Thought for the Day

[Robert E. Chatfield]

"Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens."  John Homer Miller

 

We either make ourselves happy or miserable. The amount of work is the same.

 Carlos Castaneda  

 

“Being miserable is a habit. Being happy is a habit. The choice is yours.”

Tom Hopkins, sales trainer

 

"You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you."  Brian Tracy   

 

"Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude."    Zig Ziglar

 A 'Yes' Face

 Charles Swindoll

During Thomas Jefferson's presidency he and a group of travelers were crossing a river that had overflowed its banks. Each man crossed on horseback, fighting for his life. A lone traveler watched the group traverse the treacherous river and then asked President Jefferson to take him across. 

The President agreed without hesitation; the man climbed on, and the two made it safely to the other side of the river where somebody asked him: "Why did you select the President to ask this favor?" 

The man was shocked, admitting he had no idea it was the President of the United States who had carried him safely across. "All I know," he said, "is that on some of your faces was written the answer 'No' and on some of them was the answer 'Yes.' His was a 'Yes' face."  

[Robert E. Chatfield]

We ought to say in our hearts, let God judge between me and thee, but as for me I will forgive.   Joseph F. Smith

 

There is little room left for wisdom when one is full of judgment.    Malcolm Hein

 

You can count the seeds in an apple, but you cannot count the number of apples in a seed.

                              Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves. - Carl Jung                                

CHIPPING AWAY

     There's a story told about a man who had a huge boulder in his front yard. He grew weary of this big, unattractive stone in the center of his lawn, so he decided to take advantage of it and turn it into an object of art. He went to work on it with hammer and chisel, and chipped away at the huge boulder until it became a beautiful stone elephant. When he finished, it was gorgeous, breath-taking.

     A neighbor asked, "How did you ever carve such a marvelous likeness of an elephant?"

     The man answered, "I just chipped away everything that didn't look like an elephant!"

     You may have heard a version of this story that uses the name of Michelangelo as the man who is doing the sculpting (sometimes the story gives his explanation of how the statue of David was created, other times the statue of Moses).

     But the story also illustrates how God creates men in His likeness.  He starts with nothing much more than a boulder, but like a great artist, he sees the potential for what lies within and chips away until we are shaped in His image.

     Look at how Jesus dealt with men like Peter.  Who would have looked at Peter -- the loud mouth who was always saying things he would later regret -- and seen the disciple he would become?  Who would have looked at James and John -- nicknamed "Sons of Thunder" because of their temper -- and considered them to be ideal candidates?  But Jesus had a way of looking into the hearts of men and women, seeing not only what they were, but what they had the potential to become.  Then he set about the task of "chipping away" to uncover the beauty that lay beneath the surface.

     Wouldn't it be great if we could learn to look at men and women the same way -- to see not only what they are, but to see what they can become?  If we would only do that, perhaps instead of dismissing people as "worthless boulders", we would set about the task of chipping away to reveal their full potential.

     "….And when Jesus beheld him, he said, “Thou art Simon the son of Jona.  Thou shalt be called Cephas," which is by interpretation, A Stone." John 1:42

Have a great day!

Alan Smith

[Robert E. Chatfield]

The Seven Deadly Sins are lust, pride, anger, envy, sloth, avarice, and gluttony

Sin is a very promising employer - and a terrible paymaster.     Charles A Jeffries  

Forbidden fruit is responsible for many bad jams

 

Practice Makes Perfect

 

I’ll know better next time

Than to even begin:

Everything’s easier on the second try-

Especially sin.

Carol Lynn Pearson

What Is Sin?

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."¹

What is sin and why does God hate it? 

Someone has argued if God is the creator of all things then he must have created sin. Actually, sin, as another has suggested, is not a "created" thing at all. It is an action on our part or a failure to act as we know we ought to act or behave. God created people but he didn't create sin or sinners. Sinners are people who have chosen to go their own way rather than God's way. It's the same with evil. It is the evil actions of people who have chosen to do evil things that make them evil. 

There are three facets to sin. First has to do with breaking God's laws that are found in the Scriptures. Second applies to rebelling against God and going one's own sinful way. And third has to do with falling short of God's standard of perfection; that is, being less than whole and all that God envisioned for us to be. The latter also includes sins of omission—not doing what we know we should do—as well as sins of commission.

And why does God hate sin so vehemently? Because it destroys those whom God loves ----------us. It causes us to be spiritually dead, that is separating us from the God who created and loves us.

1. Romans 6:23

[Robert E. Chatfield]

And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful?  how is it that ye have no faith.

Mark 4:40

 

 "Peace will replace fear in men's hearts when they listen to the counsel of God's prophet and accept and follow the principles of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ."     Franklin D. Richards

 

"Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live."  Dorothy Thompson, journalist

 

"The function of fear is to warn us of danger, not to make us afraid to face it."

 

CONQUERING YOUR FEARS

 

     Shakey went to a psychiatrist.  "Doc," he said, "I've got trouble.  Every time I get into bed, I think there's somebody under it.  I get under the bed, I think there's somebody on top of it.  Top, under, top, under ...  you gotta help me, I'm going crazy!"

 

     "Just put yourself in my hands for two years," said the doctor.  "Come to me three times a week, and I'll cure your fears."

 

     "How much do you charge?"

 

     "A hundred dollars per visit."

 

     "I'll think about it," said Shakey.

 

     Six months later the doctor met Shakey on the street.  "Why didn't you ever come to see me again?" asked the psychiatrist.

 

     "For a hundred bucks a visit?  A friend cured me for ten dollars."

 

     "Is that so!  How?"

 

     "He told me to cut the legs off the bed!"

 

     I suppose that's one way to conquer your fears!  Most of us, though, have fears which are much more difficult to overcome -- fear of failure, fear of dying, fear of letting others down, fear of living alone, just to name a few.

 

     And, as you read through the Bible, you see that fear is not unique to those of us in the 21st century.  One phrase that reappears over and over throughout the Bible is the phrase, "Do not be afraid!"  In fact, if you're looking for a good topic for a personal or small group Bible study, take the time to see just how often (and on what occasions) that phrase is spoken.

 

     There is one positive attribute which is strongly contrasted to fear in the scriptures.  Jesus often told his apostles and others, "Do not be afraid, only believe."  It is evident that growing in faith will cause us to have less fear, and that often fear is the direct result of a struggle with our faith.

 

     If you are living in fear this day, may these words of Jesus spoken to his apostles serve as a comfort to you:

 

     "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)

 

     May you know that peace he offers.

[Robert E. Chatfield]

Your current safe boundaries were once unknown frontiers.

 

"In the absence of clearly defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily trivia until ultimately we become enslaved by it." 

Robert Heinlein   

 

Avoid, like the plague, getting you and your loved ones into a comfort zone.  Once there, your growth and progress are seriously at risk.  Or, as more poetically said:  "Comfort, that stealthy thing that enters the house a guest, and then becomes a host, then a master, and then it becomes a tamer, and with a hook and whip it makes puppets of your larger desires." 

Kahlil Gibran, Poet, Visual Artist 

 

"Change Your Comfort Zone"

What have you gotten use to in your life, and why?

It has been said that people can get use to almost anything. If it happens gradually over time and in small enough increments, I believe this is true. And when you become use to things being a certain way, you develop what we call a comfort zone around them.

 

When you are in your comfort zone, you don't really have to think too much about it. If you are used to cleaning up your house every day because you like things neat and tidy, it will put you out of your comfort zone to wake up in the morning and see a sink full of dirty dishes. You will generally make sure that doesn't happen. If, on the other hand, you are used to seeing a sink full of dirty dishes every morning when you get up, it won't bother you at all.

If you are expecting company though, the things you've gotten use to and comfortable with may suddenly become very un-comfortable. "That's okay for me," you may think, "but I don't want my company to see it like that." Do you know people who go on crash diets before a school reunion or other special event? It is the same sort of thing.

Take a look at your life. Are there things you have gotten used to, bit by bit, that surprise you a little now? Don't just put on a facade for company. You are worthy of the same consideration and the same high standards you display for others. What are the things in your life that you have gotten to use to, which are not to your standards? It is time to make a comfort zone change!

Do it for yourself - because you deserve it! 

Lou Tice

[Robert E. Chatfield]

“Rest and be thankful.”   William Wordsworth 

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.”    John Lubbock  

“Rest, Recreated, Refreshed and Refuel!”    Lailah Giffy Akita 

Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired.  Jules Renard

Come Apart and Rest a While

"And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus and told him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.  And he said unto them, ‘Come ye yourselves apart into the desert place, and rest a while:’ for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat…”¹

"According to a Greek legend, in ancient Athens a man noticed the great storyteller Aesop playing childish games with some little boys. He laughed and jeered at Aesop, asking him why he wasted his time in such frivolous activity.

"Aesop responded by picking up a bow, loosening its string, and placing it on the ground. Then he said to the critical Athenian, 'Now, answer the riddle, if you can. Tell us what the unstrung bows imply.'

"The man looked at it for several moments but had no idea what point Aesop was trying to make. Aesop explained, 'If you keep a bow always bent, it will break eventually; but if you let it go slack, it will be more fit for use when you want it.'"²

So many of us today, including me, (at least in the Western world) are bogged down with being too busy. Much of life seems to be controlled by the tyranny of the urgent—unforeseen crises or needs that daily pop up unexpectedly—all of  which are a vivid reminder that I, too, need to "come apart and rest a while—before I come apart." Even Jesus and his disciples, in the midst of their busy ministry, needed to take time out to get some rest. Dare we do less? There are times when we, too, need to loosen the bow.

1.      Mark 6:30-31

2.      2. Our Daily Bread, June 6, 1994.

[Robert E. Chatfield]

FYI

We leave today for a three week excursion.   We do not know exactly how reliable Internet connection will be.  Hoping there is no problem.  TFTD has been sent out for over 15 years and you can count the number of missed days on one hand.  It is our hope we won't need to move to another hand.  However, just in case, we want to let you know, if a day is missed, it was not for lack of trying.

"Today I will do what others won't, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can't." Jerry Rice

When you're prepared, you're more confident. When you have a strategy, you're more comfortable.     Fred Couples

He who doesn't look ahead remains behind.  

 

The only preparation for tomorrow is the right use of today. 

"I couldn't let you go it alone"

by Bob Perks

I'll be brief. 

It's getting late and I have had an evening full of work and lots of fun.  Well, work is fun to me.

I kept thinking about you.

"I need to send them a note.  I need to let them know."

It's about tomorrow.  I know you may be worried.  I know that you might not sleep well tonight.  So, I had to take a moment to let you know that everything is going to work out fine.

Even better than fine.

First off don't say, "I just need to get through the day!"

Please don't bring tomorrow down to that level of "just getting through it."

Imagine first if you had little or no expectations about something that could possibly be the greatest thing that ever happened to you.

You wouldn't even pick your head up to look at it.  You would take every step to ignore, "fly below the radar" perhaps, so as to go unnoticed.

Just like that, it's gone.

Not because it was bad.  Because you just didn't want to give it a chance.

That's what tomorrow is. 

Drop the calendar.  Through away the date.  Forget what day it is.

Look at it.  It is 24 hours of pure opportunity. 

Begin tomorrow with a new outlook.  When you get up, shake off yesterday.  Look in the mirror and claim this day.  It's yours to make whatever you want to make of it.

No one, but no one can steal it from you.

Make a plan.  Nothing fancy.  Just a quick few notes of things you want to accomplish.  Then number them in importance.  1, 2, 3, and onward.

Don't worry about all of the little things.  There will always be little things.

Tackle that first thing immediately.  Imagine the feeling you'll have knowing that the biggest thing is already out of the way. 

You know what happens.  You push the big stuff off with doing a hundred little things and tomorrow it's still there waiting.

Get it done.  Check it off.

Half way through your day, celebrate everything you did. Nothing big.  Just take time to acknowledge it.

Now tackle the rest because you are the best.

At the end of your day, make a point of looking at that list.  If there is anything still not accomplished don't focus on it.  Simply carry it over to the next list, for the new day.  For the new "tomorrow."

Look at you.  You did it.  If this works for you, make it a part of your every day.

If it didn't than tweak it to make it work.  At the end of the week you will have a pile of tiny slips of paper with incredible accomplishments.

There, I hope this didn't get to you too late.

Wait, whenever you read this, make it a plan for the next day.

I had to do this.

"I couldn't let you go it alone!"

J

Bob