To Love, Live, Learn, and Lauch
Should the opportunity arise,
that a Good Samaritan I can be,
May I always remember,
credit shouldn’t be given me.
(1 Peter 4:11)
Yesterday is over. Tomorrow is out of your control until it becomes a “today”. Today is a blank canvas.
Why wait to work or play or give or (whatevs) more tomorrow if such is in your power to do today. Really, tomorrow is in large part determined by what you do today.
Make today your masterpiece. Give today your all.
#DieEmptyDaily
I hate vain thoughts,
They sneak up into my brain
Too often, I notice them for what they are
Late. After they’ve grown, but hopefully
Hopefully before a decision or action.
I hate vain thoughts.
Who am I to think like that or compare
Ego and envy are sneaky opponents within
I so love God’s Word, to my rescue and refuge
The Gospel in my pockets left and right.
A KJV paper in my left thigh, a device in my right hip
So when I recognize my longing or languish
I can reach and refresh and re-realize
God’s gifts and grace and truth.
“I hate vain thoughts
But thy law do I love.” (Ps. 119:113 KJV)
For me, it is in the early morning, before dawn, that I feel the freedom to go search the depths of thought and feeling.
Giving myself time to go deep – rather than waking up “just in time” – so that I can study or pray or write or research or read. The “just in time” leads to shallow skimming of the surface of each quiet thing I can do more fully in the pre-dawn.
Doing so while others sleep insist on my being quiet, slow, and soft. And deep.
I would rather ponder and pray,
Than in my bed I might rather stay,
So that I can approach the depths of my soul.
And if I take time for rest,
May the next time I better invest,
A deeper dive to quietly know myself whole.
The loving look of a smile
With a still moment of pause
To show the passerby
They’re important to your cause.
Whether they are young or old,
Or diff in income or gender
Doesn’t matter their race or religion
Whether they are stocky or slender
Just take but a moment
With all the muscles in your face
And let that person know
You’re glad to see them in this place.
There are no coincidences
Only the illusion of chance
And the loving look of a true smile
Will make even the coldest heart dance.
So if it’s in the store or in a cafe
Walking by or driving alongside of
Take a second and smile a real smile
Kindly, with good love from above.
In this life, you’ll occasionally receive some criticism. You may or may not deserve it. You may or may not respect those who give it to you.
In this life, you’ll receive some praise here and there. Maybe you earned it, maybe not. Maybe you respect those who give it, maybe not.
Don’t get hooked on avoiding the sting of criticism or addicted to the sweetness of praise.
Either way and in any case, don’t let either criticism or praise affect you too much. It could distract you from your goal.
You can’t control either, so don’t let either control you.
It helps me as I help others to remember this from Goethe
If you treat a man as he is, he will remain how he is. But if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be. – Goethe
Many of the people I work with come from a checkered past. I too, come from a checkered past. Checkered with mistakes and failures, periods of poor judgment in actions or people. I’d like to think we, who go through such times, grow out of it, eventually.
If you treat a man as he is, he will remain how he is…
The growing out of such periods need a boost sometimes, from others. Folks who see in you a higher ceiling and treat you as if you’re already on that level of life. A glimpse of the promise or prospect in their eyes, in your spirit, and a small action towards the “as if” of who you can become.
But if you treat him as he were what he ought to be and could be…
I do my best to remember this quote along with a caveat of my own. Something important (for me, at least) to remember:
Be aware of the circumstance(s) of how the man became who he is today.
Remaining open and aware (aka diligent and vigilant) of the possibilities that surround the present situation AND raising the bar by showing kindness and respect to who they might become.
Have you ever tried to jostle for position with a donkey or mule?
They can be pretty stubborn. I’ve always found a gentle spirit or a kind word softens their opposition. This practice also works well with people, something I would do well to remember more often.
We find such instruction in Proverbs 15:1 –
A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
I try to remember the advice of “Horse Whisperer” Buck Brannaman: “[Be] gentle in what you do, firm in how you do it.”
“The man on top of the mountain didn’t fall there.” ~ Vince Lombardi
Climbing to the Top
It’s not about the rat race or maddening crowd. It’s not about looking behind you to see who’s catching up. It really has little to do with others.
It’s about becoming the best you possible. Growth. Perseverance.
The climb, at times, is hard and grueling. The view from the top, the feeling of victory in overcoming, is exhilarating.
Keep climbing.
