A thought for the Day

[JC2]

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<B>Life Means So Much</B> by Chris Rice

Every day is a journal page
Every man holds a quill and ink
And there's plenty of room for writing in
All we do is believe and think
So will you compose a curse
Or will today bring the blessings
Fill the page with rhyming verse
Or some random sketchings

Teach us to count the days
Teach us to make the days count
Lead us in better ways
Somehow our souls forgot
Life means so much
Life means so much
Life means so much

Every day is a bank account
And time is our currency
So no one's rich, nobody's poor
We get twenty-four hours each
So how are you gonna spend
Will you invest or squander
Try to get ahead
Or help someone who's under

Has anybody lived who knew the value of a life
And didn't He give His own
To show the worth of yours and mine?

Every day is a gift you've been given,
Make the most of the time every minute you're living
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[Dan Murphy]

Today will call each of us to make our particular contributions to
the moment. There is no guarantee that we will enjoy every
experience, but we can be certain each one of them will teach us
something we're ready to learn because "when the student is ready,
the teacher appears."

Little reflection is necessary for us to realize that our most
troubling times have generally been responsible for our greatest
growth. Our achievements are always accompanied by periods of
frustration, occasional loss of direction, even momentary despair
because the actual results miss the mark of our hopes. However,
the passage of time makes clear that these actual results benefit us
far more than those we'd hoped for.

Our personal vision is narrow and limiting. We can't really
imagine what's in store for us. The most we can do is trust that our
experiences have our best interests in tow.

I'll remember: Today I'm a student and my experiences are my
teachers.


from the book--
The Promise of a New Day by Karen Casey and Martha Vanceburg copyright 1983, 1991

 

[helenabear]

Originally posted by Dan Murphy
Little reflection is necessary for us to realize that our most
troubling times have generally been responsible for our greatest
growth.

No words have ever been more true in my life!

 

[Dan Murphy]

One of the most elusive truths we'll ever struggle to grasp is that
everyone has a unique perspective about every circumstance, a
perspective that reflects a personal understanding of the universe.
We never doubt that truth for ourselves, of course. We simply fail
to acknowledge that it's true for everyone else too.

There are times we can't shake the need to be right; our egos seem
to depend on it. Unfortunately, we can't maintain any real
peacefulness if we are always in conflict with others who have
their own viewpoints. Winning the "battle" then becomes a painful
victory. Believing in valid, separate realities is only difficult at
first. But like any other opinion or attitude, it can become habit
with enough practice. We have nothing to lose by giving it a try.

I don't need everyone to agree with me today. I only think I do.

A Woman's Spirit by Karen Casey copyright 1994

 

[Dan Murphy]

Becoming quiet brings the search for answers to an end.

Problems are opportunities for growth. They let us experience the wisdom of other people when we ask for help. They assure us a better connection to our Higher Power if we want it. And they give us chances to practice inner silence and find the place where all answers ultimately reside. Going within offers us profound calm, the love and the secure comfort of our Higher Power. Until we have sampled that gift, we can't fathom what we have missed in life. Acknowledging the presence of God changes every situation we encounter. It changes every detail of every day.

Let's not fear problems. Instead, let's see them as mere reminders that we have forgotten to remember the presence of our Higher Power. Taking a few moments to travel within will bring us clarity and comfort. Peace will come along with the problem's resolution.

I will receive the answer I need if I look in the right place.

A Life of my Own by Karen Casey.

 

[Robinrs]

Being Still is the hardest part of my walk here on this earth...

and the most necessary.

People tell me that I am patient... I am not. I have lived long enough to realize that I am NOT in charge.


Exodus 14:14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."

 

[EROS]

I turned to speak to God
About the world's despair;
But to make bad matters worse
I found God wasn't there.


Robert Frost

 

[JC2]

Originally posted by Dan Murphy
Acknowledging the presence of God changes every situation we encounter.

Yes, it does. It really does.

And, Robin, I sooo agree with you - that "being still" is amazingly hard. Too often I'm not "still" until I've tried to work it all out. But I find the greatest peace when I just rest and let Him work it out - just as that verse says that you posted. And I find that He is true and so faithful to His word.

Thanks, y'all, for encouraging words tonight

 

[helenabear]

Originally posted by Dan Murphy
Let's not fear problems. Instead, let's see them as mere reminders that we have forgotten to remember the presence of our Higher Power. Taking a few moments to travel within will bring us clarity and comfort. Peace will come along with the problem's resolution.

I wish I had read this earlier Dan. Sometimes I swear you pick exactly what I need to hear

Robin, your thoughts are wonderful!! As JC2 said, I do think it is very hard to be still at many moments in my life. I especially like this thought

I have lived long enough to realize that I am NOT in charge.

I hope someday I will be able to "let go" more often and let Him take charge!

Thank you both Robin & Dan for those great thoughts!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Sometimes we need to look hard at a person and remember that he is doing the best he can. He's just trying to find his way. That's all.
--Ernest Thompson

Sometimes we need to look hard at ourselves at the end of a day and give ourselves credit for doing our best. We need to look at our actions and reactions as objectively as possible. Now is the time to review and focus on the positive outcomes, not the negative.

The mere fact that we got out of bed, got dressed, and faced the day are sometimes acts of courage and strength. We didn't run from the day; we faced it, even with feelings of anxiety or sadness or fear. What matters is this -- that we tried to do the best we could.

Let's look back over the events of the day and remember we did the very best we could to find our own way today.

How did I do the best I could today? What good things have I learned about me?

From the book Night Light by Amy Dean.

 

[helenabear]

Originally posted by Dan Murphy
The mere fact that we got out of bed, got dressed, and faced the day are sometimes acts of courage and strength. We didn't run from the day; we faced it, even with feelings of anxiety or sadness or fear. What matters is this -- that we tried to do the best we could.

I like this thought very much

 

[ead79]

Lord prepare me
To be a Sanctuary
Pure and holy
Tried and true
With thanksgiving
I'll be a living
Sanctuary for You

This chorus has been in my head and heart, so I thought I would share it with you all. This week at the BSU, the pastor gave a message about abiding in Christ. He said that we as Christians let Jesus abide in us, but often don't make a true effort to abide in Him, making us often not experience the abundant life He has for us. The message really spoke to me, and I am making an effort to really abide in Him this week. "Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:4-5

 

[Dan Murphy]

Elisabeth, I like your pastor's thoughts. Very true.


The hand that gives gathers.
--English proverb

Maybe we grew up believing somehow that to give is to lose. We
were taught to believe, or came to the conclusion on our own, that
when we give away something, we have to do without it; to give
meant to experience loss.

Now, our spiritual friends show us a love that demands nothing in
return, and we have a different attitude. We discover that when we
give in a spirit of generosity, we lose nothing at all. When we
share our love with others, we feel loved. When we share a
material possession, we feel rich. The opposite is true, too, of
course. When we withhold love, we feel unloved, and when we
don't share what we have, we feel the loss of something.

There is a spiritual maxim at work here. We can give of ourselves
and have everything, or we can withhold ourselves and experience
spiritual poverty.

Give what you have. It is the way to be truly happy.

In God's Care by Karen Casey

 

[Dan Murphy]

It is wealth to be content.

On the evening of the first day of spring, a woman gave her husband a bright right geranium in a clay pot. To celebrate, he placed it on the window sill, and together they marveled at the delicate petals.

In the harsher light of the morning, though, the man frowned at the geranium and said to his wife, "How shabby it makes the sofa look." They spent the day at the furniture store and came home with a new couch, blue and red flowers, like the geranium. They placed the couch in the front of the window sill and admired together its grace and line and fashionable upholstery.

But the next morning, the man frowned at the couch and said, "How shabby it makes the carpet look." Soon they had a lavish new carpet, which led to new curtains, lamps, and chairs. When the room was completely redone, they set the geranium back in the window and surveyed the finest room in the neighborhood. The man frowned. "The geranium," he said, "it's out of place. It will have to go."

Will I be able to appreciate life's simple pleasures today?

Today's Gift--anonymous

 

[helenabear]

Originally posted by ead79
"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:4-5

One of my favorite verses... thank you!


What is poor?

One day a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people can be. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?" "It was great, Dad." "Did you see how poor people can be?" the father asked. "Oh Yeah" said the son. "So what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father. The son answered, "I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them." With this the boy's father was speechless. Then his son added,"Thanks dad for showing me how poor we are."

 

[Dan Murphy]

Very true words, Elaine, very true.


The worst moment for one who does not believe in God is when he is really thankful and has nobody to thank.
— Dante Gabriel Rossetti

We can look back on our old life and be thankful for what we are like now. Although it is useless to dwell on the past, it is sometimes helpful to cast a backward glance. It sharpens our gratitude. The blessings we experience today are in such stark contrast to the misery we used to endure.

We examine the serendipity — all the good things that are happening to us — and we know not to take credit ourselves. We express gratitude to God because we know the good things are not accidental.

I pray that I remain grateful for God's help.



In God's Care by Karen Casey

 

[Dan Murphy]

All things work together for good to them that love God.
—Romans 8:28

Sometimes it's very hard to believe that God knows what He's doing. We are told to stop trying to control everything, so we do. We "Let Go," we "Turn It Over." We pry our grip off people, places, and things. As much as we want to hang on, we force ourselves to let God run the show. Then we wait and watch for the good things to start happening.

Most of the time events continue to unfold as unevenly as they always did. Accidents happen while setbacks, injustices, and evil get rewarded, and good goes begging. We feel that our letting go is mocked, that God isn't doing a better job than we did. Why isn't He performing?

But God can write straight with crooked lines. God's timetable may well not be the same as ours. What is asked is that we learn to believe without seeing and to trust when it seems we could do so much better.

Today, I pray for the faith to go the distance. Like a child leaping into a parent's arms, I know that l am too precious to drop.



From the book, Days of Healing Days of Joy

 

[helenabear]

Thank you Dan... I have found myself feeling this way many times myself. I'll try to remember about being too precious to drop

 

[EROS]

A drunk that smelled like a brewery got on a bus one day. He sat down next to a priest. The drunk's shirt was stained, his face was full of bright red lipstick and he had a half empty bottle of wine sticking out of his pocket. He opened his newspaper and started reading---a couple of minutes later he asked the priest, "Father what causes arthritis"?

"Mister, it's caused by loose living, being with cheap wicked women,too much alcohol and contempt for your fellow man".

"Well I'll be damned", the drunk muttered and returned to reading his paper.

The priest, thinking about what he said turned to the man and apologized. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come on so strong---how long have you had arthritis"?

"I don't, father, I was just reading in the paper that the Pope has it".

 

[Buckalew]

Amen, Dan. Something I struggle with: thinking I should be able, or just am able, to be control. That God's ways and mine are different and that He knows what is best for my life. I know this in my heart, but, at times, I just try to be in control. Life is very different if you let God be in control. Right now, I struggle... But I am grateful that He understands my struggle and loves me just the same.

Eros, Although I think you posted to the wrong thread, I'll just comment that it IS a joke to say that disease and bad things only happen to bad people. God lets it rain on the just and the unjust.