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Are You Trying Too Much?
by Ralph Marston
Those things you're "trying" to do usually
never seem to get done. You can convince yourself that
you're trying. You can announce to others that you're
trying. Yet only when you're actually doing will you get
anything accomplished.
What would happen if you eliminated
"trying" from your vocabulary? For one thing, it would force
you to be more specific. Instead of saying "I'm trying to
get the job finished" you would have to say specifically
what you've done so far. If you didn't have "trying" to fall
back on, perhaps you'd be more apt to go ahead and really
get it done.
Making a sincere effort is great, but a
vaguely focused "trying" is of little use. Take care that
you're not trying too much and actually doing too little.
Forget about trying. Get up and get busy doing.
Believe
by Debra Collins I love daffodils.
They are such light, dainty flowers. And they're yellow, a
delightfully bright and cheery color. But even more, they
are the first flower to burst through the winter season to
send a message of hope. Spring is near.
I've been learning to paint and I'm drawn to painting
flowers. This has led me to research floriography, the
language of flowers. Based on this Victorian language,
flowers can represent a single word, phrases, full
sentences, or even multiple meanings. The daffodil can mean
great regard, respect, chivalry, esteem or gallantry. It
also communicates "You're the only one" or "The sun is
always shining when I'm with you." This delicate blossom is
a symbol of rebirth, a sign of the new beginnings that come
with spring. Try looking each of these
words up in a dictionary. You will come across more terms
equally solid: brave, highspirited, courage, honor,
deference. These are strong meanings for such a dainty
flower. The daffodil gives me hope. But not
just for spring. God created a symbol to reflect the hope we
can have in our personal lives. Even if we seem light and
delicate, we can still be strong enough to push through a
winter season and stand firmly as we grow in character.
Winter is coming to an end. I see the "daffodils" in my life
bursting through sending me a clear message of hope. I am
watching with anticipation. The season of new beginnings is
here. Believe.
Blessings
by Debra Collins During the course
of the 2005-2006 year, the main focus of our devotions in
the older classes was being thankful and grateful. This
evolved into being aware of all our blessings, especially
the everyday "gifts" we tend to take for granted.
We tend to focus on the big and exciting events in our lives
which makes the ordinary day seem dull and boring losing
sight of all the small things that make our day special.
These things vary from person to person depending on your
personality, needs, environment, and interests.
They range from walking barefoot in the grass to a
delightful children's book; ice cold lemonade on a hot day
to a phone call from a dear friend; rainbows after a storm
to eating great friend chicken. You get the idea...
I required that the students keep a "journal of Blessings."
At the end of each day they were to think back on that day
and write 5 special things that had happened that day that
they were thankful for... a heart to heart talk with their
Dad or eating their favorite dessert or playing with a funny
kitten... I believe that we can cultivate a
heart of gratitude by developing the habit of seeing what
God is giving us every day. These gifts are an expression of
love lavished on us from a God who is personal and generous
who simply loves and loves to give. I'd
like to encourage you to keep a journal. List the gifts from
that day... ordinary gifts, common gifts, spiritual gifts,
extraordinary gifts, disguised gifts. The more you write,
the more you'll see. The more you look, the more you'll
notice. Everyday gifts suddenly won't be so
ordinary! Be BLESSED.
Come Thirsty
by Max Lucado What image best
describes your heart? A water-drenched kid in front of an
open fire hydrant? Or a bristled, desert tumbleweed?
You're acquainted with physical thirst. Stop drinking and
see what happens. Coherent thoughts vanish, skin grows
clammy, and vital organs shut down. Deprive your body of
necessary fluid, and it will tell you.
Deprive your soul of spiritual water, and it will tell you.
Dehydrated hearts send desperate messages. Snarling tempers.
Waves of worry. Growing guilt and fear. Hopelessness.
Resentment. Loneliness. Insecurity. But you
don't have to live with a dehydrated heart. God invites you
to treat your thirsty soul as you would your physical
thirst. Just visit the WELL and drink deeply.
He does the hard part. All you have to do is ask. There is
no spiritual "to do" list for you to tackle, no inventory of
rules and regulations. Just drink. Let Christ be the water
for your soul. Come thirsty, and drink the water of life.
Cracked Pot
Author Unknown A
water bearer in China had two large pots, each hung on the
ends of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the
pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and
always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the
long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot
arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on
daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots
full of water to his house. Of course, the perfect pot was
proud of its accomplishments, perfect for which it was made.
But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own
imperfection. And miserable that it was able to accomplish
only half of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure,
it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am
ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you. I have
been able to deliver only half my load because this crack in
my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your
house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work,
and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot
said.
The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were
flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other
pot's side? That's because I have always known about your
flaw. So I planted flower seeds on your side of the path,
and every day while we walk back, you've watered them. For
two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers
to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you
are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.
Moral: Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all
cracked pots. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have
that make our lives together so very interesting and
rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they
are, and look for the good in them.
Enthusiasm
from Believe and Achieve, W. Clement Stone's 17
Principles of Success Enthusiasm is a
state of mind that inspires and arouses a person to action.
It is contagious and affects not only the enthused, but
everyone with whom he or she comes in contact.
Enthusiasm is to a person what gasoline is to the engine of
an automobile: the vital moving force. If
you mix enthusiasm with your work, it will never be
difficult or monotonous. It will be fun and exciting.
Enthusiasm will so energize your body that you can get along
with half your usual amount of sleep and at the same time
accomplish twice as much without getting tired.
How to develop enthusiasm: Associate
with others who are enthusiastic and optimistic.
Take care of your health. It's tough to be enthusiastic when
you are physically ill. Maintain a positive
attitude. If you feel positive about what you are doing,
others will catch your enthusiasm. Help
others. Whether it is helping others through the product or
service you sell or through your own kindness and
benevolence, helping others will help you sustain your
enthusiasm.
Finding and
Fulfilling Your Destiny by
Joyce Meyer God promotes us into the
fullness of His will in degrees or stages. Satan opposes
each new phase of our progress. If we do not understand this
fact we will become confused and think we have made a
mistake. Satan seeks to wear us out. He wants to bring such
opposition against us that we become so weary and
discouraged we give up. With opportunity comes opposition.
We must beware of compromise. Satan doesn’t want us in the
will of God, fulfilling our destiny. If he cannot keep us
completely out of God’s will, his next tactic is to tempt us
to do a little less than what God has said. Satan tempts us
to compromise. But he fails to tell us that in the end we
will feel empty, regretful, discouraged, and unfulfilled.
Procrastination is another deceptive tool of the devil. Good
intentions do not bring us into the blessings of God – only
obedience does. Our willful choice to obey God promptly is
the lifeline between heart’s desire and finished product.
Press on! Don’t look back! Satan may think he is destroying
you, but often he is giving you valuable experience that
will keep you out of trouble.
Friendship
by Debra Collins The recital rush is
over and I have slipped into a season of reading. I'll read
any genre... fiction, nonfiction, biographies, self-help...
just about anything with words. During the off season, I
will often read several types of books simultaneously
bouncing back and forth among the stack on my desk and
bedside table. I've read two novels and
most of a nonfiction this past week without realizing the
common thread. I just thought I was reading for the pure joy
of the words on the page. But as is God's style, He has used
these books to stir a truth in my heart - the value of
friendships. I laughed and cried through
Sisterchicks do the Hula as I related to the main
characters and their banter with each other... laughing at
the similarities to many of my friendships and crying at the
realization of some of the missing pieces in my
relationships. Firstborn reminded me
of the importance of keeping open and candid lines of
communication to avoid offense and misunderstanding.
Reading Women of a Generous Spirit has prodded me
with conviction at how often I limit my availability to
those who may need to share a few moments of my time and
heart. I certainly can't broach the depth
of what God is doing in a few short paragraphs, but the flow
of emotions from joy to sadness, laughter to tears, love and
hurt have left me pondering my friendships and where I have
been lacking and how much I take for granted.
Friend listed in the thesaurus is well wisher, confidant,
other self, comrade, companion, chum, pal, buddy, side-kick.
Life without them is dull and lonely. I'll be pressing in to
renew, rekindle, and restore those bonds.
How about you?
A Little
More by Ralph Marston
When you've done what needs to be done, go ahead and do a
little more. When you've gotten some momentum going, make
good use of it. By itself, a tiny effort
won't be very effective. Yet when it is added on at the end
of another effort, it can make a world of positive
difference. Those who stop when they've
done what needs to be done will usually manage to just get
by. Those who keep going just a little bit longer end up
being vastly more successful. The
difference between mediocrity and astounding success isn't
really that much. And yet, though the difference is small,
it is crucial. You can quit when you break
even, and you'll manage to stay just where you are. Or you
can add a little extra effort, and move steadily ahead each
time. Once you're moving forward, you have
momentum on your side. Go a little past the goal, and the
rewards will grow with every effort.
"New
Year's Resolutions - Martha AND Mary"
by Debra Collins
Some time ago I was in a Christian bookstore and saw a book
titled "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World: Finding
Intimacy with God in the Busyness of Life." I have often
said that I live with a Mary heart in a Martha world. I love
worship more than anything else but it often gets lost in
all the activity necessary to keep life going. When my heart
longs for a breather to pause and worship with freedom and
abandon but I'm buried under the stresses of work to be done
I shake my head and mutter, "I'm living with a Mary heart in
a Martha world." (I didn't purchase the book. I might want
to rethink that one!)
While studying a devotional "15 Minutes Alone with God" the
Martha - Mary concept came up again. The author states "I
desire to be like Mary, but my Martha side keeps getting in
the way. God, order my days that Mary might serve you and
Martha may praise you. I desire a balanced life. Reveal to
me how I can be a Martha and a Mary."
I wear many hats which require that I stay focused on tasks
and meeting deadlines. My goal as I approach this new year
is to seek God for the wisdom to walk out a balanced life.
I can be a Martha AND a Mary.
Resolutions
by Debra Collins Another year has
ended ushering in the new with fresh hopes and dreams. Along
with this come the usual resolutions we set for ourselves.
As I set new goals and parameters, I often have in the back
of my mind the thought "I wonder how long THIS will last?"
Our best intentions at making lifestyle changes are often
thwarted by the return of the familiar. We tend to revert
back to what is most natural, old habits and patterns, when
life's pace picks up. Hebrews 12:1
encourages us to "run with perseverance." The word
perseverance forewarns us that the race we are called to
will be challenging. Otherwise, there would be no need to
persevere. One of the most difficult
aspects of making lifestyle changes is keeping on keeping
on. But remember, our walk is a journey, a process, not a
destination. We don't one day become who God wants us to be
and then rest on that accomplishment. As
long as we keep trying, thinking, learning, growing, giving,
loving, pressing, we will reach our individual ideal. Each
of us can attain our goals and our lives be forever changed
as long as we press into Him and allow Him to fill us up
providing us a deep well from which to draw strength and
determination. Remember: Right now you have
all you need just being you and opening your heart to God
and His love. He will fill you, use you, change you and mold
you. And you will experience the fulfillment that comes from
a relationship with the living God.
Winter
Seasons by Debra Collins
Recently the HedgeGuy came to handle our winter lawn care.
As he discussed all he intended to do, he mentioned the
boxwoods in front of my house. There are two kinds with two
separate ways to care for them. He has taken care of our
lawn for years so I felt confident when I nonchalantly
quipped, "You're the expert. Do what you think is best."
Returning from my morning run, I was unprepared for the
sight I beheld. My stomach lurched as I studied the bushes
trimmed back to almost nothing and the ones in between cut
to virtually nonexistent. I heard God speak, "Do you trust
him?" Regardless of the sinking feeling I had that first
time when the Crepe Myrtles had been cut to shorter than I
am tall - not very tall at all - (they grew back thick and
higher than my house), I knew I could trust him. I replied,
"Yes, but..." He spoke again, "Has he ever proven to be
wrong?" "No... but..." "Do you believe?" In spite of my
misgivings, I had to say, "Yes, I believe."
And so it is with my spirit man. It could so relate to what
was happening in the natural. I have been in a winter
season... a time of pruning. As the Father has trimmed and
cut back, I have felt dwarfed, insignificant and nonexistent
between the "bigger ones" around me. And He asks me, "Do you
trust me? Have I ever proven to be wrong? Do you believe?"
In spite of my uncertainties, I must reply, "Yes, I
believe." As He does His job, while it is
painful, I know the hope I wait for. When the spring season
comes there will be new growth that is full, healthy and
strong. And spring always comes after
winter... for certain and for sure. |
