A. J. Cronin

" Life is no straight and easy corridor along

which we travel free and unhampered,

but a maze of passages,

through which we must seek our way,

lost and confused, now and again

checked in a blind alley.

But always, if we have faith,

a door will open for us,

not perhaps one that we ourselves

would ever have thought of,

but one that will ultimately

prove good for us."

Everyone should read Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson

Occupation Matters

H.L. Mencken noted back in 1922,

occupation matters:

If he got no reward whatever, the artist would go on working just the same; his actual reward, in fact, is often so little that he almost starves. But suppose a garment worker got nothing for his labor: Would he go on working just the same? Can one imagine his submitting voluntarily to hardship and sore want that he might express his soul in 200 more pairs of ladies' pants?

Modern Day Church - So Sad!

A Parable: Saving Lives
by Charles R. Swindoll

Colossians 4:2-6; Matthew 5:13-16; Ephesians 5:1-33

On a dangerous seacoast notorious for shipwrecks, there was a crude little lifesaving station. Actually, the station was merely a hut with only one boat . . . but the few devoted members kept a constant watch over the turbulent sea. With little thought for themselves, they would go out day and night tirelessly searching for those in danger as well as the lost. Many, many lives were saved by this brave band of men who faithfully worked as a team in and out of the lifesaving station. By and by, it became a famous place.

Some of those who had been saved as well as others along the seacoast wanted to become associated with this little station. They were willing to give their time and energy and money in support of its objectives. New boats were purchased. New crews were trained. The station that was once obscure and crude and virtually insignificant began to grow. Some of its members were unhappy that the hut was so unattractive and poorly equipped. They felt a more comfortable place should be provided. Emergency cots were replaced with lovely furniture. Rough, hand-made equipment was discarded and sophisticated, classy systems were installed. The hut, of course, had to be torn down to make room for all the additional equipment, furniture, systems, and appointments. By its completion, the life-saving station had become a popular gathering place, and its objectives had begun to shift. It was now used as sort of a clubhouse, an attractive building for public gatherings. Saving lives, feeding the hungry, strengthening the fearful, and calming the disturbed rarely occurred by now.

Fewer members were now interested in braving the sea on lifesaving missions, so they hired professional lifeboat crews to do this work. The original goal of the station wasn't altogether forgotten, however. The lifesaving motifs still prevailed in the club's decorations. In fact, there was a liturgical lifeboat preserved in the Room of Sweet Memories with soft, indirect lighting, which helped hide the layer of dust upon the once-used vessel.

About this time a large ship was wrecked off the coast and the boat crews brought in loads of cold, wet, half-drowned people. They were dirty, some terribly sick and lonely. Others were black and "different" from the majority of the club members. The beautiful new club suddenly became messy and cluttered. A special committee saw to it that a shower house was immediately built outside and away from the club so victims of shipwreck could be cleaned up before coming inside.

At the next meeting there were strong words and angry feelings, which resulted in a division among the members. Most of the people wanted to stop the club's lifesaving activities and all involvements with shipwreck victims . . . ("it's too unpleasant, it's a hindrance to our social life, it's opening the door to folks who are not our kind"). As you'd expect, some still insisted upon saving lives, that this was their primary objective---that their only reason for existence was ministering to anyone needing help regardless of their club's beauty or size or decorations. They were voted down and told if they wanted to save the lives of various kinds of people who were shipwrecked in those waters, they could begin their own lifesaving station down the coast! They did.

As years passed, the new station experienced the same old changes. It evolved into another club . . . and yet another lifesaving station was begun. History continued to repeat itself . . . and if you visit that coast today you'll find a large number of exclusive, impressive clubs along the shoreline owned and operated by slick professionals who have lost all involvement with the saving of lives.

Shipwrecks still occur in those waters, but now most of the victims are not saved. Every day they drown at sea, and so few seem to care . . . so very few.

Do you?



Excerpted from Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life, Copyright © 1983 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by arrangement with Zondervan Publishing House.

Broken Free of The Golden Handcuffs

I have blogged before about the "Golden Handcuffs" see previous post dated 8/2/08, and I spoke about how we are trapped by the income we are earning because we are scared to loose that security blanket. But it is not a security blanket it is an UNSECURE BLANKET, it can be ended at anytime by someone who has power over that paycheck. I say power over that paycheck because they do not have power over you.

I lived under that fear for almost 2 years and now after a gift from God I'm being laid off from work. My first feeling was fear of the unknown how would I provide for my family. But as I thought about this and prayed the good Lord put it in my heart that everything is from Him, so it was God who was providing for my family in the first place and He will continue to provide and show me the way.

1 Corinthians 2:5 NIV
so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power

1 Corinthians 7:21 NIV
...although if you can gain your freedom, do so.

So, it seems as so God has broken me loose from my Golden Handcuffs and he has given me my freedom. So, do I jump right into the same situation another job for someone else as before because it pays the bills and it is safe or do I search for what my heart wants and pursue that happiness?

Life on this earth is like a blink of an eye and when it is over, it is over. A life fully lived is one of the greatest gifts from God and we waste it out of fear.

1 Timothy 6:9-11 NIV
People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. Emphases added

I dreaded going to work it took all of my energy, it drained me, and left nothing but a hollow shell of a person at the end of each day. I was not excited to wake up each day and experience all that life has to offer. I also found myself tired and lifeless at the end of each work day. I deserved more from each day than getting up and going to work, coming home and seating in my chair exhausted, and then going to sleep. My family deserve a better father than someone physically and emotional drained from a tedious day of a mind numbing thankless job. It was not the type of work that I was doing that was slowly taking away my hope, it was where I was working and who I was working for.

I'm blessed with my family and good health and a love of the good Lord so the future is unknown and exciting. I now look forward to everyday instead of trying just to survive each day. I will end with a few quotes;

“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” -- Helen Keller

"People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in the world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, make them." – George Bernard Shaw

"The rung of a ladder was never meant to rest upon, but only to hold a man's foot long enough to enable him to put the other somewhat higher." -- Thomas H. Huxley

“There is the risk you cannot afford to take, and there is the risk you cannot afford not to take.” -- Peter Drucker

"The great tragedy of life is not death, but what dies inside of us while we live." -- Norman Cousins

"It is better to have beans and bacon in peace than cakes and ale in fear"

“The secret of Happiness is Freedom, and the secret of Freedom, Courage.”
Thucydides quotes (Ancient Greek historians and author, 460-404bc)