TURN ... AND COME OUT RIGHT

[Rhonda]

KEEPING HOPE ALIVE
STEVE GOODIER
We cannot live only on hope. But neither can we live without it.
Nobody knew this better than John Chapman.

John Chapman was a man of great hope. He was born in 1774 in
Massachusetts. In the early 1800's he got in on the opening of land
in the Northwest Territory, as it was then called, of the new United
States. He found small plots of land suitable for farming and cleared
them by hand. He bought fruit seed in Pennsylvania every year and
carried it to his many apple orchards, usually on his back.

When the trees were large enough to transplant, he sold them to
settlers homesteading the West. Eventually, he had little apple
orchards spread around what would become the states of Ohio,
Michigan, Illinois and Indiana. Most people forgot, or never knew,
his real name, and took to calling him Johnny the Apple Man or Johnny
Appleseed.

Johnny was a gentle man with a big vision. He was liked by most
people who knew him, the native Indians and white settlers alike.
His vision was to spread the goodness of apple trees everywhere
people settled. Apples, he believed, gave the promise of harvest and
hope that the wilderness would become home. Every tree he grew was a
symbol of hope.

Johnny had another curious habit. He loved books, but did not have
the means to carry more than two, usually a Bible and a book of
inspiration or theology. Because Johnny wanted to share his books, he
carefully cut chapters out of whatever inspirational book he had
available and loaned one or two chapters to families that wanted to
read. He'd later swap those chapters for others when he came back
through. In this way he left hope and encouragement wherever he
traveled.

His grave can be found today in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It says, "Johnny
Appleseed (John Chapman). He lived for others."

Johnny understood his greatest task in life: to keep hope alive. When
we keep hope alive, then hope keeps us alive.

Steve Goodier

P.S. FAVORITE QUOTE
At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from
another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of
those who have lighted the flame within us. -- Albert Schweitzer

[Rhonda]

A TEMPERATE RESPONSE

A young girl came into the house with a tear in her pants. Her mother
was exasperated, as this had happened too many times before. At her
wits end, she said to her daughter, "Now you go into your room, take
off those pants, and sew up that tear!" The poor child had never held
a needle in her life!

A little while later her mother saw the pants crumpled on the floor
of her daughter's bedroom -- still torn. She looked around and...no
little girl. Spying the basement light on, she called down the
stairs, "Are you down there running around with your pants off?"

A big voice boomed up, "No ma'am. I'm reading the gas meter."

Thomas Jefferson once advised, "When angry, count to ten before you
speak; if very angry, count to 100."

Another way to say it is like this: When angry, slow down. Slow down
and think. Slow down and calm down. A later response will be a more
tempered response and usually a better one. Slow down and get some
distance from the provoking incident. You'll see it more for what it
is, and you'll often see that it never deserved your ire. Slow down
and consider your best response.

On the other hand, don't forever hold it in. For anger does more
damage to the vessel in which it is stored than the object on which
it is poured. Uncontrolled rage will mostly hurt you. Slow down
before you let it out. But after you let it out, be sure to let it
go.

And when you express your anger, keep your temper -- no one else
wants it. Untold relationships, otherwise beautiful and full of
promise, are ruined by rage. Countless careers and lives are brought
down by harsh and thoughtless words.

Mahatma Gandhi had this motto on his wall at Sevagram:
"When you are in the right,
You can afford to keep your temper;
When you are in the wrong,
You can't afford to lose it."

Slow down -- and temper your anger with understanding.

Slow down -- and temper your ire with compassion.

Slow down -- and temper...your temper.

You'll be glad you did.

By Steve Goodier
__________
It is a very sad thing that nowadays there is so little useless
information. -- Oscar Wilde,

[Rhonda]

WORK IT OUT
STEVE GOODIER

"Anger blows out the lamp of the mind," said Robert Ingersoll.

It may be true! I heard a story about one woman who seemed to
have no reason behind her anger. The story goes like this:

A man read, in the want ads, of a sports car for sale. It had
only 3,000 miles. "Like new," the ad boasted. "Mint condition.
$75.00."

He laughed to himself, and he said, "There goes the newspaper,
making another mistake." But he decided to call the number anyway
and he asked the woman who answered about the car.

"Is it really brand new?"

"Yes," she replied.

"Three thousand miles?"

"Yes."

"The price?"

"Seventy-five dollars," she answered.

"Lady, what's wrong with it?" he asked.

"Nothing is wrong with it. You're the first to call. I supposed
nobody else believes the ad."

He decided to look at it. She let him take a test drive. The car
looked exquisite and ran perfectly. He just couldn't believe his
luck!

"The car is yours for $75.00," the woman said emphatically, "on
one condition. I want the money now and I want you to drive it
away so I never have to see it again."

He paid her and took the keys. "Please tell me, lady," he
persisted. "You could have sold this car for thirty thousand
dollars. What is going on?"

She told her story: "I bought this car for my husband on our
fortieth wedding anniversary. Two weeks later he ran off with
somebody else. Last week I got a card from him. They are in a
resort in Miami Beach, Florida. The card said, 'Need money, sell
car, send cash.' I did."

You may smile at her way of expressing anger. But what do you do when
you are angry?

Some people "act it out." They break something. Or they say something
they later regret. They strike back.

Other people "take it out." They kick the dog or scream at the kids.
They lash out at the next unlucky person they come across.

Still others "talk it out." They find someone who will listen. They
know they have to bring it up if they want to get it out. And after
they've talked it out they usually know what to do and generally feel
better.

ACT IT OUT and your actions will become a block to good
communication.

TAKE IT OUT and you cause more hurt and anger.

TALK IT OUT and you can GET IT OUT.

Once you GET IT OUT you can WORK IT OUT and your relationship will
work for you!

Steve Goodier

If God had wanted us to vote, He would have given us candidates! --
Jay Leno

[Rhonda]

CHANGE OF PACE

According to a Greek legend, in ancient Athens a man noticed the
great storyteller Aesop playing childish games with some little
boys. He laughed and jeered at Aesop, asking him why he wasted
his time in such frivolous activity.

Aesop responded by picking up a bow, loosening its string, and
placing it on the ground. Then he said to the critical Athenian,
"Now, answer the riddle, if you can. Tell us what the unstrung
bow implies."

The man looked at it for several moments but had no idea what
point Aesop was trying to make. The moralist explained, "If you
keep a bow always bent, it will break eventually; but if you let
it go slack, it will be more fit for use when you want it."

So it is with us. Our minds and bodies are like the bow. When
constantly under pressures of everyday life, we can eventually
break. We need to loosen up; we need time to take the pressure
off and relax.

Former baseball pitcher Dutch Leonard might have put it a little
differently. He once said that the secret of great pitching is
not speed or the ability to throw curves. It's the "change of
pace." The average batter will soon learn to hit a pitcher who
continually throws the same kind of pitch. But it's hard to hit
against a pitcher who changes the pace of delivery. That change
of pace gives a pitcher the edge over the best of batters.

A change of pace likewise gives us an edge in life. Taking time
to watch the clouds, enjoy a breeze, take a walk, read or just
slow down is necessary if we are to be our best later. And a
regular day of rest is as important as regular sleep. It's a way
of taking the pressure off.

To be your best, make sure you change your pace. It may just be
the change you need.

Steve Goodier
__________
When I eventually met Mr. Right I had no idea that his first name was
Always. -- Rita Rudner

JUST DO SOMETHING

I once stopped behind several cars in an intersection. The winter
weather was icy cold and a strong artic wind blew relentlessly. Ahead
of me a young woman stood alongside the street rubbing her bare hands
together and dancing in place to keep warm. Beside her rested a sign
that read, "I have a baby and no food." She was obviously crying,
likely from the pain of the cold wind.

Homeless and unemployed people are a common sight in many of our
larger cities, and most motorists drive by without offering
assistance. They have no doubt been taught that giving money fosters
a dependent lifestyle, or the ready cash may be used to purchase
alcohol or another substance rather than the food it was intended
for. Like me, they may have been taught that one should give to a
local charity or through one's church, as these institutions can help
those in need far more effectively.

This, of course, is true, but I am reminded of the college students
who encountered a homeless man on the sidewalk. One of the students
took a couple of dollars from his wallet and handed it to the
unfortunate stranger. His friend commented, "Why did you do that?
He's just going to spend it on booze or drugs." The student answered,
"Yeah...like we're not!"

As I waited for the light to turn, I felt conflicted about that young
woman. Whether or not I should give money, she was obviously in need.
And whether or not she actually had a baby really didn't seem to
matter. I gave up guessing people's motives and analyzing their
stories long ago. It was cold. She was cold. And she obviously felt
she had to be there.

What should I do? Give her money? What was best?

As I wrestled with these questions, the window rolled down from the
car in front of me and a hand shot out holding a warm pair of gloves.
The driver took her own gloves off and gave them to the shivering
woman. I saw the young woman mouth the words "Thank you" as a broad
smile lit up her face.

As I debated, somebody else helped. As I hesitated, somebody else
acted. As I tried to decide the BEST way to assist, somebody else
just did what she could. As I did nothing, she did something.

I made myself a pledge that day to always do SOMETHING. Whether it is
big or small, just do something. Something is almost always better
than nothing!

Educator Leo Buscaglia said, "Too often we underestimate the power of
a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment,
or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to
turn a life around." Don't underestimate what you CAN do! Each of us
can do something, and the something you do may be more important than
you'll ever know.

By Steve Goodier
What do you want me to do? Stop shooting now and release it as "The
Five Commandments"? -- Cecil B. DeMille, on running over budget on
"The Ten Commandments
ARE YOU RENEWING YOUR DREAMS?

"Grandpa," a young girl asked, "were you in the ark with Noah?"

"Certainly not, my dear," Grandpa replied in astonishment.

"Then," the puzzled child continued, "why weren't you drowned?"

Maybe he seemed older than Noah to her, but seniors may be finally
getting respect they rightfully deserve. Hugh Downs reported that
when senior adults are properly motivated, their intelligence does
not wane. In fact, the ability to organize thinking may increase as
folks age. Many people in their 50's, 60's and even 70's can go
through college with greater efficiency than at 18.

Adults over 70 years of age have contributed richly and in varied
ways.

- Emmanuel Kant wrote his finest philosophical works at age 74.
- Verdi at 80 produced "Falstaff" and at 85, "Ave Maria."
- Goethe was 80 when he completed "Faust."
- Tennyson was 80 when he wrote "Crossing the Bar."
- Michelangelo completed his greatest work at 87.
- At 90, Justice Holmes was still writing brilliant American
Supreme Court opinions.

And then there's George Dawson. George learned to read at age 98. (He
was forced to quit school when he was a small child in order to help
support his family.) "I got tired of writing my name with an 'X,'" he
said. Four years later, at age 102, he wrote his autobiography, LIFE
IS SO GOOD (2001, Penguin Group).

Dreams are renewable. They need not expire like an over-due library
book. No matter our age, we can breathe new life into old dreams.
I believe that the best age is the age you are, but something even
better awaits just ahead for those with the courage to dream and to
act.

Are you renewing your dreams?
__________
A lot of people are afraid of heights. Not me - I am afraid of
widths. -- Steven Wright
WHAT ARE YOU FILLED WITH?

I recall reading that a man from Virginia Beach filed a law suit
against his hospital. He opted to have surgery in order to lose
weight. So he had his stomach stapled -- a procedure that reduced
the size of his stomach so he couldn't eat as much.

A couple of days after surgery he sneaked down the hospital
corridors to the kitchen. There he raided the refrigerator and
ate so much that his staples burst.

The law suit? He claimed it was all the hospital's fault. They
should have locked the refrigerator. No, I don't know how the
suit came out...just the staples.

If the first sin was eating the forbidden fruit, then the second
was trying to excuse it. "It's not my fault! SHE made me do it!"

Wonderful things can happen when we decide to be responsible for
everything we put into mouths, everything we put into our minds
and everything we put into our hearts.

Fill your body with the right foods and it will perform well.

Fill your mind with learning and it will not stagnate.

Fill your mind with optimistic attitudes and you will always have
hope.

Fill your heart with courage and you will be able to face life
with confidence.

Fill your heart with love and you'll never be alone.

Fill every day will plenty of gratitude and you will always be
happy.

Only you can decide how to fill up your life.

Albert Ellis has said, "The best years of your life are the ones
in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame
them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize
that you control your own destiny."

Only you can choose what goes into your life. Fill up your mind,
your body and your heart with the very best, and the result can
be no less than magnificent.
__________
Egotist: a person more interested in himself than in me. -- Ambrose
Bierce (1842-1914)

[Rhonda]

The Show"
By Bob Perks



Did you ever stop to notice how the world puts on a show?
Did you ever take a minute just to stop and watch the snow?
Have you ever seen a rainbow in a droplet of God's tears?
If you haven't, my good friend, you've wasted all those years.

A young Mother and daughter wasted no time at all. After the first
big snow of the season, they headed directly to the local park. All
bundled up and ready to go, they loaded their sleds, a few extra
socks and mittens into the back seat of the car and headed to the
"best place on Earth to slide!" as Mom put it.

She had grown up in a small town just a few miles from where she
and her daughter now live. Going back there to ride down the hill
together has always been special to her. As a little girl playing
with her friends she often declared "One day I'll bring my kids here,
for this is the best place on Earth."

And so she did. This year seemed extra special. Her daughter was
finally old enough to take a few trips down the hill on her own. Of course
Mom was always close behind. Not that this was a dangerous hill, but
this was the first time Mom was beginning to let go. You know, from the
first day we begin to teach our children to be independent, we begin to
experience that special pain. The one that tugs at your heart every time
they take another step in the direction of adulthood. This moment was far
from that, but still it was a first.

They came to a rolling stop, as the two tumbled and fell into the snow laughing.
The blue sky above reminded them of a bright future and the sun began to
dance across the field. Next to where they had stopped were a few small
evergreens. Their branches laden with snow, bowed to the very spot where they laid dreaming.

"Look, look how the snow glistens!" Mom said. Her daughter didn't
move an inch.

"Mommy, you're just kidding me right?" the young girl said.

"Kidding? About what?" asked Mom.

"I didn't know the snow had ears," the young child replied.

"Ears?"

"You said the snow listens," the child repeated as she rolled over.

Mom, being careful not to make fun of her, held back the laugh as long
as she could. Then, struggling to clear things up she said, "No, honey.
I said the snow glistens. See the snow on that branch there in front of you?
After God sends us snow to have fun in, He sends the sunlight to dance
on the snow flakes. As they melt, the snow turns into little drops of water.
As they hang there the light shines through them and you can see little
rainbows. It's all a part of the show," Mom explained.

The little girl stayed there for a few minutes looking around. Off in the
distance they could hear the other children playing. Yet, in that moment,
that precious moment that this young Mother will one day recall when she
is feeling abandoned and alone, God put on a light show and life danced
across their souls.

"Mom this is better than Disney World!" the child said. "And we don't
have to pay to get in."

Have you ever watched a snowflake as it floated to the ground?
Did you ever tumble down a hill and watch the world go round?
Have you ever stopped to notice that the world is just a ride?
In the amusement park He gave you, you can run and laugh and slide.

"I believe in You!"
Bob Perks

[Rhonda]

WHY WEAR A POPPY?

"Please buy a poppy" the lady said
And smiled at me, but I shook my head
Then I stopped and watched as she offered them there
Her face was old and lined with care.

But underneath those wrinkles the years had made
There remained a smile that refused to fade.
A lad came whistling down the street
Bouncing along on carefree feet.

His smile was full of joy and fun
"Hello Missus" he said "Can I have one?"
She pinned it on and he turned to say
"Why do we wear a poppy today?"

The lady smiled in her wistful way
And answered "This is Remembrance Day
And the poppy here is a symbol for
Those gallant young men who went to war.

And because they did, you and I are free
That is why we all wear a poppy you see.
I once had a boy about your size
With golden hair and big blue eyes

He loved to play and jump and shout
Free as a bird he would race about
As the years went by he learned and grew
And became a man - as you will too

He was fine and strong with a boyish smile
But he only stayed for a little while
When war broke out he went away
I still remember his face that day

He smiled at me and said "Goodbye,
I'll be back soon Mum so please don't cry"
But the war went on and he had to stay
And all we could do was wait and pray

His letters told of the awful fight
I read them still in my dreams at night
With the tanks and trenches and cruel barbed wire
And the mines and the bullets, the bombs and the fire

Until at last the war was won
And that's why we wear a poppy son"
The young lad turned as if to go
And said "Thanks Missus, I'm glad to know"

I shrank away in a sort of shame
And if you were me you'd have done the same
For our thanks in giving is often delayed
Though our freedom was bought - and thousands paid

And so when we see a poppy worn
Let us reflect on the burden borne
By those who gave their very all
When asked to answer their country's call
When we at home in peace might live
Then wear that poppy - remember and Give!

Don Crawford