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LIFE CHOICES What would you do? You make the choice. Don't look for a punch line...there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the same choice? At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: "When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He...

FAITH OR FEAR? For whatever does not originate and proceed from faith is sin [whatever is done without a conviction of its approval by God is sinful]. — Romans 14:23 Is it possible to allow someone to control and manipulate us, honestly saying we are doing so in faith? Of course not! We know this type of behavior is rooted in fear, not faith. Faith obeys God, but fear is easily intimidated and finds many excuses for disobedience. A person who is a perfectionist, a workaholic, or involved in sexual perversion is just as dependent as someone who is...

AN HONEST DOUBTER The often heard quip, "He or she is a doubting Thomas," usually is given in a negative way...someone who can't get with the program or is not a team player. The origin of this statement goes to the passage in John's Gospel. Thomas, who somehow missed the first appearance of the resurrected Jesus to the rest of the disciples, states he will not believe until he sees and touches the Lord. He is a realist, a man who is shattered in his faith after witnessing the arrest and death of Jesus. He is honest enough to...

A THANKFUL HEART Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. — Philippians 4:6 Years ago I taught a message saying that when you ask God for something, you should thank Him ahead of time that you are going to get it because that will help release your manifestation. I believe that. I took the scripture above to mean just that, that when I prayed for something, I should start thanking God that it was...

STRIVING FOR BALANCE In a university commencement address several years ago, Brian Dyson, former CEO of Coca Cola Enterprises (1986 - 1991), spoke of the relation of work to one's other commitments: "Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them - work, family, health, friends and spirit - and you're keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls - family, health, friends and spirit - are...

DARE TO DREAM Someone once commented that "One of the most powerful things in the world is a dream. Not those dreams that come to us while we sleep, but those we consciously pursue while we are awake." Think of how dreams have shaped our modern life. Of Martin Luther King whose famous speech began, I have a dream today." And of Robert Kennedy who said, "Some men see things as they are and ask "Why?"; I dream things that never were and ask 'Why not?'" Think of how children's lives are often shaped by their parent's dreams. I...

WHY DO WE STILL HAVE SCARS? One of the greatest truths we can know in life is that God is always able and willing to forgive us for our shortcomings. All we have to do is ask for His forgiveness. And if God is willing, then we too, should forgive ourselves. Yet one of the greatest ironies concerning forgiveness is that the painful memories, the scars of our past, remain with us. We may wonder, "What's the sense in receiving forgiveness if the scars from the painful memory remain?" Maybe the question should be, "What goes through your mind...

YOU ARE NOT SUPERMAN There are times when some events of life overwhelm us. Things at home or things at work can drain us. Sometimes we sense an urge to be "Superman" or even "God". We want to "fix" things or "make everything better." In reality, this feeling can be the source of great stress and tension. We sometimes have to admit that certain things can't be fixed; certain things will not go away. Got a problem, talk about it. It may not get "fixed" or go away, but you will feel better! CAPT Thom Dansak, CHC, USN

IMPORTANT WORDS The SIX most important words: "I ADMIT I MADE A MISTAKE." The FIVE most important words: "YOU DID A GOOD JOB." The FOUR most important words: "WHAT IS YOUR OPINION?" The THREE most important words: "IF YOU PLEASE." The TWO most important words: "THANK YOU." The LEAST important word: "I"

ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW.... I LEARNED FROM NOAH'S ARK 1. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark. 2. Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone might ask you to do something REALLY big. 3. Don't listen to critics -- do what has to be done. 4. Build on high ground. 5. For safety's sake, travel in pairs. 6. Two heads are better than one. 7. Speed isn't always an advantage. The cheetahs were on board, but so were the snails. 8. If you can't fight or flee -- float! 9. Take care of...

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS Most of us become familiar with the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," fairly early in our childhood days. Significant others, who happen to be adults, seem to stumble over themselves in being the historic "first" to teach the young child this bit of wisdom. Hmmmmmmm, I stumbled upon a quote for those of us who are adults with a burning desire to pass the Golden Rule on to our young children of today: "We have committed the Golden Rule to memory; let us now commit it...

PALM SUNDAY Matthew 21.1 - 11 1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. 3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the...

A HUMBLE SPIRIT It's always surprising to me when someone, in an honest and unguarded moment, confides that God could never use THEM. They may keep up appearances most of the time, but, down deep, they just don't feel worthy. Have you ever felt that way? If so, you're in luck; God places a high value on humility! In fact, your sincere recognition of your own need may just be the key that opens the door to a deeper, more genuine and rewarding spirituality. Isaiah wrote, "For thus says the High and Holy One Who inhabits eternity, whose name...

WHEN DO WE START TO LIVE AND BE HAPPY? We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are. After that we're frustrated we have teenagers with whom to deal. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage! We tell ourselves our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a vacation, when we retire. The truth is, there's...

CONCRETE LOVE Our Daily BreadJuly 28, 1998 "Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:3 The story is told of a child psychologist who spent many hours constructing a new driveway at his home. Just after he smoothed the surface of the freshly poured concrete, his small children chased a ball across the driveway, leaving deep footprints. The man yelled after them with a torrent of angry words. His shocked wife said, "You're a psychologist who's supposed...

A CHEERFUL HEART IS GOOD MEDICINE Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. Which came first the chicken or the egg? We may never know the answer to this question, but when it comes to living a fulfilled life, the joy precedes the good feelings. As a matter of fact, the joy is the antidote to the woes of life. Humor is great medicine. Humor helps us to see the big picture. It provides us with a new context by which to view our situation. It gives us a...

ASPIRE TO A VISION A scene in the movie Karate Kid was quite striking. Daniel went to see Mr. Miyagi and found him trimming a delicate bonsai tree. Daniel was fascinated and wanted to try it, but he had no idea how it was done. Miyagi told him to close his eyes and picture in his mind the way he wanted the tree to look. After Daniel found that vision in his mind, Miyagi told him to open his eyes and start trimming the tree. Daniel's every move was deliberate and focused. Then he stopped. He asked, "How do...

THE POWER OF A TEACHER Yesterday, I related the story of a young man who had been labeled as "retarded," yet achieved remarkable success because of one teacher who convinced him that someone else's judgment need not become his reality. The account pointed out the importance of a healthy self-image, and the power of a vision. Today, I want to expand on that thought a bit. What was it that made the teacher in that story so different? Confidence? Experience? Expertise? No, I think it was something far more basic. Let me illustrate with another example. Eric Butterworth tells...

PRAYER FOR GOD'S PEOPLE "Fear the Lord, you holy ones, for nothing is lacking to those who fear the Lord. The mighty will grow poor and hungry; but those who seek the Lord will never go wanting." (Psalm 34). Mighty God, Creator of the Cosmos, you have entrusted to us the care of this planet. Breathe your loving Spirit into the hearts and minds of us all. Instruct us in your ways. And most of all, enable us to establish justice and peace in our homes, our work sites, our nation, and this world. You alone are Lord. You...

THE TREE OF LIFE "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him." (John 3:16,17). One night I was watching a movie. At the end, the cowboy turned and put the name of his girlfriend in the window of his car for all to see. Then he put his arm around her and pulled her close. It has long been...