The late author and motivational speaker Charles E. “Tremendous” Jones tells a story in his book, Life is Tremendous, about a man who approached him following a speech with this question.
“Charles, do you think it’s possible for a person to be excited about his work, be thrilled and successful, and, three years later be sick and sorry he ever heard of the whole lousy mess?”
Jones wrote that he immediately thought here’s a person that didn’t know the law of use it or lose it. Continue reading
Filed under Sowing Seeds for Spiritual Growth
If you think your family has problems, consider the marriage mayhem created when 76-year-old Bill Baker of London wed Edna Harvey.
She happened to be his granddaughter’s husband’s mother. That’s where the confusion began, according to Baker’s granddaughter, Lynn. Continue reading
Filed under Sowing Seeds for Spiritual Growth
In the Peanuts comic strip, we find Snoopy lying down, looking forlorn, and thinking to himself.
In the first frame he thinks, “Yesterday I was a dog. Today I’m a dog.”
In the second frame he thinks, Tomorrow I’ll probably still be a dog.
In the third frame, he walks away with a sigh. Continue reading
Filed under Sowing Seeds for Spiritual Growth
Ferdinand “Waldo” Demara, Jr. (1921-1982) became known as “The Great Imposter.”
A Time.com article reports that “Demara worked as a civil engineer, a zoology graduate, a doctor of applied psychology, a monk on two separate occasions (Trappist and Benedictine), an assistant warden at a Texas prison, philosophy dean at a Pennsylvania college, a hospital orderly, a lawyer and a teacher — among other professions.” Continue reading
Filed under Sowing Seeds for Spiritual Growth
“Success is knowing your purpose in life, growing to reach your maximum potential, and sowing seeds that benefit others,” wrote John Maxwell in his book The Success Journey.
True success in any area of life is not independent from other people. We learn from others. Find inspiration from others. And receive encouragement from others.
But more than that, much of our satisfaction in life is derived from helping other people. By lifting them up. By feeling like we’re making a difference. By knowing that our life matters. Continue reading
Filed under Sowing Seeds for Spiritual Growth
Recently I read about a young man in the Army who during Operation Desert Storm was called to go to Iraq, when our nation declared war on Saddam Hussein.
However, the young man didn’t want to go. He explained that he hadn’t joined the army to go war. He joined because of the benefits: the pay, the college tuition, the insurance, and hopefully some travel. He just didn’t want to travel to Iraq and fight. Continue reading
Filed under Sowing Seeds for Spiritual Growth
“Personal development is the belief that you are worth the effort, time, and energy needed to develop yourself,” wrote author and motivational speaker Denis Waitley.”
While the Bible warns against the sin of pride (Jas. 4:6), and the problem of thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought to think (Rom. 12:3), some Christians fail to grow because they think too little of themselves. Continue reading
Filed under Sowing Seeds for Spiritual Growth
Readers Digest once shared a story about the time Henry Ford hired an efficiency expert to evaluate his company. After a few weeks, the expert made his report, which was highly favorable except for one thing.
“It’s that man down the hall,” said the expert. “Every time I go by his office he’s just sitting there with his feet on his desk. He’s wasting your money.” Continue reading
Filed under Sowing Seeds for Spiritual Growth
“There is a theory of human behavior that says people subconsciously retard their own intellectual growth,” wrote author and business consultant Philip B. Crosby. “They come to rely on cliches and habits.”
Crosby further opined, “Once they reach the age of their own personal comfort with the world, they stop learning and their mind runs on idle for the rest of their days. They may progress organizationally, they may be ambitious and eager, they may even work night and day. But they learn no more.” Continue reading
Filed under Sowing Seeds for Spiritual Growth
Spring has sprung. For baseball Spring training camps, that is. Here’s a great baseball story with a wonderful spiritual application.
Dave Bosewell, in How Life Imitates the World Series, tells a story about the late Earl Weaver, manager of the Baltimore Orioles, and how he handled his star player Reggie Jackson.
Weaver had a rule that no one could steal a base unless given the steal sign. This upset Jackson because he felt he knew the pitchers and catchers well enough to judge who he could and could not steal off of. So one game he decided to steal without a sign. Continue reading
Filed under Sowing Seeds for Spiritual Growth
ThePreachersWord 