Teddy Roosevelt, a century ago,
had a way of keeping worries
in check. He would sometimes step
out just before bedtime and
contemplate the stars. After searching
the heavens for a moment, he
would often exclaim, "There's the
spiral nebula of Andromeda! It is
as large as our Milky way. It is
one of 100 million galaxies. It is
750,000 light years away. It contains
100 billion suns -- each larger
than our own sun." After a pause
he would conclude, "Now, I think we
are small enough. Let's go to bed!"
Modern astronomers may correct the inaccuracies of his
science. But his instincts about
perspective were right on. He knew
that when one considers the big picture,
the really BIG picture, then
the problems that cause us to stew
and worry seem to shrink into
insignificance.
Compared to the vast universe, how large are your problems?
Ten years from now will they matter?
Are they worth the attention you
so diligently give them? Do you worry
excessively about concerns that
play only minor roles in the grand
scheme of your life?
Some problems need our concern. Yet others may seem urgent at
the moment, but make no real difference
to the big picture. We can
acquire great peace of mind simply
by deciding which is which.
Really, how big are your problems?
--------------------
Robert Orben quips that we owe a
lot to science. "Thanks to
modern medicine," he says, "we are
no longer forced to endure
prolonged pain, disease, discomfort
and wealth."
Medical treatment is expensive, but most of us are willing to
pay what we can to stay healthy.
We are coming to realize, however,
that good health is more than physical.
It also includes a healthy
mind and spirit.
Whole and healthy people are happy people. And healthy people
make for a healthy world.
A psychiatrist tore a picture of the world from a magazine and
cut it into tiny pieces. "Take these
puzzle pieces," he said to a
young boy, "and put the world back
together."
In just a few moments the smiling child returned with the
completed picture. "How did you do
it so quickly?" the amazed doctor
asked.
"It was easy," said the boy. "I noticed that there is a
picture of a man on the other side.
I just put the man together and
the world came out all right."
Let that be a parable for all of us.
--------------------
Abraham Lincoln often slipped out
of the White House on
Wednesday evenings to listen to the
sermons of Dr. Phineas Gurley at
New York Avenue Presbyterian Church.
He generally preferred to come
and go unnoticed, so when Dr. Gurley
knew the president was coming, he
left his study door open. On one
of those occasions, the president
quietly entered through a side door
of the church, took his seat in
the minister's study, located just
off the sanctuary, and propped the
door open just wide enough to hear
the preacher.
During the walk home one Wednesday evening, an aide asked Mr.
Lincoln his appraisal of the sermon.
The president thoughtfully
replied, "The content was excellent...
he delivered with eloquence...
he had put work into the message..."
"Then you thought it was an excellent sermon?" questioned the
aide.
"No," Lincoln answered.
"But you said that the content was excellent, it was delivered
with eloquence and it showed much
work," the aide pressed.
"That's true," Lincoln said. "But Dr. Gurley forgot the most
important ingredient. He forgot to
ask us to do something great."
There is nothing wrong with average lives and average
accomplishments. Most of the good
of the world is built on the
accumulated efforts of everyday people.
But, as Lincoln seemed to know, a life should strive for some
greatness. Are you part of a relationship
which, if given more effort,
could be great? Do you volunteer
for an organization which is truly
doing something great? Have you joined
a cause which is attempting
something great? Or have you ever
said to yourself concerning a
beautiful dream, "I could never do
that," while knowing that if you
were to attempt it and succeed, you
could accomplish something
great?
Every life should strive for some greatness. Will you?
--------------------
I heard of a mortuary director with
a sense of humor. He signs
all his correspondence: "Eventually
Yours."
Laughter is a wonderful coping devise we're given to help us
enjoy life's still waters to their
fullest and successfully traverse
the dangerous currents. Humor is
something I can get serious about. It
is nothing less than an extravagant
gift -- to be both enjoyed and
shared!
I believe it was Billy Graham who said that a keen sense of
humor helps us to overlook the unbecoming,
understand the
unconventional, tolerate the unpleasant,
overcome the unexpected, and
outlast the unbearable.
The best part of all is that you have already received the
gift of laughter. Will you use it
and share it often today?
--------------------
It was 1994. Daily, the city of Sarajevo
was under siege.
Mortars and artillery fire instantly
transformed once beautiful
buildings into rubble. Sarajevo's
citizens were frightened, weary and
increasingly despondent. Then one
February day a mortar shell exploded
in the market killing 68 civilians.
Many more were wounded and maimed
from the blast.
A cellist with the Sarajevo symphony could no longer stand the
killing. He took his cello to the
market, sat down amidst the rubble
and played a concert. Afterward,
he simply took up his instrument and
left. Every day, for 67 days, he
came to the market. Every day he
played a concert. It was his gift
of love to the city.
He felt his community needed hope. Hope is music in the heart.
Once you have lost hope, you have
nothing left to lose.
Utter hopelessness kills everything it touches. It is hope in
a marriage, hope in one's life, hope
in work and family and hope in
the future that gives us reason for
going on.
In the end, hope is a spiritual thing. When all is in chaos
and ruin, hope is the knowledge that
the music still goes on. In this
vast and infinite universe, we are
not alone.
Though all seems to be crumbling down around you, can you hear
the music?
--------------------
Her husband came back to life! Well,
almost...
Herlinda Estrada, from Baytown, Texas, was called to the
hospital to identify the body of
her husband. Jose had gone for a jog
that day. But coincidentally, another
jogger along the same trail
collapsed and died of a heart attack.
The man was taken to a nearby
hospital where authorities found
a car key in his pocket, but no
identification. They took the key
back to a parking lot near the
jogging trail and tried it in the
doors of General Motors cars until
they found a fit -- Jose Estrada's
truck! After checking the truck's
registration they called his wife
and asked her to come to the
hospital to positively identify her
husband.
The jogger's body was covered by a sheet, a tube snaked from
his mouth and his eyes were taped
shut. In her distraught condition,
Herlinda assumed the body was that
of her husband. Even the clothes he
had worn looked like Jose's. She
signed the death certificate and
joined other grieving members of
her family in a hospital waiting
room.
Meanwhile, Jose, alive and well, finished his jog and drove
home. He received a call from a friend
who, when she heard his voice,
exclaimed, "Jose! You're not dead!
They said you were dead!"
He raced to the hospital and, to the amazement of his grieving
family, strode into the waiting room!
After Herlinda stopped hugging
him and laughing, she said, "Jose,
if you ever die on me again, I'll
kill you myself."
She was never so grateful for her husband until she thought
she had lost him. But what would
life be like if every day were lived
in the awesome awareness that the
people we love are temporary gifts?
Would you do or say anything that
you have been putting off?
Try living today as if this were your last day with those you
love. It may be... overwhelming!
And worth doing again!
--------------------
One song can spark a moment
One flower can wake the dream
One tree can start a forest
One bird can herald spring
One smile begins a friendship
One handclasp lifts a soul
One star can guide a ship at sea
One word can frame the goal
One vote can change a nation
One sunbeam lights a room
One candle wipes out darkness
One laugh will conquer gloom
One step must start each journey
One word must start each prayer
One hope will raise our spirits
One touch can show you care
One voice can speak with wisdom
One heart can know what's true
One life can make the difference
You see, it's up to you!! (Author
Unknown)
--------------------
