I've Learned

I’ve learned….
That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.


I’ve learned….
That when you’re in love, it shows.


I’ve learned….
That just one person saying to me, “You’ve made my day!” makes my day.


I’ve learned….
That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.


I’ve learned….
That being kind is more important than being right.


I’ve learned….
That you should never say no to a gift from a child.


I’ve learned….
That I can always pray for someone when I don’t have the strength to help him in some other way.


I’ve learned….
That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.


I’ve learned….
That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.


I’ve learned….
That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when was a child did wonders for me as an adult.


I’ve learned….
That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.


I’ve learned….
That we should be glad God doesn’t give us everything we ask for.


I’ve learned….
That money doesn’t buy class.


I’ve learned….
That it’s those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.


I’ve learned…
That under everyone’s hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.


I’ve learned….
That the Lord didn’t do it all in one day. What makes me think I can?


I’ve learned….
That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.


I’ve learned….
That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.


I’ve learned….
That love, not time, heals all wounds.


I’ve learned….
That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.


I’ve learned….
That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.


I’ve learned….
That there’s nothing sweeter than sleeping with your babies and feeling their breath on your cheeks.


I’ve learned….
That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.


I’ve learned….
That life is tough, but I’m tougher.


I’ve learned….
That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.


I’ve learned….
That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.


I’ve learned….
That I wish I could have told my Dad that I loved him one more time before he passed away.


I’ve learned….
That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.


I’ve learned….
That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.


I’ve learned….
That I can’t choose how I feel, but I can choose what I do about it.


I’ve learned….
That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you’re hooked for life.


I’ve learned….
That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it.


I’ve learned …
That it is best to give advice in only two circumstances; when it is requested and when it is a life threatening situation.


I’ve learned….That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.


Sayings collected by Jackson Brown, Jr. 

New Year's Tips for Better Living

New Year's Tips for Better Living

"Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun."1

Here are twenty tips for better living in the New Year:

1. Rise and pray every day: "Again today, dear God, I commit and trust my life and way to you. I'm available. Please use me to be 'as Jesus' to every life I touch."

2. Don't sweat the small stuff.

3. Remember these simple sentences: "I was wrong." "I am sorry." "Please forgive me." "Thank you." Say  them whenever needed and say "I love you" often—  whether needed or not.

4. Come apart and rest a while before you come apart—  stress is a killer.

5. Remember, "Nothing changes if nothing changes."

6. Don't nurse grudges: "Failing to forgive is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die."

7. Carpe diem. Seize the day. "Opportunity comes to pass—not to pause."

8. Quit the blame-game—"choice, not chance, determines destiny."

9. Control your thinking or your thinking will control you. "What the mind dwells on the body acts on."

10. Invest your life in a worthwhile cause by having a  noble purpose for which to live—one that is bigger than yourself—one that will help make your world a better place in which to live.

11. Be a positive realist. You will always see what you are looking for: "Two men look out the same prison bars. One sees mud, the other stars."

12. The greatest abilities are availability, dependability,and responsibility."

13. "There is no pillow as soft as a clear conscience."

14. "Smooth seas never make skillful sailors."

15. When God is silent. "I believe in the sun even when it isn't shining. I believe in love even when I am alone. I believe in God even when he is silent."

16. Cry when needed. "Every unshed tear is a prism through which all of life's hurts are distorted."

17. Laugh a lot. It's still the best medicine.

18. Remember, "The bumps are what we climb on."

19. Fear not. At least 95 percent of the things we fear never happen. Trust God for the other five percent.

20. Have faith and put God first with your time, talents, and tithe (money).

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to so live. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Psalm 37:3-6 (NIV).

By Dick Innes

NOTE: "Tips for Better Living" is available on the ACTS online store beautifully presented at: http://tinyurl.com/tips4living.

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Five Balls In Your Life

Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them – work, family, health, friends and spirit … and you’re keeping all of these in the air.

You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls – family, health, friends and spirit – are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or evenshattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for Balance in your life.
 

How?
 

Don’t undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.
 

Don’t set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.
 

Don’t take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless.
 

Don’t let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life.
 

Don’t give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.

Don’t be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us to each together.
 

Don’t be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be pave.

Don’t shut love out of your life by saying it’s impossible to find time. The quickest way to receive love is to give; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings!
 

Don’t run through life so fast that you forget not only where you’ve been, but also where you are going.
 

Don’t forget, a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.
 

Don’t be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.
 

Don’t use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savoured each step of the way.

By Brian G. Dyson, former President and CEO, Coca-Cola Enterprises during his speech at the Georgia Tech 172nd Commencement Address Sept. 6, 1996.
Quote is originally from the book: “Suzanne’s Diary to Nicholas” by James Patterson

Are You Having Fun Yet?

By Albert Kang
The Talibans must be the most miserable people on earth. They do not allow music, games or anything that are fun. Why? Because that would be 'unspiritual'. To them, having fun is similar to sinning.

The fact is that for many years, many Christians, especially the Fundamentalists, had almost similar views about fun as that of the Talibans. Doing anything enjoyable was to be suspected. Many in those dark days were not allowed to listen to radio because that was the evil device of the 'prince of the air'. When television came on the scene, some pretty holy preachers were lashing out at this as the new instrument of the devil. Going to a movie house is deemed as flirting with Satan himself.

Preacher after preacher hollered with sheer sincere passion, "Why should you be found in the place of the devil? Repent, if you have gone to the movie house!"

I remember when I attended the Jesus Film at Cathay Theater in Singapore, I felt sheepish. The 'guilt alarm bell' was going off big time. Then I saw the General Superintendent of our denomination and his family entering the cinema, my guilt raptured and gone to heaven by itself. If this big man could do it, then it should be all right for a small fry like me! God would not be mad with me because he will have to deal with the big man first. Whew!

However, after more than three decades, this old ghost of guilt continues to resurrect from its grave every time I enjoy myself. No, I do not show it but at the back of my mind, Mr. Guilt is eager to set up his shop. Its deadly whisper has to be suppressed by my 'enlightened' understanding of God's Word. Yes, Mr. Guilt has to shut up because It is all right to have fun and sin not.

Yesterday which is a Monday (day-off for most pastors) I spend hours playing internet games.One of the Facebook friends commented that it was the first time he saw me playing games online. The truth is that that was not the first time. I seldom play internet games because they are so time consuming. However, it is good to take a break and not feel guilty about it.

Like what the popular advice - take time to smell the roses - may I suggest to you, take time to take a break. Whether it is just playing computer games or go for a round of golf, it is good to take a break. One more thing, never feel guilty if you have to take that break. Why? Because if you don't, you might end up broken... which is far worse.

Living the Moment to the Fullest

Click on the picture of the bears to see them in action

Patience is a hard discipline. It is not just waiting until something happens over which we have no control: the arrival of the bus, the end of the rain, the return of a friend, the resolution of a conflict. 

Patience is not a waiting passivity until someone else does something. Patience asks us to live the moment to the fullest, to be completely present to the moment, to taste the here and now, to be where we are. 

When we are impatient we try to get away from where we are. We behave as if the real thing will happen tomorrow, later and somewhere else. 

Let's be patient and trust that the treasure we look for is hidden in the ground on which we stand.

Henri Nouwen

Living Is Giving

Living is giving your best self away,

Living is helping someone every day;

Living is giving more than you get,

It’s treating an animal like a person, instead of a pet.

It’s helping the handicapped across the street,

It’s smiling at the new person at work that you meet;

It’s respect for all nations, colors and creeds,

It’s sharing and caring for your neighbor’s needs

One of God’s greatest laws you can live and believe,

Is the more that you give, the more you’ll receive!

Denis Waitley