Daily Stop & Thinks

Work

The price of success is hard work… (Vince Lombardi, successful 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.” We might wonder today if some younger people have discovered Lombardi’s axiom. Everyone wants to be successful, but not everyone is willing to work hard for it. What a shame! Good work is truly satisfying.

My mind found joy in all the work I did—my work was its own reward! (Ecclesiastes 2:10)

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Responsibility

No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, show up, and never give up. (Abraham Lincoln)

The story is told of a mother who was trying to get her reluctant son to get up to go to school. He rebelled; he didn’t want to go to school, he said. The mother insisted, however, reminding him that he was the principal. Lincoln’s advice at that time would have been most appropriate. We all need to be reminded from time to time that responsibility outweighs feelings.

Don’t try to avoid doing your duty. (Ecclesiastes 8:3)

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Serving

Your business resumé is less important than your community service calendar. (Dan O’Deens, 3^rd world social worker)

Business-minded young people begin to worry about their resumés very early in their careers—often before they even finish their formal training. It is important, of course, to be able to point to your achievements in preparation for your chosen vocation, but O’Deen’s counsel should be taken seriously. Your character is reflected more by how and whom you serve.

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others. (Mark 10:45)

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Generosity

There never was any heart truly great and generous that was not also tender and compassionate. (Robert Frost, 19^th-20^th century American poet)

What is your motivation for being generous? Some very well-known, wealthy people give a lot of money to their favorite charities. Why? Is it because of a hefty tax deduction? Is it to gain a measure of fame for their generosity? Or, is it simply that they have deep concerns for the people their charities serve? The latter are the kinds of donors that are truly great.

Use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. (Ephesians 4:28)

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Shortcuts

There are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going. (Keith Minier, pastor)

With GPS and Google Maps, you would think that you’d never get lost again, wouldn’t you? And yet, those helps aren’t always correct, and sometimes we even try to take a shortcut. A lot of wives cringe when their husbands try to do that. Minier’s point, of course, has more to do with life decisions than merely finding the best route to your physical destination. Hear the words of the biblical writer:

Hasty shortcuts lead to poverty. (Proverbs 21:5b)

Happy New Year!

Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right. (Oprah Winfrey. TV personality)

Days, months, and years keep rolling around like clockwork. Many days seem exactly alike, but January first encourages us to think more positively about the future and how we plan to use it. So, what are you looking and hoping for this year? Whatever our dreams might be, remember they don’t just happen. Plan, pray, counsel, and set out to achieve your goals this year.

Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity. (Proverbs 21:5a)

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Anticipation

New Year’s Eve is like every other night… yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights. (Hamilton Wright Mabie, 19th-20th century essayist)

Mabie also said, “there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted” So, what is it that makes New Year’s Eve so different from every other night? No doubt, it’s the anticipation of something better—a new year filled with hope and expectation.

There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. (Proverbs 23:18)

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Mistakes

I hope that in the year to come you make mistakes… (Neil Gaiman, English author)

That’s not a good New Year’s blessing, is it? Hear Gaiman out: “because if you are making mistakes you are making new things, learning, living, pushing  yourself, changing yourself, changing the world.” Now that puts it in a more positive light, doesn’t it? Mistakes are inevitable, so expect them and try to learn from them. It will make for a better New Year.

Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. (Ephesians 4:2)

As you go into the new year, make sure to purchase yourself a copy of the book God of Hope to help you get through our mistakes.

Leadership

Leadership is “enabling others to do what they don’t want to do in order to be able to be what they want to be.” (Bill Hull, author)

“Leadership” has many definitions, and Hull’s is certainly a challenge. How do you get people “to do what they don’t want to do”? Sounds like his advice would be to discover what people ultimately want to be and the deepest desire of their hearts. Help them to work toward that goal, and you will have led them well.

If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. (Romans 12:8)

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Others

Life is an exciting business, and most exciting when it is lived for others. (Helen Keller, 20th century author and lecturer)

When you realize the handicaps that Helen Keller endured from childhood, you have to marvel at her statement that “Life is an exciting business.” As the first blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from college, she typified persistence and moral strength. Keller challenges all of us with her comment that life is “most exciting when it is lived for others.”

The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. (Proverbs 11:25)

Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts. (Hebrews 6:11)

You can continue, or begin, living your life to help others by donating to God of Hope today.

Hope

In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on. (Robert Frost, 19th-20th century American poet)

The after-Christmas spirit is difficult for a lot of people. The excitement of the holidays has gone with taking down the tree, removing the decorations and the lights. The return to “normal” is a big let-down. But Frost reminds us of a very important lesson to learn in every change of seasons and circumstances. “Life goes on” and so must we—with hope and determination.

The Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. (Romans 15:4)

If you are finding it difficult to move past the holiday season, the book God of Hope may help restore some hope into your life.

The Day After

One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don’t clean it up too quickly. (Andy Rooney, late TV commentator)

Isn’t it part of the holiday fun to pick up the gift wrappings and trash after the fun of opening and playing with those precious gifts? (Except maybe for the broken toy parts or the missing batteries.) Anyways, don’t lose the joy of the season so soon after the big day. Remembering the purpose of it all will help you to maintain the joy and good will of the holidays.

Those who trust the Lord will be joyful. (Proverbs 16:20)

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)