Thought for the Day

[Robert E. Chatfield]

 

Giving praise is when you let off esteem. 

I may no be where I want to be, but thank God I am not where I used to be.

Joyce Meyer

 

Thank God every morning when you get up that you have something to do that day, which must be done, whether you like it or not.  James Russell Lowell

 

You can't get around pain and opposition, but you can try to be joyful in the trial, and thank yourself for the trial, and thank God for the strength to get through it.  Mary J. Blige 

OF CATS AND PEOPLE

The following article, "Of Cats and People" was written by Michael Newnham.  My comments follow.

Lord, this cat you gave me... she just doesn't listen.

-I told her the rains were coming...she goes out anyway and comes back soaked.

-I told her not to lay in weeds...yet everyday she comes in and expects me to pull all the stickers out of her fur....from laying in the weeds.

-I told her that as much as it's up to her to be at peace with all cats...yet she expects me to tend to her wounds from the fights she is always in.

-She embarrasses me in front of the neighbors by instigating disputes with their cats...she thinks she owns the whole block.

-She is constantly doing what she ought not to do and suffering the consequences.

-Worse, she seems to blame all her misfortunes on me...at least she expects me to deal with all the results of her disobedience.

I always do, but she never seems to learn.

-Furthermore, Lord...she has never missed a meal, but when she's hungry she yowls as if she hasn't had a meal in weeks.

She makes it sound as if I'm a negligent and cruel father.

The truth is that I always feed her and even give her treats.

Just wanted you to know...

-To top it all off, she is often distant and ignores me until she wants attention or me to provide something.

-This cat makes me feel used.

-Sometimes I wonder if she loves me, or just loves what I can give her.

-It's a pretty one sided relationship.

-Despite all of this, I love the cat and I've chosen to keep her.

-Lord, that makes no sense, but I know you'll understand…

                                                   --Michael Newnham

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It's a well-written piece to remind us that the things which our cats (or people around us) do that make us feel unappreciated are the same sorts of things we do to God on a regular basis.  God is so gracious and giving, even when we are unappreciative, but we dare not take his kindness for granted. May we praise our God every morning that we are able to rise from bed!  May we praise our God for every bit of food that we enjoy!  May we praise our God for his continual grace in our lives!

     "In the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent.  O Lord my God, I will give thanks to thee forever." (Psalm 30:12)

Have a great day!

Alan Smith

[Robert E. Chatfield]

 Sorry for being late.  Internet was down this AM

"If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life.  With confidence, you have won even before you have started."  Marcus Tullius Cicero

 

Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence.  Vince Lombardi 

 

"Whatever we expect with confidence becomes our own self-fulfilling prophecy."   

Brian Tracy

 

Confidence imparts a wonderful inspiration to it’s possessor.

 

Ray Lammie's "Thought for Today"

An easy way to set yourself up for disappointment is to wait for others to tell you what a great job you have done. The truth is, it just doesn't happen as often as we would like. Waiting for the approval of others is a losing game. Be your own judge by acknowledging your achievements. Look at the things you have accomplished. Be honest about what you wish you had done differently. However, don't beat yourself up. Forget it and move on. Remember the "good stuff" that happens daily. That's the foundation on which to build your confidence and self-esteem.

Ray Lammie

[Robert E. Chatfield]

Every life is a march from innocence, through temptation, to virtue or vice.             Lyman Abbott

 If temptation makes you an offer today, I recommend you hold out for a better offer from God.         Alan Smith

 

"While on our journey here below, beneath temptation's power
Through mists of darkness we must go, in peril every hour
And when temptation's power is nigh, our pathway clouded o'er
Upon the rod we can rely and heaven's aid implore
Hold to the rod, the iron rod, 'tis strong and bright and true
The iron rod is the word of god, 'twill safely guide us through."

 

Hold Tight

"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called."¹

I checked the following story on snopes.com but it wasn't listed, so I can't confirm it either way. At any rate it makes an excellent parable. According to the story: "On a commuter flight from Portland, Maine, to Boston in 1987, the pilot heard an unusual noise near the rear of the plane. Henry Dempsey turned the controls over to the co-pilot and went back to check it out. As he reached the tail section, the plane hit an air pocket, and Dempsey was tossed against the rear door. He quickly discovered the source of the mysterious noise. The rear door had been improperly latched prior to take-off, and it flew open. Dempsey was instantly sucked out of the tiny jet.

"The co-pilot saw the red light that indicated an open door. He radioed the nearest airport requesting permission for an emergency landing. He reported that the pilot had fallen out of the plane and wanted a helicopter to search the area. After the plane landed, the ground crew found Dempsey holding on to a railing on the aircraft. Somehow he had caught the railing and held on for ten minutes as the plane flew 200 mph at an altitude of 4,000 feet, and then, when landing, he kept his head from hitting the runway, which was only 12 inches away."

In today's pressured world it is very easy to be "sucked into" all sorts of temptations—which, if we give in to them, could easily destroy us. So we need to hold on tenaciously to eternal values and the eternal life that God has given to all who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

1. The Apostle Paul   1 Timothy 6:12

[Robert E. Chatfield]

For what man knoweth the things of man, save the spirit of man which is in him?  Even so the thing of God knoweth no man, but by the Spirit of God. 1 Corinthians 2:11

 

"Never proceed to do anything until you go and labor in prayer and get the Holy Spirit. Wherever the Spirit dictates you to go or to do, that will "be right; and, by following its dictates, you will come out right."  Wilford Woodruff 

 

To have the companionship of the Holy Ghost, you must be clean; and to be clean, you must keep the commandments of God.      Ardeth G. Kapp

 

The gift of the Holy Ghost is a priceless possession and opens the door to our ongoing knowledge of God and eternal joy.   David B. Haight

You can make every decision in your life correctly if you can learn to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.       Marion G. Romney

 

Taking Time to Listen

"Behold, I [Jesus] stand at the door and knock. If any man one hear My voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with Me.^"1

 

In response to a Daily Encounter about the famed violinist, Fritz Kreisler, Martha Nixon, a good friend, who some years ago was the well-known soloist with the famed Neil Macaulay musical team, wrote to tell me about a fascinating experience Neil had some years ago.

 

On one occasion when Neil was in New York, "he paid a 'small fortune' to buy two tickets to hear the world famous violinist Fritz Kreisler play at New York's Carnegie Hall. Macaulay was himself a concert musician who had been heard around the world and highly valued the greater skill of the famous Fritz Kreisler. The performance was brilliant and worth the money spent on the tickets. Mid-concert, however, Kreisler made an amazing comment. 'The reason I'm a bit weary tonight,' he said, 'is because I played on the streets of New York all day today dressed as a busker (street musician) with my violin case opened for donations. It does me good to play for the people. But not one person stopped to listen, or gave me a cent!'" 

 

Interesting that this famous musician was totally ignored amidst the rush and bustle of New York City life. People passing by didn't take the time to stop and listen. Instead, they turned a deaf ear to him. And yet, at night, people paid a high price to hear him. How sad.

 

But how much sadder when God "speaks" to us in innumerable ways and we turn a deaf ear to him because he doesn't appear to us in the way or manner which we expect. Even the religious people in Jesus's day who were actually looking for and expecting the Promised Messiah (Savior) totally missed him because he didn't appear in the way or manner that they expected.

 

So dear reader, whatever you do, don't turn a deaf ear to God who, in his still small voice (Holy Ghost) may be whispering to you while he is knocking on the door of your heart and life today.

1. Revelation 3:20 

[Robert E. Chatfield]

"Only human beings can reorder their lives any day they choose by refining their philosophy." Jim Rohn

 

You cannot change your destination overnight, but you can change your direction overnight."   Jim Rohn

Consider how hard it is to change yourself and you'll understand what little chance you have in trying to change others. Jacob M. Braude

 

I am grateful that it is never too late to change, to make things right, to leave old activities and habits behind.   James E. Faust (November 1986 Ensign, page 10) 

Children Learn What They Live

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it."¹

Change is rarely easy. In fact it can be very difficult to change the patterns learned in our developmental years. Solomon noted the importance of early training some 3,000 years ago. Dorothy Law Nolte explained it rather precisely in the following words:

   If a child lives with criticism,
      he learns to condemn.
   If a child lives with hostility,
      he learns to fight.
   If a child lives with ridicule,
      he learns to be shy.
   If a child lives with shame,
      he learns to feel guilty.
   If a child lives with tolerance,
      he learns to be patient.
   If a child lives with encouragement,
      he learns confidence.
   If a child lives with praise,
      he learns to appreciate.
   If a child lives with fairness,
      he learns justice.
   If a child lives with security,
      he learns to have faith.
   If a child lives with approval,
      he learns to like himself.
   If a child lives with acceptance and friendship,
      he learns to find love in the world.²

It hardly needs saying that we need to be very loving in the way we bring up our children. But what if we, as adults, didn't receive loving, wholesome training as a child ourselves? Can we change? Yes, if we truly want to and are willing to accept responsibility for doing what we need to do to change. 

1. Solomon (Proverbs 22:6).
2. Adapted from "Children Learn What They Live" by Dorothy Law Nolte. See www.actsweb.org/child_live_with.php

[Robert E. Chatfield]

Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge.  Plato

 

“I don't want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.”  Oscar Wilde

 

When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion.  Dale Carnegie

 

Studies have shown that 90% of error in thinking is due to error in perception.  If you can change your perception, you can change your emotion and this can lead to new ideas.   Edward de Bono

 

MASTER YOUR EMOTIONS

Emotions, whether we like them or not, are an inescapable part of our lives.   Feelings of desire, anger, fear, courage, envy, pity, regret, hatred, love, and joy are not reserved for Oscar-winning actors or children. We all experience them. Long ago, Aristotle defined emotion as simply "whatever is attended by pleasure or pain." 

The word emotion derives from the Latin term that means "to move." Our feelings are constantly steering us toward or away from something. In many cases, they motivate us appropriately to deal with our surroundings, whether hostile or friendly. 

It would be a utopian world if we felt only sensations of love, joy, and peace. Unfortunately, we must also deal with emotions that are by their very nature, destructive. Physicians, for example, have long known that emotional disorder usually precedes physical disorder. For some it becomes a cycle of chaos. As the Scottish philosopher David Home wrote, "Grief and disappointment give rise to anger, anger to envy, envy to malice and malice to grief again, till the whole circle is completed." 

Make it one of your prime objectives to comprehend your emotional makeup. Then, encourage positive feelings and repress those that are toxic.    

Neil Eskelin

 

"Control Over Your Emotions"

When you hit your thumb with a hammer, you know what causes the pain. Do you know what causes the emotion?

All of us have nervous systems that cause us to feel pain. All of us have emotions, too. We feel happy, sad, angry, elated, hopeless, inspired. But where do the emotions come from? What causes them?

When you hit your thumb with a hammer, you feel pain. You may also feel some anger and maybe even some shame. We can safely say that the hammer caused the pain. But we can't say that the hammer caused the anger or the shame. If that were true, then it wouldn't matter who hit them on the thumb, every single one would feel exactly the same emotions.

So how come you get mad and it doesn't bother someone else at all? They laugh it off without a hint of anger. You see, the truth is that you cause you own emotions, and you do it with your thoughts. Many centuries ago, Epicetus said, "We are disturbed not by the things that happen, but by our opinion of the things that happen." I want you to know that you don't have to let your inner feelings be dictated by the external environment.
You can, bit by bit, learn to handle any and every situation you want to. You can learn to change your opinion of the things that happen so that you control your emotions, rather than letting them control you. Can you see yourself taking charge like this?

Lou Tice

[Robert E. Chatfield]

All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him(self) the iniquity of us all.  Isaiah 53:6

 

I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.  John 11. 25, 26

“And now brothers, I will ask you a terrible question, and God knows I ask it also of myself. Is the truth beyond all truths, beyond the stars, just this: that to live without him is the real death, that to die with him the only life?”   Frederick Buechner

 

The great gift of Easter is hope - Christian hope which makes us have that confidence in God, in his ultimate triumph, and in his goodness and love, which nothing can shake.
Basil C. Hume

 

Atonement

The word describes the setting “at one” of those who have been estranged and denotes the reconciliation of man to God. Sin is the cause of the estrangement, and therefore the purpose of atonement is to correct or overcome the consequences of sin. From the time of Adam to the death of Jesus Christ, true believers were instructed to offer animal sacrifices to the Lord. These sacrifices were symbolic of the forthcoming death of Jesus Christ and were done by faith in Him (Moses 5:5–8).

Jesus Christ, as the Only Begotten Son of God and the only sinless person to live on this earth, was the only one capable of making an atonement for mankind. By His selection and foreordination in the Grand Council before the world was formed, His divine Sonship, His sinless life, the shedding of His blood in the garden of Gethsemane, His death on the cross and subsequent bodily resurrection from the grave, He made a perfect atonement for all mankind. All are covered unconditionally as pertaining to the Fall of Adam. Hence, all shall rise from the dead with immortal bodies because of Jesus’ Atonement. “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22), and all little children are innocent at birth. The Atonement is conditional, however, so far as each person’s individual sins are concerned, and touches everyone to the degree that he has faith in Jesus Christ, repents of his sins, and obeys the gospel. The services of the Day of Atonement foreshadowed the atoning work of Christ (Lev. 4;23:26–32; Heb. 9). The scriptures point out that no law, ordinance, or sacrifice would be satisfactory if it were not for the Atonement of Jesus Christ (Heb. 10:1–9; 2 Ne. 9:5–24;Mosiah 13:27–32).

Sin is lawlessness (1 Jn. 3:4); it is a refusal on men’s part to submit to the law of God (Rom. 8:7). By transgression man loses control over his own will and becomes the slave of sin (Rom. 7:14) and so incurs the penalty of spiritual death, which is alienation from God (Rom. 6:23). The Atonement of Jesus Christ redeems all mankind from the Fall of Adam and causes all to be answerable for their own manner of life. This means of atonement is provided by the Father (John 3:16–17) and is offered in the life and person of His Son, Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:19). 

[Robert E. Chatfield]

Let the resurrection joy lift us from loneliness and weakness and despair to strength and beauty and happiness.            

Floyd W. Tomkins

The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances.            Robert Flatt

 

Easter says you can put truth in a grave, but it won’t stay there.    Clarence W. Hall

The joyful news is that He is risen does not change the contemporary world.  Still before us lie work, discipline, sacrifice.  But the fact that Easter gives us the spiritual power to do the work, accept the discipline, and make the sacrifice.

Henry Know Sherrill

He Took My Place

"Greater love hath no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."¹

 

According to Doug Batchelor in his book, Broken Chains, "There's a story about two Filipino brothers, identical twins, who lived in Manila and made their living by driving jeepneys, Filipino taxis.* Though they were twins and had similar jobs, they lived very different lives. One was married and had children; the other was single. Then one day, the married brother accidentally struck and killed a tourist with his taxi. Accused of reckless driving, the twin was sentenced to twenty years in the notorious Manila prison—a devastating fate that would leave his wife and children without an income.

"One day, his twin came to visit him in prison. He said, 'Brother, your family desperately needs you. Put on my clothes and take my visitor's pass and I will put on your prison uniform and serve the rest of your sentence. Go to your family.' So, while the guards were not looking, the twins exchanged clothes, and the married brother walked out of the prison unchallenged. Do you think the twin who was freed could ever stop thinking about the sacrifice that his brother made in trading places with him?"²

 

Though having limitations it is still a powerful illustration of what Jesus Christ did for you and me at Easter time 2,000 years ago when he exchanged places with you and me and died in our place on the cross of Calvary. He did this out of his great love for us to pay the penalty for all of our sins, so, having tried our best, we could be freely forgiven by God and receive His gift of eternal life in Heaven to be with Him forever.

1. John 15:13 (NIV).

2. Doug Batchelor, Broken Chains, Pacific Press 2004. 

Cited on WITandWISDOM www.witandwisdom.org.

[Robert E. Chatfield]

Let every man and woman count himself immortal.  Let him catch the revelation of Jesus Christ in his resurrection.  Let him say not merely. “Christ is risen,” but “I shall rise.”  Phillips Brooks

 

He takes men out of time and makes them feel eternity.  Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

We live and die; Christ died and lived!  John Stott

 

Where man sees but withered leaves, God sees sweet flowers growing.  Albert Laighton

 

Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in spring-time.  Martin Luther

 

God's Grace

 
There once was a man named George Thomas, pastor in a small New England town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak....

 "I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright. I stopped the lad and asked, ‘What do you have there, son?’ 

"Just some old birds," came the reply.

"What are you going to do with them?" I asked. 

"Take 'em home and have fun with 'em," he answered. "I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good time." 

"But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do then?"

 

"Oh, I got some cats," said the little boy. "They like birds. I'll take 'em to them."

 

The pastor was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those birds, son?"

 

"Huh??!!! Why, you don't want them birds, mister. They're just plain old field birds. They don't sing. They ain't even pretty!" 

"How much?" the pastor asked again. 

The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, "$10?"

 

The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. He placed it in the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone. The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free. Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story:

One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation.

 

Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. "Yes, sir, I just caught a world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!" 

"What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked.

 

Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!"

 

"And what will you do when you are done with them?" Jesus asked.

"Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan glared proudly.

 

"How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked.

 

"Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you. You don't want those People!!"                            

                      

"How much? He asked again.

Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your blood, tears and your life." 

Jesus said, "DONE!" Then He paid the price.

 

The pastor picked up the cage and walked from the pulpit.

 

Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ we have so much to be thankful for and are all blessed beyond our imagination.

I thank God every day for my blessed life. I'm not rich, don't live in a mansion and don't have the nicest of material things, but, I have a roof over my head, clothes on my back, food on my table, a family that loves me and lifelong friends to get me through... I'd say I have a lot to be thankful for.

 

Have we all counted our blessings today?

[Robert E. Chatfield]

"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible."   St. Francis of Assisi      

 

"Some men (and women) have thousands of reasons why they cannot do what they want to, when all they need is one reason why they can."

Willis R. Whitney 

 

If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.    Thomas A. Edison

 

The person who spends all of today bragging about what he is going to accomplish tomorrow probably did the very same thing yesterday.

 

Be What You Want to Be

"What will you be when you grow up?"

It's a serious question. As kids, we knew we were going to be something, and that to be something was to be someone. Even as our ambitions changed, we knew what we were going to be was important and our choice.

When I entered UCLA Law School in 1964, I wanted to do good. Yet when I graduated three years later, I just wanted to do well. My life's mission had changed, not as the result of conscious choice but as a surrender to the momentum of an elaborate matchmaking ritual: the ultimate competition to get job offers from the most prestigious employers and to attain the most hard-to-get jobs.

Money was definitely a factor, as almost all of us had student loans to pay off, but the larger force was a desire for validation. I was, by inclination and training, highly competitive. Getting a coveted job was the ultimate trophy. Intoxicated with a desire to win, I abandoned my wish of being significant in favor of being successful.

I was lucky. The tax firm I wanted didn't make me an offer, so I took a teaching position at the University of Michigan Law School. I discovered I loved teaching and stayed with it for nearly 20 years before I founded an ethics institute in honor of my parents.

You may start out intending to be the captain, but if you're not careful, you may find yourself drifting in another direction, a passenger on your own ship. Your life is too important to be little.

Be what you want to be.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.