| Title | Description |
| The Art of Praise |
There is a very basic courtesy that should apply in all human relations--taking the time to thank people who help us. My friend Mike Somdal is a specialist at this. One reason he is so successful in business is that he has mastered the fine art of making people feel good by thanking them regularly. Often he will call customers simply to thank them again for the order they placed last week or for |
| Four Magic Words |
A nurse ushered me into my grandma's room. Lying in the hospital bed, she looked so small. Her eyes were closed. I sat down quietly. I was on my way to seminary and full of self-doubt. I had just given up a full scholarship to medical school, and everyone thought I was making a mistake. I desperately wanted Grandma's advice, but the nurse had warned me that she didn't have much strength left. |
| Life's Little Pleasures |
I am sorry all of you who follow my blog, I have not been posting for awhile as my work has been extra busy, right now our missionary team is focusing on disaster relief in Haiti and as such need all of your prayers and support.Here is some beautiful word I read the other day.Our friend Thomas is a keen gardener, and it is always a great joy to walk around his garden. Recently, I was admiring |
| A Mustard Seed |
By Angela Melinda, RomaniaMy family lives in a small town where everyone knows each other, at least by sight. My best friend and I were the town's only hippies, considered crazy because we always tried to be different, no matter what people thought. When I received Jesus as my Savior, I changed. All I wanted to do was serve Jesus by telling other people how they could have His love too. I took |
| Jealousy |
1. Mr. Moody once told a story which illustrated the only sure plan of getting rid of jealousy. "There were two businessmen--merchants--and there was great rivalry between them, a great deal of bitter feeling. One of them became a Christian. He went to his minister and said: "'I am still jealous of that man, and I do not know how to overcome it.' "'Well,' he said, 'if a man comes into your store |
| Listen |
It was late in the season. The Kings led the series two to one, and game four against the Lakers was today at 3:30. I wouldn't miss it for the world. Some people said I should watch the WNBA (women's professional basketball) or the Home Shopping Network, but I had always been a tomboy. I made tree houses, not quilts. Basketball came naturally. I was busy. I was always busy, but today my sister |
| Building a Life |
We build our lives year by year, day by day, moment by moment. The start of a new year is a good time to ask ourselves how the construction is progressing. * * *Building a Life An elderly carpenter was ready to retire, and he told his boss of his plans to leave and live a more leisurely life with his wife. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by. The contractor |
| God’s Help in Crisis |
A Still Small Voice: Rescued by God at the last minuteBy Dale Hurd, CBN News There are so many stories of God's hand at work amidst the horror of the World Trade Center attack. This is the miraculous story of how God preserved the life of one woman who listened to the Holy Spirit's voice. NEW YORK CITY - As two hijacked planes were heading on a collision course with the World Trade Towers, one |
| Love Means Believing in Someone |
Love takes time. It needs a history of giving and receiving, laughing, and crying.Love doesn’t promise instant gratification, only ultimate fulfillment.Love means believing in someone, in something; it presupposes a willingness to struggle, to work, to suffer, and to rejoice.Love is doing everything you can to help others build whatever dreams they have.Love is on a constant |
| How to Cope |
It is a great matter to know just how to rest--how to be quiet when all around seems tumultuous. We irritate and excite our souls about the coming emergency, and we approach it with worn and feverish spirits, and so mar our Master's purpose and work.When the crisis comes, He will tell me what to do. The orders are not given until the appointed day. Why should I fume and fret and worry as to what |
| 50 cents and love |
Peace on earth will come to stay, When we live Christmas every day. -Helen Steiner Rice By Richard Mathison Because Nicolosa Donlucas had 50 cents, hands for work, and a heart for love, 103 poor Mexicans celebrated Christmas back in 1959 when this story took place.Nicolosa, a tiny, work-worn cleaning lady at the Plaza Community Center in Los Angeles, earned $90 a month. She spoke no English, but |
| Helping Out |
"Make Me Like Joe!"By Tony Campolo (from Everything You've Heard Is Wrong)Joe was a drunk who was miraculously converted at a Bowery mission. Prior to his conversion, he had gained the reputation of being a dirty wino for whom there was no hope, only a miserable existence in the ghetto. But following his conversion to a new life with God, everything changed. Joe became the most caring person that |
| In the Spirit of Love |
You will find,As you look back upon your lifeThat the moments that stand out, The moments when you have really lived, Are the moments when you have done things In the spirit of love. -Henry Drummond* * *Lunch with God There once was a little boy who wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with cookies and a six-pack of root beer, and he started |
| The Matchless Pearl |
The author of this story is unknown, so we have no way of knowing if it actually occurred. However, it is still a vivid illustration of a truth that can sometimes be hard to grasp.Years ago, while an American named David Morse was living and working in India, he met and became friends with a pearl diver, Rambhau. Morse spent many evenings in Rambhau’s cabin, reading to him from the Bible and |
| Safe and Secure |
Remember that even in the darkest hour Jesus is right there beside you, holding your hand, and He's not going to let go. This is a beautiful poem that I found really touching.The Sparrow I'm only a little sparrow, A bird of low degree; My life is of little value, But the dear Lord cares for me. I know there are many sparrows-- All over the world they are found; But our heavenly Father |
| God Always Needs More Pipe |
By Barbara Johnson (Splashes of Joy in the Cesspools of Life)Think of a gardener irrigating his garden. He is able to channel life-giving water to all areas except to one little dying plant way over in the corner. The gardener knows that if he had just one more piece of pipe he could run it over to that wilting plant and transform it with new life. So it is with the Master Gardener. Because He |
| Best-Loved Bible Quotes |
Prominent Americans share the passages that have inspired and guided them. And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you (Ephesians 4:32). Jimmy Carter, President, 1976-1980. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). Deborah Norville, television journalist This is the day which the Lord |
| Anger Is Hazardous To Your Health |
How Anger Wrecks Your Body (ABCNews.com) Dr. Redford Williams of Duke University and author of the book, Anger Kills, says mounting research shows that the stress hormone cortisol that fuels your anger can literally tear your blood vessels. “It’s actually causing little nicks and tears in the inner lining of the arteries that feed our heart,” Williams said. “If the anger continues day in and day |
| Escape from Stress |
Marcia, age four, was my Sunday morning commitment. Only by picking her up at her foster home before the worship service could I ensure her attending the church school that followed. Today Marcia had exhausted my surprise bag of coloring books and puzzles in the first seven minutes. Even the candy failed to hold her attention for more than thirty seconds. I took Marcia's piquant face between my |
| Forgive today |
"Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." (Mark 11:25-26 NKJ)Not long ago John and Georgina Brown celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary. On the day before, John talked to me about the lessons he'd |
| What A Friend we Have In Jesus! |
By Lilia Potters My father and mother returned from visiting a sick friend and his wife one night, my mother’s face tearstained and my father somber. Yet they glowed as they gathered us four kids around them to tell us what had happened.Corrie had called my mom earlier and asked if she and Dad could come and see her that evening. The condition of her husband Chris, who had skin cancer, was |
| The Umbrella |
By Tomoko Matsuoka, JapanThe air was heavy with unshed rain as I made my way to the hub of our town. I silently berated myself for not bringing an umbrella as I glanced at the clouds that hung low and filled the gray sky. It seemed that in a minute or two the heavens would burst open, but two minutes came and went. I went here and there, taking care of my business, then turned homeward.It was at |
| People Skills |
Power is not revealed by striking hard or often, but by striking true. -Honoré de BalzacCharles and Carla Coonradt tell the story of an immense, 19,000-pound whale, Shama, that is taught in Sea World, Florida, to jump 22 feet out of the water and perform tricks. How do you suppose they teach the whale to do that? A typical managerial approach would be to mount a rope at 22 feet high out of the |
| Marriage |
What Really Matters Carl was driving to work one morning when he bumped fenders with another motorist. Both cars stopped, and the woman driving the other car got out to survey the damage. She was distraught. It was her fault, she admitted, and hers was a new car-less than two days from the showroom. She dreaded facing her husband. Carl was sympathetic, but he had to pursue the exchange of license |
| The Greatest of These |
In ninth grade, there was one teacher who stood out to me more than all the rest. We called him Uncle Jo. Uncle Jo was a funny guy, aging in years but a kid at heart. He made those boring history books seem exceptionally fun and put the sparkle into everything about life. Uncle Jo cared for a boy named Mikey whom we called “the special child.” Mikey was indeed special, for he was handicapped with |
