Daily Stop & Thinks

Today

What you do today is important, because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. (Heartsill Wilson, automotive executive)

Heartsill continues: “I can waste it or use it for good . . . When tomorrow comes, the day will be gone forever, leaving something in its place I have traded for it. I want it to be a gain, not a loss—good, not evil. Success not failure, in order that I shall not regret the price I paid for it.” Because time is such a valuable commodity, we must be frugal in the way we use it.

Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered— how fleeting my life is. (Psalm 39:4)

Chaos or Peace?

Chaos is the score upon which reality is written. (Henry Miller, 20^th century American writer)

It doesn’t take long to learn that life isn’t a smoothly paved road along the way to repeated, fulfilling successes. In addition to the chaos created by wars, epidemics, and storms, too often there is the confusion of everyday life—the struggle to make ends meet or to get along with an irritating co-worker or roommate. We must learn how to discover peace wherever we are.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Awareness

Mindfulness isn’t difficult. We just need to remember to do it. (Sharon Saltzberg, author)

The purpose of the history department of one liberal arts college, translated from Latin, is “mindful of what has been done, aware of what is possible.” To be aware both of existing achievements and the possibilities around us, whatever our work, is a prerequisite for success. As Saltzberg says, we have to be alert as well as aware.

So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. (1 Thessalonians 5:6)

Help

Men should strive to learn before they die what they are running from, and to, and why? (James Thurber, 20^th century humorist)

In the helter-skelter life of today, many of us seem to be running around from place to place or activity to activity, trying to discover where we belong or what we should be doing. Thurber’s questions are penetrating. What am I looking for? What and where do I really want to be? It’s critical to know where to find help for the answers.

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God [to pray]. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. (Hebrews 4:16)

Rainbows

To get the rainbow you got to put up with the rain. (Dolly Parton, entertainer)

It’s not quite like looking for the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. That’s a fruitless search. But the rainbow may be real. Rain is essential and we’re disappointed in it only when it interferes with our personal agenda. But, even then, if we can discover the right ray of sunshine in the rain, our hearts can be lifted up a bit by the sight of the rainbow.

Then God said to Noah, “Yes, this rainbow is the sign of the covenant I am confirming with all the creatures on earth.” (Genesis 9:17)

Bridges

Relationships are like building bridges, they require time and effort. (Author unknown)

Continuing, “But once they are built, they look strong, stable, and beautiful. . . .  Build bridges not walls.” Someone else has said, “The strongest bridges are the ones you build yourself.” The only way to cross a river may be to build a bridge. And the only way to start a relationship is to bridge the gap by intentionally moving toward another and establishing communication.

Jacob thought, “I will try to appease him by sending gifts ahead of me. When I see him in person, perhaps he will be friendly to me.” (Genesis 8:18)

A Friend

No one can develop freely in this world and find a full life without feeling understood by at least one person. (Paul Tournier, Swiss psychiatrist and author)

Do you sometimes feel you’re all alone? No one understands you; in fact, no one seems to care about you at all. On some occasion, we’ve probably all walked into a crowded room, and no one seemed even to notice that we had entered, much less welcomed us. Perhaps we need to take the initiative to reach out to someone else; we can be the one that touches them.

A friend is always loyal . . . a real friend sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 17:17; 18:24)

Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. (Luke 16:9)

Character

Reputation is made in a moment; Character is built in a lifetime. Reputation grows like a mushroom; Character grows like an oak. (William Hersey Davis, professor)

When an athlete makes a really good play, perhaps several in one event, he has an instant reputation as a star. But his or her fame may be very brief unless there is continuing success on the field. Character, however, takes longer to be recognized. Fame may be fleeting, but integrity and living a life of good character over time will last even beyond one’s lifetime.

Endurance develops strength of character. (Romans 5:4)

Curiosity

The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity. (Ellen Parr, author)

It’s been said that curiosity killed the cat, but as W. A. Ward says, “Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning.” If J. J. Étienne Lenoir hadn’t been curious about the mixture of fuel, spark, and pressure, we might not have the internal combustion engine, which led to the invention of the automobile. Pursue your inquisitiveness with the purpose of useful learning.

Intelligent people are always ready to learn. Their ears are open for knowledge. (Proverbs 18:15)

Keep On II

The great successful men of the world have used their imagination . . . (Robert Collier, self-help author)

Collier continues. “. . . [they] think ahead and create their mental picture in all it details, filling in here, adding a little there, altering this a bit and that a bit, but steadily building—steadily building.” Ideas that come from our imagination don’t usually come full-blown. You have to fine-tune them and keep working on them until you’ve completed what you imagined.

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Keep On I

Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny. (C. S. Lewis, late British scholar and author)

No one includes troubles and trials in his or her lists of steps on the ladder to achievement. But life’s experiences prove that such difficulties are often included in the story of someone’s success. A writer’s failed experiments, an author’s rejected manuscripts, an entrepreneur’s unsuccessful business enterprises—many have led to stories of later grand successes.

Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7)

Start Over

Don’t be afraid to start over. This time you’re not starting from scratch. You’re starting from experience. (Quoted by Tom Roy, sports and life coach)

Others have ended the quote with “It’s a chance to build something better this time.” Past disappointments don’t determine future failure. A restart with new plans and renewed determination may produce the desired result and a great sense of accomplishment. So, don’t let today’s disappointments cheat you out of tomorrow’s achievements.

For God [has] something better in mind for us. (Hebrews 11:40)