Thought for the Day
Robert E. Chatfield
A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love. Saint Basil
Courtesy is the one coin you can never have too much of or be stingy with. John Wanamaker
When restraint and courtesy are added to strength, the latter becomes irresistible. Mahatma Gandhi
COURTESY IS TO BUSINESS WHAT OIL IS TO MACHINERY
BE POLITE TO ALL PEOPLE
The story is told of two polite people who are having dinner together.
On the table there is a dish with one big piece of fish and one small piece of fish.
They politely say to each other: "You may choose first."
"No, you may choose first."
This goes on for a while. Then the first person says, "OK, I'll take first." And he takes the BIG piece of fish.
The second person says, "Why did you take the big piece? That's not polite!"
The first person says, "Which piece would *you* have taken?"
The second person replies, "Why, I would have taken the SMALL piece, of course."
The first person says, "Well, that's what you have now!"
New Collegiate Dictionary defines a polite person as someone who is "marked by an appearance of consideration, tact, deference, or courtesy." The quality of politeness is one which seems to be disappearing in our society. As I grew up, I was taught to say, "Yes, ma'am" and "Yes, sir", terms not often heard by young people today.
Even the words "please" and "thank you" are not used as often as they should be.
Some might say that politeness is a "small" thing, and it is, but that doesn't mean it is insignificant. Politeness is a lot like salt -- you don't always pay attention to it when it is present, but it is very obvious that something is lacking when it is absent.
Of all people, Christians should be most polite because politeness is a characteristic of agape love.
"[Charity] doth not behave unseemly." (I Cor. 13:5)
Make an effort today to see that the love you show to others around you includes the quality of politeness.
Robert E. Chatfield
"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up it." Eph 5:25
I want to have children, but my friends scare me. One of my friends told me she was in labor for 36 hours. I don't even want to do anything that feels good for 36 hours. Rita Rudner
My wife keeps complaining I never listen to her ...or something like that. *8-11-06
The most effective way to remember your wife's birthday is to forget it once.
"The best way to get most husbands to do something is to suggest that perhaps they're too old to do it." -Ann Bancroft
Avoiding Mayhem at Home
One day a man came home from work to find total mayhem at home. The kids were outside still in their pajamas playing in the mud and muck. There were empty food boxes and wrappers all around. As he proceeded into the house, he found an even bigger mess. Dishes on the counter, dog food spilled on the floor, a broken glass under the table, and a small pile of sand by the back door. The family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing, and a lamp had been knocked over.
He headed up the stairs, stepping over toys, to look for his wife. He was becoming worried that she may be ill, or that something had happened to her. He found her in the bedroom, still in bed with her pajamas on, reading a book.
She looked up at him, smiled, and asked how his day went. He looked at her bewildered and asked, "What happened here today?" She again smiled and answered, "You know everyday when you come home from work and ask me what I did today?"
"Yes," was his reply.
She answered, "Well, today I didn't do it!"
Robert E. Chatfield
A Word (Actually three) to the Wise
Not All Thieves Are Stupid
1.
Parking: Some people left their car in the long-term parking at San
Jose while away, and someone broke into the car. Using the
information on the car's registration in the glove compartment, they
drove the car to the people's home in Pebble Beach and robbed it.
So, I guess if we are going to leave the car in long-term parking, we
should NOT leave the registration/ insurance cards in it, nor your
remote
garage
door opener.
2.
GPS: Someone had their car broken into while they were at a football
game. Their car was parked on the green which was adjacent to the
football stadium and specially allotted to football fans. Things
stolen from the car included a garage door remote control, some money
and a GPS which had been prominently mounted on the dashboard. When
the victims got home, they found that their house had been ransacked
and just about everything worth anything had been stolen. The thieves
had used the GPS to guide them to the house. They then used the
garage remote control to open the garage door
and
gain entry to the house. The thieves knew the owners were at the
football game; they knew what time the game was scheduled to finish,
and so they knew how much time they had to clean out the house. It
would appear that they had brought a truck to empty the house of its
contents.
Something to consider if you have a GPS: Don't put your home address in it. Put a nearby address (like a store or gas station) so you can still find your way home if you need to, but no one else would know where you live if your GPS were stolen.
3. CELL PHONES: This lady has now changed her habit of how she lists her names on her cell phone after her handbag was stolen. Her handbag, which contained her cell phone, credit card, wallet, etc., was stolen. Twenty minutes later when she called her hubby, from a pay phone telling him what had happened, hubby says, "I received your text asking about our Pin number and I've replied a little while ago." When they rushed down to the bank, the bank staff told them all the money was already withdrawn. The thief had actually used the stolen cell phone to text 'hubby' in the contact list and got hold of the pin number. Within twenty minutes he had withdrawn all the money from their bank account.
Moral of the lesson: First: Do not disclose the relationship between you and the people in your contact list. Avoid using names like Home, Honey, Hubby, Sweetheart, Dad, Mom, etc....
Second: And very importantly, when sensitive info is being asked through texts, CONFIRM by calling back.
Third: Also, when you're being texted by friends or family to meet them somewhere, be sure to call back to confirm that the message came from them. If you don't reach them, be very careful about going places to meet family and friends' who text you
Robert E. Chatfield
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:7,8
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
Atonement was the most important event of all times and it's effects are available to me in this age as a gift of love from my eldest Brother Jesus Christ
Standing on His Shoulders
I read about a river town where sand was continually being dredged from the river bed and left in high piles by the river bank. This was a place where boys loved to play. Often times the sand piles, though dry on the top, were still waterlogged beneath the sunbaked crusted surface
Some years ago two boys were late home for dinner, so their parents went looking for them. When they found their bicycles outside the fence where the sand piles were banked high, they called for the boys, but no answer came. The family and other rescuers searched frantically in and around the sand piles and eventually found one of the boys buried up to his neck. He was barely alive when they found him, and they dug furiously to rescue him. When he was freed from the waist up, and able to breathe properly, his panic-stricken parents and rescuers asked, "Where's your brother? Where's your brother?"
"I'm standing on his shoulders," the boy said.
One loving brother gave his life so his brother could live.
And that's exactly what Jesus Christ did for you and me. We were spiritually lost and destined for a lost eternity without God and without hope. But because of His great love for us, Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, came to earth and gave His life to die in our place to pay the penalty for all our sins so we could be freely forgiven and receive God's gift of eternal life.
Robert E. Chatfield
"Adversity is another way to measure the greatness of individuals. I never had a crisis that didn't make me stronger." Lou Holtz
"In the middle of every difficulty comes opportunity." Albert Einstein
You will never be the person you can be if pressure, tension, and discipline are taken out of your life. James G. Bilkey
Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out. Art Linkletter
Brave Hearts
" My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."1
Author, James Moore, wrote: "A popular movie some years ago was an entertaining film based on the female major-league baseball teams of the 1940s. In one of the most powerful scenes in the movie, the star catcher of the Rockford Peaches, played by Geena Davis, threatens to quit. She's tired; she's worn out; she's worried about her husband who has gone to war; and in a low moment, she is ready to 'throw in the towel.' This star catcher, by far the best player in the league, complains that the game is just 'too hard.' The manager of the Rockford Peaches, played by Tom Hanks, tries to talk her out of quitting.
"When she said, 'It's too hard,' he replied, 'Well, baseball's supposed to be hard. If it weren't hard, everybody would do it.' And then he said, 'Hard is what makes it great!' The same thing could be said about the Christian life: 'Hard is what makes it great!'"2
And as another has said, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." And as the poet expressed it so well
'Tis
not the softer things of life
which stimulate
man's will to strive;
but bleak adversity and
strife
do most to keep man's will alive.
O'er rose-strewn paths the weaklings creep,
but
brave hearts dare to climb the steep.
1. James
1:2-4
2.
James W. Moore, "Some Things Are Too Good Not To Be
True,"Dimensions (1994),
pp. 83-84. (Cited on esermons.com )
Robert E. Chatfield
"It
is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the
character of God, and to know that we may converse with Him as one
man converses with another." Joseph Smith
From
Diane Fisher
A
fifth grade teacher in a Christian school asked her class to look at
TV commercials and see if they could use them in some way to
communicate ideas about God.
Here are some of the results: scroll down.
God
is like.
BAYER
ASPIRIN
He works miracles.
God
is like.
a
FORD
He's got a better idea.
God
is like.
COKE
He's
the real thing..
(This is great)
God
is like.
HALLMARK
CARDS
He cares enough to send
His very best.
God
is like.
TIDE
He
gets the stains out that others leave behind.
God
is lik e.
GENERAL
ELECTRIC
He brings good things to life.
God
is like.
SEARS
He
has everything.
God is
like.
ALKA-SELTZER
Try Him, you'll like Him
God
is like.
SCOTCH
TAPE
You can't see Him, but you know He's there.
God
is like.
DELTA
He's
ready when you are.
God
is like.
ALLSTAT
E
You're in good hands with Him.
God
is like.
VO-5 Hair
Spray
He holds through all kinds of weather.
God
is like.
DIAL
SOAP
Aren't you glad you have Him?
Don't you
wish everybody did?
(that one is my favorite)
God
is like.
the U.S.
POST OFFICE
Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet nor ice will
keep
Him from His appointed destination.
God
is like.
Chevrolet.
. . .
the heart beat of America
God
is like
Maxwell
House. .
Good
to the very last drop
God
is like.
Boun ty.
. . .
He
is the quicker picker upper. .
can handle the tough jobs. .
.
and He won't fall apart on you
Robert E. Chatfield
" Restrain your tongues in criticism of others. It is so easy to find fault. It is so much nobler to speak constructively." Gordon B. Hinckley
"Your criticism may be worse than the conduct you are trying to correct." James E. Faust
"I have yet to find the man, however exalted his station, who did not do better work and put forth greater effort under a spirit of approval than under a spirit of criticism." Charles M. Schwab
People who try to whittle you down are only trying to reduce you to their size.
Criticism
"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: "1
"A man was criticized for failing to provide for his family. Times were hard. He couldn't find a job so he decided to go into the fish business.
"After his first catch, he set up shop underneath a sign he made: 'Fresh Fish for Sale Today!' The first passerby offered a criticism: 'Why would you use the word today? Everyone knows you don't want to sell them yesterday or tomorrow. That leaves only today to sell them.'
"So he sawed off that last word and mounted the new version: 'Fresh Fish for Sale.' The next passerby asked, 'Why use the word Fresh? Do you mean to imply that at other times the fish are not fresh?' Again he changed his sign. Now it said, 'Fish for Sale.'
"The next critic said, 'Why not leave off the words for Sale? Any numbskull would know that's why you have a fish market?' Finally, he wound up with only the word 'Fish.' Even then, he still had a critic. The next passerby said, 'Why do you need to put up a sign at all? Anyone who comes within half a mile of this place knows from the smell what you are selling!'
"Folks who are determined to leave no stone unturned will find something to criticize about any endeavor we undertake."2
Criticism: A killer of worthy endeavors and a killer of relationships!
1. Ephesians 4:31
2. Jack Wilhelm. Source: KneEmail by Mike Benson,www.forthright.net/kneemail/.
Robert E. Chatfield
People are never so near playing the fool as when they think themselves wise. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu
"Knowledge comes from books and wisdom from living your life. Both are valuable. But wisdom is so much more exciting." Bob Perks
He that never changes his opinion, and never corrects his mistakes will never be wiser on tomorrow than he is today.
Wisdom denotes the pursuing of the best ends by the best means . Francis Hutcheson
FOOLISHNESS OF MAN'S WISDOM
Mensa is an organization whose members have an IQ of 140 or higher. A few years ago, there was a Mensa convention in San Francisco, and several members lunched at a local cafe. While dining, they discovered that their saltshaker contained pepper and their pepper shaker was full of salt. How could they swap the contents of the bottles without spilling, and using only the implements at hand? Clearly this was a job for Mensa! The group debated and presented ideas, and finally came up with a brilliant solution involving a napkin, a straw, and an empty saucer. They called the waitress over to dazzle her with their solution.
"Ma'am," they said, "we couldn't help but notice that the pepper shaker contains salt and the saltshaker...."
"Oh," the waitress interrupted. "Sorry about that." She unscrewed the caps of both bottles and switched them.
We live in a world, like the Greek culture of the first century, that prides itself on being "wise." We have achieved so much in the area of technology. We've set up a space station that orbits the earth. We've visited the moon. We've taken close-up pictures of Mars. We feel confident that we are able to figure out the answer to almost every problem that is presented to us, if we work on it long enough.
And yet, like the Greek culture of the first century, our own culture -- which takes such pride in its own wisdom -- seems unable to understand that which is truly wise. Solving the great problem of mankind doesn't involve eliminating poverty, preventing global warning, or even making world peace possible. No, those who are "wise" in this world seem blind to what the world's biggest problem is -- our separation from God. And those with less earthly wisdom are often more open to God's solution to that problem, which is centered in the cross of Jesus Christ. Paul put it this way:
“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. I Corinthians 1:18-25
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isa 55:8,9
The "foolishness" of God truly is wiser than man's wisdom! Be reminded of that the next time you see salt and pepper shakers.
Have a great day!
Alan Smith
Robert E. Chatfield
“I can resist anything except temptation.” Oscar Wilde
“A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is... A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in.” C.S. Lewis
“The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking spaces.” Will Rogers
“Temptation is stronger in the minds of people who are in doubt. Prayer makes it weaker.” Toba Beta
The Pressure to Cheat
What’s causing the growing hole in our moral ozone? Why are cheating and lying so common in schools, on the sports field, and in business and politics? Apparently it’s a thing called pressure.
Kids are under pressure to get into college, athletes and coaches are under pressure to win, and, according to a survey by the American Management Association, the pressure to meet business objectives and deadlines is the leading cause of unethical corporate behavior. The desires to further one’s career and protect one’s livelihood are the second and third reasons people lie or cheat.
In other words, we take ethical shortcuts to get what we want. DUH!
Why are we so willing to shift responsibility for every form of human weakness from ourselves to the system? We don’t blame the liar; we blame the law. We don’t blame the cheater; we blame the test.
The implication is: Don’t expect me to be ethical when personal interests are at stake.
Please!
What we call pressures today used to be called temptations. Everyone knew that the test of character was our ability to resist them. Calling enticements pressures doesn’t change anything.
We must believe in and expect integrity and moral courage and not surrender when our principles are challenged. We need to expect good people to do what’s right, even when it’s difficult or costly.
Yes, lots of people act dishonorably in the face of pressure. But pressure is an explanation, not a justification. Pressures, temptations – call them what you will – are part of life. Sure, it would be helpful if we had less pressure, but it’s far more important that we have more character.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
Robert E. Chatfield
"The price of greatness is responsibility." Sir. Winston Churchill
"You promote yourself every time you take on a new responsibility." William Gore
You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of. Jim Rohn
The greatest gifts you can give your chlidren are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence. Denis Waitley
The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibility for our attitudes. That's the day we truly grow up. John C. Maxwell
DO IT YOURSELF
Joe and Sam were talking one day. Joe said, "My wife asked me to buy organic vegetables from the market garden."
"So were you able to find some?" asked Sam.
"Well when I got to the market, I said to the gardener, 'These vegetables are for my wife. Have they been sprayed with any poisonous chemicals?' The gardener said, 'No, you'll have to do that yourself.' "
There are some things in life that you have to do for yourself! Your parents can't do them for you, nor can your spouse or your best friend. Only you.
Whenever people try to point out the "contradictions" in the Bible, they will frequently point to Galatians 6. They say, "Paul contradicted himself within just a few short sentences." He said in verse 2, "Bear one another's burdens" and then shortly after that, in verse 5, he said, "For each one shall bear his own load."
"There, that proves that the Bible is contradictory!" Nonsense! With just a small amount of thought, you realize that while there are many areas where we need to help carry the load of our brothers and sisters in Christ (being there in times of sickness or sadness, for example), there are other areas where we cannot do that.
We can help carry the burden of difficulties this life has to offer, but we cannot carry the burden of responsibilities we each have. In regard to salvation, for example, I can't be saved for you. I can teach you, I can encourage you, but I can't do anything to save you. That's a load that you must bear.
In like manner, I can't fulfill your responsibility to live morally, to visit those in need, or to give as you ought. In areas of responsibility, you must carry your own load and I must carry mine.
"But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden." (Gal. 6:4-5)
As the gardener put it so well, "You'll have to do that yourself!"
Alan Smith