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There are over 1100
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It is a
fact. You can have the perfectly
chiseled nose and beautiful blue eyes and all the other qualities that qualify
you as one of the beautiful people and if your features are overlaid with a
frown
... and a hard look to those eyes... and a mouth turned
down... and...
He was selfish
as a little boy always reaching for the biggest slice of pie. He was now a grown man and he was always
reaching for what pleased him and as for others...well, selfishness must be
served...and the look on his face was not a beautiful look...and what the
camera caught and what he emanated from his shriveled soul were two different
things indeed.
And...no...he
was not one of the beautiful people.
And
his name is unknown because the numbers are too great...those who are
not beautiful even though the miror may tell them otherwise.
He was a beautiful person because of the thoughts that occupided his days.
William Penn lived over 300
years ago. I have seen his picture and
by some stands he was not a very handsome man but when I think of the words he
wrote and lived by I see that face in a different light. "I expect to go through this life only
once and therefore if there is any kindness that I can show or any good thing
that I can do to any fellow human being, let me do it now because I will not
pass this way again."
The beauty of a beautiful life.
Are you drawn to people who belittle people? Do the mean and the crude and the crass and
the cruel and the sarcastic shine with
an inner light?
There used to be a man who walked around our area with plastic
bags picking up trash. I heard about
another man who carried an oil can with him and whenever he found a squeaky
door by the time he left it didn't squeak anymore. There are the perpetual complainers and the
perpetual complimenters.
Kind people are the kind of people who are truly
beautiful...would you not agree?
Luke 6:38 pours out such a beautiful message.
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure,
pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.
For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Beautiful people plant flowers in the midst of flowers as if
to say "how can one have too much beauty." Which is to say life is a mirror and you are
planter of stinkweeds or a planter of sunflowers.
And what you plant...does it make you one of the truly
beautiful people...the kind of beauty that never fades but with the passage of
time gets only more beautiful.
Do you want to know something?
I like nice people. There is
something about unselfish behavior that puts a glow to my day. I don't like bullies. And I would imagine you would agree that these
words express your thoughts and emotions.
Hugh Latimer as a
truly great reformer of l6th century England.
On one occasion when he had been called
by Henry VIII to deliver a sermon, he offended the King by some plain speaking.
The king ordered him to preach again the
following Sunday and to make apology for the offense he had given.
On the next Sunday, after he had given
out his text, Latimer began by addressing his own soul:
“Hugh Latimer, dost thou know before whom
thou art this day to speak.
To the high and mighty monarch, the King’s
most excellent majesty, who can take away thy life if thou offendest.
Therefore, take heed that thou speakest
not a word that may displease.
But then, consider well, Hugh. Dost thou
not know from whence thou comest, upon whose message thou art sent?
Even by the great and mighty God, who is
present, and who beholdest all thy ways, and who is able to cast thy soul into
hell? Therefore take care that thou
deliverest thy message faithfully.”
He then repeated the sermon which he had
preached the previous Sunday without alteration, even though he knew that it
had already been offensive to the king.
Amazingly, at the conclusion of this
second preaching of the sermon, the king arose, embraced Latimer, and said, “Blessed
be God I have so honest a servant.”
And at that moment Hugh Latimer was a
truly beautiful person...of courage...as against the ugliness of cowardiceness.
When you think or have thought "beautiful
person" has your mind gone toward a plastic surgeon or some cosmetic? Have you thought on the cut of some clothes
or the color of a new tie? Hs it been
the outward man or woman or the inward man or woman and again...which beauty
can laugh in the face of a calendar and win out every time no matter how much
one may argue otherwise.
I comb my hair. I shine my shoes. I do the best I can with the face God gave
me...but above all else I pray never to lose that sense of proportion that
could make my thinking the thinking of a fool.
God created you to be beautiful. To have that immortal beauty of the soul
beyond which there is no compare.
The ugliness of sin can cast a scar
across your countenance that is as every bit a scar and one made by a knife or
any other sharp edged tool. I have
looked into faces that had evil written across them and so have you. We both know what I mean.
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are
true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever
things are
pure, whatsoever
things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report: if there be any
virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." (Phil. 4:8-)
Do you have any doubt that such thoughts
do not etch their iimpact upon your face?
I write in prose. I quote often
poetry. I do so yet again. The poem is by Henry Van Dyke, “If a man
would make his record true, the following things he must do, think without
confusion clearly, love your fellowman sincerely, act from honest motives
purely, trust in heaven and God securely.”
Christ was a beautiful person. We have no photographs but cannot you see
that face even though you never have seen it?
The gentleness there. The love, the
courage, the commitment to a cause, a goal...a mission. The beauty of heavenly wisdom and
insight. All that written on that holy
face.
Is there a sleeping giant within
you. An inner beauty just waiting to
burst out and have you stand tall and spiritually beautiful above the
crowd...not with pride...but humble thanksgiving that finally you have realized
what true beauty really is.
+++++++++
Though we travel
the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it
not. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
I've never seen a smiling face that was
not beautiful. ~Author Unknown
QUOTE BELOW IS FROM WYRICK'S WRITINGS
There
is no other organization in the world like the church. It is a breed unto itself. It is a congregation of sinners, not a
country club for saints. To become a
member you have to profess your unworthiness.
CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING TO TAKE YOU THERE
(These are selected sermons from over 50 years of ministry and as a worldwide evangelist Rev. Wyrick preached them all the United States and all over the
world)
+++++++++++++++++++
A new quote below from Rev. Wyrick's 9th book THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM
LINCOLN...available on
amazon.com, barnes and noble and many other book sites) (read the rave reviews below)
Everything
that happened in the war was not of blood and pain and hate. The best in man sometimes rises out of the
worst. More than likely the story of
what happened one cold day during the terrible battle of Fredericksburg reached
Abe’s ears and pleased the heart of this forgiving President. It was a dreadful battle that cried out for
some miraculous act of empathy.
A
Sergeant Richard Kirkland of Company E Carolina Regiment made a request of his
commanding officer that was almost denied.
He had looked too long at the tortured, twisted dead and dying men and
could finally stand it no more. He
sought startling permission to take water and aid to those dressed in both Blue
and Gray.
“You
may get a bullet in the back of your head, son,” he was told. The soldier replied that he wanted to go
anyway.
“May God protect you,” said Major General J.
B. Kershaw. A short time later, men on
both sides of this field of agony and despair, watched in awe as the young man vaulted
over a bloodstained stonewall and walked unarmed and seemingly unafraid among
the dead and dying. They saw him kneel
down and cradle a fallen Union soldier in his arms, offer him a drink of water,
rest his head on his knapsack and cover him with his own overcoat. And then move to another soldier nearby. This time it was a Confederate soldier.
Again
and again throughout that long, pale December afternoon, just eleven days
before Christmas, Sergeant Kirkland returned with water until every living
soldier, from both the North and the South, had felt his compassion and
concern.
General Kershaw later wrote that not one
shot was fired during that time. That
never had he heard such silent respect.
“…no doubt,” his pen etched, “all the trumpets of heaven resounded on
this monumental day.”
++++++++++++++++++++++
CLICK ON www.go60.us
IT WILL TAKE YOU A NEW WEBSITE FOR SENIORS....click on
"Voice" on the home page and then on the list of authors click
on Neil Wyrick
Recent articles Rev. Wyrick has
written for this web site are: REFLECTIONS
·
Here Comes Summer (July 2012)
·
Spring (May 2012)
·
Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow
(April 2012)
·
Wayward and Windy (April 2012)
Just
remember that “the pain of discipline will cost you pennies, whereas the pain
of regret will cost you millions.”
++++++++++++++++++
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.
+++++++++++++++++++
Anxiety
out of proportion makes us become like a centipede trying to put his best foot
forward.
++++++++++++++++++
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.”
++++++++++++++++++
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.”
++++++++++++++++++++
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.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
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
++++++++++++++++++++++
Some
of the sermon titles posted recently
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
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/
+++++++++++++++++++++
BELOW
ARE MORE QUOTES FROM NEIL'S RECENTLY POSTED SERMONS
++++++++++++++++++
A QUOTE FROM THOUGHTS POSTED ON MY
OTHER BLOG WYRICK'S WRITINGS ENTITLED
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 ENTITLED
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 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 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 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.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
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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