Philippians 4:8,9 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
12/10–Once upon a time a daughter complained to her father that her life was miserable and that she didn’t know how she was going to make it. She was tired of fighting and struggling all the time. It seemed just as one problem was solved, another one soon followed. Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire.
Once the three pots began to boil, he placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot and ground coffee beans in the third pot. He then let them sit and boil, without saying a word to his daughter. The daughter, moaned and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing.
After twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He took the potatoes out of the pot and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. He then ladled the coffee out and placed it in a cup.
Turning to her, he asked. “Daughter, what do you see?” “Potatoes, eggs and coffee,” she hastily replied.
Look closer”, he said, “and touch the potatoes.” She did and noted that they were soft.
He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.
Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Its rich aroma brought a smile to her face.
Father, what does this mean?” she asked.
He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and coffee beans had each faced the same adversity-the boiling water.
However, each one reacted differently.
The potato went in strong, hard and unrelenting, but in boiling water, it became soft and weak.
The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid interior until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard.
However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new.
Which one are you?” he asked his daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a potato, an egg, or a coffee bean?”
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But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Humor:
A little old couple walked into a fast food restaurant. The little old man walked up to the counter, ordered the food, paid, and took the tray back to the table where the little old lady sat. On the tray was a hamburger, a small bag of fries and a drink.
Carefully the old man cut the hamburger in two, and divided the fries into two neat piles. He sipped the drink and passed it to the little old lady, who took a sip and passed it back.
A young man on a nearby table had watched the old couple and felt sorry for them. He offered to buy them another meal, but the old man politely declined, saying that they were used to sharing everything.
The old man began to eat his food, but his wife sat still, not eating. The young continued to watch the couple. He still felt he should be offering to help.
As the little old man finished eating, the old lady had still not started on her food. “
Ma’am, why aren’t you eating?” asked the young man sympathetically.
The old lady looked up and said politely, “I’m waiting for the teeth..”
12/10–Once upon a time a daughter complained to her father that her life was miserable and that she didn’t know how she was going to make it. She was tired of fighting and struggling all the time. It seemed just as one problem was solved, another one soon followed. Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire.
Once the three pots began to boil, he placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot and ground coffee beans in the third pot. He then let them sit and boil, without saying a word to his daughter. The daughter, moaned and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing.
After twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He took the potatoes out of the pot and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. He then ladled the coffee out and placed it in a cup.
Turning to her, he asked. “Daughter, what do you see?” “Potatoes, eggs and coffee,” she hastily replied.
Look closer”, he said, “and touch the potatoes.” She did and noted that they were soft.
He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.
Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Its rich aroma brought a smile to her face.
Father, what does this mean?” she asked.
He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and coffee beans had each faced the same adversity-the boiling water.
However, each one reacted differently.
The potato went in strong, hard and unrelenting, but in boiling water, it became soft and weak.
The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid interior until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard.
However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new.
Which one are you?” he asked his daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a potato, an egg, or a coffee bean?”
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But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Humor:
A little old couple walked into a fast food restaurant. The little old man walked up to the counter, ordered the food, paid, and took the tray back to the table where the little old lady sat. On the tray was a hamburger, a small bag of fries and a drink.
Carefully the old man cut the hamburger in two, and divided the fries into two neat piles. He sipped the drink and passed it to the little old lady, who took a sip and passed it back.
A young man on a nearby table had watched the old couple and felt sorry for them. He offered to buy them another meal, but the old man politely declined, saying that they were used to sharing everything.
The old man began to eat his food, but his wife sat still, not eating. The young continued to watch the couple. He still felt he should be offering to help.
As the little old man finished eating, the old lady had still not started on her food. “
Ma’am, why aren’t you eating?” asked the young man sympathetically.
The old lady looked up and said politely, “I’m waiting for the teeth..”
A brother was conducting a Bible study with a student who failed to put into practice what he was learning. One day, after the study, our brother mentioned to the student that he had bought a book on health and fitness with the promise: “Become as fit as a marine in sixteen weeks.”
“You know,” he lamented, “I’ve had the book more than 16 weeks, I’ve read it more than three times already, and I’m STILL not as fit as a marine. In fact I’m just as unfit as I ever was.”
“Have you been doing the exercises from the book?” the Bible student asked.
“No,” the brother admitted.
“Then how do you expect to get anywhere with the book if you just read it, but don’t do what it says …”
The brother could tell by the way the tone of the student’s voice changed during the middle of his question that he had got the point!
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Psalms One Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
12/9–My friend Jerry was one of the most positive people I had ever known. He was always in a good mood and always had something encouraging to say.
Jerry‘s attitude truly amazed me. So one day I asked him: „How can you be so positive all the time?“.
He replied: „You see, every morning I tell myself, that I have two choices for that day – to be in a good mood or in a bad. I choose the good one. And when something wrong happens, I can be sad and angry or I can learn from it instead. I choose to learn. Thus I choose the positive side of life“. I said: „It is not that easy“. He replied: „Yes it is. Life is all about choices. You can choose how people or situation will affect your mood, your life“.
He was a manager at a restaurant. If his employee had a bad day, Jerry always helped him to look on the positive side of the situation.
One morning Jerry left the restaurant‘s back door open and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers. He tried to open the safe, but his hands shook due to nervousness and he slipped off the combination. So the robbers shot him. Fortunately, Jerry was quickly found and brought to the nearest hospital. After many hours of surgery and long intensive care, Jerry was released home.
When I met him, I asked what his thoughts were during the robbery. „I thought that I should have locked the back door“, he replied. „Then, when I was lying on the floor, I remembered about my choices in this case: a choice to live and a choice to die. I chose to live.“
I asked, if he was scared. Jerry continued: „When they wheeled me into emergency room and I looked at the faces of doctors, I got truly scared. I knew that I need to do something. So when the nurse asked me, if I was allergic to anything, I replied „Yes“. Doctors and nurses stopped working as waited for my answer. I took a deep breath and yelled „Bullets“. They started laughing and I said: „
My choice is to live, treat me as I am alive, not dead“.
Now Jerry is alive owing to skills of his doctors, however his amazing attitude played an important role too. I learned from him, that every day we should choose to live fully no matter what.
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12/9–Many people have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose”–Helen Keller.
There is a deep-seated need in all of us to sense purpose—even out of calamity. Jesus knew who He was. The Lord wants to help you realize who you are and what you are graced to do.
To ask someone to define you without first knowing the answer yourself is dangerous. When you understand that He is the only One who really knows you, then you pursue Him with fierceness and determination.
Pursue Him! God knows who we are and how we are to attain our calling. This knowledge, locked up in the counsel of God’s omniscience, is the basis of our pursuit, and it is the release of that knowledge that brings immediate transformation.
He knows the hope or the goal of our calling. He is not far removed from us; He reveals Himself to people who seek Him.
The finders are seekers. The door is opened only to the knockers and the gifts are given to the askers! (See Luke 11: 9.) Initiation is our responsibility. Whosoever hungers and thirsts shall be filled. The structure of an army was just waiting for God’s command. God will not put His seal of approval on something until He is sure that it is His.
God can fill your past, your childhood, your feelings of inferiority, your wounds, your loneliness. God sees incredible potential in you. The Word of God says you are capable. Within you is an army to reach for your full potential, focus on your areas of competence, have the courage to take action despite obstacles, and strive to improve continually by passionately pursuing a dream.
What one great thing with you dare to dream if you knew that you could not fail? If you could wave a magic wand or take a magic pill what one thing would you desire?
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Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
Humor:
Fred and Mabel were both patients in a mental hospital. One day as they both walked beside the swimming pool, Mabel jumped into the deep end and sank to the bottom. Without a thought for his own safety, Fred jumped in after her, brought her to the surface, hauled her out, gave her the kiss of life and saved her.
The next day happened to be Fred’s annual review. He was brought before the hospital board, where the director told him, “Fred, I have some good news and some bad news: the good news is that in light of your heroic act yesterday we consider that you are sane and can be released from this home back into society.
The bad news is, I’m afraid, that Mabel, the patient you saved, shortly afterwards hung herself in the bathroom with the belt from her bathrobe. I’m sorry but she’s dead.”
She didn’t hang herself,” Fred replied, “I put her there to dry.”
Who would ever imagine when you see a caterpillar crawling on the ground that it would possible to turn into a magnificent butterfly.
Like Clark Kent would change from a weakling to Superman, we can transform ourselves just by changing our minds.
If you keep thinking what you have always been thinking, then you will keep doing what you have always been doingand therefore, you will keep getting what you have always been getting!
