement ignite the greatness on the inside. Help them rise up in confidence so they can be all God has called them to be! Father, thank You for the people You’ve placed in my life. I choose to be faithful, to speak life and call forth the greatness in them. Thank You for bringing me to new levels as I help others rise higher, too, in Jesus’ name. Amen. There was a little boy with a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, to hammer a nail in the back fence.
The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Then it gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one. Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us. He placed one scoop of clay upon another until a form lay lifeless on the ground.
All of the Garden's inhabitants paused to witness the event. Hawks hovered. Giraffes stretched. Trees bowed. Butterflies paused on petals and watched. "You will love me, nature," God said. "I made you that way. You will obey me, universe. For you were designed to do so. You will reflect my glory, skies, for that is how you were created. But this one will be like me. This one will be able to choose." All were silent as the Creator reached into himself and removed something yet unseen. A seed. "It's called 'choice.' The seed of choice." Creation stood in silence and gazed upon the lifeless form. An angel spoke, "But what if he..." "What if he chooses not to love?" the Creator finished. "Come, I will show you." Unbound by today, God and the angel walked into the realm of tomorrow. "There, see the fruit of the seed of choice, both the sweet and the bitter." The angel gasped at what he saw. Spontaneous love. Voluntary devotion. Chosen tenderness. Never had he seen anything like these. He felt the love of the Adams. He heard the joy of Eve and her daughters. He saw the food and the burdens shared. He absorbed the kindness and marveled at the warmth. "Heaven has never seen such beauty, my Lord. Truly, this is your greatest creation." "Ah, but you've only seen the sweet. Now witness the bitter." A stench enveloped the pair. The angel turned in horror and proclaimed, "What is it?" The Creator spoke only one word: "Selfishness." The angel stood speechless as they passed through centuries of repugnance. Never had he seen such filth. Rotten hearts. Ruptured promises. Forgotten loyalties. Children of the creation wandering blindly in lonely labyrinths. "This is the result of choice? the angel asked. "Yes." "They will forget you?" "Yes." "They will reject you?" "Yes." They will never come back? "Some will. Most won't." "What will it take to make them listen?" The Creator walked on in time, further and further into the future, until he stood by a tree. A tree that would be fashioned into a cradle. Even then he could smell the hay that would surround him. With another step into the future, he paused before another tree. It stood alone, a stubborn ruler on a bald hill. The trunk was thick, and the wood was strong. Soon it would be cut. Soon it would be trimmed. Soon it would be mounted on the stony brow of another hill. And soon he would be hung on it. He felt the wood rub against a back he did not yet wear. "Will you go down there?" the angel asked. "I will." "Is there no other way?" "There is not." "Wouldn't it be easier to not plant the seed? Wouldn't it be easier to not give the choice?" "It would," the Creator spoke slowly. "But to remove the choice is to remove the love." He looked around the hill and foresaw a scene. Three figures hung on three crosses. Arms spread. Heads fallen forward. They moaned with the wind. Men clad in soldier's garb sat on the ground near the trio. They played games in the dirt and laughed. Men clad in religion stood off to one side. They smiled. Arrogant, cocky. They had protected God, they thought by killing this false one. Women clad in sorrow huddled at the foot of the hill. Speechless. Faces tear streaked. Eyes downward. One put her arm around another and tried to lead her away. She wouldn't leave. "I will stay," she said softly, "I will stay." All heaven stood to fight. All nature rose to rescue. All eternity poised to protect. But the Creator gave no command. "It must be done...," he said, and withdrew. But as he stepped in time, he heard the cry that he would someday scream: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" He wrenched at tomorrow's agony. The angel spoke again. "It would be less painful........" The Creator interrupted softly. "But it wouldn't be love." They stepped into the Garden again. The Maker looked earnestly at the clay creation. A monsoon of love swelled up within him. He had died for the creation before he had made him. God's form bent over the sculptured face and breathed. Dust stirred on the lips of the new one. The chest rose, cracking the red mud. The cheeks fleshened. A finger moved. And an eye opened. But more incredible than the moving of the flesh was the stirring of the spirit. Those who could see the unseen gasped. Perhaps it was the wind that said it first. Perhaps what the star saw that moment is what has made it blink ever since. Maybe it was left to an angel to whisper it: "It looks like ... it appears to so much like ... it is him!" The angel wasn't speaking of the face, the features, or the body. He was looking inside - at the soul. "It's eternal!" gasped another. Within the man, God has placed a divine seed. A seed of his self (A seed of choice). The God of might had created earth's mightiest... And the One who had chosen to love had created one who could love in return. Now it's our choice. "They do not love that do not show their love" (William Shakespeare) -
simple words for a very real principle in loving each other. Love needs to be nurtured and shown or it eventually dies! As we're told in the Bible, "it is not self-seeking;" and it "always perseveres" (1 Corinthians 13). To help us persevere in our love, we're sharing "Ten Great Tips for Husbands and Ten Great Tips for Wives" written by J.S. Salt. We've added additional comments in [brackets]: TEN GREAT TIPS FOR HUSBANDS 1. Listen, listen, listen! Put down that newspaper (or TV remote control) and let her know your focus is on her. 2. When she tells you her problems, try not to jump in with advice. A sympathetic ear may be all she needs. [If you have advice for her, ask her if she wants it. If she doesn't, then just listen to her. This will mean more than advice you could give - even though it makes no sense to you. The point is to give her what SHE needs, not what you feel you need to give her.] 3. Schedule a date with her once a week. It doesn't have to be expensive. The goal is simply to create time for just the two of you. [You dated her before marriage, which helped you both to fall in love with each other, now date her after marriage to nurture and continue to grow your love.] 4. Surprise her with little things that show affection --a note, a funny card, a small gift, or flowers for no reason. She needs to feel you're thinking of her. 5. Do little day-to-day things that make her feel taken care of - like filling her empty water glass, bringing her coffee in bed or turning down her side of the bed if you go to sleep before her. 6. Connect with her physically during the day. Kiss her when you wake up, hold her hand sometimes, and touch her in non-sexual ways. She'll be nicer to you and your s_x life may improve. [But if that's not your main motivation it may not, depending on her personality.] 7. Let the kids be your responsibility too. That way, she'll get some time for herself. [They're your children too. It gives you the opportunity to connect with them - which they need from you.] 8. Respect her. Don't make fun or berate her just because she doesn't think the same way you do. [The Bible tells us, "Love protects." She needs you to "protect" her feelings.] 9. When you're angry or upset, tell her why. Don't make her guess. [But be careful. The Bible tells us to "speak the truth in love" - meaning that what you say is to be motivated by your love for her to improve things between you. Things won't improve if you communicate in mean- spirited ways.] 10. Compliment her [often]. And tell her you love her - at least once a day. Based on the book... "How to Be the Almost Perfect Husband: By Wives Who Know" by J.S. Salt. TEN GREAT TIPS FOR WIVES 1. Let him know you believe in him. This will empower him to achieve his dreams. [You made him feel that he was more special than anyone or anything else, before you married. Work to help him see that again.] 2. Accept your husband for the man he is, instead of wishing you could change this or that. [Stop concentrating on your spouse's faults (this makes him look bigger than real life). Instead, work on your own faults. Take the "log" out of your own eye.] 3. Help him be a hero to his kids. Speak well of him and the good things he does. 4. Appreciate the things he does - like making repairs around the house. [Even if he doesn't do them well, or the way you want, at least he's trying to make the effort - which is more than a lot of husbands will do.] 5. Let him spend time with the guys doing "guy" things [unless those "guy" things compromise the integrity of your marital relationship]. 6. Respect his right to need some space sometimes. It doesn't mean he doesn't love you. 7. Stop asking him to throw out his torn, faded jeans [or any other article clothing of his you don't "like"]. What you hate about them is what he loves about them. [Learn to choose your battles - concentrate on things that are REALLY important.] 8. Stop criticizing his mother (or father). [This may be difficult to do if his family makes life difficult for you. "Speak the truth in love" and - motivated by love, when it concerns his family. If this doesn't help, ask the Lord to show you how to handle the situation in the Godliest, most peaceable way possible.] 9. Be patient with him. Make him feel special - he still craves your approval. 10. Keep looking your best --for him ..and for yourself. Based on the book..."How to Be the Almost Perfect Wife: By Husbands who Know" by J.S. Salt Even if you only pick one thing to do in the above lists, it's a good beginning (and for some of you it may be real progress - at least until you later expand your actions of showing love). And here's a poem by Henry James Borys that may inspire you to show your love to each other: "What good is my love if it stays in my heart? Hidden from the world and my partner? Love can be an action as simple as doing the vacuuming, making dinner, or an unexpected hug. Love can be as simple as giving my partner more attention than I give to the television." SO TRUE! As the Nike (sporting goods company) commercial says: "JUST DO IT!" Show your love to each other. Don't expect your marriage partner just to know it - SHOW IT! "Honor one another above yourselves" (Romans 12:10). May God richly bless your marriage this week --and always. Cindy and Steve Wright A Special Find
A little boy opened the big and old family Bible with fascination, and looked at the old pages as he turned them. Suddenly, something fell out of the Bible, and he picked it up and looked at it closely. It was an old leaf from a tree that had been pressed in between the pages. "Momma, look what I found," the boy called out. "What have you got there, dear?" his mother asked. With astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered: "I think it's Adam's suit!" Jogging is a world of experience by itself. After 3 miles or so, I felt a pain in my left leg. Not a major pain, it just felt like the beginning of a cramp. I began to limp. I didn't want to put any excess pressure on the leg because I had over three miles to go even if I turned around and headed straight back, and I wasn't at the halfway point yet.
Something said, "Glide." Glide? I began to notice how I was running with the limping action. My gait was uneven. It was awkward. I didn't know the exact kinetics, but I knew the un-rhythmic motion was putting additional strain on my leg muscles. So I began to glide. I focused on running smoothly. I let my feet touch the pavement as light as possible. Like a swan skimming over a lake, I concentrated to make each step as graceful as possible. Within a minute, my left leg felt fine. It was a MountainWings Moment. Often when pain hits us, we lose our grace and become awkward. We shuffle, stumble, bumble, weave, wobble, hobble, and stagger. If we just glide and stay smooth, often the pain goes away, because the rough motion makes it worse, not better. Someone criticizes us. . . OUCH! We shuffle, stumble, bumble, weave, wobble, hobble, and stagger. Someone offends us. . . OUCH! We shuffle, stumble, bumble, weave, wobble, hobble, and stagger. Someone has a difference of opinion. . . OUCH! We shuffle, stumble, bumble, weave, wobble, hobble, and stagger. Someone doesn't respond the way we think they should. . . OUCH! We shuffle, stumble, bumble, weave, wobble, hobble, and stagger. Instead of maintaining our peace, the smooth gait, we become frustrated. That makes the pain worse, not better. Instead of forgiving and forgetting, we retaliate and remember. That often makes the pain worse. Many of life's pains would go away if we'd just learn to glide. Yes, it hurts, but the shuffling and stumbling usually doesn't help. While jogging (or with any exercise) if pain starts, it's usually wise to just stop. This was more a spiritual revelation yet, it applied to physical things. If we can keep our movements, thoughts, emotions, and spirit smooth, that often takes us right over the rough things. |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
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