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WITandWISDOM(tm) - October 30, 2001 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: Peace is costly, but it is worth the expense. - Kenyan Proverb Source: DailyInBox: Proverbs Plus, http://mailroom.dailyinbox.com/pplus/ ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: Eight Ways to Encourage Your Pastor by Victor Parachin Part 2 of 3 [Oct. 29, 30, 31] 3. Express appreciation in writing A spoken compliment is always welcome, but a written one can be read over and over again for years. So, when you hear or see something you like from your minister, write an appreciative note. 4. Use your skills to bless Are you proficient with computers? Help your pastor master the church's new computer. Are you a mechanic? Offer to service the car free of charge or at a reduced fee. One pastor I know recalls: "I was pastoring my first church -- a small congregation with limited resources. While there, I developed a series of dental problems and could not afford treatment. What a joy it was when a dentist in the church offered to treat me for free. Correcting my dental problem involved nearly a dozen visits. He treated me carefully and cheerfully each time. I have thought of that dentist many times since then and the memories of his kindness continue to bless my life." 5. Squelch gossip If you hear a negative comment, respond with a positive one. If misinformation is being spread, correct it with the accurate information. Or, if people are gossiping, just walk away. Remember the Bible soundly condemns gossip and careless speech. James 1:26 says, "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless." And Psalm 34:13 reads, "Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies." 6. Offer to meet a need Some people make their spiritual leaders defensive and angry by saying, "You need to _" That approach is seldom welcome and almost always counterproductive. If you see a need, approach your spiritual leader by saying, "I'd like to help by _" If you see an area that can be improved, take responsibility for working on it. Be an active participant in your church. Get involved by teaching a class, leading a workshop, singing in the choir, feeding the hungry. Ask your spiritual leader where and how you can employ your gifts. To be continued . . . Copyright 1999 by Victor Parachin and Christianity Today http://www.christianitytoday.com/ Source: Heart Touchers http://www.hearttouchers.com/ Submitted by John L. Hoh, Jr., http://www.geocities.com/brandedhand/ ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: QUESTIONS FROM DOGS! Part 1 of 2 [Oct. 29, 30] How come people love to smell flowers, but seldom, if ever, smell one another? Where are their priorities? When we get to Heaven, can we sit on the couch? Or is it the same old story? Excuse me, but why are there cars named after the jaguar, the cougar, the mustang, the colt, the stingray, and the rabbit, but not one named for a dog? How often do you see a cougar riding around? We dogs love a nice ride! I know every breed cannot have its own model, but it would be easy to rename the Chrysler Eagle the Chrysler Beagle! If a dog barks his head off in the forest and no human hears him, is he still a bad dog? When my foster mom's friend comes over to our house, he smells like musk! What's he been rolling around in? Is it true that in Heaven, dining room tables have on-ramps? More meatballs, less spaghetti, please. From Pets' Letters to God, by Mark Bricklin, translator, ISBN 1579542085, Copyright (c) October 1, 1999, Published by St Martins Pr (P), http://isbn.nu/1579542085 Source: The Funnies, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/andychaps_the- funnies ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: THE "HOOT" CALL OF THE OWL "Each evening birdlover Tom stood in his backyard, hooting like an owl - and one night, an owl called back to him. For a year, the man and his feathered friend hooted back and forth. He even kept a log of the "conversation." Just as he thought he was on the verge of a breakthrough in interspecies communication, his wife had a chat with her next door neighbor. "My husband spends his nights ... calling out to owls," she said. "That's odd," the neighbor replied. "So does my husband." Source: The Funnies, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/andychaps_the- funnies ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: The Official U.S. Time http://www.time.gov/ Submitted by John L. Bechtel |