Jealousy

1. Mr. Moody once told a story which illustrated the only sure plan of getting rid of jealousy.

"There were two businessmen--merchants--and there was great rivalry between them, a great deal of bitter feeling. One of them became a Christian. He went to his minister and said:

"'I am still jealous of that man, and I do not know how to overcome it.'

"'Well,' he said, 'if a man comes into your store to buy goods, and you cannot supply him, just send him over to your neighbor.'

"He said he wouldn't like to do that.

"'Well,' the minister said, 'you do it, and you will kill jealousy.'

"He said he would, and when a customer came into his store for goods which he did not have he would tell him to go across the street to his neighbor's. By-and-by the other began to send his customers over to this man's store, and the breach was healed."


2. In South America there is a strange vine known as the matador. Beginning at the foot of a tree, it slowly makes its way to the top. As it grows, it kills the tree, and when at last the top is reached, it sends forth a flower to crown itself. Matador, means KILLER ... jealousy. ... It appears harmless when it is small, but if it is allowed to grow, its tendrils of malice and hatred soon clasp themselves around the heart and eventually kill the soul.


3. I remember reading somewhere in a Grecian story of a man who killed himself through envy. His fellow citizens had reared a statue to one of their number who was a celebrated victor in the public games. So strong was the feeling of envy which this incited in the breast of one of the hero's rivals that he went forth every night in order, if possible, to destroy that monument. After repeated efforts he moved it from its pedestal, and it fell, but in its fall it crushed him.


4. Jealousy is the raw material of murder.


5. Many lovely things pass out of life when jealousy comes in.


6. One can be covetous when he has little, much, or anything between, for covetousness comes from the heart, not from the circumstances of life.


7. Jealousy is a rebellion against God Himself, & the liberty & pleasure of His dispensations.


8. Covetousness is a spiritual idolatry; it is the giving of that love & regard to worldly wealth which are due to God only.


9. Americans sink millions of Dollars in unsound financial schemes, one of which is trying to keep up with the neighbours.


10. If it were as easy to arouse enthusiasm as it is suspicion, just think what could be accomplished!

Love Means Believing in Someone

Love takes time. It needs a history of
giving and receiving, laughing, and crying.

Love doesn’t promise instant gratification,
only ultimate fulfillment.

Love means believing in someone, in something;
it presupposes a willingness to struggle,
to work, to suffer, and to rejoice.

Love is doing everything you can to help
others build whatever dreams they have.

Love is on a constant journey to what others
need. It must be attentive, caring, and
open, both to what others say and to what
others cannot say.

Love will never reject others. It is the
first to encourage and the last to condemn.

Love is a commitment to growth, happiness,
and fulfillment of one another.
-Adapted from Barb Upham



Love suffers long and is kind;
Love does not envy;
Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked,
thinks no evil;
does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.

50 cents and love

Peace on earth will come to stay,
When we live Christmas every day.
-Helen Steiner Rice

By Richard Mathison

Because Nicolosa Donlucas had 50 cents, hands for work, and a heart for love, 103 poor Mexicans celebrated Christmas back in 1959 when this story took place.
Nicolosa, a tiny, work-worn cleaning lady at the Plaza Community Center in Los Angeles, earned $90 a month. She spoke no English, but one summer day the Rev. Nicolas Davila, minister at the Center, told her, in Spanish, the parable of the talents-how from a little, much good could come. And the minister dropped a half dollar into the woman's hand.

"This is a talent," he said. "Use it wisely, and it will increase."
Nicolosa looked at the coin in her work-worn hand and considered the parable. Surely it was more than a story. …

Some days later, Nicolosa timidly approached the minister and handed him $17.50.
"This is for the Center," she said. And she explained how she'd taken the 50 cents and bought cheese and tortillas. She had then made enchiladas and sold them to the neighbors, and continued the operation until she had $35. Half was for the Center and the other half she could use for making more enchiladas after work.

"This is what the story meant, is it not so?" she asked and returned to her work.
One day later, Nicolosa showed the minister a bankbook-she had earned $100 making enchiladas.

The money she earned was not for herself. She knew only too well how many poor there are in Mexico and so she had written to her brother there for the names of 33 orphans in the town of Nochistalin and 33 in the town of San Luis. She also wrote another brother in Mexico for the names of 33 elderly people who were alone or hungry.

And so when Christmas morning arrived, 66 orphans and 33 old people received a gift from the tiny janitress. There was even a little money left to help brighten the day for four prisoners in Mexican jails.

When Nicolosa told the minister of her plans he had asked, "But why 33 orphans in each of two towns and 33 old people?"

"Because that is the number of years Jesus lived," Nicolosa explained. "I want to say ‘Happy Birthday' to Baby Jesus."

In the Spirit of Love

You will find,
As you look back upon your life
That the moments that stand out,
The moments when you have really lived,
Are the moments when you have done things
In the spirit of love.
-Henry Drummond
* * *

Lunch with God


There once was a little boy who wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with cookies and a six-pack of root beer, and he started his journey.

When he had gone a few blocks from home, he met an old man. He was sitting in the park near the water, just staring at some birds.

The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer, when he noticed that the old man looked hungry, so he offered him a cookie.

The old man gratefully accepted it and smiled at him. His smile was so incredible that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root beer.

Once again, he smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.

As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was, and he got up to leave. But before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, and ran back to the old man, and gave him a hug. The old man gave him his biggest smile ever.

When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked her son: “What did you do today that made you so happy?”

The child replied: “I had lunch with God.” But before his mother could respond, he added, “You know what? He’s got the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen!”

Meanwhile, the old man, also radiant with joy, returned to his home. His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and asked, “Dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?”

He replied: “I ate cookies in the park with God.” But before his son responded, he added, “You know, He’s much younger than I expected.”

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 make someone’s day a very special one, or even turn someone’s life around.
-Author unknown
* * *

Be a spendthrift in love! Love is the one treasure that multiplies by division: It is the one gift that grows bigger the more you take from it. It is the one business in which it pays to be an absolute spendthrift; give it away, throw it away, splash it over, empty your pockets, shake the basket, turn the glass upside down, and tomorrow you will have more than ever.
-Author unknown
* * *

Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing, and forgiving. It is loyalty through good times and bad. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses.

Love is content with the present, it hopes for the future, and it doesn’t brood over the past. It’s the day-in-and-day-out chronicles of irritations, problems, compromises, small disappointments, big victories, and common goals.

If you have love in your life, it can make up for a great many things you lack. If you don’t have it, no matter what else there is, it’s not enough.
-Ann Landers

The Umbrella

By Tomoko Matsuoka, Japan

The air was heavy with unshed rain as I made my way to the hub of our town. I silently berated myself for not bringing an umbrella as I glanced at the clouds that hung low and filled the gray sky. It seemed that in a minute or two the heavens would burst open, but two minutes came and went. I went here and there, taking care of my business, then turned homeward.

It was at the railroad crossing that my luck ran out. Big fat drops fell from the sky as I stood waiting for the oncoming train to pass so I could cross. Three trains, the signals announced. I would be standing in the rain for five minutes. Those around me had taken refuge under their umbrellas.

Typical, I thought. I decided that this wouldn’t faze me, as it was not the first time that this had happened. Not this exact circumstance, perhaps, but others where I found myself unprepared or, like now, caught out in the rain. Each time I would put on a mask of extreme indifference to people’s stares and to the rain. ?Yes, I like getting wet!? I wanted to say. Perhaps next time I would wear a sign.

A middle-aged lady walked up and stood next to me. There was nothing striking about her, and I would not have given her a second thought if it hadn’t been for what happened next. As she stood next to me, she quietly held her umbrella over the both of us, shielding me from the rain. I was shocked out of my pretended indifference to the rain and thanked her profusely. She smiled but didn’t say a word. I wondered what else to say. But as we stood there waiting for the train, I realized I didn’t have to say anything. She was one of those people who do not give a second thought to the acts of kindness they perform. We crossed the tracks together, then went our separate ways.

As time passed, little opportunities came my way where I realized I had a choice to either do something to help others or to let the chance slip by-opportunities to show God’s love to others, as that lady had to me that day. Offering my seat on a train. Helping a mother maneuver her baby stroller up a flight of stairs. Little things. And whenever I was tempted with the thought that it really made no sense to show kindness to strangers, I found good reason in the memory of the kindly woman who shared her umbrella with me.

More importantly, I realized that each step, each deed, and each word I say may seem small, but it can open a world of kindness for people who cross my path. You think not? What difference could it make? Well, I’m sure that lady has long forgotten the kindness she showed a wet teenager years ago-lost in the many acts of kindness she has no doubt done since-but I will never forget.

* * *

Make Me a Blessing, Lord
Give the gentleness to bless
All who have need of gentleness.
When men have bitter things to meet,
And fear, and would accept defeat,
Then let me lift their eyes to see
The vision of their victory.
Help me to help; help me to give
The wisdom and the will to live!
-James Dillet Freeman

* * *

There is such a need everywhere for love, and the mystery of love is that it is best found when it is not being sought; it is best found when it is striving to give to another.
-Jesus

People Skills

Power is not revealed by striking hard or often, but by striking true. -Honoré de Balzac

Charles and Carla Coonradt tell the story of an immense, 19,000-pound whale, Shama, that is taught in Sea World, Florida, to jump 22 feet out of the water and perform tricks. How do you suppose they teach the whale to do that?

A typical managerial approach would be to mount a rope at 22 feet high out of the water, and encourage the whale to sail over it. "Jump, whale!" Maybe get a bucket of fish up there, reward the whale when it does the right thing. Set goals! Aim high! And you and I know the whale would stay right where it was.

The Coonradts say, "So how do the trainers at Sea World do it? Their number-one priority is to reinforce the behavior that they want repeated-in this case, to get a whale or porpoise to go over the rope. They influence the environment every way they can so that it supports the principle of making sure that the whale can't fail. They start with the rope below the surface of the water, in a position where the whale can't help but do what's expected of it. Every time the whale goes over the rope, it gets positive reinforcement. It gets fed fish, patted, played with, and most important, it gets that reinforcement.

"But what happens when the whale goes under the rope? Nothing-no electric shock, no constructive criticism, no developmental feedback, and no warnings in the personnel file. Whales are taught that their negative behavior will not be acknowledged.

Positive reinforcement is the cornerstone of that simple principle that produces such spectacular results. And as the whale begins to go over the rope more often than under, the trainers begin to raise the rope. It must be raised slowly enough so that the whale doesn't starve, either physically or emotionally.

"The simple lesson to be learned from the whale trainers is to over-celebrate. Make a big deal out of the good and little stuff that we want consistently. Secondly, under-criticize. People know when they screw up. What they need is help. If we under-criticize, punish and discipline less than is expected, people will not forget the event and usually will not repeat it."

We need to make it difficult for people to fail, so there can be less criticism and more celebrations.

* * *

Be slow… be quick!

Slow to suspect-quick to trust,
Slow to condemn-quick to justify,
Slow to offend-quick to defend,
Slow to expose-quick to shield,
Slow to belittle-quick to appreciate,
Slow to demand-quick to give,
Slow to provoke-quick to help,
Slow to resent-quick to forgive.


* * *

If you want to be successful with people, take them where they are at, and encourage each step in a better direction. Love the people you are around by expressing admiration openly and praying for them privately. Ask God what their needs and dreams and desires are, and then help them fulfill them. Ask God to help you understand them, and to show you what your attitude, approach, and actions toward them should be like. He'll help you, because He loves us all, in spite of our shortcomings. His love can help us all to be what He knows we can be, and your love can do the same for others.
-Chloe West

The Greatest of These

In ninth grade, there was one teacher who stood out to me more than all the rest. We called him Uncle Jo. Uncle Jo was a funny guy, aging in years but a kid at heart. He made those boring history books seem exceptionally fun and put the sparkle into everything about life.

Uncle Jo cared for a boy named Mikey whom we called “the special child.” Mikey was indeed special, for he was handicapped with autism, which left him unable to care for himself. So it was our teacher, Uncle Jo, who fed him, dressed him, walked him, and read him stories.

I admired Uncle Jo for his love for Mikey, but a few weeks later, I was proud of my teacher. Because those were his last days on Earth, and he had spent them for somebody else. Shortly after, Uncle Jo slipped into a coma that would seal his life.

I later found out that he had been battling a deadly cancer.
Uncle Jo taught me many subjects in school, but for all those lectures, it was his sample of sacrifice that taught me the biggest lesson. Here was a dying man who spent his final days not making his atmosphere a more comfortable place for himself, but for a helpless child.

A very great man made his mark in history then, and engraved that mark in my mind, to remember for many more years to come. I realized at that early age how precious one’s life is, and how short its span may be. One day Uncle Jo was up and about, and the next … he was gone. He understood that the present day was all he had to make the most of, so he put his best efforts into that day, no matter how lowly the task.
Today, I close my eyes and think back at the time that was, and then … it’s as if … I see the image of Uncle Jo’s face and the twinkle in his eye as he smiles, “Life is too short to spend it on only yourself.”

The matter of how short is trivial, because what lives on in the hearts and minds of others never dies. It is the deeds you do, the words you speak, the love you give, and your greatness-of-lowliness that will be treasured forever.



He that is greatest among you shall be
your servant (Matthew 23:11 NIV).



I used to think that God’s gifts were on shelves one above another, and the taller we grow, The easier we can reach them.

Now I find that God’s gifts are on shelves one beneath another, and the lower we stoop, The more we get.



Love is the key-having love, living love, desiring love, giving love, being loving! You can’t do it on your own, but the Lord can do it through you. And in order to have that love-real love, the Lord’s love-you have to learn humility.