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“Help me to accomplish the purpose of my journey.” - Genesis 24:12, A Servant’s Prayer



Solving All Your Problems

“A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.”


What are You Doing – Views About Work

Back in the Middle Ages, a dispatcher went out to determine how laborers felt about their work. He went to a building site in France.

He approached the first worker and asked, “What are you doing?”

“What, are you blind?” the worker snapped back. “I’m cutting these impossible boulders with primitive tools and putting them together the way the boss tells me. I’m sweating under this blazing sun, its back-breaking work and it’s boring me to death.”

The dispatcher quickly backed off and retreated to a second worker. He asked the same question, “What are you doing?”

The worker replied, “I’m shaping these boulders into usable forms, which are then assembled according to the architect’s plans. It’s hard work and sometimes it gets repetitive, but I earn five francs a week and that supports the wife and kids. It’s a job. Could be worse, too.”

Somewhat encouraged, the dispatcher went on to a third worker. “And what are you doing?” he asked.

“Why, can’t you see?” said the worker as he lifted his arm to the sky, “I’m building a cathedral!”


Our Attitudes Make Us

“First we make our attitudes. Then our attitudes make us.” – Denis Waitley


It's How We Look at Things

Once there were two identical twins. One was a hope-filled optimist: “Everything is coming up roses!” he would say.

The other twin was a sad and hopeless pessimist. He was sure that Murphy, as in “Murphy’s Law,” was an optimist. The worried parents of the boys brought them to the local psychologist.

He suggested to the parents a plan to balance their personalities. “On their next birthday, put them in separate rooms to open their gifts. Give the pessimist the best toys you can afford, and give the optimist a box of manure.” The parents followed these instructions and carefully observed the results.

When they peeked in on the pessimist, they heard him audibly complaining, “I don’t like the color of this computer. I’ll bet this calculator will break. I don’t like the game. I know someone who’s got a bigger toy car than this.”

Tiptoeing across the corridor, the parents peeked in and saw their little optimist gleefully throwing the manure up in the air. He was giggling, “You can’t fool me! Where there’s this much manure, there’s gotta be a pony!”


A Strong Positive Mental Attitude

“A strong positive mental attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug.” ― Patricia Neal


Thoughts, Feelings, and Actions

“Thoughts lead to feelings. Feelings lead to actions. Actions lead to consequences. The key is to control one’s thoughts and to realize if they are leading me down a positive or negative path.”


The Disease of Diotrephes

  • 3 John 9-10
  • Diotrephes was someone who always wanted to be the leader, who always knew best. He seemed to want to be the center of attention and refused to help and work with other believers.
  • What are the signs and symptoms of this disease?
    • Love is to be first (Mark 9:33-35; Philippians 2:3-4)
    • Have nothing to do with “us” (Hebrews 13:7,17)– rejection of leadership
    • Gossiping maliciously (James 3:1-12; Ephesians 4:25, 29)
    • Refuses to welcome the brothers (Romans 16:17-18; Titus 3:9-11)
    • Stops those who want to do right (James 4:17)
    • Puts those who want to do right out of the church (I Corinthians 5:1-5; Matthew 18:15-17)
  • The big question is – what should our response be to this? 3 John 11

Thinking You Can or Can’t

“If you think you can, you will. If you think you can’t, you won’t. Either way, you are correct.” – Greg Taunt


Ready for the Game

“‘Put me in, coach!’ Your positive attitude is displayed when you’re ready to play and ask for the opportunity to get into the game. Tell your leader, ‘I’ve been doing things to prepare myself for this job/task. I’m confident I can deliver if you’ll give me the chance!’” – Paul Sims


Keep Swimming

Two mice fell into a deep cream bowl. One was an optimistic soul. But the other took the gloomy view.

“We’ll drown,” he lamented without much ado, and with a last despairing cry, he flung up his legs and said “Goodbye.”

The other mouse said with a steadfast grin, “I can’t get out but I won’t give in. I’ll just swim around until my strength is spent, then I’ll die the more content.” Bravely he swam to work his scheme, and his struggles began to churn the cream.

The more he swam, his legs a flutter, the more the cream turned into butter. On top of the butter at last he stopped, and out of the bowl he happily hopped.

What is the moral? It’s easily found. If you can’t hop out, keep swimming around!


Beware of the Thwop!

One of my favorite cartoons – reminding me of the times when I need an attitude adjustment.

Beware of the Thwop!

Beware of the Thwop!


An Attitude Adjustment

So there’s this man with a parrot. And his parrot swears like a sailor. He can swear for five minutes straight without repeating himself.

The trouble is the guy who owns the parrot is a quiet, conservative type, and this bird’s foul mouth is driving him crazy.

One day, it gets to be too much, so the guy grabs the bird by the throat, shakes him really hard, and yells, “QUIT IT!” But this just makes the bird mad and he swears more than ever.

Then the guy gets mad and says, “That’s it. I’ll get you,” and locks the bird in a kitchen cabinet.

This really aggravates the bird and he claws and scratches, and when the guy finally lets him out, the bird cuts loose with a stream of invective that would make a veteran sailor blush.

At that point, the guy is so mad that he throws the bird into the freezer. For the first few seconds, there is a terrible din. The bird kicks and claws and thrashes. Then it suddenly goes very quiet.

At first the guy just waits, but then he starts to think that the bird may be hurt. After a couple of minutes of silence, he’s so worried that he opens up the freezer door.

The bird calmly climbs onto the man’s outstretched arm and says, “Awfully sorry about the trouble I’ve given you. I’ll do my best to improve my vocabulary from now on.”

The man is astounded. He can’t understand the transformation that has come over the parrot.

Then the parrot says, “By the way, what did the chicken do?”



Thank You!

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