Hanging Around



One day, a mountaineer was going up a very high mountain.

He was so proud, he was climbing all by himself.

It was very dangerous to climb up a snowy mountain all alone, but he was so proud, he believed he didn’t need anyone.

By nightfall, common sense dictated that he set up camp. But he kept climbing because he wanted to reach the summit quickly.

But in his exhaustion, his foot slipped.

And he found himself free falling through the air. He closed his eyes and saw flashbacks of his life.

All of a sudden, he felt a jolt—and violent pull around his waist. The rope tied around his belt saved him!

In total darkness, he was now hanging onto his rope.

And he shouted, “God, if you’re up there, save me!”

Suddenly, he heard a voice say, “If you believe that I can save you, do what I tell you to do…”

He answered, “What should I do?”

The voice said, “Cut your rope.”
“Wha…what?” he said.

“Cut the rope and let go,” the voice said.

After a few moments, he shouted again, “Is there anyone else up there?”

The next day, mountain climbers saw his limp body, hanging by the rope, frozen to death. The curious thing about what they saw? He was hanging only 2 feet from the ground.

Author Unknown

 “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried:

he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.”

2 Samuel 22:31

 

I TRIED TO CLIMB THE MOUNTAIN TODAY



I tried to climb the mountain today. As I inched my way up the path, I felt overwhelmed, so I had to turn back.

I tried to climb the mountain today. On my journey, darkness started to fall, and I was full of fear, so I had to return to a safe place.

I was ready to climb the mountain today. But it was so hot outside, I thought I better stay in my nice air-conditioned house and rest up for tomorrow's attempt.

I was about to climb the mountain today. But I had so many other things to do, so instead of climbing the mountain I took care of much more important tasks. I washed my car, mowed the grass and watched the big game. Today the mountain will just have to wait.

I was going to climb the mountain today. But as I stared at the mountain in it's majestic beauty, I knew I stood no chance of making it to the top, so I figured why even bother trying.

I have forgotten about climbing the mountain today; until a friend came by and asked me what I was up to lately. I told him I was thinking about climbing that mountain some day. I went on and on about how I was going to accomplish this task.

Finally, he said, "I just got back from climbing the mountain. For the longest time I told myself I was trying to climb the mountain but never made any progress. I almost let the dream of making it to the top die. I came up with every excuse of why I could not make it up the mountain, but never once did I give myself a reason why I could. One day as I stared at the mountain and pondered, I realized that if I didn't make an attempt at this dream all my dreams will eventually die."

"The next morning, I started my climb." He continued, "It was not easy, and at times I wanted to quit. But no matter what I faced, I placed one foot in front of the other, keeping a steady pace. When the wind tried to blow me over the edge, I kept walking. When the voices inside my head screamed "stop!" I focused on my goal never letting it out of sight, and I kept moving forward. At times, I was ready to quit, but I knew I had come too far. Time and time again, I reassured myself that I was going to finish this journey. I struggled to make it to the top, but I climbed the mountain!"

"I have to be going," my friend said. "Tomorrow is a new day to accomplish more dreams. By the way, what are you going to do tomorrow?"

I looked at him, with intensity and confidence in my eyes, and said, "I have a mountain to climb."

- Gary Barnes
You can visit Gary’s site, Self-Worth.com at: http://www.self-worth.com

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

James 1:2-4 ESV

The Optimist

There is a story of identical twins. One was a hope-filled optimist. “Everything is coming up roses!” The other was a said and hopeless pessimist. He thought that Murphy, as in Murphy’s Law, was an optimist. The worried parents of the boys brought them to the local psychologist.

He suggested to the parents a plan to balance the twins’ personalities. “On their next birthday, put them in separate rooms to open their gifts. Give the pessimist the best toys you can afford, and give the optimist a box of manure”. The parents followed these instructions and carefully observed the results.

When they peeked in on the pessimist, they heard him audibly complaining, “I don’t like the color of this computer…I’ll bet this calculator will break…I don’t like this game…I know someone who’s got a bigger toy car than this…”

Tiptoeing across the corridor, the parents peeked in and saw their little optimist gleefully throwing the manure up in the air. He was giggling. “You can’t fool me! Where there’s this much manure, there’s gotta be a pony!”

- Author Unknown

“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”

Hebrews 10:35-36 NIV

Decide to Be Healthy



Decide to be healthy.

Pray to God every day for good health.

Take health as your sacred, God given duty.

Make no room whatsoever for the slightest thought of sickness.

Encourage your trillions of faithful little cells through joy, happiness and confidence.

Thank them, talk to them, sing to them.

Let no foul air, food or liquid poison you.

Let no anger, anxiety or bitterness enter you.

Wake up every morning with gratitude for your resurrection and repeat ten times:

"I am the happiest and healthiest person on earth."

Repeat it again before you sleep.

Close your eyes and think of God, good health and happiness.

And thank your Father in heaven who has given us a body never to be sick, a mind never to be dull, a consciousness never to be empty, and a spirit full of the heavens and of the Earth.

Dr. Robert Muller

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.         

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

The Women On My Journey



To the women on my journey
Who showed me the ways to go and ways not to go,
Whose strength and compassion held up a torch of light
and beckoned me to follow,
Whose weakness and ignorance darkened the path and encouraged me
to turn another way.

To the women on my journey
Who showed me how to love and how not to live,
Whose grace, success and gratitude lifted me into the fullness
of surrender to God,
Whose bitterness, envy and wasted gifts warned me away
from the emptiness of self-will

To the women on my journey
Who showed me what I am and what I am not,
Whose love, encouragement and confidence held me tenderly
and nudged me gently,
Whose judgement, disappointment and lack of faith called me
to deeper levels of commitment and resolve.

To the women on my journey who taught me love
by means of both darkness and light.

To these women I say bless you and thank you from the
depths of my heart,
for I have been healed and set free
through your joy and through your sacrifice.

Rev. Melissa M. Bowers

But Ruth replied, "Don't make me leave you, for I want to go wherever you go, and to live wherever you live; your people shall be my people, and your God shall be my God; I want to die where you die, and be buried there."

Ruth 1: 16-17

All Our Dreams Can Come True--If We Have the Courage to Pursue Them



Sports psychologists have identified six re-occurring traits common among gold-medallist athletes.  These "traits of a champion" apply to both men and women, and are also dominant factors in the lives of those who succeed in non-athletic vocations.

1.  Self-Analysis:  These successful athletes know their strengths and weaknesses, and engage in critical appraisal that is honest, but never negative.

2.  Self-Competition:  Winners know they can only control their own performances, so they compete against their own best efforts, not that of others. 

3.  Focus:  The champion is always "in the present," concentrating on the task at hand.

4.  Confidence:  Successful athletes control anxiety by setting tough but reasonable goals.  As goals are reached, confidence increases.

5.  Toughness:  This is a mental trait that involves accepting risk and trying to win, rather than trying not to lose.  Winners see change as opportunities and accept responsibility for their own destinies.

6.  Having a game plan:  Even elite athletes know talent is not enough.  They have a game plan.

Everyone can develop these traits.  Everyone!

Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear to not  be dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, is with you.

1 Chronicles 28:20

Everyone Has An Invisible Sign Hanging From His Neck

Saying, "Make me feel important!"

It isn't enough to say in our hearts

That we like a man for his ways,

It isn't enough that we fill our minds

With paeans of silent praise;

Nor is it enough that we honor a man

As our confidence upward mounts,

It's going right up to the man himself,

And telling him so that counts!

If a man does a work you really admire,

Don't leave a kind word unsaid,

In fear that to do so might make him vain

And cause him to "lose his head."

But reach out your hand and tell him,

"Well done," and see how his gratitude swells;

It isn't the flowers we strew on the grave,

It's the work to the living that tells.

Anonymous

For lack of praise, many think others draw negative conclusions about them.  We can actually wound people by withholding our praise.  Let someone know you think well of him or her today.  What a difference your words will make!

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:11