Thought for the Day
Robert E. Chatfield
Those who think it is permissible to tell "white lies" soon become color blind.
A lie may take care of the present, but it has no future.
A little lie is like a little pregnancy it doesn't take long before everyone knows.
The liar's punishment is not in the least that he is not believed, but that he cannot believe anyone else. - George Bernard Shaw
Honesty may not always pay, but lying always costs.
Reputation, trust and credibility are assets no organization can afford to lose and the surest way to lose them is to lie.
Building trust is like building a tower, stone by stone. But no matter how high or strong the tower seems, if you remove a stone from the bottom the tower will collapse. That’s what lying does — it removes the foundation stone of trust.
Lying often gives us short-term advantages and lies that remain undiscovered (as most do) may provide short-term benefits. But there is no security in secrecy or concealment. Every undiscovered lie, even a seemingly small one, is a landmine capable of destroying trust.
Lies breed more lies to cover-up. Winston Churchill spoke about each lie needing a bodyguard of lies to protect itself. Even lies we justify by our good intentions — the ones we call “white lies” — can blow up in our face when discovered. The lie often looks very different from the perspective of the person lied to than the person telling the lie. How many of us would give permission to people we know to “lie to me whenever you think it is for my own good”?
We can rationalize, justify or try to minimize our lies to ease our own conscience but usually such defensive behavior adds insult to injury and deepens distrust. How many lies can you tell before you are a liar? How many lies can someone tell you before distrust sets in? Once we discover that someone has lied to us we look back on past conversations and ask: “What else has he lied to me about?” Can you lie to a liar and not become a liar?
We can apologize, ask for forgiveness and promise to never lie again, but we usually can’t obliterate the scar or even fully heal the wound caused by our lie.
We also can’t try to disguise our lies in half-truths or concealment. While we might use other terms like deception, distortion, misrepresentation, insincerity or a lack of candor the terminology isn’t important. At its root, lying is intentional dishonesty, deliberately trying to make a person believe something that is not true. It’s not only dishonest though, it’s disrespectful.
It’s also a very bad strategy. Lying to avoid problems is like getting drunk to forget them. It’s a temporary solution with the worst sort of hangover. Your problems are still there, but they are even bigger because now you can’t be trusted.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
Robert E. Chatfield
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it. 1 Cor 10:13
Only
those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is...That is
why bad people know very little about badness.
They have lived a
sheltered life by always giving in.
“Temptation is stronger in the minds of people who are in doubt. Prayer makes it weaker.” Toba Beta
“Better shun the bait, than struggle in the snare. ” John Dryden
Why Temptation Is Like Ice Cream
Nelson Searcy tells of a study that was conducted about the best tasting ice cream. Members of the control group were blindfolded and given all kinds of vanilla ice cream to taste—quality brand ice cream, gourmet ice cream, homemade ice cream, cheap ice cream and everything in between.
It didn't matter if it was gourmet, brand name, or homemade ice cream, "The number one determining factor was the percentage of fat in the ice cream. In other words, the more fat that was in the ice cream, the more people liked it."
As Searcy stated, "Now, isn't that one of the ironies of life? Why can't fried chicken, which happens to be my favorite food, be as good for you as an apple? I have never heard a doctor say—'A fried chicken leg a day will keep the doctor away.' The reason they say that is because if you had fried chicken every morning for breakfast, it would probably keep the doctor nearby because your cholesterol would shoot up. I guess I'll have to settle for apples."1
And who doesn't like a good fatty ice cream? As a kid we even used to pour pure cream over our ice cream. Yum! Yum! We had no idea how unhealthy that was.
Temptation, too, can have an overpowering attraction and appeal. It can look fabulous and at first taste very inviting—but in the long run its effects are deadly. It reminds me of an extremely beautiful fish that is found on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It's only very small but its sting is incredibly painful. It needs to be avoided at all cost. Same with sin. Regardless how attractive it appears, its end result is deadly so it needs to be avoided at all costs. As Searcy said, "When we give in to temptation, we always regret it because in the long run we always give up something greater for instant gratification right now."2
1. Nelson Searcy. Source: KneEmail. kneemail-...@welovegod.org.
2. Ibid.
Robert E. Chatfield
"When we die, we leave behind us all we have, and take with us all we are."
"Death is a blessing, for it opens the way to the faithful for further progression on the way to eternal life." Roy W. Doxey
Never knock on death's door, ring the bell and run (he hates that).
While mortals mourn "a man is dead," angels proclaim "a child is born." Heber C. Kimball
Death is a mere comma, not an exclamation point. Neal A. Maxwell
Pres. Hinckley’s poem on death and the touching story behind it
We all know how touching stories sometimes get a life of their own. What starts as a nice literary article can sometimes pass off as “real-life” stories. Not this one, though. This is the real thing.
The song sung at President Gordon B. Hinckley’s funeral entitled “What Is This Thing That Men Call Death” was indeed a poem written by the prophet. Nobody knows when he wrote it, but when Janice Kapp Perry’s niece was fighting cancer, she asked permission from President Hinckley to print the poem on her funeral program. She received a nice letter from the prophet’s secretary saying she was welcome to do so and he told her he would remember her in his prayers. She then asked her aunt to set the poem to music and when that was done, Janice sent a copy to President Hinckley’s office for approval.
He died soon after, but it seemed the poem and the music was not meant to go with him to the next life but to stay here on earth to comfort many more souls. Here are Janice Kapp Perry’s own words about what happened next, which I received from Prime Recordings when I emailed them:
When I heard President Hinckley had passed away last Sunday night I was feeling a little sad to think I hadn’t received a letter with his official approval. But the very next day after his passing, the hoped-for letter arrived with his approval, his permission for me to publish it in a future volume of my series “Inspirational New Hymns for Choir & Home,” and leaving it to my discretion as to whether to submit it to the Church Music Division. The timing was so unusual and I was extremely grateful to receive the letter as a tender mercy in my life.
Then on Monday afternoon Craig Jessop, Mormon Tabernacle Choir Director, heard about the hymn and had his office call me to obtain a copy of the hymn for consideration for President Hinckley’s funeral. On Tuesday, while traveling in California, I learned that the hymn would be performed by the Tabernacle Choir at President Hinckley’s funeral on Saturday.
Having seen the great comfort this hymn brought to my niece who died just two weeks before President Hinckley passed away, my great desire is for people throughout the world to have a free copy of these magnificent words of President Hinckley to comfort them in times of the loss of loved ones. This is just one more way his influence could be felt down through time.
Such a touching story, and what’s better is that it is true. The poem is incredibly touching because it gives us a glimpse of the tender side of a prophet more known for his peppery sense of humor. He was indeed a “giant among men” as President Monson had said in his tribute, but he, like you and me, had his own fears. That makes me love him all the more.
If you want to have a copy of the sheet music, email primerec (at) aol (dot) com. Or you can click here. Funeral Song. Kutv.com interviewed Janice and they have a video of it in their website. The lyrics can be found below:
Here is the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1D1dRZoxg0I
What Is This Thing That Men Call Death?
What is this thing that men call death?
This quiet passing in the night?
‘Tis not the end but genesis
Of better worlds and greater light
O God, touch Thou my aching heart
And calm my troubled, haunting fears
Let hope and faith, transcendent, pure
Give strength and peace beyond my tears.
There is no death, but only change
With recompense for vict’ry won
The gift of Him who loved all men
The Son of God, the Holy One.
Robert E. Chatfield
"While your children are growing up, they might forget some of the sermons you've preached or act like they're not interested in the things of God. But they'll never forget your example. Live above reproach and let the light of Jesus shine brightly through you." Gloria Copeland
"One reason for the decline in moral values is that the world has invented a new, constantly changing, and undependable standard of moral conduct referred to as 'situational ethics.' Now, individuals define good and evil as being adjustable according to each situation; this is in direct contrast to the proclaimed God-given absolute standard: 'Thou shalt not!" David B. Haight
"Integrity is the value we set on ourselves." James E. Faust
Integrity is the core of our character. Without integrity we have a weak foundation upon which to build other Christlike characteristics. L. Lionel Kendrick
"The most important persuasion tool you have in your entire arsenal is integrity." Zig Ziglar
Grocery Store Ethics
Michael Josephson
You can tell a lot about a person’s character by how he or she acts at a grocery store. I remember being in a crowded store when there was a shortage of shopping carts. A fellow was pushing one when another man stopped him.
“Excuse me,” he said, “but that’s my cart.”
Instead of apologizing, the first guy protested, “But someone took mine.”
When his wife glared at him, he reluctantly relinquished his ill-gotten gain. He had ignored the age-old wisdom that two wrongs don’t make a right in favor of a distorted version of the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as others have done unto you.”
Then there are those who change their minds about buying an item and put it on the nearest shelf, rationalizing that the store hires people to put things back in their correct places. Based on that reasoning, it’s okay for students to throw candy wrappers on the floor because schools employ custodians to clean the halls.
Finally, there are the express-line cheaters who enter the “10 items or less” line with 14 items because they’re in a hurry or just love having a competitive edge. They count on the fact that no one will call them on this moral misdemeanor. Even if someone does, they’re ready to play lawyer: “It depends on what you call an item. These melons are part of the fruit group, so I’m counting them as one.”
Being considerate, playing by the rules, and setting a good example are important – even at the grocery store.
Robert E. Chatfield
Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. Dale Carnegie
Your most valuable asset can be your willingness to persist longer than anyone else. - Brian Tracey
"When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on." Franklin D. Roosevelt
"If I had to select one quality, one personal characteristic that I regard as being most highly correlated with success, whatever the field, I would pick the trait of persistence." Richard DeVos, Amway Co-founder
Successful Failures
"For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth again.........."1
Chances are you've read about all of the following failures who ended up making a great impact in their chosen field of endeavor.
For example, as a young man Abraham Lincoln went to war as a captain and returned as a private. Winston Churchill failed sixth grade. Thomas Edison's teachers said he was "too stupid to learn anything." Albert Einstein didn't speak until he was 4-years-old and didn't read until he was 7. Louis Pasteur was only a mediocre pupil in undergraduate studies and ranked 15th out of 22 students in chemistry.
Henry Ford failed and went broke five times before he succeeded. F. W. Woolworth was not allowed to wait on customers when he worked in a dry goods store. When Bell telephone was struggling to get started, its owners offered all their rights to Western Union for $100,000. The offer was disdainfully rejected with the pronouncement, "What use could this company make of an electrical toy."
An expert said of Vince Lombardi: "He possesses minimal football knowledge and lacks motivation." Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. Babe Ruth is famous for his past home-run record, but for decades he also held the record for strikeouts.
Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor because "he lacked imagination and had no good ideas." Charles Schultz of "Peanuts" fame had every cartoon he submitted rejected by his high school yearbook staff—and Walt Disney wouldn't hire him. After his first audition, Sidney Poitier was told by the casting director, "Why don't you stop wasting people's time and go out and become a dishwasher or something?" When Lucille Ball began studying to be actress in 1927, she was told by the head instructor of the John Murray Anderson Drama School, "Try any other profession."
And so the stories go on. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzBCI13rJmA
What we learn from these people is that none of these people gained instant success. They suffered rejection, setbacks and failures—but they had a passion for what they wanted to do and stuck with it until they made it. And for those of us who believe God has a purpose for our life we need to do the same, and in the words of Winston Churchill: "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never, Never, Never, Never give up."
1. Proverbs 24:16
Robert E. Chatfield
"The gross size of our talent inventories is less important than the net use of our talents."Neal A. Maxwell
"God gives everyone certain attributes, characteristics, talents, and then He says, "If you use what you have I'll increase it, but if you don't use it, you'll lose it." Use it or lose it; it's a law." -- Charlie "Tremendous" Jones
When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me.'" Erma Bombeck 1927-1996 American author, columnist
He who buries his talent is making a grave mistake.
Well
Done
Dick
Innes
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'"1
Theodore Roosevelt said, "It's not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of good deeds could have done better.
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena: whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again...
"Who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause...
"Who, at best, knows the triumph of high achievement …
"And
who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so
his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know
neither victory nor
defeat."
Every one of us has been given at least one talent; many have been given several. Regardless of whether we have one or many talents, what is important is to use well what God has given and entrusted to us and therewith give life our best shot.
Remember, too: "Only one life 'twill soon be past; / Only what's done for Christ will last."
1. Matthew 25:21 (NIV).
Robert E. Chatfield
"Of all influences that cause men to choose wrong
, selfishness is undoubtedly the strongest. Where it is, the Spirit is not." William R. Bradford
Life
is change...
Growth is optional...
Choose wisely...
God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him.
MICHAEL JOSEPHSON
Where you go in life and whether you enjoy the trip will be determined by your choices, not your circumstances.
In your work life and your personal life you will face choices not merely on what to do but on how you will react or respond to things other did.
Life’s turning points are not marked and they are not always as obvious as cross roads. Often they are hidden within seemingly small choices with unforeseen ramifications – whether to make a comment or hold your tongue, whether to be kind or sarcastic, honest or deceitful;, whether to fulfill or dodge a responsibility.
It’s often impossible to know which choices will have fleeting or enduring impact.
What we do, especially when we think no one is looking, reveals our values and our character.
Take yourself and your actions seriously and choose widely.
And, above all, stay in touch with and listen to your better angels.
Robert E. Chatfield
What spiritual lessons did you receive from the Super Bowl? The major one I received was after the game, and with it came a great amount of respect for Russell Wilson. He taught a lesson we all need to incorporate into our life.
Disappointments should be cremated, not embalmed.
One of Satan's most powerful tools is discouragement. Whisperings of 'you can't do it,' 'you're no good,' 'it's too late,' 'what's the use?' or 'things are hopeless' are tools of destruction. Satan would like you to believe that because you've made one mistake it's all over. He wants you to quit trying. Marvin J. Ashton
"One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn't pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself." Lucille Ball
"Satan wants us to feel unequal to our worldly tasks. If we turn to God, He will lead us through our darkest hours." Marvin J. Ashton
Russell Wilson Threw The Interception That Lost The Super Bowl, But His Amazing Response Is Turning Heads
All I can say is WOW! The way Russell Wilson reacted to one of the biggest disappointments anyone could experience could teach us all a lesson.
Despite
a tough loss, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was not
hesitant to thank God “for the opportunity” to play in the big
game. Wilson tweeted the following Sunday after the Seahawks’
heartbreaking 28-24
loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX:
Russell Wilson ✔ @DangeRussWilson
Thank You God for the opportunity. We'll be back... I will never waiver on who He has called me to be... Thanks 12s #GoHawks
He reinforced his initial tweet with a couple more a few hours later:
Russell
Wilson ✔ @DangeRussWilson
#BVD I will love You, O LORD, my strength. (Psalms 18:1 NKJV)
Russell Wilson ✔ @DangeRussWilson
Every setback has a major comeback. #GreaterIsComing
It is my hope we will adopt that philosophy in our own life.
Robert E. Chatfield
"Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so." Douglas Adams
"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young." Henry Ford
"I have learned silence from the talkative; tolerance from the intolerant and kindness from the unkind. I should not be ungrateful to those teachers." - Kahlil Gibran
We
learn as much from sorrow as from joy, as much from illness as from
health, from handicap as from advantage and indeed perhaps
more.
Pearl S. Buck
Life never stops teaching. Be sure you never stop learning. Michael Josephson.
As
we get older we sometimes forget that life gets better and more
interesting if we keep growing. Some grow in the direction of
bitterness and regret; others grow toward wisdom and gratitude. If
you are not growing in the right direction its never too late to
change your course.
One way to be sure that you keep learning is to force yourself out of your comfort zone and do new things, read book or see a movie you would not ordinarily read or see. This will make you smarter.
But what will make you wiser is simply to take some time each day (or at least every couple of days) to reflect on what is happening in your life now — to you and those around you and look for the lessons taught or reinforced. Your life is a classroom, a training center, a library where you can learn whatever you need to live a better life.