Daily Stop & Thinks

Christmas isn’t a season. It’s a feeling. (Edna Ferber, 20^th century Pulitzer Prize-winning author)

Have you begun to feel it yet? It’s three weeks away yet, but all around us the decorations have been put up and the stores are offering all kinds of Christmas clothes, toys, and trinkets. So, the season is here, and we’re beginning to feel it. But Ferber isn’t totally right. Christmas is more than a feeling. It is actually an annual reminder of God’s great love in sending us His Son.

When the time had fully come, God sent his Son … to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. (Galatians 4:4-5)

It isn’t where you came from; it’s where you’re going that counts. (Ella Fitzgerald, late jazz singer)

Ella Fitzgerald was sometimes called “The First Lady of Jazz.” Regardless of her background, she knew what she wanted to achieve, and she reached the heights in her profession. It’s something we might all strive for, but it’s a reminder, too, that, whatever our origin, we need to consider carefully how to prepare for the future.

Know also that wisdom is like honey for you: If you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. (Proverbs 24:14)

Judge each day not by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant. (paraphrase of Robert Louis Stevenson)

We are eager to see the results of our efforts. But, we don’t always see the fruit of our work right away. The harvest rewards the farmer for his diligent work months earlier. So, we shouldn’t judge our success too soon. We can, however, evaluate our work on the basis of the seeds we’ve planted. Plant them widely and carefully, and leave the results to God.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9)

Never let the odds keep you from pursuing what you know in your heart you were meant to do. (Leroy Robert “Satchel” Paige, considered by some to be the best pitcher in baseball history)

When you consider the odds stacked against Satchel Paige, you marvel at his gracious spirit. An outstanding pitcher in the American Negro League, he wasn’t given an opportunity to play Major League baseball until late in his career. But, given the opportunity, he made the best of it, leaving an outstanding witness to the value of pursuing what you really want to achieve.

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4) The desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. (Proverbs 13:4)

It always seems impossible until it is done. (Nelson Mandela, late president of South Africa)

To Mandela, his dreams of equality for all and the end of apartheid must often have seemed impossible. Imprisoned at length for his protests and demonstrations, he was finally released and, unbelievably, ultimately elected to the highest office in the land. He also said, “A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.” He was a perfect example.

Jesus said, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.” (Luke 18:27)

If you don’t ask, you don’t get. (Stevie Wonder, musician and songwriter)

Wonder’s statement is simple, yet profound. It raises the question, “Why don’t we ask for something we want?” Perhaps we need the answer to a question, but we think we’ll appear ignorant if we ask it. Maybe it’s because we’ve asked and been denied many times. Or, maybe we’re asking with selfish or improper motivation. Be thoughtful about what you ask for.

O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help. (Psalm 86:5)

We can’t say no to something good unless we’re saying yes to something even better. (Rachel Gilson, counselor of college students)

Years ago the Sears Roebuck catalogs included page after page of goods to choose from. Its unique format offered merchandise by quality: good, better, best. In terms of quality of product, you get what you pay for. Gilson reminds us that it is sometimes wise to reject something good in order to take what is better—even to reach for the very best.

Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city. . . . Better to have little, with fear for the Lord, than to have great treasure and inner turmoil. (Proverbs 16:32; 15:16)

A good name, like good will, is got by many actions and lost by one. (Lord Jeffery, 18^th century British army officer)

People are most often known by their actions. A person who accomplishes a lot and exhibits many good deeds and acts of kindness is thought highly of. Unfortunately, if that person stumbles—maybe only once, his reputation may be ruined. Lord Jeffery was right: just one wrong deed can spoil a good reputation. It’s a warning to be careful about how we live daily.

Don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment. Hang on to them for . . . they keep you safe on your way, and your feet will not stumble. (Proverbs 3:21, 23) A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume. (Ecclesiastes 7:1)

Pain becomes good or bad based on what we do with it. (Source unknown)

It’s an oft-repeated idea: pain can be both good and bad. Without physical pain, we wouldn’t know we had touched a hot burner until the skin began to curl. Pain as a warning is a good thing, a blessing. If we respond to pain—whether physical or emotional—by seeking its source and responding with appropriate remedies, we can be restored to health.

The words of the wise are like cattle prods—painful but helpful. (Ecclesiastes 12:11)

I’ve learned that the smallest amount of light completely breaks the darkness. (Mekayla Deffenbaugh. social worker)

Have you noticed that you can take a small candle into a dark room, and suddenly, the room is no longer in total blackness? On the other hand, can you take a burned out candle (darkness) into a lighted room and put out the light? An absurd idea, isn’t it? That’s the beauty of light; wherever you take it, darkness is dispelled. And we can be that light in dark places.

Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. (Philippians 2:15)

Ideas have consequences and bad ideas have victims. (John Stonestreet, Biblical worldview author)

We’ve all seen the bulb light up in a cartoon character’s head, indicating that he or she has just had an inspiration. Those ideas can often become the basis for creativity and productivity. Where would we be without new ideas? Unfortunately, not all ideas are good ones. When a new thought surfaces, we would do well to evaluate carefully its source, purpose, and value.

Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. (1 Timothy 4:7)

Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings. (William Arthur Ward, American author of inspirational maxims)

It’s Thanksgiving Day in the United States, and many families are expressing their thanks for God’s blessing in their homes and upon our country. In spite of difficulties and unrest, there is still much to be grateful for. But, as Ward suggests, thanksgiving doesn’t have to be only an annual celebration. What would life be like if we lived every day with an attitude of gratitude?

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)