In step

[RiverOL]

Moving In The Right Direction?
===========================================​

I find the great thing in this world
is not so much where we stand,

as in what direction we are moving:

To reach the port of heaven,
we must sail sometimes with the wind
and sometimes against it,
but we must sail,
and not drift,
nor lie at anchor.

 

[RiverOL]

Cruising in Paradise
============================​

The sign read, "Guests on a cruise gain an average of 7 to 10
pounds during a cruise."

I stared at the sign posted in front of the fitness center of
the cruise ship as my wife and I were on a cruise.

"Seven to ten pounds, that's a lot of weight," I thought.
That's a pound or more per day. It was a MountainWings Moment.

A cruise represents as close to earthly paradise as the average
person will get. You don't have to work at all. You have a room
steward, a personal waiter and some cabins even have a butler.

You can call at any time of the day or night and have room
service delivered at no extra charge. You can order an
unlimited number of entrees and desserts at breakfast, lunch
and dinner.

You can have as much as you want on a cruise and you don't have
to do any work to get it. That's as close to paradise as most
will get.

Yet, paradise puts an average of a pound a day on folk.

Research has proven that one of the most effective life
extenders in rats is caloric restriction. If the rats are
always kept hungry and given little to eat, they lived twice
as long as rats that are given all they wanted to eat.

It works that way with things other than food. Sometimes all
that we want is opposite from all that we need.

I sat next to a lady on the return flight home. She asked the
flight attendant if she could get a seat belt extender. She
confided in me that she had gained some weight on a cruise that
she and her husband were returning from.

Thank God that He has the wisdom not to give us all that we
want all of the time.

 

[RiverOL]

Where's The Beef?
==========================​

Recently while making my semi-weekly purchases at my local area
Wal-Mart store, in the chaos and confusion of checking out, I
missed (and the cashier missed) a box of burgers on the bottom
of my cart.

In traveling to my car with my two overly rambunctious and hyper
children, I noticed the burgers on the bottom of the cart as I
loaded my packages wearily into the family van.

Ugh, I looked at my receipt. He didn't get the box of 32 frozen
100% beef burgers that were ten dollars.

My great summer standby for a quick meal. I was tired and I
didn't want to have to go back into the store. I could have
driven off unnoticed with a windfall of free tasty burgers that
mistakenly were missed by myself, the cashier, and the Wal-Mart
elderly person taking a break sitting at the exit, telling me to
have a nice evening.

Darn it, I couldn't do it. So yelling to my ten-year-old and my
eight-year-old who were now rough housing in the back seats to
stay put, I walked back into Wal-Mart to the cashier who had
serviced my order and said, "I don't think you got these when I
checked out." The cool dude mannerism of the clerk laughed at
me and said, "Man you came all the way back here for this, I
would have just taken off."

I explained that I really didn't want to rot in hell over a few
100% tasty beef burgers and would he kindly ring me up so I
could get back to my children in the car. The elderly Wal-Mart
senior was still at the front door and thanked me for coming
back in. She looked as tired as I was.

As I drove home, I realized that it's not likely that the mega
giant retailer Wal-Mart would have even noticed the lost
inventory of those 32 100% beef burgers. However, on that day
the transaction reflected on at least a few people a positive
light that could make a difference in perhaps the way they think
out future transactions for themselves or for others.

The young cashier behind the counter who said he would have
never come back into the store and would have just kept on
going, the senior who looked at me with a restored confidence
that maybe America wasn't going to hell this week, and the five
men in line waiting patiently as the cashier quickly rang up my
box of burgers, all of them probably muttering something about
women drivers not even getting it right at Wal-Mart with their
carts.

That day, God asked me where the beef was.

A small challenge that seemed a little bigger at the end of a
hectic, tiring day. I showed Him and returned His trial,
knowing it wasn't just about an act of honesty.

It was about a commitment to restore faith in the human element,
knowing that if we all raise the bar just a little higher for
ourselves and others with actions that are of good deeds, we'll
all live in a much better place.

That old commercial adage where the little old lady is saying,
"Where's the beef?" I paused and thought, well, for most of us,
it's right here, still in our hearts and souls, and it's what
makes this country a really great place to live. Despite all of
the reminded evil in this world, we still have opportunities to
make life really good again and again.

Those thirty-two, 100% beef burgers will taste a little better
this summer.

 

[RiverOL]

DRINK, STEAL, SWEAR and LIE
============================================​

I met this guy while I was in Albuquerque and he has a motto
he lives by every day. He said listen carefully and live by
these four rules: Drink, Steal, Swear, and Lie.

I was shaking my head 'No!', but he then told me to listen
while he explained his four rules. So here they are:

1. 'Drink' from the 'everlasting cup' every day.

2. 'Steal' a moment to help someone who is in worse shape than
you are.

3. 'Swear' that you will be a better person today than
yesterday.

4. And last, but not least, when you 'lie' down at night
thank God that in Him you have freedom.


I am not as good as I should be, I am not as good as I could
be but THANK GOD I am better than I used to be !

 

[RiverOL]

It's You
===========​

I have absolutely the best marriage of anyone whom I know.

How do I know that? I don't, it's just what I feel.

I am happy with my wife, my house, my car, my body, my kids, my
job, my church, and my country.

Sure, all of them have snags, all of them have faults, but
overall I wouldn't trade them; I am happy.

"Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you
have." That's a quote that I remember from a little boy.
It's true, very true.

Society doesn't gear us to want what we have.
Otherwise, we wouldn't buy the new and improved version.
We are made to feel as though we need something different to be
happy, something better.

Are there better wives out there than mine? Maybe.
Even if there were and I had her, would there then be a better
one than that one? Probably.

There is always something better, fancier, faster, more
powerful, and more expensive. Always. If not now, it's coming.

Computer programs keep us waiting for an upgrade.
An upgrade supposedly fixes all of the current bugs.
Often, the upgrade introduces new bugs.

We are in a constant state of trying to get something better and
different. We are often trying to be someone different, even
when the current us is pretty decent.
If you are not happy being you, then who else can you be?

I neither want to nor have the ability to trade places with
anyone. I am happy with myself. With all life's faults, with
all of my faults and my continuing struggle to improve,
I am happy.

There are a lot of others who have more stuff. But there aren't
many who are happier with the stuff they do have.
That's the key. Are you happy with the stuff that you do have?

Are you happy with yourself?

You are you and that ain't going to change.

An old proverb says:

"Be what you is, not what you ain't,
'cause when you is what you ain't,
then you ain't what you is."

 

[RiverOL]

How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?
===================================================​

How do you mend a broken heart?

We get a lot of prayer requests asking to simply pray for their
broken heart.

So what do you do when you've got a broken heart?

Here are four steps that will help you up that mountain.

1. Occupy 2. Gratify 3. Sanctify 4. Glorify.

Occupy:
Occupy your time, don't sit around moping.

Do something.

Idleness is the soil of self-pity and depression. Get busy.
The best thing that you can do is to do something that helps
others. It's a universal principle that when you start focusing
on helping others, your own problems are diminished.
Don't just stand there, DO SOMETHING!

Gratify:
Write a list of the things you like, then pick three of those
things and put those things in your life - now.
Make sure you can afford them and that they aren't harmful.
When our hearts are broken, we often deprive ourselves of the
things we enjoy. Make an effort to put enjoyment in your life.

Sanctify:
Do good. Don't return evil for evil, hurt for hurt, pain for
pain. Don't wish something horrible would happen to the other
person. Hope for their good fortune in your spirit, and it just
may release your good fortune in your world.

The easiest way to forget someone, is to truly wish them well.

Glorify:
Life is not over. You can live without them. Not only can you
live without them, you can live even happier without them.
It is a matter of perspective. Even with the negative in your
world at the moment, there is something to be thankful for.

There is plenty to be thankful for actually.
Give God the glory for what you have.
You can't be sad and thankful at the same time.
Tell heartbreak to move over.

 

[RiverOL]

The Attitude of Four Hairs
====================================​

There was once a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the
mirror and noticed only three hairs on her head.

"Well, I think I'll braid my hair today", she said.
She did and had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw only two
hairs on her head.

"H-M-M-M, I think I'll part my hair down the middle today",
she said. She did and had a grand day.

The next morning she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw only
one hair left on her head.

"Well, today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail," she said.
She did and it was a fun day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that
there wasn't a single string of hair on her head.

"YEAH! I don't have to fix my hair today!" she exclaimed.


Remember, you may not be able to control what someone says,
does or some of the situations that life throws you,
but you sure can control the way you react.

 

[RiverOL]

Sleep Through The Storm
====================================​

Sam Cooke looked up from under the tractor he was fixing to see
a middle-aged, well-build man standing there quietly waiting for
him. To Sam’s inquiry the man gave his name as Bill Jeffers –
his business, handyman.

He was inquiring about the “Handy Man Wanted” sign on Sam’s gate.
Sam needed a helper, but he wanted to be sure he got a good one,
so he asked the stranger, “What can you do?”
The reply, “I can sleep through a storm,” didn’t make sense and
sounded as though the man might be a little on the “cracked” side.

Repeated questions brought on the same answer, calm and direct,
“I can sleep through a storm.” Impatiently Sam Cooke expressed
his misgivings about hiring Jeffers by telling him that there was
another man applying for the job, and to come back next Saturday
to see if it was still open.

Saturday morning Jeffers was on hand early, inquiring about the
job which he knew wasn’t filled because the sign was still up
on the gate. The interview was the same as before; with “I can
sleep through a storm” Jeffers’ only answer. By this time, Sam
was desperate for a helper, so he hired the man on a trial basis.

In the weeks that followed, Sam was to find that Bill Jeffers
was the best worker he had ever seen. Whatever needed doing got
done, and well, and both men were pleased with the arrangement.

The farmer was willing to forget that his hired man talked a
little “peculiar” when asked what he could do.

Then one night came the storm. Lightning had been flickering
on the horizon when they went to bed, but when Sam awoke about
midnight; the storm was almost on them. He quickly pulled on his
clothes and went to the hired mans room to wake him up so that
together they could put the farm in shape for the storm, see
that the doors were closed, the tractor covered, the livestock
inside, and a number of other things.

Pound as he might on Bill’s door, there was no response, and
Sam angrily went rushing out to put the place in shape,
muttering about his stupidity in hiring a man you couldn’t waken
when you needed him most, resolving to fire him in the morning.

When Sam got to the barn, all the doors were already closed,
the tractor was indoors, the livestock were all bedded down;
everything was all set. As he slowly undressed after his
unnecessary trip around the farm in the rain, Sam Cooke at last
knew what his hired man had meant by “I can sleep through a storm.”

Jeffers did his works so well, so thoroughly that he did not
need to worry in the time of storm. He knew that everything was
right.

If we live our lives the same way, the storm times will never
bother us, because we will be ready for them.

 

[RiverOL]

You Have To Let Go of The Pain
============================================​

My mother died in her sleep at age 70. We still don't know why.
It was a total devastation to my whole family.

My father had been ill for some time and we had been preparing
ourselves for his death but as God wanted it, my mother died
first.

My parents were wonderful people. They raised us in church and
set a godly example before us. After my mother's death, I
didn't have much time for mourning. I took care of my father
exactly five months to the day he passed. Then, the
mourning for both took over. I didn't think it would end.
Three years later, I was still crying myself to sleep every
night and praying that I would soon get over it. The depression
was unbearable. I couldn't understand why God was not helping
me through this. I had gained almost 50 pounds.

I knew that I wasn't dead, but I wasn't living either. I think
I was where they call limbo. Three years after their death, I
went to bed crying and praying. However,
something happened, I heard a voice.

I don't know if it was God's voice or a messenger from God, but
I heard the voice. The voice said that I didn't have to let go
of my parents, they could live on in my heart forever. I had to
let go of the pain.

I understood and I let go of the pain. Now nine months later,
I'm 42 pounds lighter and a whole lot happier. The change in my
attitude happened right away and the pounds started coming off
over time.

I still miss them and think of them with
wonderful, fond memories. The difference now is that the pain
is not keeping me from living. My husband, daughter and
granddaughter enjoy spending time with me now.

I believe God made the valleys to be traveled though, not a
stopping point. With each valley, I learn a little more.
Maybe my next trip through, it won't be so long for me to
get to the mountain top.

 

[RiverOL]

Tangled Hair
==================​

Beth was sitting at an airport terminal waiting to board a
plane. She was sitting there with several other people whom
she did not know who were also waiting.

As she waited, she pulled out her Bible and started to read.
All of a sudden, she felt as if the people sitting there around
her were looking at her. She looked up but realized that they
were looking just over her head, in the direction right behind
her.

She turned to see what everyone was looking at and when she
did, she saw a flight attendant pushing a wheelchair with the
ugliest old man sitting in it. It was the ugliest man she ever
saw. He had this long white hair that was all tangled and such
a mess. His face was really wrinkled, and he didn't look
friendly at all.

She didn't know why, but she felt drawn to the man and thought
at first that God wanted her to witness to him. In her mind she
said she was thinking, "Oh God, please not now, not here."

No matter what she did, she couldn't get the man off her mind,
and all of a sudden she knew what God wanted her to do. She was
supposed to brush this man's hair.

She went and knelt down in front of the old man and said, "Sir
may I have the honor of brushing your hair for you?" He said
"What?" She thought , "Oh great, he's hard of hearing."

Again, a little louder she said, "Sir, May I have the honor of
brushing your hair for you?" He answered, "If you are going to
talk to me, you are going to have to speak up; I am practically
deaf."

So this time, she was almost yelling, "Sir, May I please have
the honor of brushing your hair for you?" Everyone was watching
to see what his response would be.

The old man just looked at her confused and said, "Well, I
guess if you really want too." She said, "I don't even have a
brush, but I thought I would ask anyway." He said, "Look in the
bag hanging on the back of my chair, there is a brush in there."

So she got the brush out and started brushing his hair.
(She has a little girl with long hair, so she has lots of
practice getting tangles out and knew how to be gentle with
him.) She worked for a long time, until every last tangle was
out.

Just as she was finishing up, she heard the old man crying.
She went and put her hands on his knees, kneeling in front of
him again looking directly into his eyes and said, "Sir, do you
know Jesus?" He answered, "Yes, of course I know Jesus. You
see, my bride told me she couldn't marry me unless I knew Jesus,
so I learned all about Jesus, and asked Him to come into my
heart many years ago, before I married my bride."

He continued, "You know, I am on my way home to go and see my
wife. I have been in the hospital for a long time and had to
have a special surgery in this town far from my home. My wife
couldn't come with me because she is so frail herself.

He said, "I was so worried about how terrible my hair looked,
and I didn't want her to see me looking so awful, but I couldn't
brush my hair all by myself."

Tears were rolling down his cheeks as he thanked Beth for
brushing his hair. He thanked her over and over again. She was
crying, people all around witnessing this were crying, and as
they were all boarding the plane, the flight attendant who was
also crying, stopped her and asked, "Why did you do that?"

And right there was the opportunity, the door that had been
opened to share with someone else the love of God.

"We don't always understand God's ways, but be ready, He may use
us to meet the need of someone else like He met the need of
this old man, and in a moment, also calling out to a lost soul
who needed to know His love."

 

[RiverOL]

Unless You Let It In
===========================​

All the water in the world
However hard it tried,
Could never, never sink a ship
Unless it got inside.

All the evil in the world,
the wickedness and sin,
can never sink your soul's fair craft
unless you let it in.

All the hardships of this world,
Might wear you pretty thin,
But they won't hurt you, one least bit...
Unless you let them in.

 

[RiverOL]

"Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore." Psalm 105:4​ ​

Story: A Mixed-Up Army​ Jake had never seen such a mixed-up army before. They were in the middle of a battle, with bullets flying all around. Yet the soldiers all seemed more concerned with what their fellow soldiers thought of them than they did of the war! “I pressed my uniform this morning,” one was explaining proudly to his fellow soldier. Blood was gushing from a bullet wound in his leg, but the soldier was wearing a brave face. He didn’t want anyone to know he had gotten hurt. He wanted to look like a good soldier. Another soldier, obviously a seasoned one, responded by sharing in pride about some of the battles he’d lived through and the things he knew. When another soldier joined them and began sharing proudly too, Jake decided he’d had enough. “This is ridiculous, you guys!” he exclaimed. “We’re all in a battle, not a competition.” Without another word, he tore off his jacket and began using it to bandage the one soldier’s leg. The other soldiers hung their head as each remembered they’d nothing really to be proud about. Their commander had led them to victory. He’d given them a position to serve and to fight the good fight. It wasn’t about them at all. There was a battle to be fought, not a competition to be won. They slowly turned, shoulder to shoulder, and reengaged in the battle, encouraging and helping their fellow soldiers. "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses." 1 Timothy 6:12 "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." Ephesians 4:11-16​

Thought: I Can't​ “God helps those who help themselves”—or so the saying goes. Yet God’s Word tells us God helps the humble (James 4:6), the sick (Mark 2:17), and the meek (Psalm 147:6). God helps those who realize they can’t help themselves. At the same time, the Bible certainly doesn't tell us to curl up in defeat or do nothing. We're urged to seek the Lord (1 Chronicles 16:11), obey His Word (James 1:25, Hebrews 3:15), and repent and believe the gospel (Mark 1:15). We do need to "help ourselves" in the sense of acknowledging our inability, running to the One who can help us, and obeying what He’s told us to do in His Word, knowing that ultimately, we're helpless without Him. Do you feel as if you can’t go on? As if your heart is breaking? Are you out of strength? Be honest before God about it—He knows anyway. And be honest with others too. We all need help fighting this battle called life. It’s warfare, not a competition for the most-put-together-Christian prize. Wars are messy and tough. But our Captain has already won the victory and given us the tools to walk in that victory, such as prayer, praise, and repentance. He is able to do what we are not--don't let anything keep you from running to Him. "But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." James 4:6 "When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Mark 2:17 "The Lord lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground." Psalm 147:6​

 

[RiverOL]

Cell Phone vs. Bible
============================​

I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat
our cell phones?


What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we flipped through it several times an hour?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?

What if we gave it to kids as gifts?

What if we used it as we traveled?

What if we used it in case of an emergency?

What if we upgraded it to get the latest version?

What if we made sure it was plugged in so we wouldn't run out of
power?

What if stores had to put up signs saying,
"No Bible reading while at the cash register?

What if states had to pass legislation saying, "You must listen
to the Bible on CD or MP3 too many people are having accidents
while reading their Bible while driving?"

This is something to make you go...hmmm...where is my Bible?

Also, what if establishments put up signs with a picture of the
Bible with a red circle around it with a line through it that
meant "No Bibles"?

Wait a minute...
that's one area where the Bible is treated like a cell phone.

 

[RiverOL]

Learning To Run
=======================​

The two-year old likes to run.

It warms my heart when I see his funny movements as he runs.
It also scares me because young children have a tendency to fall
very easily.

I was out shopping with my sons when the two-year old started to
run.

He fell.

If you are a parent, you completely understand the phrase,
"it hurts me more than it does you." There is something that
pains worse than physical torment to see your little one hurt.
He skinned his knee and elbow. He cried for a few minutes and
finally with the soothing of Daddy, quieted down.

We are like my two-year old.

There are so many areas of life where we must run:
some by choice, some by the force of circumstances.
There are so many new things.
There are so many times when our steps are unsure and we are not
experienced runners.

The older I get, the more I understand how a Divine Father can
let us go through some things and fall. I was tempted to stop
my son when I saw him run. I knew that sooner or later, if not
that day then one day, he would fall.

I also knew that if he was to ever learn how to run, he must
fall, and often I had to watch him do it.

I fell in business several times before I was able to run.

I fell in relationships several times before I had sense enough
to stop looking for perfection and know that we all have faults.

Even your second child is reared differently from the first
because you learn some things from falling with that first one.

I fell off of my bicycle.
I fell off of my motorcycle.
I fell on skates (roller and ice).
I even choked a few times while learning to swim.

We often fall when learning to run the things of life.

Too often bruises stop us from ever trying to run again.
We are afraid that we will slip and get hurt.
We are afraid of the pain.

My son runs much better now. I still wince when I see him run
on a hard surface but he won't stop running.

At only two, he has one of the keys of life.

He won't stop running just because he fell.

Your bruises will heal, you will get up,
and the path will still be there.

Though at times you may not think it so,
The Divine Father is still watching over you.

He just knows that he has to let you fall,
If you are ever to learn to run.

NOTE: The two-year-old is now driving. The principle and
oversight is still the same, the fall is just much harder.

 

[RiverOL]

Why The Righteous Suffer
=====================================​

Rabbi Dov Ber, known as the Magid of Mezritch, explains with the
following parable, why righteous people may at times experience
suffering and the wicked may prosper:

A father who wishes to teach his child to walk, in the beginning
will walk together with the child and hold his hand. Then he
will move away from the child, leaving the child on his own.

The child will then take a step toward his father and the father
will retreat a bit further so that the child will take a few
more steps on his own. The father will repeat this process in
order to get the child to walk greater and greater distances.

To the child it may seem that the father is moving away and
ignoring him, yet the father does this out of love and care for
he knows that the child's growth and development depends on
this.

The same is with the righteous people.

At times it may seem that God is ignoring them, yet, in truth as
they come closer to God, He will move away so that the righteous
person will continuously move closer to Him.

Through this process, the righteous person ascends higher and
higher spiritually.

This is what the Torah means with, "just as a man reproaches his
son so the Lord your God chastises you." Deu. 5:8

A person will seldom reprimand someone else's child. The reason
and purpose a father chastises his child is out of love for the
child for the sake of setting him on the right path and for
his spiritual growth.

So too, the tests which God gives us should be taken as proof
that He cares for us and considers us His children and His
responsibility.

 

[RiverOL]

Each Day Is A New Day
================================​

It was very early in the day but I was a little miffed.
The feeling was left over from yesterday. You've had those
days where something that happened still left you feeling upset,
angry, hurt or emotionally drained.

Today was one of those days.

I went back to bed to perhaps just rest and get my mind and
spirit settled. Then I heard the voice. You know, "that voice."

Call it what you will but it's the voice that has always
guided your action and conscience to do the right thing.
It spoke,

"Each day is a new day."

I understood.

The stuff that happened yesterday was gone, it was over but it
wasn't over in my mind. Yet I had been granted an entirely new
day. The old stuff was gone and only stayed alive in my mind.

Each day is a new day.

I let the thought sink into my spirit and I felt the negative
feelings begin to fade away and be replaced with peace. I then
realized that I had a new way of looking at everything and everyone.

I understood the awesome power if we truly digested these six
words. I also knew that I (and you too) needed to be reminded
each day that today is a new day.

Grasp these hallowed words and do not let stuff of the
past ruin your present and future.

Each day is a new day.

www.EachDayIsANewDay.com

Do not let yesterday worry you nor tomorrow.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry
about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
(Mat 6:34 NIV)

 

[RiverOL]

ALL
======​

He stood over my desk, a broken man but still holding together.

Mr. Willie Adams is a truck driver for our company.
He has worked for the company for 17 years.
He has been married for 39 years.

Last month, his wife died.

The death of a spouse is psychologically rated as the toughest
thing a person will ever deal with in life.
It was Mr. Adams toughest thing.

There was a statement that he made that really struck me.

"I have no guilt," he said.

"I did all for her that I could do in our 39 years. There was
nothing more that I could have done. If she asked for the moon,
I tried to reach up and grab it for her."

Those were his words. Those were his feelings.

He is not an academically educated man.
He is not rich by the world's standards.
But Mr. Adams had something that few possess,
an undying, unselfish love.

He said, "We married for love and made a vow 'till death do us
part' and we kept it."

It's the toughest thing that psychologists say we will ever
endure. Sooner or later, in all married couples, one must leave
the other behind.

Now is the time to begin traveling the path so that if you are
the one staying on the earth a little longer you can say,

"I did all that I could do, I did my best."

 

[RiverOL]

Envy, Lust and Honor-Seeking
==========================================​

The teaching of the Talmudic sage, Rabbi Elazar Hakapar:
"Envy, lust and honor-seeking drive a person from the world."

Rabbi Elazar Hakapar tells us that these three character traits
are not only morally wrong, but also physically harmful, as they
harm the person who engages in them. A person who has envy,
lust and a desire for honor will be a very unhappy person.
These traits drive people to jeopardize their health, which in
turn, "drive a person from the world."

On the other hand, our sages in the same chapter of Pirkei Avot
tell us, "Who is rich? He who is happy with his lot!"
They also tell us, "Who is honored? He who honors others!"

When one is not envious of those who have more wealth, but
instead are happy with their lot in life, then they are indeed
wealthy. At the same time, one who does not seek recognition
but is happy, content and gives honor, is indeed honored and
will be healthier and live longer.

The story is told of a miser who put all his money in a pot and
buried it in the ground so that no one could take it away from
him.

One day he went to retrieve his money, but to his great shock,
he found that someone stole his money and instead left him a pot
full of rocks. The miser walked around crying, tearing the hair
from his head and bemoaning his terrible situation.

One of his friends, trying to console him said, "Why are you so
upset? After all, you never had any benefit of your wealth.
You never used your money, nor will you ever spend it for
yourself or for anyone else. So why are you so upset?
You wouldn't have had any use of your money anyway?"

To this the miser replied, "True, for myself it doesn't really
make a difference whether the pot is full of gold coins or
rocks, I will have no benefit from either. What hurts me is
that someone else out there is benefiting from my money.
This hurts more than anything else!"

To help remind us on a daily basis of our true wealth, our sages
instituted a series of blessings, which we recite each morning.

When we wake up in the morning, we bless and thank God for
returning our soul refreshed for the new day. We thank God for
giving us the power to see, to move our limbs, to stand, to walk
etc. These blessings make us aware at the beginning of each day
of how fortunate we really are and help us focus on the many
blessings we receive each minute of the day.

King David concludes the Psalms reminding us that we must thank
God for every single breath which we take!

We should continuously remember the wise guidance of Rabbi
Elazar Hakapar:
"Envy, lust and honor-seeking drive a person from the world."

If only we wouldn't take for granted the wonderful gifts which
God gives each of us each day; we would realize how much we have
to be thankful for.

 

[RiverOL]

You Can Buy
==================​

You can buy a man's time;
you can buy his physical presence at a given place;
you can even buy a measured number of his skilled muscular
motions per hour.

But you can not buy enthusiasm...
you can not buy loyalty...
you can not buy
the devotion of hearts, minds, or souls.

You must earn those.

 

[RiverOL]

All You've Got
=====================​

It was Tuesday; I was walking through the Atlanta airport on my
way to concourse D.

I usually walk instead of riding the tram or the moving
sidewalks. I get all of the exercise that I can.

My legs were hurting. I wondered why as I racked my brain to
figure out why in the world my legs were hurting. It was as if
I had been lifting weights.

Then it hit me, the race. The race had done it.

Was I in a marathon? No.
A 10k? No.
A 5K? No.
A 100 meter dash? No.

"Well, what then?" you ask.

It was more like a 25-feet dash.

A 25-feet dash!!! How could that make my legs sore?

Normally I would have never figured such a short distance could
have made any difference. I am used to running miles.
Five miles is no problem.
Only above seven miles do I start straining.

So why did 25 feet strain me?

It was a race.

It was a dinner downstairs at the church, celebrating the
anniversary of the children's church. They had games, prizes,
and the fun stuff that goes along with kids.

They also had a big dinner. The fellowship hall was divided
into two sections. The leader of children's church decided to
have a contest to see which side would get to eat first.

They chose a champion from each side.

You guessed it, I was the chosen champion for one side.
Eugene was the other champion.

The objective was to race to a large rubber ball 25 feet away,
pick it up, turn around, and race back to the starting line.

The first one back got to eat first along with his side.

"I'm sorry about this Pastor but I'm really hungry," Eugene said
in partial jest. He won by a few inches.

We raced twice.

Both times he won by a few inches.

As I sat down my youngest brother said, "Eugene is really good
in basketball, I can't beat him."

Eugene was fast.

So why were my legs sore?

Because I had not run with all that I had in over 15 years.

There is a difference between jogging and running wide open.
A big difference.
That's why my legs were sore.

Even though it was only a short distance it was everything that
I had.

It was a MountainWings Moment.

How often do we ever give something all that we have?

Full effort,

No holding back,

To the limit.

For most of us, that's not very often.

We don't give our relationships full effort.
We don't give our jobs full effort.
We don't give our spiritual lives full effort.
We don't even give our health full effort.

We hold back and leisurely jog until quitting time.

Maybe for once, we need to give it all we've got.
Even if it makes us a little sore,
we may just win a bigger prize than we imagine,
and if not, at least we know we gave it our all.