Wednesday, June 27, 2012

MAN'S UBELIEVABLE ABILITY TO TURN STUMBLING BLOCKS INTO STEPPING STONES

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       There are over 900 stories and commentaries on this blog that began Nov 24, 2009. It is added to daily.
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     There are no great people in this world, only great challenges which ordinary people rise to meet.
— William Frederick Halsey, Jr.


     A keen sense of humor helps us to overlook the unbecoming, understand the unconventional, tolerate the unpleasant, overcome the unexpected, and outlast the unbearable.
— Billy Graham, American Minister & Author (1918 -)

     Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing until it gets there.
— Josh Billings

     Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are.
— Bernice Johnson Reagon

     The marvelous richness of human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome. The hilltop hour would not be half so wonderful if there were no dark valleys to traverse.
— Helen Keller

     You must do the thing you think you cannot do.
— Eleanor Roosevelt (You Learn by Living)

     Challenges often make us realize that we have more courage than we think and that one person CAN make a difference in the world ... even if it's the world of one other person.
Chelle Thompson, Editor of Inspiration Line

          There have been so many times in my life when things that looked like disasters were really incredible GIFTS that served as pivotal turning points. I am truly thankful for perservering through all of my 'mistakes.'
Chelle Thompson, Editor of Inspiration Line

     I am still learning — how to take joy in all the people I am, how to use all my selves in the service of what I believe, how to accept when I fail and rejoice when I succeed.
— Audre Lorde, African-American Author (1934-1992)

     Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.
— Calvin Coolidge

     As long as we are persistent in our pursuit of our deepest destiny, we will continue to grow. We cannot choose the day or time when we will fully bloom. It happens in its own time.
— Denis Waitley

            It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it.”

Lena Horne (1917-2010);
Singer, Actress, Civil Rights Activist

     Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn;


     In the 1920s, when Ernest Hemingway was working hard to perfect his craft, he lost a suitcase containing all his manuscripts. Devastated he could not imagine re-doing his work.

      He could think only of the months he’d devoted to his arduous writing—and for nothing, he was now convinced.



     But when he lamented his loss to the poet Ezra Pound, Pound called it a stroke of luck.

     Pound assured Hemingway that when he rewrote the stories, he would forget the weak parts and only the best material would reappear.

     Instead of framing the event in disappointment, Pound cast it in the light of opportunity. Hemingway did rewrite the stories, and the rest, as they say, is history.

     Everyone has one time and more than that  been disgusted, depressed and discouraged.

     By way of example, too much to do and not enough time to do it.  But would you like to awaken every morning to an abundance of nothingness.  No challenges to accept, nothing to fight for or fight against, nothing to improve, nothing to surpass.

     What I am talking about is making problems challenges and defeats just stumbling blocks on the way to victory or the learning of a lot of lessons in the midst of defeat.

     Read this poetic approach and think on it.

     I walked a mile with Pleasure,

She chattered all the way.

But I was none the wiser,

For all she had to say.

Then I walked a mile with Sorrow,

And ne’er a word said she.

But, oh, the lessons I did learn

When Sorrow walked with me.

     But, and it is such an anguished cry.   “Where was God when my son died?”     And the answer loud and clear comes forth.  “The same place he was when His Son died.”

     How to handle the problems delivered to our doorstep.  Well, first and foremost...meet them with a proper attitude toward our almighty God...with an emphasis on AlMIGHTY!

     Start from the point of view of praying to a God you do not limit by the prayer you pray.  Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. (Psalm 37:5)

     Commit EVERYTHING...and some choke on the word everything.

     "There view of God is too small...--too cramped--too provincial--too human. He it is who is directly responsible for the creation of all things, both natural and supernatural." (Phillip Keller)

     In short,  Do not nor limit God to a clock or calendar..  Let your thoughts be infinite because you are infinite by the promise of the resurrection.

          Romans 8:28  Here in this verse is a beginning of working with and through bad days mixed with even worse moments. 28 And we know that in all things God works for the goodj of those who love him, whoi have been calledk according to his purpose.l

     Called to his purpose.  Accepting again full blast the words "thy will be done."  Otherwise we are faced with explaining EVERY parcel of God's thinking and since that is way beyond our human ability...we best not try.

          How to begin?  Romans 8:28.  In this verse Paul  lays out the mindset of God.  It doesn't say that all things are good.  It does say that all things, good or bad, work together for good. 

     It may not seem that way when the roof seems to be crashing down around us...but nonetheless it is true.

     I used to play real golf on real courses.  Now I play golf on Nintendo's Wii  but the point I make is still equally valid.  What makes the golf game interesting and worthwhile is  the rough and the sand traps and the little lakes that gobble up the golf ball.

     If all the hills and challenges were removed would I want to play the game?

     Not always dodging your difficulties makes you a better person.  That is what I am saying.  Being a cow choosing one's cud does not sound too good in retrospect.

     Have you lost a friend?  A love.  What of the phrase "It is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all?"

     Joshua 1:9 reads: "Have I not commanded you? Be strong, and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." This phrase, "Be strong" is found some 300 times in the Bible. It means to exactly what it says...be resolute.

     Trials can tear you down or build you up.  It's that simple.  It's that complicated.

     Isaiah 40:31 tells us, "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

     In closing when there really is no close to understanding life better... study and read and think and seek new insights and new insights into your insights for as Albert Eistein "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.

     Did we create all the problems we have?  Of course, not, but we did create enough of them to make this statement have the ring of truth in it?

     Just remember, the longer you focus on a problem the less time you have to find a solution.

                Sometimes in life you have to let things just roll off of you ... lest they make an ugly stain.
— Author Unknown

     A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are built for.
— Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper

     I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving; we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it ... but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor.
— Oliver Wendell Holmes

     One of the best ways to get through difficulties is to simply persevere day by day. Huge projects don't seem as daunting when we focus on one element ... completing that before we tackle the next phase. As Napoleon Hill said, "Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure.
Chelle Thompson, Editor of Inspiration Line

     The way to succeed is never quit. That’s it. But really be humble about it.
— Alex Haley

     f you want to see something done, just tell some human beings it can't be done. Make it known that it's impossible to fly to the moon, or run 100 meters in 9.9 seconds, or solve Fermat's Last Theorem. Remind the world that no one has ever hit 62 home runs in a season or stuffed 18 people into a Volkswagen. Dangle the undoable in front of the world. Then, consider it done.
— Merrill Lynch advertisement

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        BELOW ARE QUOTES FROM POSTINGS ON WYRICK'S WRITINGS DURING THE LAST FEW MONTHS...THESE POSTINGS ARE SERMONS REV. WYRICK HAS PREACHED DURING THE LAST 50 PLUS YEARS.

       Click on the URL below and it will take you to this Wyrick's Writings blog.

                     http://wyrickswritings.blogspot.com

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Just remember that “the pain of discipline will cost you pennies, whereas the pain of regret will cost you millions.”

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How can we keep our faith from being a weak and fruitless thing?  How can we not be foolish little men and women groveling in the dark shadows of overeager egos. 


          Well, first we must do more than just pray.  We must believe in our own prayers.

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Anxiety out of proportion makes us become like a centipede trying to put his best foot forward.

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        It's an old joke, I went to the doctor and I said, “Doc, when I do this, it hurts.” And the doctor said, “Then don't do that.”

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        How many things have you been anxious about that were things which you knew before you got into them were probably going to create some problems for you?  And if you asked your doctor, or your minister, or common sense and your God, all of them would have said, “Don’t do that.”

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        To buy into the community of accountability we have to realize that like bikers we are divided into two categories.  Those who have fallen and those who will fall for anything. None of us are perfect.

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          Think on it this way, some philosopher of old wrote it and it endures because there is so much truth in it… every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty

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      Some of the sermon titles posted recently


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Before you decide to purchase or not purchase his book THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN.... view his Award Winning One Man Dramatization of Lincoln (since he wrote the script for this drama it will give you an insight into what you will find in the book itself)

Available on Amazon.com in printed form and on Amazon Kindle Books. and at many other sites

TO VIEW THE LINCOLN One Man DRAMA and 3 other dramas; Ben Franklin, Martin Luther & Charles Wesley

click on the following URL

http://www.speakerneil.com/

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BELOW ARE MORE QUOTES FROM NEIL'S RECENTLY POSTED SERMONS

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A QUOTE FROM THOUGHTS POSTED ON MY OTHER BLOG WYRICK'S WRITINGS ON SUNDAY APRIL 15. ENTITILED



       Two stores faced each other across a very busy street.  Their owners were in constant competition with each other.  One day, the owner of one store put out a sign that read – If you want it, we have it!

Almost immediately the other owner put out a sign –If we don’t have it, you don’t need it!



A QUOTE FROM THOUGHTS POSTED ON MY OTHER BLOG WYRICK'S WRITINGS ON THURSDAY APRIL 13TH. ENTITILED

WHO ARE YOU?

NO…WHOSE ARE YOU?

       Who are you?  Whose are you?

You influence and are influenced according to the answer you give.     

Are you are the flavor of the month because you are determined to be like everyone else no matter what?  If so, consider being more independent in our thinking and actions...because God wants you to grow up.

It may be easier being someone's shadow but wouldn't you really rather be a sun. 



       QUOTE FROM THOUGHTS  POSTED ON WYRICK'S WRITINGS THURSDAY  APRIL 5 FROM THOUGHT ENTITLED "Who Are You?  Whose Are You?"

       This is an old quote, and a romantic one as well but, nevertheless, can anyone say of you, “I love you not because of who you are, but because of who I am when I am with you.

            QUOTE FROM THOUGHT PIECE POSTED ON WYRICK'S WRITINGS TUESDAY APRIL 3 FROM THOUGHT ENTITLED

" WHEN A NATION STRAYS TOO FAR FROM BEING MORAL IT IS WELL ON IT'S WAY TO BECOMING A MESS

        James 4:17

To him therefore who knows to do good, and doesn’t do it, to him it is sin.

        Someone once said: “A belief is what you hold, a conviction is what holds you!”

        So what holds you, constructs you, leads you with a push when needed?

       Quotes POSTED ON WYRICK'S WRITING THURSDAY MARCH 29th THOUGHTS ENTITLED WHO ARE YOU?

NO…WHOSE ARE YOU?

        In a Peanuts cartoon strip Peppermint Patty is shown talking to Charlie Brown.

“Guess what, Chuck? It’s the first day of school and I got sent to the principal’s office.

And it’s your fault!”

Charlie Brown responds, “My fault? How could it be my fault? Why do you say everything is my fault?”

To which she declares, “You’re my friend, aren’t you, Chuck? You should have been a better influence on me.”

In the comics, it’s funny… but in real life it’s much more complicated.

       Would you like to read the entire thought piece?  Then... TO TAKE YOU TO THE WYRICK'S WRITING'S SITE

                                        click on the following


          Yes, God loves you the way you are but he loves you too much to let you stay that way.

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      Click on the URL below to WATCH NEIL IN HIS WORLD FAMOUS ONE MAN DRAMATIZATIONS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN, BEN FRANKLIN, CHARLES WESLEY AND MARTIN LUTHER


       To Order and Read Neil's 9th book THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN

       GO TO amazon.com

       QUOTES ABOUT THIS WONDERFUL INSPIRING INFORMATIVE book

       STILL RECEIVING RAVE REVIEWS 8 YEARS AFTER IT'S PUBLICATION.

       "Positive, powerful utterances...skillfully enhancing our understanding and appreciation of Lincoln while revealing the Divine source of his strength."

       Lt. Colonel C.A. Olsen (Ret.) Asbury College (Professor Ret.)

       "The Spiritual Abraham Lincoln is an extremely well written book that investigates what might be termed the spiritual side of President Lincoln. It's both scholarly and very readable. I came away impressed at Mr. Wyrick's portrayal of the President and with an altered and enlarged vision of the man:'

       William Hoffman, Award winning fiction writer; author of Blood and Guile, and Wild Thorn

       "Wyrick has authored a wonderful examination of the spirituality of one of American history's most devoutly religious leaders...a pleasant and readable book that has a rich depth of information."

              Maynard Pittendreigh Presbyterian minister

        "When it comes to invoking religion in support of any of their decisions, politicians need to sit at the feet of Abraham Lincoln. Reinhold Niebuhr once called him 'America's greatest theologian.' Why so great? Because he invariably distinguished between human works and the works of the Almighty. As Wyrick says, 'He wore the mantle of humility easily: because he was more impressed with what God was doing in the world than with what he, president of the United States in the midst of an awful crisis, was doing. That is why in his last major speech he distinguished between both human causes in the Civil War and the Almighty's 'own purposes.' Lincoln would have agreed that it is better to leave God-talk out of politics than to decorate human proposals with divinity. This is a book for our American time. Through his careful study of Lincoln's career, Wyrick compels us to remember that piety belongs in politics only when piety transcends politics."

       Dr. Donald W. Shriver

       Emeritus professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York. Author of An Ethic for Enemies: Forgiveness in Politics

        "V. Neil Wyrick's fine work allows the reader to appreciate Abraham Lincoln's Christian commitment and his prophetic role in American history. Should have a wide readership."

       James H. Smylie Professor of Church History (Ret.) Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, Virginia

       "Neil Wyrick's The Spiritual Abraham Lincoln should be read by anyone attempting to understand the man who was probably the most complex person to ever hold the office of president of the United States. Dr. Wyrick is intent on demonstrating that the spirituality so often expressed in Lincoln's writings and speeches was not merely lip service to a Deity, but rather expressions of a profound faith in a real God. It was this faith that provided the wisdom, compassion, insight and sometimes steel that Lincoln would need in full measure as he led the United States through the Civil War. Dr. Wyrick's clear and unpretentious style of presentation is very much in keeping with the character ofhis subject, and in so doing, Wyrick makes his point very well that Lincoln, his beliefs, and the faith that formed them, are as relevant to a troubled America in 2004 as they were in 1863."

       Daniel Allen Butler, author of "Unsinkable"; The Full Story of the RMS Titanic, The Lusitania and The Age o f Cunard

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