Being meek and Mild will get you Farther Than Being Tough

Before I share an excerpt from the book: Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World, I have some exciting news:

On Friday the 15thof January, I signed a publishing contract with Winepress Publishers. The book will be coming out at the end of August or the first of September.

Much of the success is due to you my followers who have been telling others about the book on the social networks. The word is spreading, and now my dream is coming true. Follow the posts here to see the progress of the publishing of the book. You will be the first to know. Now for the excerpt. It is Chapter 64:

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Compassion Is Difficult to Give Away Because It Keeps Coming Back

 

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Matthew 5:5

 

I was warming up one day before playing a round of golf. I had been looking forward to a relaxing day, a chance to get away from it all, and was hitting a few balls at the driving range. I was hitting the ball well when a young man in his 20s to my right also started hitting balls. He was hitting the balls very far, which was distracting to me. I felt intimidated by his skills.

I continued to hit, but my shots started going in all directions. I was so distracted by this young man’s abilities that I couldn’t concentrate! I tried to regroup, and stepped up to the tee, saying to myself: I have to ignore the person to my right and hit the ball straight. I took a big swing, and the ball went directly right, hitting the young man on the outside of his left knee. He went down to the ground, grabbing his knee in pain. I was horrified!

I ran over to him, repeating how sorry I was, to ask if he was all right. He looked up at me.

“I’ll be OK,” he said. “And don’t feel bad—you weren’t trying to hit me.”

I could see he was in a great deal of pain, but his first action was to try to calm me down. Here was young a man who had every right to be really mad. God had given this young man the right things to say. That was another of my close encounters with God!

I couldn’t believe how calming his answer was. I was very upset, and I bet it showed! He, the injured party, calmed me by his loving spirit! He could have cursed at me, but he used the moment to show his Christian attitude toward another person.

How do you know he was a Christian? you wonder. Well, I really don’t know because our conversation never went to that subject, but if I were a betting man (and I’m not!), I’d say he was a believer because he never hesitated to show compassion for someone in spite of his own discomfort.

Can people look at you and tell you are a Christian by your actions?

I’ve always felt that you don’t have to grab a Bible and “preach” to a person to have a large effect on them. This young man had a tremendous effect on me, and he didn’t do much. He just forgave me, and let it go at that!

Have you had the opportunity to be a witness to someone by your actions, and let it pass you by?

We can be a witness to someone without trying to impress them with what we know about the Bible. It’s wonderful if you have that knowledge, but most people don’t care how much you know; they want to know how much you care. Many times a people will say, “I want to be like that person,” just by what they see us do. A calming spirit will win more people over than an angry, hateful spirit.

Aim straight for the heart with your love, and the feeling will become a part of those around you.

 

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

Philippians 2:3

 

Further adventures

The next time someone is angry, try the gentle approach. You may be very surprised to see that it will calm them down much faster than yelling back at them. Your friends or family will really look up to you if you are consistent in your approach to stress and pressure. Your example may help them to also be meek and therefore be an example for the next person.

 

Something to ponder

Isn’t it funny that the more we show kindness to someone, the more we get back in return?

 

 * Excerpt from: Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World

 

 

Take off Your Bah Humbug Mask and Smile!

Adversity Helps our Character Grow

Before I post my article for this evening, I want to let you know that the promotion for the five autographed books has ended for this week. The five winners will be notified and hopefully I will get the books to them in time for Christmas, if they want them to be used for gifts.

Thank you for the great response. That shows me we need to do this once a week until I run out of books.

I will be starting another giveaway this Friday night through Monday evening like I did this week.

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I just got through having a wonderful discussion with a man named Henry Newell. I was minding my own business. (Hard for me to do,) when he contacted me through the IM service at Facebook.

I was sharing back and forth with him, when he dropped a bomb on me. He is a quadriplegic. He was in a diving accident when he was 14 years old. He was told he wasn’t going to live, and if he did he would be a vegetable.  He is still here to tell his story.

Henry is a born again Christian that would put an average Christian to shame. His outlook on everything in live is incredible. He is such a positive person.

I want to invite you to read his story on the blog: http//:www.dailysignsofhope.com. This blog is run by myself and Michael Clark.

We have been in the trenches, and we write articles there that reach out to the people who suffer from anxiety, fear, self doubt, depression, addictions, hopelessness, and the many other usual suspects. 

Henry’s post  will be in a couple of weeks. We have guest bloggers on every Sunday. We are  backed up a little right now.

I will let you know here when he will be blogging, but why don’t check out the blog and bookmark it like 300 other people have in the first month of its existence.

Why should someone like Henry be so positive. It looks like life gave him a lemon. I can’t speak for him. He will be doing that himself, but I know why I am so positive after six major surgeries. It is because God has allowed me to have them! God has a plan for me. He had one before I was born. I now know that I am to reach out to people who suffer from the many mental afflictions we face when adversity strikes us.

I was near death at one point,  but I am still alive, and thanking God each day. I seek His will daily and strive to meet His will with every breath I take that He has given me.

During this Christmas time, don’t spend your time feeling sorry for yourself, by moaning and groaning. Remember the reason for the season. They was a little child that was born on Christmas Day. He was a very poor child. They laid him in a manger. Webster’s Dictionary says a manger is, ” A place where livestock eat.” Little Jesus laid in a filthy manger, and didn’t even have nice cloths to wear. He slept among the animals in the barn.

Now think of all the things that God has given you. A family, food, a home, friends, good health.

I know some of you do not have those things I listed, but be thankful that God has given you another breath. Each one may be the last.

So, put away your Bah Humbug costume, and be a light shining in the dark for others that are less fortunate.

May God bless you during the Christmas season and beyond.

When There is a Test in School There is Prayer

As Long as There Are Tests, There Will Be Prayer in Schools

 

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13

 

I loved my job as a teacher. It was thrilling to see the fear on kids’ faces when I gave a surprise quiz. They looked like they had just been hit by lightning. They began to sweat and tremble. I had my red pen in hand as I handed out the tests. I wanted them to see the pen that was going to be marking all over their papers. I knew I had power, and I was enjoying it.

Of course, this is not true. I never surprised kids with tests. As a matter of fact, I told them way ahead of time when a test was coming. I even told them where to find the answers. Life is tough enough without trying to hide the answers to tests.

That is the way it for Christians. They know where to find the answers. God does not try to hide them. God has told us way ahead of time what the answers are. He has told us what is going to happen. All we need to do is have faith. We need to look forward to it happening.

You should be studying for the final test now. You can’t just cram for it at the last minute. You don’t know when the last minute is. It may be before you finish this page. The Bible has all the answers to any questions you may have about God.

We need to spend each day studying and preparing for that day. There is only one test you have to pass, but it is pass/fail. There are no average scores or not so good scores—you either pass or you fail.

Fear not, my friend, the only question on the test is: “Do you believe in Me?” Yes and no are the only choices. There are not hundreds of questions that take hours to answer. You just kneel down and pray, “Father forgive me and I believe in You.”

Then you are ready to go home to be with God, and you never have to take another test for eternity.

Is this a hard task for you? Do you have too many “toys”—or other things to distract you—on this earth? Would you rather not think about eternity just yet? Do you have plans for yourself that do not include God? Have tests always had you running in fear? Do you shiver and quake when the word “test” is mentioned? Do you not have time for prayer?

Read John 3:16, and know that God loves you more than words can describe. He loved you so much that He gave His only Son to die just for you.

Think of the test questions that Jesus had to go through. The Pharisees kept trying to trick Him with questions to show that He wasn’t really the Son of God. They wanted Him to fail the test.

“Should we pay taxes?” “Is it OK to heal on the Sabbath?” “Why do you protect a prostitute?” Even on the cross He was asked, “If you are God, why don’t you save me and yourself?”

Jesus was not afraid of questions. He knew that His heavenly Father was there for Him. He knew that all the questions led to the cross. They all had a purpose: to fulfill His prophecy.

Even though I am retired from teaching, I still try to learn. I read many books on Christian living. I read the Bible to keep growing. I am 68 years old and will never be too old to study for the final test. I am ready for it because I’ve done my homework. I found the right answers.

 

If … you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with

all your heart and with all your soul.

Deuteronomy 4:29

 

Further adventures

How about you? Are you ready for the final test? Are you sure you’ll get the diploma of eternal life? Will you graduate into the heavenly kingdom? If not, crack open the Bible and get at that study. Confess your sins, and accept God’s gift of salvation. You are only a prayer away from God. He is waiting for you to pass the test and rely on Him for knowledge. Then you will be at the head of the class. The angels will be waiting for you to hand you your diploma, congratulating you with: “You passed the test!” You will be an honor student with eternity to enjoy your Savior.

 

Something to ponder

Isn’t it funny when you find something you thought you had lost only to realize it was there all the time?