Daily Stop & Thinks

Happiness

Any individual who wishes to attain sustainable and lasting bliss must embrace one simple fact: happiness is a choice. (Jo Roderick, author)

Life is filled with opportunities to choose. It isn’t always as simple as choosing between orange sherbet and chocolate chip ice cream. Those choices have consequences, too (too much sweet, too many calories, for example), but life often presents far more difficult choices. Then, we may allow the situation to get us down or we can determine to find happiness in any circumstance.

Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found. (Psalm 119:35)

Life’s Lessons

Life is a series of experiences, each of which makes us bigger. (Henry Ford, early automaker)

He adds, “The world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and griefs which we endure help us in our marching onward.” In today’s fast-paced life, many of us see life’s experiences as simple momentary events without much meaning. Ford, however, reminds us that those events are opportunities for learning and developing character.

The Future

Live for what tomorrow has to bring, not for what yesterday has taken away. (Naziya Kausar)

It’s often hard to get over the difficulties of the past. Personal or corporate disasters often continue to live in our thoughts and dreams long after the events. The effect can be harmful to our current involvements and even jeopardize our future planning. Concentration on our hopes and plans for tomorrow will go a long way to get us back on track productively.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

Hard Work

The price of success is hard work . . . (Vince Lombardi, late great football coach)

He continued “. . . dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.” Too often we lose (whether it’s a game or a work project) simply because we didn’t give our best effort. If we lose, after giving our very best, we can be disappointed at the loss but proud that we had done all we could.

Wise words bring many benefits, and hard work brings rewards. (Proverbs 12:14)

Forgiving

Forgiveness is a gift we give ourselves when we offer it to others. (Renee Swope, author)

To forgive is one of the most difficult acts we can do. When we‘ve been wronged, we may react in several ways: we can retaliate in an attempt to get even. Or we may try to just forget the whole thing, but most of us find that impossible. To realize that forgiving someone’s wrong against us really frees us from carrying that burden further gives us a great sense of relief.

Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends. (Proverbs 17:9)

Freedom

A loving relationship is one in which the loved one is free to be himself. (Leo F. Buscagliai, late motivational speaker)

TV personality Oprah Winfrey put it this way, “Don’t’ settle for a relationship that won’t let you be yourself.” Sometimes we seem to be “trapped” in a group under the control of a strong leader or an elite few that dictate our behavior and even our thoughts. That’s a dangerous situation we must avoid. Be strong in what you believe and step away from cultic groups.

Why should my freedom be limited by what someone else thinks? (1 Corinthians 10:29)

For you have been called to live in freedom. (Galatians 5:13)

A Smile

What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. They are but trifles, to be sure but, scattered along life’s pathway, the good they do is inconceivable. (Joseph Addison, 17^th-18^th century English essayist)

Along with rain and good soil, sunshine makes flowers. More than that, flowers look their best when the sun shines on them. To discover a flower while walking an isolated path is to feel a spiritual lift because of its beauty. As Addison suggests, your smile can enlighten someone’s spirit, like a burst of sunshine on a dark and cloudy day.

When they were discouraged, I smiled at them. My look of approval was precious to them. (Job 29:24)

True Beauty

Beauty is only skin deep, but stupid goes clear to the bone. (Source unknown)

This common expression may be humorous, but it carries some strong principles. First, beauty is subjective. After all, beauty is often in the eye of the beholder. We all know you can’t judge a book by its cover, but we often are first attracted by it.  All of that to say that the exterior of an item—even people—is important, but the essential value is what’s inside.

Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty . . . You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. (1 Peter 3:3-4)

Patience in Prayer

Answered prayer seems most sweet when long-delayed. (James Gribble, pioneer missionary to central Africa)

Impatient as most of us are, we don’t want to wait in line at the coffee bar, and we get antsy when the waitress doesn’t come right away to take our order. So, it’s no wonder we’re just as impatient when we pray. The waiting period, however, may be a blessed time of learning. Surely, God knows what we want and need, and he also knows the best time to answer.

Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. (Psalm 27:14)

Planning

Life is simultaneous, not sequential. (Bruce Barlow, pastor)

There are a variety of applications to this idea, but Barlow’s statement is all-encompassing. We say things like: “When summer is over, then  . . .”  “When the kids are out of school, then . . .” “When we’ve paid off the credit card debt . . .” There is no end to the “whens,” so we need to recognize that we must integrate all of life’s events into daily planning and activity.

Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed. Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity. (Proverbs 16:3; 21:5)

Communication

Speaking is not always synonymous with communicating. (Roy Angle, cross-cultural worker)

“We should not be satisfied with mere talking, but aim for clarity. . . . Speaking is shared words; communicating is shared meaning.” We can all testify to the truth of Angle’s statement. We’ve said, “I did tell you that,” and our partner will say, “No, you didn’t.” What happened? We spoke, but we didn’t communicate. Our goal is not to speak but to be understood.

The Teacher sought to find just the right words to express truths clearly. (Ecclesiastes 12:10)

Obstacles

Greatness is not measured by what a man or woman accomplishes, but by the opposition he or she has overcome to reach his goals. (Dorothy Height, late civil rights activist)

We often evaluate a person’s success solely on his or her achievements. Whether it’s the sports or musicians’ Halls of Fame or the theater or TV awards, those honors are often the main basis of our assessment of them. Height suggests that what the achievers have overcome might be an even more significant factor in judging real success.

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. (Isaiah 43:2)