Friday, March 27, 2015

[size=18pt]Three Kinds of People[/size]

"It is required that those who have been given a trust [gift] must prove faithful."1

It has been said that there are three kinds of people: Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who don't know that anything is happening!

Australian swimmer, Shane Gould, who won three gold medals in the 1972 Olympics, has been considered one of the greatest swimmers of all time. She didn't sit back and watch things happen. She made them happen.

Early in her career, when she was only 14 years of age, a news reporter asked her how she thought she would do in one of her early swim meets in the U.S. She replied, "I have a feeling there will be a world record today."

There was!

Shane set a world record in the one-hundred-meter freestyle event and a second in the two-hundred. When asked how she thought she would do in the more punishing four-hundred-meter event she said, "I get stronger every race, and besides ... my parents said they'd take me to Disneyland if I win, and we're leaving tomorrow!"

She went to Disneyland with three world records! By the time she was 16 she had five world records. It is true, she also had talent but she won not only because of this, but because of her preparation, hard work, and her positive self-expectancy.

Only a very few are gifted sufficiently to be able to win gold medals. However, every one of us is gifted in some area and most of us are gifted in several areas. And while we are not all called of God to be famous, we are all called to be faithful in serving him and our fellow man with the gifts that we have been given.

We, too, can be among those who make things happen if we are well trained in our area of gifting and are adequately prepared for the task we want and feel called to do. We also need to have faith in our cause, take advantage of opportunities when they arise, believe that with God's help we can achieve what we set out to do, and are prepared to work hard to make it happen.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You for the gifts You have given to me. Help me always to use and invest these wisely in and for Your Kingdom and, in so doing, be investing in eternity. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name, amen."

1. The Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 4:2, NIV).

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Thursday, March 26, 2015

[size=18pt]Children Learn What They Live[/size]

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn 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.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, knowing that my parents did the best they knew how, help me never to blame them for any problems I have, and please give me the desire to keep growing so I become a warm, loving, accepting adult/parent. And please lead me to the help I need to overcome the effects of any deficiencies in my childhood upbringing. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name, amen."

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

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NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon Click HERE http://www.actsweb.org/

Ur epistle's kinda long but d litle i read is cool