Inspiration Shared By Lady Braids

Inspiration On 03/02/10

Ten Things You Will Never Regret:

1.   Showing kindness to an aged person.

2.   Destroying a letter written in anger.

3.   Offering an apology that will save a friendship.

4.   Stopping a scandal that was ruining a reputation.

5.   Helping a boy or girl find themselves.

6.   Taking time to show consideration to parents, friends,
          brothers and sisters.

7.   Refraining from gossip when others around you delight in it.

8.   Refusing to do a thing which is wrong, although others do it.

9.   Living according to your convictions.

10. Accepting the judgment of God on any question.

  -- Pulpit Helps, May, 1991

Inspiration On 02/16/10

A teacher was sitting at her desk grading papers when her first grade
class came back from lunch. One of her students informed her, "Robert
has to go to the principal's office."

"I wonder why?" the teacher mused.

"Because he's a following person," the child replied.

"A what?" the teacher asked.

"It came over the loudspeaker: 'The following persons are to go to the
office.'"

Some people are "leading people" and some are "following people." And
actually, we are each followers and leaders at various times. But if
you are ever in a leadership position, this advice from college
football coaching legend "Bear" Bryant about how to get the best from
those you're leading can be useful.

"I'm just a plow hand in Arkansas," Bear said, "but I have learned how
to hold a team together. How to lift some men up, how to calm down
others, until finally they've got one heartbeat together, a team.
There are just three things I'd ever say: 'If anything goes bad, I did
it. If anything goes semi-good, then we did it. If anything goes real
good, then you did it.' That's all it takes to get people to win
football games for you."

I suspect that's all it takes to get people to be effective in any
situation. For leaders are only as good as those who follow them, and
followers are at their best when leaders are quick to give credit for
successes.

British classical scholar Benjamin Jowett put it like this: "The way
to get things done is not to mind who gets the credit for doing them."
That's especially good to know when you're a "leading person."

 -- from Touching Moments by Steve Goodier
     www.lifesupportsystem.com

Inspiration On 02/05/10

I once told a man that I no longer voted.

He responded by telling me this: The choice of whether I voted or not
was why he waded through rice paddies, toted guns, and fought battles.

It wasn't long afterward that I began to vote again.

~~~~~~~

I once told a man a lie. He responded by telling me this: All of the
decisions that he made were based upon the words that I spoke.

I have long since told the truth.

~~~~~~~

I once became upset over a gift I received, because it wasn't what I
wanted.

The giver saw the disappointment in my eyes and told me this: He chose
the most valuable gift he could find, because he felt I should have it.

I am since very joyful over each gift that I receive.

~~~~~~~

A man once told me a secret which I quietly whispered in another
friend's ear.

The man told me this, after hearing his own secret repeated. The reason
he told me the secret was because he trusted me, not my friend.

I no longer take trust so lightly.

~~~~~~~

I once gave a gift to a friend and she cried.

I told her it was just a small gift I had found. Her response was that
it was not the gift, it was that I had thought of her.

I now give gifts often.

~~~~~~~

The shiny coin was not to be mine, so I had been told. But on my way
out the door, it found its way in my hand. When it was discovered that
I had stolen the coin, I was quietly taken aside.

The owner of the coin told me this. Integrity is given with a choice.

I have since chosen to stand with integrity.

~~~~~~~

Once I told a man of all of my dreams.

He smiled warmly and even chuckled then asked if I ever planned on
living any of them.

I now choose the spending of my days very differently.

-- Author Unknown

Inspiration on 01/29/10

Josephine Ligon tells of a family in the town where she grew up
who preached and practiced forgiveness. Their name was Parsons.
On one occasion, Mr. Parsons watched young Josephine get swatted
by the broom of a mean old lady in town who didn't like the
neighborhood children getting too close to her property. He
stopped Josephine and told her, "Go back and tell Mrs. Brink that
you forgive her for hitting you."

"Say, 'I forgive you' to Mrs. Brink?"

Mr. Parsons smiled. "Forgiveness comes in many forms," he said.
"You don't actually have to say, 'I forgive you.' A simple smile
will do. You might just tell her that her daffodils are pretty."

It seemed dumb to young Josephine, but in those days children did
what their elders told them to do. So, she went back and mumbled
something to Mrs. Brink about her daffodils being pretty. Mrs.
Brink looked shocked, but it was the last time Josephine ever
felt her broom.

On another occasion Josephine and several of her third grade
friends put a handful of pencil shavings into the Parsons girl's
sandwich, just to be mean and to make her mad. But she didn't
get mad. Instead, the next day, without any sign of repentance
from her persecutors, the Parsons girl brought everyone in the
class a large, beautiful, delicious, hand-decorated cookie which
said, "Jesus loves you." Years later Josephine Ligon still
remembers that demonstration of forgiveness more than any sermon.

Forgiveness is more than words; it's action!

  -- From: Christianity Today, March 2, 1979, p. 18

Inspiration On 01/18/10

The Tongue

It is a helpful tool
That is used as a dangerous weapon

It is so light
Yet we fail to hold it

Instead of using it as a magic wand
To tap a bit of encouragement upon one's heart
Or a smile upon one's face
We use it as a sword to cut people down
Leaving their hearts broken
And their self-esteem low

Instead of using it
To turn ourselves into little angels
Placing blessings upon one's life
We use it to turn ourselves
Into fire-breathing dragons
Who insists on one's life being taken

We use it to curse others
Not realizing we are really cursing ourselves
We must learn to hold this dangerous weapon
Before we kill others as well as ourselves

We must learn to watch the words
That we allow to roll off of it

We must allow it to be known
As a piece of gold from heaven
Instead of the flames from hell

  -- A MountainWings Original by Christina Bronner, Age 17
      www.mountainwings.com

Inspiration On 12/15/09

A funny story has it that a police officer was investigating an
accident. Referring to a woman lying unconscious in the street, he
asked, "Who was driving the car?"

"I was," a man replied.

"How did you happen to hit her?" the officer inquired.

"I didn't!" he said. "As I approached the intersection, I saw that she
was trying to cross the street. So I stopped for her and she fainted."

I'm not saying that courtesy is rare, but in some cities it's said
that there are only two kinds of pedestrians: the quick and the dead.
Maybe it's that "common courtesy" is not as common as it might be.

A wonderful story comes from 19th Century England. According to the
account, Queen Victoria was once at a diplomatic reception in London.
The guest of honor was an African chieftain. All went well during the
meal until, at the end, finger bowls were served. The guest of honor
had never seen a British finger bowl, and no one had thought to brief
him beforehand about its purpose. So he took the bowl in his two
hands, lifted it to his mouth, and drank its contents down!

For an instant there was breathless silence among the British
privileged guests, and then they began to whisper to one another. All
that stopped, however, when Queen Victoria silently took her finger
bowl in her two hands, lifted it, and drank its contents! A moment
later, 500 surprised British ladies and gentlemen simultaneously drank
the contents of their own finger bowls.

It was the queen's uncommon courtesy that guarded her guest from
certain embarrassment.

"Knowledge, ability, experience are of little avail in reaching high
success if courtesy be lacking," says George D. Powers. "Courtesy is
the one passport that will be accepted without question in every land,
in every office, in every home, in every heart in the world. For
nothing commends itself so well as kindness; and courtesy is
kindness."

  -- From A LIFE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE by Steve Goodier
      www.lifesupportsystem.com

Inspiration On 12/09/09

When you get what you want in your struggle for self and the world makes you king for a day, just go to the mirror and look at yourself and see what that man has to say.

For it isn't your father or mother or wife whose judgment upon you must pass.  The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life is the one staring back from the glass.

You may be like Jack Horner and chisel a plum and think you're a wonderful guy.  But the man in the glass says you're only a bum if you can't look him straight in the eye.

He's the fellow to please - never mind all the rest, for he's with you clear to the end.  And you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test if the man in the glass is your friend.

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years and get pats on the back as you pass.  But your final reward will be heartache and tears if you've cheated the man in the glass.

 -- Author Unknown

Inspiration On 11/19/09

A young boy, on an errand for his mother, had just bought
a dozen eggs. Walking out of the store, he tripped, fell
and dropped the sack. All the eggs broke, and the sidewalk
was a mess. The boy tried not to cry.

A few people gathered to see if he was OK and to tell him
how sorry they were. In the midst of the words of pity, one
man handed the boy a quarter. Then he turned to the group
and said, "I care 25 cents worth. How much do the rest of
you care?"

With that, everyone dug into their pockets, wallets and
purses. The little boy had enough change to replace the
eggs and to buy a little something extra for himself and
his mom.

Words don't mean much if we have the ability to do more.
Make your faith, principles and philosophies concrete.

  -- From: "Weekly Lesson" lessons@asa-ministries.org

Inspiration On 10/29/09

The Pencil Maker

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into
the box. There are 5 things you need to know, he told the pencil,
before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never
forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be.

1 ... You will be able to do many great things,
but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone's hand.

2 ... You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time,
but you'll need it to become a better pencil.

3 ... You will be able to correct mistakes you will make.

4 ... The most important part of you will always be what's inside.

5 ... On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark.
No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.

The pencil understood and promised to remember,
and went into the box with purpose in its heart.

Now replacing the place of the pencil with you, always remember them and
never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.

1 ... You will be able to do many great things,
but only if you allow yourself to be held in God's hand and
allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.

2 ... You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time,
by going through various problems, but you'll need it to become a
stronger person.

3 ... You will be able to correct mistakes you might make or grow
through them.

4 ... The most important part of you will always be what's on the
inside.

5 ... On every surface you walk, you must leave your mark.
No matter what the situation, you must continue to serve God in
everything.

By understanding and remembering, let us proceed with our life on
this earth having a meaningful purpose in our heart and a relation-
ship with God daily.

  -- Author Unknown

Inspiration On 10/15/09

Be understanding to your enemies.

Be loyal to your friends.

Be strong enough to face the world each day.

Be weak enough to know you cannot do everything alone.

Be generous to those who need your help.

Be frugal with what you need yourself.

Be wise enough to know that you do not know everything.

Be foolish enough to believe in miracles.

Be willing to share your joys.

Be willing to share the sorrows of others.

Be a leader when you see a path others have missed.

Be a follower when you are shrouded by the mists of uncertainty.

Be the first to congratulate an opponent who succeeds.

Be the last to criticize a colleague who fails.

Be sure where your next step will fall, so that you will not tumble.

Be sure of your final destination, in case you are going the wrong way.

Be loving to those who love you.

Be loving to those who do not love you, and they may change.

Above all, be yourself.

-- Author Unknown