Inspirational Articles |
Today’s the
Day Michael was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. He was a natural motivator. If someone was having a bad day, Michael was telling them to look on the bright side. One day I asked him, "How can you be so upbeat all the time?" He replied, "Everyday I say to myself, you have two choices: You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood. Life is all about choices. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood. I choose to be in a good mood." We gradually lost touch, but I often thought of him and his attitude. Several years later, I heard that he was seriously injured from falling 60 feet from a tower. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Michael was released from the hospital with rods in his back. I ran into him six months after the accident and asked him how he was. He replied. "Never better. Want to see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him about the accident. He said the first thing he thought about was his soon to be born daughter. "Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. He continued, "The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine but when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors, I got scared. Their eyes read "he's a dead man." I knew I needed to take action. There was a nurse shouting questions at me," said Michael. "She asked if I was allergic to anything." "Yes" I replied and the doctors stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, "Gravity." Over their laughter, I told them, "I want to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead." Michael lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but
also because of his amazing attitude. We all have the choice to live fully.
Attitude is everything. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will
worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own and today is the
tomorrow you worried about yesterday.
BACK Man whispered, "God, speak to me." A meadowlark sang. But man did not hear. Man said "God, speak to me." Thunder and lightning rolled across the sky. But man did not listen. Man said, "God, let me see you." And a star shined brightly. But man did not see. Man shouted, "God, show me a miracle." And a life was born. But man did not notice. Man cried in despair, "Touch me, God, and let me know you are here!" God reached down and touched man. But man brushed the butterfly away and walked on. God surrounds us in things we take for granted. Don't miss
his miracles because they aren’t packaged the way that you expect. Expect the
unexpected.
BACK One day, a farmer's donkey fell into an abandoned well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway. He grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. Realizing what was happening, the donkey at first wailed horribly. Then, a few shovel fulls later, he quieted down. The farmer peered into the well, and was astounded by what he saw. With every shovel full of dirt that hit his back, the donkey would shake it off and take a step up on the rising layer of dirt. He continued to shovel in dirt, the dirt rose, and eventually, the donkey stepped out of the well, walked over to the farmer and bit him! Moral: Life is going to throw you in a deep hole and shovel dirt on you at one time or another. The trick is not to let it bury you, but to shake it off and take a step up. Each trouble is a stepping stone. You can get out of the deepest problem by never losing hope and never giving up.
And never, never forget. When you cover your ass, it
could come back to bite you.
BACK As little girls and boys, God gives us little joys. Sights and sounds, Tastes and smells We take them all within ourselves. With God’s great gifts On this lie, Then one day, A crushing blow destroys The castle of cards. Our own self destruction. Left in the rubble A life so wasted A second chance, Beauty and brains are false values that demoralize people who don’t think they measure up. Instead, what greater sense of self-worth could there be than knowing that the Creator of the universe is acquainted with you personally? He values you more than the possessions of the entire world. He understands your fears and anxieties. He reaches out to you in immeasurable love when no one else cares. He actually gave his life for you. He can turn your liabilities into assets and your emptiness into fullness. And He offers a better life that follows this one, where the present handicaps and inadequacies will all be eliminated. What a fantastic message of hope and
encouragement for someone who has been crushed by life’s circumstances! This
is true self-worth at its richest, dependent not on the whims of birth or
social judgment but on divine decree. James
Dobson
BACK Dear Annie, How are you? I’ve been thinking about my life lately and have made some changes. I'm reading more and doing less housework. I'm stopped fussing about the weeds in the garden. I'm spending more time with family and friends. I’ve decided that life should be experiences to savor, not to endure. I'm trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them. I'm not "saving" anything. I use my best dishes for "special" events like losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped or the first Amaryllis blossom. "Someday" is gone from my vocabulary. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now. What would you do if today was your last day? Call family or friends to mend fences? For me, it's little things left undone, like letters that I should have written or telling someone that I truly love them. Every morning, I tell myself that it’s a
special day. Every minute and every breath truly is a gift from God. I don't
believe in miracles. I rely on them. A farmer owned land along the coast and constantly looked for hired hands. Most were reluctant to work on coastal farms because of the dreadful storms that raged, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants, he received a steady stream of refusals until finally, a short, old man approached the farmer. "Are you a good worker?" the farmer asked him. "Well, I sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man. Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer was satisfied with the man's work. One night the wind howled from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!" The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I sleep when the wind blows." Enraged by the response, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. Amazed, he found all of the haystacks had been covered with tarps. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops and the doors were barred and the shutters were secured. It then occurred to him what the man meant. When you're prepared, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life? BACK Walking through the forest, a hiker came upon a picturesque river. He stopped to appreciate the beauty when suddenly he heard a faint cry coming from upstream. He saw an obviously drowning man floundering in the river. Momentarily stunned, he sprang into action, dove into the river and hauled the helpless man to shore. Using CPR, he revived the man who spit up water and began to breathe. The hiker paused to catch his breath only to hear another cry from the river. Another drowning person! Once again he swam out and pulled the person to shore. As he revived the second victim, he heard yet another cry for help. All day long the hiker worked, rescuing one person after another as they came drifting down the river. There seemed to be no end to the victims. Just when he was about to collapse from exhaustion, he spotted another man walking rapidly and heading upstream. "Hey mister!" he cried out. "Please help me!" Yet the man kept on walking. The astonished hiker called out again but got no response. Indignantly, the hiker caught up with the man and loudly demanded, "How can you possibly walk past all these drowning people? Have you no conscience?" The stranger looked at him and said with a calm voice, "Sir, please get out of my way. I’m headed upstream to stop the guy who is pushing all these people in." Each of us has a role in helping those in trouble. Some help with counseling, food, shelter, a support group or financial assistance. These are important safety nets. Others find a place upstream, trying to head off disaster before it strikes. Teaching responsible behavior, knowing the difference between right and wrong and setting a good example are ways to help others avert the "avoidable". The Bible teaches that there is an eternal source of truth, direction and
comfort regardless of whether your life is about to go into the river or is
cascading out of control downstream. Grab hold of that lifeline. Excerpts
from Still More Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks by Wayne Rice.
BACK Sitting on the Sidelines (A True Story) Larry Walters had a habit of spending his weekends in his backyard near LA International Airport. He’d sit in his favorite lawn chair drinking beer and staring at the houses around him. Not a real exciting life to say the least. One day, boredom prompted Larry to buy some weather balloons and a tank of helium. He figured that by tying helium filled balloons to his lawn chair, he could float up a 100 feet or so for an aerial view of the neighborhood. Just in case he got too high, he’d take his BB gun to regulate his altitude by shooting out a couple of balloons. After tying the balloons one by one to his secured lawn chair, he gathered up a six-pack, a couple of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, his BB gun and took a seat. He gave his neighbors the high sign to cut the ropes securing the chair by yelling "Let's go!". Instead of 100 feet, he shot to 11,000 feet! The BB gun was useless since he was using both hands to hang on for dear life. He ended up directly in the flight path of LAX airport. The pilot of an approaching Continental DC10 reported that he had just passed a man in a lawn chair and the control tower told him to report in immediately upon landing. They thought he was hallucinating or drunk. Eventually, helicopters were sent to rescue him while LAX flights were diverted elsewhere. When they finally got him down, he was surrounded by TV crews, the police, fire and rescue squads and plenty of curious people. "Were you scared?" asked a TV reporter. "No, not really" said Larry. "Are you going to do it again?" asked another. "No," said Larry. "What in the world made you do it?" Larry Walters thought about it for a moment and said, "Well, you can't just sit there." Strangely, Larry Walters was right. God has something
exciting in store for each of us. Don't sit out life watching from the
sidelines. Be a participant. Loose your tethers and let’er rip!
BACK You've probably never heard of Frosty Westerling. For the last 48 years he's been winning football games in the shadows of obscurity. His name is in the record books alongside Bear Bryant, Pop Warner and a few others as the only collegiate coaches to win at least 250 games. For the past 28 years Frosty's been the head football coach at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. During those 28 years his teams have compiled a 233-58-5 record, appeared in eight title games and won four national championships. Recently, he led the Lutes to their first NCAA Division III title. You won't find a more dedicated coach anywhere in America. Yet, you won't see Frosty Westerling on Sports Center. His team won't be on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Sparks Stadium, where the Lutes play their home games, seats just 4500 fans and is owned by the Puyallup School District. Not long ago, Frosty authored the book, "Make The Big Time Where You Are." In it he describes eating at a restaurant. He ordered his eggs over easy, his toast golden brown and his bacon crisp. When his food arrived, it came exactly how he ordered it. Frosty was so impressed by this attention to detail that he tipped not only the waitress, but the cook too, who accepted the money almost in disbelief. Most of us will never be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, author a New York
Times bestseller or host our own TV show. That doesn't mean we can't work with
as much dedication as those that do. Make the "big time" where you
are. Problems and disappointments can plant seeds of weariness and discouragement in our lives. But despite your background or age, you can still enjoy life and foster a better world. Here's proof. . . At 53, Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first
female prime minister. I asked God to take away my pain. God said, No. It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up. I asked God to make my handicapped child whole. God said, No. The spirit was whole; The body was only temporary. I asked God to grant me patience. God said, No. Patience comes from tribulations; It isn’t granted, it’s earned. I asked God to give me happiness. God said, No. I give you blessings. Happiness is up to you. I asked God to spare me pain. God said, No. Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me. I asked God to make my spirit grow. God said, No. You must grow on your own, but I will prune you to help you grow right. I asked for all things that I might enjoy life. God said, No. I will give you life so that you may enjoy all things. I asked God to help me love others, as much as he loves me. God said...Ahhhh, now you got the idea. Anonymous BACK © Copyright 1996-2002 by Regenesis.net |