Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.
~ Henry van Dyke
There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.
~ C.S. Lewis
I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.
~ Mother Teresa
If God only used perfect people, nothing would get done. God will use anybody if you’re available.
~ Rick Warren
The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.
~ Frederick Buechner
In the Kingdom of God, service is not a stepping-stone to nobility: it is nobility, the only kind of nobility that is recognized.
~ T. W. Manson
by Margaret E. Sangster
It isn’t the thing you do, dear;
It’s the thing you leave undone,
That gives you a bit of heartache
At setting of the sun.
The tender word forgotten,
The letter you did not write,
The flowers you did not send, dear,
Are your haunting ghosts to-night.
The stone you might have lifted
Out of a brother’s way,
The bit of heartsome counsel
You were hurried too much to say;
The loving touch of the hand, dear,
The gentle and winsome tone,
Which you had no time nor thought for,
With troubles enough of your own.
Those little acts of kindness,
So easily out of mind;
Those chances to be angels
Which every one may find
They come in night and silence
Each chill, reproachful wraith
When hope is faint and flagging
And a blight has dropped on faith.
For life is all too short, dear,
And sorrow is all too great;
To suffer our slow compassion
That tarries until too late;
And it’s not the thing you do, dear,
It’s the thing you leave undone,
Which gives you a bit of heartache
At the setting of the sun.
__________
To your enemy, FORGIVENESS.
To an opponent, TOLERANCE.
To a friend, YOUR HEART.
To a customer, SERVICE.
To all men, CHARITY.
To every child, A GOOD EXAMPLE.
To yourself, RESPECT.
__________
__________
Last week I went to the doctor’s office and got my flu shot. My wife’s OB/GYN had warned her about how dangerous it can be for an infant to get the flu. So, we all got our flu shots before Adrian Boethius Criswell Stilley was born this last Thursday.
After the delivery, someone in hospital administration called up to the room to ask me about spelling for Adrian’s names (evidently they don’t get too many babies named Boethius — imagine that). She also asked if we wanted him listed in the immunization registry. When a child is registered they keep computer records of all his/her inoculations and they are easily accessible for those who need to know.
These are just a couple of examples of how serious we all take the problem of communicable diseases. Unfortunately, we aren’t always as careful when it comes to the the communicable diseases that our computers can catch. Viruses, worms, hackers, — they even sound nasty.
You might want to check out the free immunization services offered by CyberDefender. With CyberDefender’s security suite you receive real-time security updates and virus alerts, break through technology, and full compatibility with other security software. You can get comparable products from McAfee, Symantec, Pctools, Webroot, Stopzilla and Panda if you want to spend $150. Free vs. $150? Hmmm, tough question. And a big plus, when you protect your PC with the CyberDefender Early Detection Center you get LIVE technical support for any problem with your computer (one time) and 2 GB online backup.
My doctor charged me for my flu shot. The hospital charged us for Adrian’s immunizations. But, you can get free virus protection for your computer with CyberDefender. Check them out.
A recent article in Leadership Journal was entitled “Serving Is Believing”. Is it? The results coming out of the Reveal study conducted in hundreds of churches by Willow Creek seem to indicate that people who are serving are also those who are closest to God, so much emphasis is being given to getting people serving. Serving must be the better way.
Service talk is everywhere.
And yet, we have the story of Jesus’ interactions with Mary and Martha in Luke 10:
38Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
If we spend our time teaching the Bible, teaching about the life of Christ, are we simply filling people with useless head knowledge? I don’t think so.
