Illustrations

Duke University did a study on “peace of mind.” Factors found to contribute greatly to emotional and mental stability are:

1. The absence of suspicion and resentment. Nursing a grudge was a major factor in unhappiness.

2. Not living in the past. An unwholesome preoccupation with old mistakes and failures leads to depression.

3. Not wasting time and energy fighting conditions you cannot change. Cooperate with life, instead of trying to run away from it.

The story is told of a rich industrialist who was disturbed to find a fisherman sitting lazily beside his boat. “Why aren’t you out there fishing?” he asked.

“Because I’ve caught enough fish for today,” said the fisherman.

“Why don’t you catch more fish than you need?” the rich man asked.

“‘What would I do with them?”

Forty thousand fans were on hand in the Oakland stadium when Rickey Henderson tied Lou Brock’s career stolen base record. According to USA Today, Lou, who had left baseball in 1979, had followed Henderson’s career and was excited about his success. Realizing that Rickey would set a new record, Brock said, “I’ll be there. Do you think I’m going to miss it now? Rickey did in 12 years what took me 19. He’s amazing.”

A little girl received a watch and perfume for her birthday. She was so excited she pestered everyone all day to look at her watch and smell her perfume. At dinner her mother said, “Honey, I know you’re proud of your gifts, but please don’t mention them while we eat.”

All through dinner she sat silently although she sniffed audibly at times and often raised her wrist to listen to her watch. As the meal came to an end, she blurted out, “I’m not supposed to mention it, but if anyone hears anything or smells anything, it’s me.”

Source: Unknown

Did you hear about the man who went golfing? He missed the ball three times then said, “Boy, this is a rough course.”

It is easy to blame adverse circumstances when we miss the mark and sin.

Source: Unknown

Timothy McVeigh was executed for bombing the federal building in Oklahoma. He did not speak any final words, but he did have a handwritten statement distributed at his execution which included portions of the poem Invictus.

“It matters not how straight the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.”

Pride keeps the sinner from acknowledging he is wrong.

Source: Encyclopedia of Terrorism, Harvey Kushner

The story is told about a clever salesman who closed hundreds of sales with this line: “Let me show you something several of your neighbors said you couldn’t afford.”

Source: Unknown

Two cows were grazing in a pasture when they saw a milk truck pass. On the side of the truck were the words, “Pasteurized, homogenized, standardized, vitamin A added.” One cow sighed and said to the other, “Makes you feel sort of inadequate, doesn’t it?”

People try to improve on milk, but one thing you will never be able to improve on is the Word of God. It does not need any pasteurizing, standardizing, or homogenizing.

Source: Unknown

There was an authority-hungry sergeant in the Air Force. This man made sure everyone understood he was the boss. Ironically, he ran across a subordinate who put the egomaniac in his place. The sergeant screamed the following to an airman third class: “You have one stripe on your arm, and I have four. That makes you nothing! So when I bark, I expect you to move. Because I’m in charge!” The unimpressed airman replied, “Big deal. A sergeant in charge of nothing.”

Source, Reader’s Digest, Marvin Ward

Winston Churchill was once asked, “Doesn’t it thrill you to know that every time you make a speech, the hall is packed to overflowing?”

“It’s quite flattering,” replied Winston, “But whenever I feel that way, I always remember that if instead of making a political speech I was being hanged, the crowd would be twice as big.”

Source: Respectfully Quoted, Suzy Platt