what your smile can do

Be Part of the Humane Chain

In times of confusion, sorrow, frustration and fear, it is difficult to be aware of how one small deed can brush away the aforementioned feelings. The inhumane chain effect of our interactions can be harmful communication and can cause others to experience the same negative emotions that we are feeling.
By the same token, the humane chain of our interactions can rescue others from their negative emotions and fears. Just one small deed at the beginning of the humane chain can be life changing, or perhaps life-saving, for people all along the chain.

           SMILE

She smiled at a sorrowful stranger.
The smile seemed to make him feel better.
He remembered past kindness of a friend
And wrote him a thank you letter.

The friend was so pleased with the thank you
That he left a large tip after lunch.
The waitress, surprised by the size of the tip,
Gave part to a man on the street.

The man on the street was grateful;
For two days he'd had nothing to eat.
After he finished his dinner,
He left for his small dingy room.

He didn't know at that moment
That he might be facing his doom.
On the way he picked up a shivering puppy
And took him home to get warm.
The puppy was very grateful
To be in out of the storm.

That night the house caught on fire.
The puppy barked the alarm.
He barked till he woke the whole household
And saved everybody from harm.

One of the boys that he rescued
Grew up to be President.
All this because of a simple smile
That hadn't cost a cent.

   Written by: Barbara Hauck

Affirmation for the Week:
"I am part of a humane chain and I am doing my part to make it a life changing chain."
Have a strongly linked week!
Mary Rau-Foster
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mary's book "Motivating Moments" makes a great gift for you, your family and your friends. This 200+ page book, with illustrations, is a guaranteed morale booster, as well as thought provoking and inspirational. To learn more and to order online, visit www.motivatingmomentsbook.com or www.workplaceissues.com/motivatingmomentsbook.htm

MY THOUGHTS

I thought and thought of where to post this blog.  It can be about relationships or about being happy or about managing yourself.  Somehow, it didn't feel right.

So, I read the poem again. And again.  Until I realized what a smile is all about - a stream in a desert, something bright to light up something gloomy, something simple that can ease away something complicated.


I thank God for teaching me, everyday, that a smile is so much better than a frown - that a gentle word is so much powerful than a scowl.


I have lost a lot of "battles", because I chose not to smile.  Now I know better.  Thank you, Lord, for helping me see that when I smile, I don't need to go to war.

What LInsanity Has Taught Me

It is true, for me and for many others, that there can be streams in the desert.  In the case of Jeremy Lin, it's a case of streams in his desert called the 'bench'.


You Don't Need to be in Sports to Get 'Benched'. 


Have you ever been 'benched'?  Do you know what it feels like to be put on hold, to be stuck in the sidelines knowing that you have what it takes to throw and shoot the ball?



At home, you can be the one with more brains, but for years, you have to shut your mouth because you are not old enough.  Benched!

With friends, you can be the most talented, but you have to be the support dancer or back-up singer, because someone else looks better or has more money to pay for the expensive performance attires. Benched!


At work, you may have more skills and potential than your boss.  But he got there first, and for years, you sit on the 'bench' while your boss basks in all the glory. Benched!


Believe me, the bench is not a good place to be.  Not if you don't have the patience, perseverance and humility of someone like Jeremy Lin.



The Streams in Jeremy's Bench.


I already know from the countless news about Jeremy Lin, that he is a star.  Linsanity is becoming a by-word because of what he has brought to the court. 

But I never realized, not until after I read an article about Linsanity from Christianity.com, that Jeremy Lin is truly an exceptional Christian.

While most of us will grumble and gripe while in the state of being 'benched', Jeremy Lin found his 'streams in the desert' while sitting on the bench.

He made use of the 'time to be silent' to watch and learn from the bench-from the coach, from the players, from the game itself.

No sulking.  No complaining.  No plotting for revenge.  

Jeremy Lin understood and accepted that God has put him on hold for a very good reason.  He understood that he cannot have everything he wants.  He believed that there is a Higher Being who is in control of his life who will end his 'desert time' in His own perfect time.

 Jeremy's triumph is not in the scores nor in the assists.  His triumph was in the 'bench'.  We have much to learn from him.

Can a Burden Be a Stream in the Desert

Being burdened is being in a desert.  Or so I thought.  A burden can actually be the stream.  We just need to grow up first to realize that.

Being in a Desert.

I haven't been in a real desert.  But I've seen enough movies to know that it is dry and barren and dusty and lonely.  I've read enough about deserts to know that to be stranded in a desert is like having cancer when the only thing you have going for you is hope. 

Being burdened can leave us dry and lonely.  When things get too rough and too tough, we feel like we are stranded in some abyss and only a miracle can save us. 

I was never really one to believe so much in miracles.  Being burdened changed that. 

The Burden of Burdens.

It's stupid to think that some people are free of burdens.  Everybody has some burden to bear - at different degrees at different times. It's up to us to see it as a desert or a stream.

Funny that when I have insignificant burdens, I never really saw it as a stream.  We burden ourselves with traffic, with an insufferable boss, with the black sheep in the family.  We even burden ourselves with the noise the neighbor makes or how they put their garbage at your end of the fence.  We make our lives miserable in the process, living in a desert of dissatisfaction, burdening ourselves with the insignificant burdens.

Multiplying the Burdens

The insignificant burdens never really made us grow up.  We learn to manage the traffic, leave the insufferable boss and avoid the black sheep.  We make as much noise as the neighbor and put our garbage on his side of the fence.  We think we've won this way.  Only, we didn't.  We just multiplied the misery.

The Burden is Not Ours.

I had to go through the most harrowing burdens to realize that I can only do so much.  I can't do it.  I am powerless.  I had to give it all up to a Higher Being whose power is big enough.  He had turned my burdens into learning experiences, a flowing stream in what used to be a depressing desert. 

I am experiencing miracles.  Everyday.  Because the burdens are not mine to bear.  Not anymore.

God told me "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden". (Matthew 11:28).  I did.  And he gave me rest.

You'll Never Know What You'll Get From a Ferris Wheel Ride

You'll Never Know What You'll Get From a Ferris Wheel Ride

I have acrophobia.  Well, sort of.  I don't think it's that serious. I can still go up a building, cross a high bridge, climb a mountain, get on a plane.  Just don't ask me to look down.  

Imagine how I felt when the kids asked me-no, pushed me-to ride this ferris wheel.

It's "117 meter tall and one of the tallest sight-seeing platforms in Tokyo" (source:http://japan.apike.ca/japan_tokyo_kasairinkai_park.html).

It looked menacing enough from way below.

But there were enough people riding it to show that it's safe.  And fun. I also know, for a fact, that the Japanese are one of the most safety-conscious people in the world.  Still, I spent a few endless (for the kids) minutes deliberating whether I should dare it or sit it out.  Maybe I can just go fish-watching?

I dared!  And what was supposed to be scary turned out to be not just fun.  My 117-meters-ferris-wheel-ride reminded me of valuable life lessons I wouldn't have realized (again) had I opted to sit (or lie) on one of the 'safe' benches in the park. 

WE SHOULD LISTEN TO KIDS.  From time to time.  They are the most trusting creatures in the world. And how can we not trust them? They make suggestions without malice.  Not based on preconceived notions.  They have no fear because they have not yet been subjected to harsh realities.  Just look at them. 

They are the ones who know how to be truly happy!  No Fear!

FEAR IS AN ENEMY. Fear robs us of the opportunity to experience life as we should.  Fear has a way of immobilizing us.  We stay where we are because we are afraid of what could happen, of what we will have to give up.  Why are we letting the unknown cripple us when there is so much more to see and live for when we let go of our fear?  Had I stayed on safe ground and not venture into the unknown, I would not have seen the beauty of God's creation from a different perspective.  I would not have this story to tell.  Nor these pictures to share.

FAITH IS THE ANTIDOTE TO FEAR.  When we don't have faith, we fear.  I didn't want to hop on the monstrous wheel because I did not have faith.  I did not have faith in myself, acrophobic as I am.  I did not want to pay Y700 and die of embarrassment because I looked down while I was 383 feet up from the ground.

THE WRONG KIND OF FAITH.  I hopped into the ferris wheel after seeing lots of people hopping on the same wheel.  I decided to put my fate into the hands of the ferris wheel operators knowing that I can trust the Japanese when it comes to safety.  As the ferris wheel started its ascend, I felt a gentle nudging in my heart.  What kind of faith is that? These other people may have ridden for all the wrong reasons.  And the Japanese? They are good. No doubt about it.  Safety-conscious and one of the best cultures when it comes to problem solving.  They have even managed to control their floods. But the March 11 earthquake and tsunami have brought something undeniable into the forefront.  There are things that only God has the power to control.  By the time we reached the peak of the ferris wheel ride, I was already apologizing to God for putting my faith on other things and not on Him. Colossians 1:17 states "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."  What was there to fear?  He has sustained me all my life.  How can he not sustain me during a ferris wheel ride?

MY GOD WILL SUSTAIN ME. While the ferris wheel was on its way up, my hands were busy clutching the bars. My thoughts were full of "what if's" and "maybe's". My heart felt constricted. My head was feeling dizzy with doubts and fear. By the time, the Kasai ferris wheel started it's descent, another scripture started coming to mind. "...He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need." (Acts 17:25, NLT).   I freed my hands from the bars and I started taking pictures.  My heart suddenly felt light, my head giddy with expectations for what God has planned for the rest of my day. For the rest of my life.

I am still acrophobic.  But it will never be serious.  With God in my life, I can go up higher buildings, cross more bridges, climb higher mountains.  Who knows?  Maybe I can fly a plane someday.  I leave it all up to God.

Not Self-Help, But Supernatural Help!

Not Self-Help, But Supernatural Help!
“Seek from the book of the Lord and read…” - Isaiah 34:16
From Right from the Heart Ministries

Ever notice how much self-help information there is in our society? There are books, radio programs, seminars and numerous talk shows that urge you to take a look at who you are and then change yourself by your determined will.

Have you tried all those methods and yet you're still discouraged by repeating the same old habits?

There are some things that self-help cannot help; things like disease, overcoming certain sins, and most of all, death.

But I have good news: God has a plan for us that goes beyond our abilities. It comes through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, who supernaturally changes us where we can't change ourselves. As a bonus to that faith, He promises us victory over death, and eternal life. If you really want to help yourself, look beyond yourself to the only One who can save you and give you the ultimate victory. His name is Jesus Christ.

MY THOUGHTS
"Where we can't change ourselves"-isn't that always the issue? Sometimes we want to change, but we can't. The saddest part is when we don't want to change because we feel we don't have to.  It's that old excuse that we should be accepted as we are-no matter how bad we have become. 

It will be indeed a tragedy if we don't have a Higher, Supreme Being who can change all that for us.  The best gift I have ever received is having God in my life.  Changing myself is still a struggle.  But when in the past, there was no effort, God has now implanted that desire to be a better person.  I still cannot do it on my own.  The 'fruit of the spirit' seems to be a long way off.  But nothing is impossible with God.  He had made a disciple out of a murderer. He's the only one who can 'mold me and hold me' and make me more and more Christlike.

GARBAGE IS GOLD

 See What God Sees In You

Last month, I bought a second-hand car.

The car was a beauty. (Yes, I’m still a guy. As a little boy, my favorite toy was the matchbox.)

I was curious why the owner was selling it—because it was just four years old. The leather seats still smelled nice. The paint was still shiny. The engine was still powerful.

When I visited his home to pay for the car, I realized why.

In the parking lot, he had newer, bigger, better cars. No wonder he was getting rid of his older car.

To him, the car was garbage.

But to me, the car was gold.

It’s funny how one thing can be garbage to one person and gold to the other.

God Chose Me

Once upon a time, I felt like garbage too.

That was how I saw myself.

I was a man with an uncontrollable sin. I was so messed up I was ashamed that I was even alive.

But Jesus looked at me and didn’t see the garbage.

He only saw the gold.

And He loved me so much, He bought me. He said, “No price is too high. Not cost too big. I want you.”

He ended up paying with His life, shedding his blood.

Friend, this is the Jesus whom we follow.

This Good Friday, I invite you to see what Jesus sees in you.

Find the gold that He insists is there in you.

And receive His love anew this Holy Week.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

PS. See You Easter Sunday! Join me for our Easter Grand Feast on April 24, 8am to 12noon, at SMX (near Mall of Asia). I’ll be preaching on Today is Friday but Sunday’s Coming. It’ll be an experience you’ll be talking about for a long, long time. Don’t miss it! By the way, there are no tickets. No cost. Just walk in! And bring your family and friends. Don’t miss your Easter Blessing. For more information, call Tel. 09178424101. See you there!

MY THOUGHTs

God sees the best in people. It's hard to feel that way when all you see is filth. But God's command is for us to 'treat others as we want to be treated'. It's not easy. It's so hard. Until you see it the wasy Bo sees it - that I'm garbage and yet God saw gold.

looking beyond

i've never looked at faith that way - looking beyond this life and waiting for "the city...whose builder and maker is God." (Hebrews 11:10)

looking beyond. whatever the circumstances. knowing that His grace is sufficient and He had lovingly special place for us.

looking beyond.