MILLENNIUM DREAM FOR LIFE

Hotel room door plate - “The great advantage of a hotel is that it's a great refuge from home life”

The daughter of comedian Groucho Marx was once denied admittance to an exclusive country club swimming pool with her friends because she and her family were not members. Realizing what had happened, embarrassed officials sent the Marx family an apology and an application to join. Groucho declined the invitation with the comment, "I wouldn't want to belong to any club that would have me as a member."

Someone still tried to smooth over the incident by persuading the comedian to allow an application to be submitted for membership. The country club was embarrassed further when the application was denied. The reason? The Marx family was Jewish and the club was "restricted. "

True to form, Groucho wrote back: "My wife is not Jewish. Can she go swimming and let our daughter wade up to her waist?"

I love his use of humor, but Groucho effectively shines a spotlight on the prevalence and absurdity of prejudice. He must have felt, as did Sir Isaac Newton so many years earlier, that we "build too many walls and not enough bridges."

I yearn for a time when we courageously break down those walls that divide and build wide bridges between one another. I long for a super-highway of compassion and acceptance spanning our differences that will unite us as one. As we ease into a new millennium, I dream of an age when people will finally be connected heart to heart and mind to mind.

My greatest desire is that we somehow learn what it means to be family.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

HOW TO HAVE A LIFE OF JOY

Venus fly trap plant batik painting - “Ambition is like a frog sitting on a Venus Flytrap. The flytrap can bite and bite, but it won't bother the frog because it only has little tiny plant teeth. But some other stuff could happen and it could be like ambition.”

Do you know how to have a life of joy?

A businessman on his deathbed called his friend and said, "Bill, I want you to promise me that when I die you will have my remains cremated." "And what," his friend asked, "do you want me to do with your ashes?" The businessman said, "Just put them in an envelope and mail them as taxes to the government and write on the envelope, 'NOW YOU HAVE EVERYTHING!' "

Paying taxes is not usually a joy. But GIVING can be joyful. We pay the taxes because we have to. But when we choose to give time or money, then giving can add to our overall happiness.

Mother Teresa teaches us an important lesson about happiness. She was one of those people who emanated joy. Born in 1910 in Skopje, Macedonia, she felt called as a teenager to move to Calcutta, India. Some months later she saw a sight that completely revolutionized her life.

Shortly after moving to Calcutta she spotted a homeless, dying woman lying in the gutter, being eaten by rats. After seeing that, compassion compelled her to beg an abandoned Hindu temple from the government and convert it into a crude, make-shift hospital for the dying. "Nobody should die alone" she would later say. Mother Teresa went on to establish homes for the destitute dying in numerous cities. But in spite of devoting her life to people in such dire straits, she radiated joy and happiness.

This incredible woman was once interviewed by Malcolm Muggeridge from the BBC News. He asked her an unusual question: "Mother Teresa, the thing I noticed about you and the hundreds of sisters who now form your team is that you all look so happy. Is that a put-on?"

Here was a woman who had none of the things we like to think of as bringing happiness: a home, a family, prosperity. Rather, she lived in near-poverty and spent her time wiping dirt and various body fluids from half-dead cancer and leprosy victims -- and appeared to be blissfully happy. "Is that a put-on" she was asked?

She replied, "Oh no, not at all. Nothing makes you happier than when you really reach out in mercy to someone who is badly hurt."

She would agree that happiness does not come from acquiring, but is a by-product of giving: time, money, love. Do you want a life of joy? Start by giving.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

ARE YOU COLLEGE READY IN LIFE?

Recently I have come across more cases whereby students prefer distance learning or e-learning over conventional classroom education. While there are pros and cons, a notable limitation to distance learning is the lack of one to one tutoring due to the sheer size and the asynchronous nature of each virtual class. One of the more frequent subject that suffers more from this is Pre Algebra.

It is easier to teach someone How to divide and Algebra equations during an interactive class of one to one rather than multiple to one. The same can be said for Standard form and Slope Formula. One of the better way to overcome this problem is to seek out personal tutoring. Personally I recommend online tutoring by TutorVista. Whether you are looking for solutions to Math Word Problems or honing your skills on a Math practice test, TutorVista has you covered. I have already gotten my cousin to sign up with TutorVista and ever since then she has been all smiles when it comes to her Math Word Problems.

EYES ON THE SHORE OF LIFE

Papercraft mini van model - “Don't be a time manager, be a priority manager. Cut your major goals into bite-sized pieces. Each small priority or requirement on the way to ultimate goal become a mini goal in itself.”

A story is told about a bloodhound chasing a stag. A fox crossed the path, so the hound chased the fox. After a while a rabbit crossed the path, so the hound chased it. Later, a mouse crossed the path and the hound chased the mouse into a hole. The hound began his hunt on the trail of a magnificent stag and ended up watching a mouse hole!

Not that there is anything wrong with spontaneity. Some of the most wonderful things have come into my life by beautiful accident. But there is also something to be said for knowing where we want to go.

Florence Chadwick learned the importance of keeping a goal in mind on July 4, 1952. She waded into the Pacific Ocean off Catalina Island and began swimming toward the California coast 26 miles away. The day was cold and her attendants drove off sharks throughout the journey.

Florence had already swum the English Channel twice and, if she could finish today, she would be the first woman to have swum both. But after fifteen hours in the water, for the first and only time in her long-distance swimming career, she gave up and climbed into the escort boat. Others had urged her on, but in the fog they could not tell her how near she was to the coast. She later learned that she was less than half a mile from shore.

When asked by a reporter why she gave up, Florence replied: "It was the fog. If I could have seen land, I could have finished. But when you can't see your goal, you lose all sense of progress and you begin to give up."

On a warm, sunny day two months later Florence Chadwick swam the Catalina Channel, handily beating the men's record. Only when she kept her eyes on the shore did she eventually arrive there.

Keeping that goal constantly in sight will get you where you want to go.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

SUCCEEDING AT LIFE

Bootleg Transformers toys for sale - “Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with, it is a toy and an amusement; then it becomes a mistress, and then it becomes a master, and then a tyrant. The last phase is that just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster, and fling him out to the public.”

It's said there are three ways to get to the top of a tree: climb it, sit on an acorn or make friends with a big bird. But without too much imagination I can think of a couple of other ways – like one that involves a parachute and a poor landing.

However, the point is still well taken: getting to the top of that organization or reaching a new height requires effort. And it is taken for granted that reaching the top is exactly what everyone wants to do. After all, isn't that what "success" is all about? More power? More money? Reaching the top?

But what about success at living – trying to get it right this go around?

Success at this thing we call living has always been important to me. And climbing to the top of a tree has never been a good metaphor for it. I like to think more about the word "priorities. " Getting some basic priorities in order is key. And I know that if one's life can be organized around solid priorities, then a full and worthwhile life will be the result.

It is always risky to use sports illustrations; they just don't speak to everyone. But let me forge ahead with an oft-quoted statement by American football coaching legend Vince Lombardi. He is remembered for saying, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing." And Lombardi's dream was certainly to coach winning teams, but it's a mistake to think that climbing to the top of football's ladder of success was his greatest goal. He believed it was more important to succeed at life than at his career or anything else.

Actually, winning football games was not "the only thing" to Lombardi. He once actually listed his life priorities in this order: God, his family and his career.

He knew what was important. And he knew that keeping his priorities straight could bring him joy, peace and, ultimately, success at life. Which is probably the only thing that truly matters.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

A DREAM THAT WILL CATCH YOUR HEART IN LIFE

Expensive fish and chips in Singapore - “The only thing more expensive than education is ignorance.”

That all-too-quotable Yogi Berra once said, "If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else." (I think that happened to me once.)

But even if you know where you want to end up, do you REALLY WANT to be there? I'm not talking about traveling now, but where we're going with our lives. Is the dream you are following really that important to you?

Most people are not lazy. They simply have uninspiring goals. They don't accomplish what they set out to do because they lose interest. The dream they are following is simply not that important to them.

But then I think of Dennis Oehler. He ran the 100-meter dash in 11.73 seconds. Record-holder Maurice Greene ran it in 9.79 seconds, almost two seconds faster. So what's the big deal? Maurice Greene has two legs. Dennis Oehler has one. One leg -- and a huge dream.

The truth is -- we are always highly motivated when something means a great deal to us. If I fell into a deep lake and I didn't know how to swim, I would become highly motivated in an instant. Climbing from the lake would mean more to me than anything else in the world. My effort would be no less than astounding and I would suddenly become one of the most excited and enthusiastic persons imaginable.

And that goes for anything that is truly important to us. If we want something badly enough, we will find necessary energy, excitement and drive to grasp it.

Writer Tim Redmond says this about following worthwhile dreams: "There are many things that will catch my eye, but there are only a few that catch my heart...it is those I consider to pursue."

Is your dream big enough -- important enough -- to catch your heart?

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

LITTLE THINGS IN LIFE

Peanut the cat meowing in the cage - “The truth is I love being alive. And I love feeling free. So if I can't have those things then I feel like a caged animal and I'd rather not be in a cage. I'd rather be dead. And it's real simple. And I think it's not that uncommon.”

When I was in college, I shared an American Thanksgiving supper with friends. We spent the day cooking together – turkey, potatoes, green beans, yams and, of course, dinner rolls. I was in charge of the rolls. Looking back, that may have been a mistake.

I love to eat raw dough. Most any kind will do – cookie dough, cake batter, biscuit dough, bread dough – you get the idea. So I rolled out the yeast dough, sliced off a corner and ate it, rolled some more, sliced and ate, rolled, sliced, ate…. I don't know how much of the dough I consumed before the rolls hit the oven, but I remember it as a wonderful afternoon. Until about a half-hour later.

Yeast, it seems, likes a dark, moist, warm environment. In me, it found one and did what yeast does best – it grew. And grew. And grew.

After a while my stomach was distended and I felt like the Pillsbury Dough Boy with a burping disorder.

It was soon time for supper and I felt too full to eat anything. All of that scrumptious food and I couldn't eat.

That day I gained a new respect for the power of yeast; it doesn't take much to make a big difference.

Little things make a big difference. Little things like yeast. Little things like kindness.

Douglas, a fifteen year old boy who lived in Missouri (USA), had been feeling badly for several days. His mother Donna took him to the emergency room where blood tests revealed one of the most frightening things a parent can learn about a child. Her son was diagnosed with leukemia.

Douglas' life changed. He began a routine of blood transfusions, spinal and bone marrow tests and chemotherapy. The physical trauma was one thing, but he also became depressed. And who wouldn't? He lost is former life, his healthy self. All of those exciting dreams and plans a young boy has for his future vanished, and in their place all he could see was somebody with cancer. Somebody who may or may not live long. Somebody whose life would be very different than before.

He had a good hospital and good doctors. But it he did not have hope. And without it, he was in serious jeopardy.

Douglas' aunt called a florist close to the hospital. She wanted the sales clerk to be aware of the flower arrangement' s significance. "I want the planter to be especially attractive. It's for my teenage nephew who has leukemia," she told the clerk.

"Oh," said the salesclerk. "Let's add some fresh-cut flowers to brighten it up."

When the floral arrangement arrived Douglas opened the envelope and read the card from his aunt. Then he saw something unusual. It was another card. The second card read:

"Douglas--I took your order. I work at (this floral shop).
I had leukemia when I was seven years old. I'm 22 years
old now. Good luck. My heart goes out to you.
Sincerely,
Laura."

Douglas smiled. He finally felt some real hope. And why not? Here was a person who also had cancer and new she was 22 and working! If she could do it, so could he. Douglas found what he needed. He found the will to live.

Little things make a big difference. Little things like kindness and encouragement and hope. Little things all of us can give.

And it doesn't take much to make a big difference.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

FOUR TRAITS OF EFFECTIVE LEADERS IN LIFE

Green imprints design on antique plates - “This planet has -- or rather had -- a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.”

A young officer in the Army discovered that he had no change when he tried to buy a soft drink from a vending machine. He flagged down a passing private and asked him, "Do you have change for a dollar?"

The private said cheerfully, "I think so. Let me take a look."

The officer drew himself up stiffly and said, "Soldier, that is no way to address a superior. We'll start all over again. Do you have change for a dollar?"

The private came to attention, saluted smartly, and said, "No, sir!"

Each of us commands some authority. There are or will be those we guide, supervise, rear, mentor or lead. Some of us will be effective and others will feel as if we're running a cemetery: we've got a lot of people under us and nobody's listening.

Much has been written and taught about leadership, but I find that at least four traits are common in all people of authority who effectively elicit cooperation and respect from those who look up to them. Whether you are a parent, whether you find yourself in the workplace, sitting on a volunteer committee or teaching some-one a new skill, these traits will help you effectively guide those who would seek to follow.

These good leaders are...

L isteners. They take time to listen to the suggestions and concerns of those they endeavor to lead.

E ncouragers. They don't try to do it all themselves. Neither do they motivate by force or guilt. They encourage others and help bring out their best.

A ssertive. They say what needs to be said without being unkind. They tell the truth as they see it, openly and frankly.

D ecisive. They know what needs to be done and they make timely, even difficult, decisions when necessary. But they can also take charge without running over the people in their lives.

In short, good leaders L-E-A-D!

It's said that the trouble with being a leader today is that you can't be sure whether people are following you or chasing you. But those who will develop these four traits are sure to find that their authority will be valued and respected.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

FINDING YOUR NOTE FOR LIFE

Golden Chinese New Year ornaments for sale - “You can't just sit there and wait for people to give you that golden dream. You've got to get out there and make it happen for yourself.”

A short story by William Saroyan is titled "The Man Whose Wife's Hair Was Too Long But Whose Understanding of Music Was Too Short." If you think the title strange, listen to this:

In the story, a husband plays the cello and never changes notes. He just continues to repeat the same note without variation.

His wife is driven to distraction and finally protests: "Why do you play the same note over and over and over again? Other cellists play different notes."

"Other cellists play different notes," her husband replies, "because they are trying to find the right one. I've found mine."

Ahhh, the beauty of finding your note! I think I could like him. Finding your note is something like finding your purpose in life or landing where you need to be.

Philosopher James Allen advised, "Above all be of single aim; have a legitimate and useful purpose, and devote yourself unreservedly to it." He could have said, "Find your note and stay with it."

I believe that is an important part of being happy. Like Helen Keller says, true happiness is attained "through fidelity to a worthy purpose."

In music, staking your claim on one note will drive everyone around you nuts. But finding the right note in life, and giving yourself to it, can be a source of unending joy.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

I ALWAYS WANTED TO IN LIFE

Sling wrapped delivery parcel - “Never neglect the little things. Never skimp on that extra effort, that additional few minutes, that soft word of praise or thanks, that delivery of the very best that you can do. It does not matter what others think, it is of prime importance, however, what you think about you. You can never do your best, which should always be your trademark, if you are cutting corners and shirking responsibilities. You are special. Act it. Never neglect the little things.”

An old prospector wandered into a small town where he was accosted by a loud, obnoxious and quite drunken cowboy. The cowboy pointed his six-shooters in the old miner's direction and asked, "Old man, do you know how to dance?"

"Nope," the prospector replied.

"Maybe you'd better learn," said the cowpuncher. Hot lead kicked up dust around the old man's feet and he began to dance.

Soon, however, the guns were empty. Now the old prospector reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a sawed-off shotgun.

"Son," he said, "you ever kissed a mule?"

Looking first at the shotgun, then at the spot where the mule's tail is attached to its body, the young cowboy got the message. "Nope," he answered, "I never kissed a mule. But I always wanted to!"

Desire is another word for wanting to do something. And in real life, desire is not something that can be given by anyone else. If there is something you want to do, it is probably not because somebody is holding a gun to your head. You just want to do it. Your desire comes from the inside.

If you decide you want to improve, if you want a meaningful relationship or more fulfilling work, if you want a rich spiritual life or a healthier body, then the desire must come from your own heart. Nobody can make you want those things. They can support you and even inspire you, but only you can make it happen.

There may be a hundred reasons we think we can't be the people we want to be. But there is really only one. We don't want it badly enough.

It was George Washington Carver, an African American who probably did have a hundred reasons not to change his circumstances, who a century ago said, "Most people search high and wide for the keys to success. If they only knew, the key to their dreams lies within."

And that key is labeled "desire."

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

THE MAGICAL EFFECT IN LIFE

Crowd at the registration counter - “I oppose registration for the draft . . . because I believe the security of freedom can best be achieved by security through freedom.”

American President John Quincy Adams once said, "Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish." Have you ever witnessed the magical effect of patience and perseverance?

One North Carolina church wanted to purchase some property. The church regularly suffered from high tide flooding. But when the church was built over a hundred years ago, they couldn't afford better property.

As the story is told, they finally decided to relocate to higher ground. An ideal lot was empty -- actually the highest ground in town. It belonged to a man named Sam. Officials from the church went to see Sam about selling the property. He politely told them it wasn't for sale; that he had other plans for the land.

The church looked elsewhere, but nothing satisfactory could be found. So they went back to Sam and made another offer. Again they were refused.

Then an unusual thing happened. One of the worst coastal floods in memory struck the town. As water rose, the church began to float. It left its coastal lot and started inward. It floated down the main street, turned a corner and eventually landed right on Sam's empty property.

Sam gave in. He allowed the building to stay and, if you were to ask a former member of North Carolina's old Swanquarter Methodist Church how they came to acquire their land, they may relate what Sam said about the transaction: "I guess if the good Lord couldn't move me to give the land to the church, he would move the church to the land."

Even John Quincy Adams might have been amazed at the "magical effect" before which the church's obstacles disappeared.

I believe it was basketball great Michael Jordan who said, "If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work your way around it."

It's about patience and perseverance. (And it can't hurt to have a little faith.)

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

TWO POUNDS OF ENTHUSIASM FOR LIFE

Decor roses for sale - “Truths and roses have thorns about them.”

Anonymous. I'd like to meet that person sometime. Anonymous has come up with some of the funniest and pithiest expressions I have ever heard. And he (or is it she?) can also be so deeply profound at times.

Like these words from Anonymous about what enthusiasm can do for us:

"Indifference never wrote great works, nor thought out striking inventions, nor reared the solemn architecture that awes the soul, nor breathed sublime music, nor painted glorious pictures, nor undertook heroic philanthropies. All these grandeurs are born of enthusiasm, and are done heartily."

I'm reminded of that great 18th century founder of Methodism, John Wesley. When asked how he drew such large crowds of people to hear him preach, he responded, "I set myself on fire and they come out and watch me burn!" People are drawn to enthusiasm.

Where there is no enthusiasm, there is no passion. Where there is no passion, there is no great living.

Are we meant simply to be satisfied with mediocre lives? From antiquity to the present, indifference has stolen from too many people the chance to do something important with their lives. Their indifference inspires little energy to pursue something truly worthwhile.

One woman went to the market and asked for two pounds of sausage. The clerk yelled at the butcher, "Two pounds of enthusiasm!"

"Why do you call it that?" the bewildered customer asked.

"Because he puts everything he's got into it," the clerk said.

In your daily activities; in your relationships with family, friends and colleagues; in anything you think is important -- what would happen if you "put everything you've got" into it?

Are you ready to find out?

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

PASSIONATE LIVING FOR LIFE

Insurance briefing at the office - “Love is the only kind of fire which is never covered by insurance.”

One man quipped: "It's not that I'm afraid of dying. It's just that I've been alive for as long as I can remember, and I'm kind of set in my ways."

Some people ARE afraid of dying. Others are not concerned about their death ... but they worry about how they're going to get there. Will illness linger? Or will it be sudden?

I can't even guess how or when I might die, but knowing my life will end has actually helped me to live more passionately. I think others have discovered the same phenomenon.

Journalists Bill and Judith Moyers documented death and dying in the U.S. They discovered that many terminal patients they interviewed actually began to live with joy and passion only after they learned they were dying. Like one man said, "If you are told you will never see spring again, and you live to see spring, spring takes on a whole new life." ("Modern Maturity," Sept. /Oct. 2000)

Psychologist Abraham Maslow had a similar experience. After his first heart attack he realized that his remaining days on earth were short. He wrote about it to a friend: "My river never seemed so beautiful (Maslow lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on the Charles River). The confrontation with death -- and reprieve from it -- makes everything look so precious, so sacred, so beautiful and I feel more strongly than ever the impulse to love it, to embrace it, and to let myself be overwhelmed by it...."

Can you imagine feeling that way? He ends with this remarkable statement: "Death and its ever present possibility makes love, passionate love, more possible. I wonder if we could love passionately, if ecstasy would be possible at all, if we knew we'd never die."

Why wait until we are told by a doctor that we may not have much time to live. Aren't we all terminal? We became so at birth. And that is a wonderful thing to know. For strange as it may seem, knowing life is all too short can help us to live ... beautifully, meaningfully, passionately.

It is a matter of embracing every day as if it were your last. Saying what needs to be said today. Making plans to do today what you've been putting off. And taking some time maybe just to do nothing but appreciate life.

Like Emily says in Thornton Wilder's play "Our Town": "Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it -- every, every minute?" I hope that I can say, "Yes, at least a few times, I think I really did."

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

SITTING ON YOUR TALENT FOR LIFE

Mix rice for lunch - “It is easy to love the people far away. It is not always easy to love those close to us. It is easier to give a cup of rice to relieve hunger than to relieve the loneliness and pain of someone unloved in our own home. Bring love into your home for this is where our love for each other must start.”

If you are like me, there are some things you may feel you do pretty well, and others that you would not admit to having done even at gunpoint! Please don't expect anything I build with my hands to remain standing past sundown, or anything I attempt to repair to ever stay fixed after I leave the room. And if my cars relied solely on me to keep them going, I would walk most everywhere I go.

On the other hand, I do play guitar adequately and I can make a memorable enchilada dish. I also enjoy working with people and I seem to have made it a lifelong project to learn how to become a better listener.

I never thought of myself as one who has any great talent, but like each of us, I have certain skills and abilities. Let me tell you a story, however, I once heard speaker Les Brown relate. It's a story about a man who had real talent.

This particular man played piano in a bar. He was a good piano player. People came out just to hear him and his combo play. But one night, a patron wanted them to sing a particular song. The trio didn't sing much and declined.

But the customer was persistent. He told the bartender, "I'm tired of listening to the piano. I want that guy to sing!"

The bartender shouted across the room, "Hey buddy! If you want to get paid, sing the song. The patrons are asking you to sing!"

So he did. He sang a song. A jazz piano player who had never sung the song in public did so for the very first time. And nobody had ever heard Sweet Lorraine sung the way it was sung that night by Nat King Cole.

He had talent he was sitting on. He may have lived the rest of his life playing in a jazz trio in no-name bars, but because he had to sing, he went on to become one of the best-known entertainers in America.

You, too, have skills and abilities. You may not feel as if your "talent" is particularly great, but it may be better than you think! And with persistence, most skills can be improved. Besides, you may as well have no ability at all if you sit on whatever talent you possess.

Some people ask, "What ability do I have that is useful?" But the better question is: "How will I use the ability that I have?"

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

A GOD TOO SMALL FOR LIFE

View at Jurong East Interchange Singapore - “The stages of the Noble Path are: Right View, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Behavior, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration.”

I enjoy a story about baseball great Joe Garagiola. He once stepped to the plate when his turn came to bat. Before assuming his stance, however, fervent Roman Catholic Joe took his bat and made the sign of the cross in the dirt in front of home plate. Catcher Yogi Berra, also a devout Catholic, walked over and erased Garagiola's cross. Turning to the astonished batter, Berra smiled and said, "Let's let God watch this inning."

If I were God (and thank goodness I'm not), I think I would have wanted to simply watch the inning.

I likewise appreciate the story about an old Quaker who stood during the church meeting and told his fellow Friends about a young man who was not a Quaker and who lived an undisciplined life. This young man invited a pious Quaker friend to go sailing one day. A sudden storm came up and the wild young man was drowned. Having made his point, the old Quaker sat down.

Silence returned to the meeting until the old man once again arose. This time he said, "Friends, for the honor of the truth, I think I ought to add that the Quaker also drowned."

And if I were God (and again, thank goodness I'm not), I think I would have felt sadness for both losses. Neither was a greater tragedy than the other.

I know that religious piety can be a wondrous and beautiful thing. But it disturbs me the prominent role religions have historically played in wars and brutality over the ages. If I imagine a god so small as to favor those who think like me, worship like me and act like me, then I know very little of life and less of faith. I can't help but think this world would be in better shape if the gods most of us believed in were a little bigger.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

FINDING THE GOOD NEWS FOR LIFE

Sleeping on the plane - “How can you prove whether at this moment we are sleeping, and all our thoughts are a dream; or whether we are awake, and talking to one another in the waking state?”

A few years ago I read of a Ukraine businessman who bought a pager for each member of his staff as a New Year's gift. As he was returning from the pager shop, all 50 beepers on the back seat of his automobile simultaneously burst out screeching. He was so alarmed that he drove his car into a lamp post, just 100 meters from his office.

After he assessed the damage to the car, the businessman turned his attention to the message on the 50 pagers. It read: "Congratulations on a successful purchase!" (Reuters, Jan. 14, 1999)

That got his attention. Unfortunately, it's the bad news – newspaper headlines and world events – that generally clamor the loudest to get noticed.

And there is enough bad news all around. I came across an article that reported a study of a large group of people who were instructed to evaluate all the information they received for a year and a half. They were asked to record whether what they were seeing and hearing all day long was positive or negative. These researchers determined that ninety percent of the input the group received was negative – bad news.

That may not come as a surprise to everyone. Over a half-century ago, Franklin Roosevelt told about an old man who was losing his hearing and went to the doctor for help. He was advised to quit drinking alcohol. When his family asked him what he was going to do, he replied, "Well, I've given it a lot of thought and I've decided I like what I've been drinkin' so much better than what I've been hearin', I'm just gonna keep on gettin' deaf."

But there is still GOOD news aplenty. We can still hear encouraging words from friends. Any day we can witness numerous acts of generosity and kindness. And we can still spot signs all around us of love and hope. Sometimes we may have to look a little more closely, but the good news is there.

Are you finding it? It's worth the effort.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

BUILDING YOUR "TRUST" FUNDS FOR LIFE

Red lily flower painting - “If you have two loaves of bread, sell one and buy a lily”

The young parents paid the babysitter and dropped her off at home. As she turned to leave, she said, "By the way, I promised Amy that if she went to bed, you'd buy her a pony in the morning." Ouch.... (I understand that she is unemployed these days….)

It doesn't take long for parents to learn that, if they want their children to trust them, they will have to keep some promises. So a good parent will model the importance of keeping trust in the hopes of teaching their children to be trustworthy.

When people trust us, it is like having money in the bank. In an actual bank account, we will first make deposits if we expect to later make withdrawals. When we keep our word, it's like making a deposit into a trust fund. The more deposits we make, the larger our balance becomes.

And the opposite is also true. Whenever we break our word and lose trust, it is like withdrawing money from an account. Except that what we withdraw is goodwill.

Now imagine that you have a separate trust fund with every person you know. If you have been making regular deposits into your account with that individual, when the time comes that you disappoint, you will still have a large enough balance of goodwill to cover the debt. That friend, son or mother will realize that your account is still good. You are a person of good intent. You are reliable and trustworthy.

Scottish writer George MacDonald said, "To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved." Whether or not that is true, I would rather have a healthy emotional trust fund than a large bank account. Trust is more valuable than money – and it builds strong relationships.

Are your trust funds growing?

From Lifesupport.

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