“Growth is a phenomenon of nature… There is struggle in the growth process… Pain is always the teacher, but with each period of growth it becomes less acute.” Anonymous"I don’t know what I want, but I’ll know it when I see it,” said my boss the first time I was asked to write a proposal. “Do you have an example of a proposal?” I asked. Apparently not, he walked away. After several rounds of edits we presented it to my boss’ boss. He liked it, but gave me suggestions on how to improve it before presenting it to his manager. With five succeeding management presentations, each new manager gave me feedback. Many times I was sure it was as near perfect as anything I’d ever done. But, each successive presentation brought more changes.
Lord, humility is not my strong suit. Help me learn to take constructive criticism without taking it personally, and remind me that humility means I’m only human…not a failure. Amen “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful but sorrowful, yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” Hebrews 12:11 What are your thoughts? Libby
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"To say nothing is perhaps the hardest, most demanding response of all, but it can also be the most loving and respectful…silence, in certain circumstances, is to encourage a friend to feel those feelings.” Anonymous
All the way to the hospital I complained, Lord, why me! I don’t have the gift of compassion. I’ve never done hospital ministry before. I’m not a mother. I don’t know what to say, I barely know her. When He still hadn’t answered as I drove into the parking lot, my complaining turned to an ultimatum. You have to give me the words to say, as I thought about John 14:26 which talks about how He will bring to mind what we need to say. When I walked into the waiting room the pastor and nurse filled me in on the accident and the little girl’s condition. I turned to the couch where a head of disheveled hair sat atop a rumpled coat leaning across the arm rest. I sat next to her and put my arm around her shoulders. She wasn’t crying. She must have been in shock. Shouldn’t the nurses be treating her as well? Then it occurred to me, maybe this is why they called me...but what was I supposed to do? What should I say?
The nurse approached and spoke to me. “She’s gone. You need to have her put her daughter back on the bed.” I nodded. Okay God, I need Your help here! How do I get a mother to say goodbye to her daughter for the last time? I was surprised when moments later these words came out of my mouth, “Cheryl, she’s gone now. Let’s put her to bed.” It took a few minutes, but Cheryl tucked her in as if she was putting her down for a nap, and we returned to the waiting room.
“Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.” Psalm 141:3
What are your thoughts? Libby "I cannot ascertain the spiritual with my intellect. I can only do it by my own faith and spiritual faculties. I must think of God more with my heart than with my head.” Unknown“Why can’t he understand? The Bible is clear on the description of Jesus and how He saved us,” said my father. He was a new believer. He’d been reading his Bible and was sharing with me his burden for an old friend to come to know Jesus personally.
miracles, rising from the dead, ascending into heaven. It only makes sense when we view God as deity.
experience that His mercy, forgiveness, help in times of trouble, and comfort in times of sorrow seem to be more appealing to those who are searching for God, because they are more relateable attributes.
Do you have friends that challenge you to explain spiritual things? Are you trying to rationalize things in the spiritual realm? What will you say next time someone is interested in knowing more about your faith and beliefs? "We might all try minding our own business." C.S. Lewis (spoken by the professor in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe)
Lewis’ children’s story The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. In a recently plotted BBC miniseries, Berkeley Square, one of the 1895 era characters said, “Mend what needs mending, and don’t cry over spilled milk.” In other words, fix what you can, but if not, forget it. The ‘mind your own business’ theme goes back much farther than Lewis. Reinhold Niebuhr wrote a prayer in the early 1930’s popularized by Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step groups. The Serenity Prayer begins with, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
My favorite would have to be Mother Goose. But to be honest I most often pray the excerpt from the Serenity Prayer, focusing on the third part, “...the wisdom to know the difference." And, when God shows me the difference and I succeed in making the choice to let go of things that don’t concern me….well, there you have it, I find I’m a happier person. Is there someone or something you are trying to control that is not really your business? Have you faithfully taken action on the things that only you can do? What steps will you take today to turn stress into serenity, and improve your happiness quotient? Lord, save me from the temptation of thinking I know just how to orchestrate someone else’s life, when really I’m still learning how to live my own life without regrets. Amen “And to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands,…so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.” I Thessalonians 4:11-12 What are your thoughts? Libby Note: C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), British novelist, poet, academic, literary critic, lay theologian, lecturer and Christian apologist. He held academic positions at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities (1925-63). Although most all of his published works (in four genres) are still in print, he is best known for The Screwtape Letters, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Space Trilogy, Mere Christianity, Miracles, and The Problem of Pain.
Schiller) (1759-1805), German poet, philosopher, physician, historian, and playwright. Late in life Schiller co-authored Xenien, a collection of short satirical poems, with his friend Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
Note: W.W. Bartley (unknown), British author, one of dozens of authors and poets who wrote children’s stories, nursery rhymes, poems, plays, and pantomimes around the theme of Mother Goose. Note: Epictetus (50-135 AD), Greek-speaking philosopher, born in Turkey but lived in Rome and Greece. His pupil, Arrian, published his Discourses and Enchiridion. He was best known for his philosophy that individuals are responsible for their own actions. “After the game is over, the king and the pawn go into the same box." Italian ProverbApparently the division manager was having car problems. “Can I help with anything?” I asked. “Thanks for asking, but a tow truck is on its way. See ya tomorrow.” I went on my way, but I have to admit, it was sort of surreal. Someone who makes four times what I make is having car troubles. What was I thinking! Of course he has car problems. Just because people get out of his way when he walks down the hall, and everyone spends hours preparing before a ten minute presentation to him, he’s still just like the rest of us. He has to get his teeth cleaned, just like the rest of us. He has to walk his dog before going to bed, just like the rest of us. When I got in my car I waited, watching him from a distance. I thought of the line in the movie The Family Man where the tire salesman said to the Wall Street CEO, “Wall Street, Main Street; it’s all just a bunch of people getting up in the morning trying to figure out how they’re going to send their kids to college. It’s just people.” Are there people in your life - film stars, athletes, musicians, Internet personalities - who are somewhat intimidating? Do you wonder what it must be like to be them? How will you think of them differently so you won’t be intimidated; and you’ll feel just as real, just as important, just as significant?
Lord, may I never forget to see people through Your eyes; to remember that You love each of us the same regardless of our jobs, our talents, or our accomplishments. Amen Zac, whose parents followed a different religion, said “I’m determined to follow Jesus even if it means leaving my parents.” Rich spoke next, “Thank you. Starting tonight I want to take more risks for the Lord.” (Two men at a men’s retreat in Mount Herman, CA.)When I met my husband I was impressed by his passion to serve God. One of his commitments was as Chaplain doing ministry with men and women in the outlaw motorcycle world. Our first date was on his Harley. After lunch we stopped to pay respects to a man in that town who he was getting to know through this ministry—we went to a tattoo parlor. As our relationship grew, I got into the habit of attending Saturday motorcycle events where I learned more about the culture and the way women were treated in this culture. God was pressing on my heart a desire to reach out to these women. When Wayne asked me to marry him, I knew it was also God presenting me with a challenge to step outside my comfort zone. I loved Wayne, but was I ready for what this would mean. Would I be any good at reaching these women? My background was in Women’s Ministry, discipling other single women, and hospitality on Sunday mornings. Could I ever hope to be accepted by women in this culture? Then I remembered a quote by Georges Bernanos, “Hope is the risk that must be run.” After ten years of building relationships with the women I’ve met, God is opening doors and I’m actually making a difference in the lives of my new friends. Is God calling you to step outside your comfort zone? Is that step a risk that you’re not sure you can take? What are you willing to give back to God while you still can, in order to further His kingdom? Lord, thank You for the calling to reach these women with Your love. Without the call I might never have taken the risk that has touched others, and blessed me. Amen “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Genesis 28:15 What are your thoughts? Libby Note: Georges Bernanos (1888-1948), French author and soldier in World War I, he was critical of bourgeois thought (pacifism) and opposed to ‘defeatism,’ which he thought led to France’s occupation in 1940. Most of his novels have been translated into English in the US and Great Britain, however, Bernanos is one of the least known French novelists by English-speaking readers. “All who Joy would win must share it. Happiness was born a twin.” Lord Byron I don’t know when I first heard the saying, “Shared joy is twice the joy, shared sorrow is half the sorrow,” but I have personally experienced the truth of it. One time when I was home sick from school and was watching television, something funny happened and I laughed. But it sounded so hollow, no one else was there to laugh with me. I could not share how funny it was with anyone. Since then I recall a particularly touching Super Bowl commercial. It showed a Clydesdale horse and the man that trained him when he was only a colt. The room full of people all said “Ahhh” in unison at the end of the commercial. Even after the football game was over we were still enjoying it as we recalled our favorite commercial. These two episodes were years apart, but they both stick in my mind…one because of the hollow dissatisfaction I felt, the other because of the happiness I continued to experience hours and even days later.
Are there times when you have experienced a hollow dissatisfaction? Can you remember times when you’ve been able to share your joy and been able to repeatedly relive the happiness with others? What can you do going forward that can increase your happiness quotient? Lord, thank You for the way you made us, to enjoy each other rather than live the life of a hermit. Amen “You are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” Luke 15:31b-32 What are your thoughts? Libby Note: Lord Byron (1788-1824), British Poet most known for Don Juan (one of the most important long poems published in England since John Milton’s Paradise Lost), Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, and “She Walks in Beauty.” Byron also joined the Greek War of Independence and is still celebrated as a Greek national hero to this day. “Time is not measured by clocks, but by moments.” Susan J. DecuirBefore I knew God I followed the teachings of Gestalt; but after a while the philosophy of self-centeredness was so dry I was searching for something more. I used to say to myself, “There has to be more to life than this.” Then, just days before I came to know and love Christ, I had what could be called a life-threatening close call. In that split-second at that point of danger, it was as if time stood still and a sentence went through my head: “I did not intend for you to die here; you have something to do in your life that you have not done yet.” Since at that time I did not attend church or read the Bible or pray, hearing these words as if they were spoken to me by someone else, was quite a shock...so much so that I had to pull off the road to recover. Then I had to explain to my passenger why I was too startled to drive—even the close call didn’t warrant this response. A few minutes later we were back on the road again, but not as if nothing had happened. In that moment my life changed forever. Since developing my relationship with the Triune God, I have many times wondered, “Have I done what I was intended to do yet?” I assume it was something that would affect the life, or lives, of others for the better, or, in some way further the Kingdom of God…but I can never be sure. So, I have gotten into the habit of focusing on the moments, moments that will help others or in some way leave a legacy for those who come after me. But I don’t dwell on the past moments; I’m always looking to the next moment. Since I’m still alive, there must still be something more that I'm intended to do. You may not have had a life-threatening close call, or a sentence inserted into your thoughts, but have you considered what God has intended for you to accomplish in your lifetime? Do you look at the opportunities before you as to how they will affect others, or God’s Kingdom? What can you do today that will make a ‘special moment’ in the life of someone else? Lord, thank You for giving my life purpose. Amen. “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10 What are your thoughts? Libby Note: Susan J. Decuir, (1947- ) an author of My Stories: A Christian Worldview. Susan lives in Carrollton, Texas, with her husband Ron, and enjoys reading, playing with her grandchildren, exercising, and sharing the gospel with those who will listen. "When we face the guilt that truthfully tells us, ‘You made a mistake,’ we’re freed of shame that falsely tells us, ‘You are a mistake.’” Anonymous I don’t like feeling shame. I suppose it came from when I was a kid and got punished more harshly than was necessary when I made a mistake. I frequently heard, “Shame on you,” or “You ought to be ashamed of yourself.” It made me feel small, unworthy, less than others.
I developed an arsenal of techniques to avoid the feeling of rejection that came with shame…I would change the subject, just walk away, eat something sweet, play solitaire, hide in a book, or go over to a friend’s house. I tried never to be bad, but I was always finding myself in situations where I would do something wrong. As an adult, I began to learn the difference between guilt and shame. When I first saw the movie Anne of Green Gables, one line stood out to me. Anne said, “That’s the good thing about me, I never do the same wrong thing twice.” Anne was an orphan and was never taught how to behave. So when Matilda adopted her she was often frustrated that Anne did things wrong. But, Anne learned from her mistakes. This put mistakes into a different light for me. Anne was guilty of doing something wrong, but she had nothing to be ashamed of. She wasn’t flawed, she was learning. I would like to think that as an adult I never do things wrong any longer. But that’s just not the case. I will probably be learning until the day I die. Yet it’s a relief to release the shame and realize it’s just guilt that I’m feeling. I’m not a bad person, I'm just learning how not to do something the next time. This realization has made it easier for me to apologize when I do something wrong because it's not about me being a bad person, I just used poor judgment….I’m human. And, it helps to know others are all like me—still learning. Like Gert Behanna said in her “God Is Not Dead” message delivered to a Baptist church congregation, “God said, ‘All have sinned,’ so I presume that means all of you are sinners, too.” Are you human...still learning? Are you still relying on avoidance techniques? Is there an apology you’ve been putting off because you have mistaken guilt with shame? Now, are you ready to forgive yourself and apologize? Lord, thank You for helping me learn to apologize, and to understand that my value as a person is not diminished when I make a mistake. Amen “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:23-24 (NIV) What are your thoughts? Libby |
WelcomeI love the wisdom of the ages gleaned from relevant quotes. In them there is a connection to the human experience that crosses all borders. Join me as I relate my personal experiences, and link the wisdom of the quote to the Source of all wisdom: God's Word, the Bible. Enjoy, Libby Categories
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