Do It Anyway

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.

Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten.

Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.

Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God. 

It was never between you and them anyway.

-this version is credited to Mother Teresa
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The Paradoxical Commandments


People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.

Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.

Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.

Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.

Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.

Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.

Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.

Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.

Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.

Give the world the best you have anyway.

© 1968, 2001 Kent M. Keith  ~
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 Martina McBride
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Colossians 3:12-14, 23-24 (NIV)

 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 

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Love God, Love People, Live The Gospel

A 'Radical' Challenge

Am I a follower of Christ...or a follower of the American Dream Christ? This is the question I asked myself as I began reading "Radical" by David Platt. Most of my adult life I have had much interest and concern over both the persecuted believers, and those who have yet to hear the gospel of Jesus. Yet, it has been so easy to slide into the more convenient social club/church lifestyle.

Dr. Platt, pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, AL, has written a book that challenges me to re-evaluate my own comfortable lifestyle. While it is easy to justify some of the choices we make in how we live out our faith, we can also get too caught up in the perception of that minimal is good enough. He does not say you have to give it all up, but to think about how you do spend your time, your talent, and your money. How much time do you spend reading the Word and praying? Do you reach out to those who don't have as much as you? And, I don't mean just financially. Have you shared the love of Jesus with someone who doesn't know Him? This is an excellent book that I recommend you read for yourself. Dr. Platt challenges the reader to take part in a year long "Radical Experiment", and I know that it has given me much to think about. Am I up to the challenge? Are you?

In compliance with the FTC guidelines of Dec. 9, 2009..."I received
this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review". I was not required to give a favorable review.

Let Your Light Shine

Matthew 5:14-16
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."





  This Little Light Of Mine, I'm Gonna Let It Shine.......how many of us learned that song as children? It is one of the first I can remember learning. I didn't completely understand what the song meant, but I sure did love it! (Still do, for that matter.) However, I did have an example of that song in action. There were many people in my life whom I saw practice their faith, but the one who stood out most to me was my grandmother, Ruby Louise Watkins Aycock.

Seeing Grandma read her Bible, study the lesson and make the plans for what she was going to teach to her Junior Girls Sunday School class, and practice the piano for the music in church made a deep impression on me. But what made the biggest impact on me was watching her throughout the community. I have seen her taking food to someone who needed it, collecting funds for charity, praying with others, and simply taking time for others. She lived her faith and that inspired me to want to live my life for Jesus. We never talked about it, and I do regret not telling her what an influence she was in my life. Watching Grandma serve God by serving others is probably the main reason I accepted Christ as my Savior at an early age.

Although I am nowhere near as capable or as giving as Grandma, I still believe that service to others is a vital part of my faith. This time of year is when people seem more generous and giving, and a time when we become more aware of the needs of others. I hope each person who takes the time to read this will also do what they can to reach out to another...in the name of Christ. It doesn't have to be a financial gift, or any type of material possession. Sometimes all a person needs is for someone to listen to them and take an interest. A smile may be more than adequate. Whatever you have to offer: money, warm clothing, blankets, time...it all makes a difference in the life of someone. Not only does it affect the one who are reaching out to....you just never know who is watching and the impact you are making on them.

This is a favorite song that I hope each will listen to and LIVE:
GO LIGHT YOUR WORLD

God bless you all,
Cindy

An Incredible Beginning To December!

This is only the 5th of December, but I must admit that I have had an incredible few days. Just to remind myself of the highlights and have a record of ways God has blessed me...:

Dec. 1: The Wedding!! My daughter, Brandy, married Jamie Roat. To witness my daughter joyfully praising God and marrying the man she loves was a very emotional evening. They recently joined Desperation Church and their new church family went over and beyond in making this a special event. The candles, flowers, cake, and reception were totally unexpected, and filled me with such joy to see how loved and welcome Brandy, Jamie, and the kids are in their new church. I am still praying for my sons, but this was just a small foretaste of worshiping God with my child and grandkids. I look forward to doing this forever!!

Dec. 2: My first mission trip!! I have been involved with local missions projects for several years and love them, but this was the first time I have ever gone out of state to be involved in such a huge project. Since I wrote extensively about my experience with Operation Christmas Child in my Cindy's World blog, I won't recount it all here.
But it was a blessing to be a part of it and spend time with some members of my Crosshaven church family. After 10 years of being a member of Northbrook, I am still trying to find my place in my new church home. But, I am where I truly believe God wants me to be.

Then, there was the experience of my first visit to Starbucks! My fellow coffee aficionados on Facebook were appalled that I had never had coffee there, so I can now cross this off my list of things I need to do. Don't ask me what I had.....I just know it was good. A friend sent me a message with a suggestion, so I just showed that to the person who filled my order. :) Considering that a cup of coffee was $1.50 more than I spent on lunch, I don't see me making too many trips back. But I am glad I had the experience and will want to try it again.

Another place I had always wanted to visit was Varsity's in Atlanta. Now I have been there too!! The food was okay, but I honestly was not impressed enough to care if I ever eat there again. Again, though, just fulfilling yet another thing I had wanted to do for years was very satisfying.

Dec. 3: RECOVERY! I was exhausted, so it was good to have a day to sit around and relax. Of course I spent most of the day catching up on Facebook....and promoting all I could. I know I probably annoy most of those who are my FB friends, but I want everyone to know about projects other friends are involved in and care about. There are many wonderful films, books, etc. that others may want to experience for themselves.

I also spent time rejoicing and praising God because it looks like prayers for a friend are about to be answered in a magnificent way. God is always good and His plans are always best, but I still like to see friends given great gifts.

I did not actually burn the house down!! I did manage to only slightly scorch lunch. Supper went from cheese toast to actual flames shooting out of the oven! I meant to only preheat the oven, prepare a can of soup, and some cheese toast to go with it. Apparently, I absent-mindedly put it in the oven and walked out of the room. Fortunately, I was hungry and only out of the kitchen for a short time. Cooking is such a grand adventure! :)

Dec. 4: My first ballet! A friend was going out of town and blessed me with her tickets to The Nutcracker. Of course I am familiar with the story and the music, but the only performance I had ever seen was when my 4th grade class did a short play. This was way better!! LOL!!
The costumes, the gracefulness and energy of the dancers, the "snow" cascading down were all amazing. Getting to share this experience with my granddaughter, Caitlyn, made this afternoon even more of a treasured event. Once again, I had always wanted to see a ballet performed! This was fantastic!!

Dec. 5: Really not done much today. Church is always wonderful, so that alone makes the day special. I have had more of a "weepy" day while listening to music and thinking about all of my many blessings. Actually the thought even crossed my mind that I have had so many dreams fulfilled this week, that I could not help but think of The Bucket List and wonder if my time on earth is nearly over. (Btw, if I suddenly come up with tickets and a ride for Trans-Siberian Orchestra next Saturday, I will be convinced that I am heading HOME real soon!! YAY \o/)

But, I am about to tackle something difficult. Brandy has given me her Blackberry, and I must figure out how to install my contacts.....and how to use the thing....by tomorrow!! So, y'all pray for this poor technically-challenged woman as I go through yet another new experience in an already action-packed week!! GOD IS GOOD and I can't wait to see what is in store for me next!! :)

Outlive Your Life

OUTLIVE YOUR LIFE, the latest of the books by Max Lucado I have read, and one I  have been most challenged by. The challenge is to take a look at my own life and ask myself if I am doing all I can to make a difference. Much of the book is based on the lives of the apostles as recorded in the book of Acts. They went from tired, discouraged men to being totally brave and filled with a passion to tell others about Jesus. Are you willing to take the extra step to let others know that Jesus loves them?

Max tells story after story of common, ordinary people who dared to make a difference. Even those who feel they have nothing material to offer, have more than they realize. There are things that each of us are capable of doing though. First of all, you may have to step out of your comfort zone. Not that you have to change your lifestyle or give away all you have, but are there people you tend to avoid? What does it cost for you to look at them, offer a genuine smile, ask how they are....and wait for an answer instead of rushing past? Learn about people who did small acts of kindness and others who made a huge impact on thousands.

As an added bonus, there are discussion questions and an action guide prepared by David Drury. This would be perfect for your small group at church or Bible study group. Not only can you talk about what you have learned, but there are plenty of suggestions for both individual and group projects. This is your opportunity to make a difference in the name of Jesus Christ. Any age group can accept the challenge to step out and step up to do more than you have ever done before. Max does live by what he teaches. 100% of his royalties of this book go to World Vision and other ministries of faith-based compassion. To learn more about this, go to www.MaxLucado.com/.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 [...] : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."