94a – Determination Dies Hard
Think a minute…This is the true story of a young lady who told all of her friends she was going to be an actress. At the young age of 16 she went off to drama school in New York City. Unfortunately, after only a short time the school sent a letter to her mother saying, “Please take your daughter home. She has almost no acting ability!” Instead of giving up and going home, this tough teen got a job in a musical, but she was soon fired from that job also. In fact, she worked in three other musicals and was fired from every one of them! In two years, she had not earned one dollar as an actress.
Finally, she got a job as a model, but soon lost that job too. Then she became seriously ill. The doctor told her she might never walk again. However, she bravely fought this terrible disease for two years, until eventually she was able to walk again. After six years in New York City, she had nothing to show for herself except rejection and obstacles she had overcome.
Yet amazingly, 20 years later, 40 million people watched this actress in her very first television show. In fact, more people watched I Love Lucy than the coronation of Queen Elizabeth and the inauguration of the U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower. For five years Lucille Ball’s program was the #1 television show in America! Later, she became the first woman to be the head of her own television production company.
Some people think successful stars like Lucille Ball simply get discovered and success falls into their lap. But we do not see all their years of work and determination overcoming many obstacles and disappointments to reach their life’s goal. Lucille Ball did not get her first TV show until she was 40 years old! Remember: “Delay is not denial…Success is hanging on after others have let go.”If Lucille Ball had given up and quit trying, no one would have blamed her. No one would have remembered her either! Your determination can enable you to eventually live your dream. No matter what gets in your way, if you’re living God’s way, you cannot lose since Jesus either gives you what you want—or something better. But often we just do not understand it at first. He knows much more than you what will bring you true, lasting happiness and success. Won’t you surrender your life to Him today? With His divine help, you
94b – The Loneliest Number (Part 1)
Think a minute…In June, 2009, people all over the world were in shock and grief over the sudden death of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Yet even though Michael was loved by hundreds of millions of people, his lawyer said: “Michael Jackson was the loneliest person I’ve ever known.”
Michael’s increasingly unusual behavior, including immoral treatment of children, showed how desperately he was searching and starving for real love and close relationships. The rich and famous movie star, Marilyn Monroe, shortly before her tragic death by a drug overdose at the young age of 36, said this: “I belonged to the world—because I never really belonged to anyone.”
A song says, “One is the loneliest number.” We humans were not made to live life alone, but to be connected with other people through close, caring relationships. If I am the only one in my life, I will suffer, or even break down, emotionally, mentally, or even physically. This is why “Isolation is insane”for us humans. Even in prisons, the worst punishment for prisoners is putting them in “solitary confinement”. Being cut off from other people is like a tree branch cut off from its trunk and roots: the branch rots and dies since its source of life is gone. “Everybody needs somebody.” We need love and other people in our heart like we need air to breath.
In Madrid, Spain, a woman was discovered dead in her home. She had actually died six years earlier! Amazingly, her body had not decomposed because of the salty air in that area. Tragically, no one had reported her missing because she had broken off her relationships with everyone, including her own children whom she had not spoken to for years.
If you knew you were going to die in only a few weeks, you would grab tight to the people you love! And if you were alone, you would quickly look for someone to love so you would not die alone! A popular song put it this way: “Your prison is walking through this world all alone…Your pain and your hunger they’re driving you home…Why don’t you come to your senses? It may be raining but there’s a rainbow above you. You better let somebody love you—before it’s too late.”
Won’t you open your heart and ask the One Who gave you life, and Who is love itself, to come into your heart and fill that emptiness that only He can fill? Jesus promises He will never leave you alone or lonely. Just think a minute…
94c – The Loneliest Number (Part 2)
Think a minute…A rich and famous couple gave their baby girl the name Sunday. Her celebrity father explained why. He said: “When you do not have someone in your life…Sunday is the loneliest day…now that I have a family, Sunday has become my happiest day.”
Sadly, many people who have a spouse and children are still terribly lonely. Some are like “married singles”. They share a house with their spouse, yet they live separate lives like single people. They slowly drift apart and away from the close, caring relationship they first had. Moreover, countless children feel like they are “home alone” with no real security of love, affection, and wise teaching from their parents.
Today in large cities, people are crowded closer together physically, yet they are pushed farther apart emotionally. They have very few close and meaningful relationships. Millions live lonely lives while they are surrounded by people everywhere. Although they spend every day with hundreds of students at school, many young people do not have one close friend. Even that guy who is always joking and the life of the party may actually be deeply lonely, so he keeps desperately trying to win people’s approval and friendship.
Remember, in the beginning of creation, loneliness was the first thing God said was not good. That is why He created woman: to share life with man. In fact, He made us humans specifically to share His love and life together with Him and each other. That is why God is the only One who can fill that emptiness and loneliness in your heart. He is the only one able to give you real love that will never leave or fail you.
Ultimately, our loneliness is actually our homesickness. We all have rebelled against our Father-Creator and ran away from home, so we could live our own wrong way. But His arms are always open to forgive and welcome you back. In fact, He loves you so much that He died to make the way for you to come home to Him. All you need to do is sincerely ask Him to forgive you for all your wrong living, and to become your Lord, Father, and Friend. Jesus knows exactly what you’re feeling and going through every moment of the day. If you turn to Him, He will guide and help you every step of the way. Won’t you take that first step back home to Him today? Just think a minute…
94d – Character Worth Copying
Think a minute…A man named Cliff Streigling told about an older man, Bud Abbot, who changed his life. This is Cliff’s story and testimony.
“When we met in 1972, Bud was 52 and I was 18. Bud was a Navy veteran of WWII who piloted landing craft on dangerous missions in the South Pacific. I was a long-haired kid with no direction or discipline in my life. We met in a woodworking shop where Bud was a master carpenter and I was a know-nothing amateur.
During the 18 months I worked for him, Bud took me from a teenager rebelling against all authority to a young man willing to accept personal responsibility for my actions and decisions. He instilled in me a work ethic and love for learning that remains with me to this day.
Bud influenced such a complete change in me because he practiced what he preached. He was always 30 minutes early for work. He never overstayed a coffee or lunch break by even one minute. He never put his tools away before his work day was over. And he always forgave and accepted my mistakes, as long as I admitted them.
Bud taught by example that always doing your best is what’s important, whether you’re paid and praised for it or not. He told me again and again that I needed to learn a trade or get a formal education, and he recommended education. I followed Bud’s advice for living because his daily example convinced me to believe and trust him.
I left his shop to study at a university. Every year I returned to tell him I had completed another year. In fact, many times the thought of disappointing him kept me studying when I was tired or discouraged. I earned my university degree, but no professor ever gave me lessons as valuable as those I learned from Bud.”
Dad and Mom, never forget: “Our children usually live like us in spite of everything we tell them.”So, ask yourself: Is my character worth copying? “Young people are looking for good examples, not good speeches.” The most valuable gift you can give to your children is being the daily model they can follow the rest of their life.
Won’t you ask your Heavenly Father to forgive you for not being the example your children need? Jesus wants to give you His love and power to start changing and becoming the good example of character your children can copy. Just think a minute…
94e – Courageous Compassion
Think a minute…In 2007, an amazing woman was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, but then sadly died at the age of 98. Her name was Irena Sendler from Warsaw, Poland.
During World War II Irena worked as a plumbing and sewer specialist in the Jewish ghetto of Warsaw. But her real purpose was to try to save as many Jews as possible from the Nazis who were starting to mass murder thousands, and ultimately six million, Jews in the Holocaust.
Irena smuggled babies out of the ghetto in the bottom of her toolbox. For the larger kids, she had a burlap sack in the back of her truck. By the end of the war Irena had smuggled out and saved approximately 2,500 babies and children! She also helped rescue 500 adults.
When Irena was eventually caught by the Nazis, they broke both her legs and arms. But she wisely kept a record of the names of all the children she had saved in a glass jar which she buried in her backyard. After the war was over, she tried to locate any parents who may have survived to reunite them with their children whom she had rescued. Tragically, most of the parents had been murdered in the Nazi death camps. So, Irena placed these orphan children into foster families who adopted them.
Irena Sendler conquered evil with compassion and courage. Throughout her life she told people: “Keep bringing light to the world…and never stop repairing broken hearts and lives.” There are people all around us—in our workplace, school, neighborhood, village, even in our own family—who are hurting and need our compassion and courage to help them. God has placed you there to be His heart and hands extended to them to help change their life. To fight against injustice, abuse, neglect, rejection, and discouragement with His powerful weapons of love and truth. Nothing can truly heal and change hearts except God’s real love and light which only Jesus Christ can give.
Won’t you ask Him to take charge of your heart, so He can begin filling you with His compassion and courage to comfort and help those you know are suffering? Just think a minute…