Tuesday, June 13, 2006

MIND POWER

"It is the mind that make the body." -- Sojourner Truth


When we are mentally strong and committed, we can do anything.
So how do we "bulk up" our minds? As with a muscle: by constant flexing with positive thoughts.
Professional athletes can attest to the necessity of psychological stamina.
Get the mind in shape and the body will follow.


~ AFFIRMATION~

On this day, I will take five minutes to relax and visualize myself accomplishing one of my goals.

-- taken from Black Pearls by Eric V. Copage
Also taken from the Atlanta Social Sistahs Yahoo Group

Thursday, June 08, 2006

Gifts from God

by Max Lucado

A gardener gave a seedling to his friend, the orange grower. “Consider this a gift.”
An orchestra conductor presented a package to her favorite cellist. “Just because I appreciate your work,” she told her.
An artist thanked a plumber for his neighborliness by giving him a present.
And so the orange grower, the cellist, and the plumber unwrapped their gifts.
The orange grower planted the seedling, anticipating oranges. After all, he grew oranges, so this must be an orange-tree-to-be. But the plant spread into bushy, clustered branches. The orange grower couldn’t coax a single orange out of his grove. He sprinkled it with orange-tree fertilizer, sprayed it with orange-tree bug spray. He even poured orange juice on the soil. But, alas, no oranges. Tomatoes, yes. But oranges, no. He felt like a failure.
The cellist empathized. She has expected a cello. She was somewhat correct. The package contained an accordion. She treated the accordion like a cello, setting the base on the floor and running her bow across the keys. Noise came forth, but no music. She was less than enthused.
As was the plumber. He expected a gift of wrenches and hammers, but he was given a brush and palette. Puzzled, he set out to repair a leaky pipe with his new tools. But brushes don’t open valves, and a palette won’t tighten joints. He painted the plumbing and grumbled.
The orange grower raised tomatoes, but he preferred oranges.The cellist made sounds, but not music.The plumber painted the pipe, but didn’t fix it.
Each assumed the gift would be what they knew rather than what the giver gave.
Each year God gives millions of parents a gift, a brand-new baby. They tend to expect oranges, cellos, and plumbing tools. Heaven tends to distribute tomatoes, accordions, and paint supplies. Moms and Dads face a decision. Make our children in our images? Or release our children to follow their God-given identities?
God prewired your infant. He scripted your toddler’s strengths. He set your teen on a trajectory. God gave you an eighteen year-research project. Ask yourself, your spouse, and your friends: what sets this child apart? Childhood tendencies forecast adult abilities. Attend carefully to the unique childhood of your child. What S.T.O.R.Y. do you read in your children? Uncommon are the parents who attempt to learn—and blessed are their children.
From Cure for the Common LifeCopyright 2005, Max Lucado