Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain. ~Author Unknown

This letter was written by the former President of the United States of America, Abraham Lincoln, to the Headmaster of the school in which his son was studying.

To,
The Headmaster

He will have to learn, I know,
That all men are not just,
All men are not true,
But teach him also,
That for every scoundrel there is a hero,
For every selfish politician,
There is a dedicated leader!

Teach him that for every enemy there is a friend,
It will take time I know but teach him if you can,
That a dollar earned is of far more value than five found!

Teach him to learn to lose and also to enjoy winning
Steer him away from envy, if you can
And teach him the secret of quiet laughter
Let him learn early, that the bullies are the easiest to lick!

Teach him if you can the wonder of books
But also give him time to ponder over the eternal mystery of birds in the sky,
Bees in the sun and flowers on the green hillside
In school teach him it is far more honorable to fail than to cheat!

Teach him to have faith in his own ideas,
Even if everyone tells him they are wrong
Teach him to be gentle with gentle people
And tough with the tough!

Try to give my son the strength, not to follow the crowd
When everyone is getting into the bandwagon!

Teach him to listen to all men,
But teach him also to filter all he hears on a screen of truth,
And take away the good that comes through!

Teach him if you can how to laugh when he is sad
Teach him there is no shame in tears!

Teach him to scoff at cynics,
And to beware of too much sweetness!

Teach him to sell his brawn and brain to the highest of bidders,
But never to put a price tag on his heart and soul!

Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob
And to stand and fight if he thinks he is right!

Treat him gently, but do not cuddle him,
Because only the test of fire makes fine steel!

Let him have the courage to be impatient,
Let him have the patience to be brave!

Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself,
Because then he will always have sublime faith in mankind
This is big order but see what you can do
He is such a fine little fellow, my son!

Yours sincerely,
Abraham Lincoln

"If I take the wings of the morning
and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me fast."

- Psalm 139:9-10

A old post that fits today.......

Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. Don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshiping what's right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze new trails. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don't try to be who you're not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away.
Chase the Lion

Wisdom from a child

I asked my five year old niece, "What is a bridge"? She thought for a long time and then she said, "A bridge is when the ground falls out under you, and you build something to connect the cracks"

Leo F Buscaglia.

Your Dream

"There were two warring tribes in the Andes, one that lived in the lowlands and the other high in the mountains. The mountain people invaded the lowlanders one day, and as part of their plundering of the people, they kidnapped a baby of one of the lowlander families and took the infant with them back up into the mountains.

"The lowlanders didn't know how to climb the mountain. They didn't know any of the trails that the mountain people used, and they didn't know where to find the mountain people or how to track them in the steep terrain.

"Even so, they sent out their best party of fighting men to climb the mountain and bring the baby home.

"The men tried first one method of climbing and then another. They tried one trail and then another. After several days of effort, however, they had climbed only a couple of hundred feet. Feeling hopeless and helpless, the lowlander men decided that the cause was lost, and they prepared to return to their village below.

"As they were packing their gear for the descent, they saw the baby's mother walking toward them. They realized that she was coming down the mountain that they hadn't figured out how to climb.

"And then they saw that she had the baby strapped to her back. How could that be?

"One man greeted her and said, 'We couldn't climb this mountain. How did you do this when we, the strongest and most able men in the village, couldn't do it?'

"She shrugged her shoulders and said, 'It wasn't your baby.'"

In the eyes of others, you dream may appear to be an impossible one, but it is not their dream. Protect your dream just as the lowlands mother protected her child and you will be successful.

This Sunday officially starts the season of Advent. It is one of my most favorite traditions. It is not something that I grew up celebrating, but one that since being introduced to, I love.

Advent is about slowing down, preparing the way, remembering what this season is all about. As a man who will soon celebrate the last birthday of his forties, I am learning a little more about taking in as much as you can, while you can

I love the lines from the movie City Slickers as quoted in the book The Body by Charles W. Colson

"Value this time in your life, kids, because this is the time in your life when you still have your choices. It goes by fast.

When you’re a teenager, you think you can do anything (and you do.) Your twenties are a blur. In your thirties you raise your family, you make a little money, and you think to yourself, "What happened to my twenties?"

In your forties, you grow a little pot belly, and you grow another chin. The music starts to get too loud, and one of your old girlfriends from high school becomes a grandmother. In your fifties, you have a minor surgery – you’ll call it a procedure, but it’s a surgery. In your sixties, you’ll have a major surgery, the music is still loud, but it doesn’t matter because you can’t hear it anyway.

In your seventies, you and the wife retire to Fort Lauderdale. You start eating dinner at 2:00 in the afternoon, you have lunch around 10:00, breakfast the night before, spend most of your time wandering around malls looking for the ultimate frozen yogurt and muttering, "How come the kids don’t call? How come the kids don’t call?" In your eighties, you’ll have a major stroke, and you end up babbling with some Jamaican nurse who your wife can’t stand, but whom you call mama. Any questions?”

Ok, so hopefully I don’t end up like that, but I am not taking any chances ;-)
May you have a blessed Advent Season

Poem Leo Buscaglia - Only you can Make the difference

Leo Buscaglia is an author that I have followed for a long time. One of his quotes is:

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."

-Leo Buscaglia

I have always loved his writing, but even more his speaking. he is a bit eccentric, with one central message LOVE. I found this old piece that is a great snap shop of his work. During these holidays may we take his message to heart.

Don't be afraid to go where you've never gone and do what you've never done, because both are necessary to have what you've never had and be who you've never been.

"I cannot always control what goes on outside. But I can always control what goes on inside." Wayne Dyer

Where does the time go.....

I came back to see it has been along time time since I last visited. I have no guilt about that, life does that from time to time. I have been busy with college, church family and life but all is well. I ran across a saying tonight that spoke to me about life and the dreams we dream, it reads:

“Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.”
Sir Francis Drake



Dear God, help me dream big and not be afraid to leave the dock.

"Whenever I want to think hard, I need a river to help me lighten the load."

Sun Rise

This morning’s sunrise was one of the most spectacular that I have seen in a while. It was not bright like many are, but instead presented like a painting it was just amazing.

10 new members !

WOW,

This is the best description I can think of talking about Sunday.

10 people came forward to join the church. It was overwhelming to say the least.

After service we talked about the building off Counts Massie, the spirit was one of progression, unity and boldness. There was a unanimous decision to seek a lease and move the church at North Little Rock. I have since spoken with some of the members who were not there, so far I have not had anyone against the move.

I am so grateful to be a part of this period of time at the church.

;-)

“During prosperity you are annoyed because the dog and cat won’t eat the expensive canned food you buy for them; In a recession you are delighted that the dog and cat won’t eat the expensive food; and in a depression you begin to look thoughtfully at the dog and cat.” - unknown

A great story from, "the caffeinated priest"

facing fears

I stood, in blue gym shorts and the pale t-shirt, featuring the Clarke Middle School owl, on the grassy field that was, in 1982, the spot for gym class volleyball. Mrs. Cook had imparted all that she could to us--the way to hold your fist when serving the ball, how to bump, how to set, how to keep score. Now all that was left was actually playing. There were enough girls lining the court that it was a fairly safe bet that I wouldn't have to actually hit the ball, that if it came towards me, I could duck out of the way and let the more athletically inclined girls do the heavy hitting.

Dodging the ball, steering clear of it's fast descent into my personal space, was a skill I developed. And while I could usually serve the ball and even get it over the net on occasion, volleyball, like so many other sports in my life, stood as an icon of fear. Because unlike mini-golf, where failure to hit the ball where it belongs only impacts me, team sports such as volleyball, impact other people--people who have hopes and expectations that revolve around the concept of my being able to return a serve or get a ball over the net. And perhaps even worse, is that in volleyball, once the opposing team discovers that I suck, I become a target. Hit the ball to the pudgy one in pigtales--she can't hit it back they say. And suddenly ball, after ball, after ball comes flying over the net, right into my little corner of the world, while I stand, helplessly ducking.

You'd think I'd have remembered all this when I said yes. You'd think it would've stopped me. But when two of my favorite boys on the planet suggested that I join their beach volleyball team, I said yes before the floodgate of memories had the chance to surface. I paid for my team insurance and Ms. Cook's class never crossed my mind. I loaded up on tacos at our team fiesta before the start of the season and only noticed how great the team shirts were. No, memories of the 6th grade volleyball experience were buried deep in my unconscious...until yesterday.

Yesterday, I donned a new uniform--black sweats and a red t-shirt with a new logo: the Deviled Eggs. And I took my bare feet down to the beach and in the Chicago cold of May found myself playing volleyball. And I missed a lot of balls. And the boys on one team--they did target me. But this time it was different. Because my teammates cheered when I hit the ball, even when it went flying off the court. And because I served 5 serves that they couldn't return. And earned us a total of 6 points. Take that Clarke Middle School!

In the end, the Deviled Eggs won all 4 games we played. (Take that boys who targeted me!) And it was great fun. And I was still scared. But I did it. And next Friday I'll do it again. And step by step, volley by volley, those old voices, those old fears, grow quieter and move farther and farther away. Step by step, volley by volley, I find I'm less inclined to duck.

What is a need ???

I ran across a story from a Pastor in Ohio. People are funny......

A gentlemen stopped by the church needing help to make the brakes on his car safe. This played off of my mechanical interest, so I took a short and horrifying trip around the parking lot and decided for the good of the community that I would help this guy out. After $20 worth of brake pads and an hour of work, or maybe it was on the trip to the auto parts store that this guy asked me, "Can you help me with some money?" "For what?" I replied. "My landlord has cut my cable off, and I need $15. " (Apparently the landlord was splicing cable for his tenants) At this point in my life, I was making good money for a young pastor, and Jill was working as a nurse - we were not broke. WE DIDN'T HAVE CABLE - somewhat as a lifestyle choice, but mostly as a cost-saver. After telling him that our church tries to help with NEEDS- food, water, safety issues, etc - he tried to make the argument for cable TV being a neccesity. This continued even after I let him know that I wasn't currently enjoying cable tv. I think I probably laughed. I didn't change his mind - cable tv was on par with food/water. I'm sure I laughed.

Pastor Shot and Killed in the Pulpit

Don Brock has a very informative Blog that I follow. For quite sometime he has written about church security. I wanted to share his blog on the most recent church shooting.

Church security has been addressed many times on this Blog. It is a growing concern regardless of the size of your church. For years, we have offered free security training materials upon request (DGBrock@aol.com), and church consulting services to teach or train onsite. After many incidences in America over the past five years, tragedy has struck again.

Yesterday a gunman walked down the aisle of an Illinois church during a Sunday service and killed the pastor, then stabbed himself and slashed two other people as congregants wrestled him to the ground, authorities said.

The local newspaper reported late Sunday a source close to the case confirmed the gunman as Terry Joe Sedlacek, 27, who developed mental illness after Lyme disease attacked his brain.


rest of article

Paul Harvey, Broadcaster for Six Decades, Dies at 90

Paul Harvey, a familiar radio voice for six decades who used long pauses to punctuate his delivery of news and observations, died today in Phoenix. He was 90.

Harvey’s death was announced in a statement by ABC Radio Networks where his “News and Comment” was a fixture aired from coast to coast since 1951. He had impressed network executives with high ratings in Chicago, where he’d been a newscaster at ABC affiliate WENR-AM since 1944.

Harvey died in a Phoenix area hospital with his family by his side, said Louis Adams, a spokesman for ABC Radio Networks. The broadcaster lived in Chicago during the summer and moved his production to Arizona in the winter months.

“My father and mother created from thin air what one day became radio and television news,” son Paul Harvey Jr. said in a statement on his father’s Web site. “So in the past year, an industry has lost its godparents and today millions have lost a friend.”

Harvey’s wife, Angel, who produced his shows, died in May.

Rising at 3:30 a.m., Harvey would arrive early at his office and studio to check overnight wire-service stories. A staff of six helped cull small-town newspapers and readers’ suggestions for more material for “News and Comment” segments that aired six days a week.

Harvey’s plain language and distinctive pauses were highly effective. He also managed to convey a sense of fresh wonder.

“Let me say I can’t wait to get up every morning and watch the passing parade and call out to anybody who might be interested in the things that interest me,” he told the Chicago Tribune.

‘Trusted Friend’

At age 82, Harvey was still so productive that ABC Radio signed him to a 10-year contract valued at $100 million in November 2000. More than 1,200 radio stations and 400 Armed Forces Network stations aired his broadcasts, according to ABC.

“As he delivered the news each day with his own unique style and commentary, his voice became a trusted friend in American households,” Jim Robinson, president of ABC Radio Networks, said in the statement. “His career in radio spanned more than seven decades, during which time countless millions of listeners were both informed and entertained by his ‘News & Comment’ and ‘Rest of the Story’ features.”

Popular With Advertisers

His conservative views and sincerity made him popular with advertisers. Highly selective, Harvey required one-year commitments from program sponsors and only promoted products he and his wife used. He wrote the ad copy and read it with conviction. Bankers Life & Casualty was a sponsor for 30 years; Bose Corp. was another favorite.

Paul Harvey Aurandt was born September 4, 1918, to Harry Harrison and Anna Dagmar (Christensen) Aurandt in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His father, a police officer, was killed when Harvey was three.

Harvey’s career was launched in 1933 when a speech teacher at Tulsa’s Central High School recognized his potential. She escorted the 14-year-old to local station KVOO-AM and told the station manager “This boy needs to be in radio,” the Tulsa World recounted in a 1997 article.

Harvey worked as an announcer, then as program director at KVOO-AM, according to the biography on his Web site.

He spent three years as a station manager in Salina, Kansas, followed by a stint as a newscaster in Oklahoma City. He then landed at WXOK-AM in St. Louis, working as a reporter and director of special events. In 1939, he met his future wife at the station.

‘Angel’s’ Advice

After marriage, Harvey worked as a reporter in Hawaii and enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps after Pearl Harbor. Discharged in 1944, he moved to Chicago at his wife’s urging.

“Since the first day of our marriage, we’ve worked side by side,” Harvey told the Chicago Tribune in 2002. Indeed, in 1997 his wife was the first producer inducted in the Hall of Fame of the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago.

According to the Chicago Tribune, his wife changed Harvey’s conservative views on the Equal Rights Amendment and the Vietnam War, leading up to his broadcast of May 1, 1970, when he addressed President Richard Nixon, saying, “I love you, Mr. President. But you’re wrong.”

Will you be Johnny today?

I came across this vidoe clip of a story that I had heard a while back. Little things do make a difference.
http://www.stservicemovie.com/