I saw a sign yesterday that said, "Early bird special. Car wash $10 from 8:00am - 10:00am." Guess what! I took my truck to the early bird special!!! Now my truck is clean! Beautiful, shiny, Crimson! (ROLL TIDE!)
Those who were there to clean the vehicles were friendly and very cooperative. Just like our lives...there is always someone there to offer the help we need. I realized after seeing the sign, that I could get some help. There were several people working together on my truck to clean it. And it only took a few minutes!
If we would just allow others who have the skills and desire to help us, we could get ourselves cleaned up in just a short while. So, don't waste any more time! Find those who are willing to help, and let them.
By the way, not only did they do a great job, I made some new friends as well!
"Early bird special - I'm willing to help"!
Showing posts with label help. Show all posts
Showing posts with label help. Show all posts
Friday, March 4, 2011
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Use Your Words!
"For me, words are a form of action, capable of influencing change." Ingrid Bengis
Over the Christmas holidays, my wife and I were blessed to have a couple of our children and grandchildren celebrate with us. As hectic as it was at times, we wouldn't trade these moments for all the wealth in the world!
One evening my granddaughter, Haleigh, wanted something from the kitchen counter. Instead of asking for this item, she proceeded to make grunting noises and point. Mind you, Haleigh is three years old and has a very developed vocabulary. Her grunting and pointing was a result of being around her younger cousins who could not clearly communicate their wants. They had not yet developed their words to form sentences. Most of them only knew words such as Mommy, Daddy, NANA, and of course, PAPA!
After several minutes of being ignored, her grunting and pointing turned into whining and arm waving! My daughter Jenna, Haleigh's mother, finally spoke to her and said, "Haleigh, use your words." At that moment, Haleigh spoke and said, "Mommy, I would like to have some juice please."
That conversation caused me to think about how often we fail to communicate our desires and wishes to those with whom we have daily interactions, and to ourselves also. We simply adapt to our surroundings and begin to make noises and acting a certain way thinking everyone understands what we want.
My granddaughter's grunting and pointing got her absolutely nothing but confused looks and refusal to help. However, when she spoke clearly, she was rewarded by receiving the very thing she most desired at the time. And someone else offered the help she needed Her words were powerful! Even at the age of three, she put others into motion in order for her to achieve her goal.
I, for one, think I'll just use my words to communicate my desires.
"Honey, since you're up..."
One evening my granddaughter, Haleigh, wanted something from the kitchen counter. Instead of asking for this item, she proceeded to make grunting noises and point. Mind you, Haleigh is three years old and has a very developed vocabulary. Her grunting and pointing was a result of being around her younger cousins who could not clearly communicate their wants. They had not yet developed their words to form sentences. Most of them only knew words such as Mommy, Daddy, NANA, and of course, PAPA!
After several minutes of being ignored, her grunting and pointing turned into whining and arm waving! My daughter Jenna, Haleigh's mother, finally spoke to her and said, "Haleigh, use your words." At that moment, Haleigh spoke and said, "Mommy, I would like to have some juice please."
That conversation caused me to think about how often we fail to communicate our desires and wishes to those with whom we have daily interactions, and to ourselves also. We simply adapt to our surroundings and begin to make noises and acting a certain way thinking everyone understands what we want.
My granddaughter's grunting and pointing got her absolutely nothing but confused looks and refusal to help. However, when she spoke clearly, she was rewarded by receiving the very thing she most desired at the time. And someone else offered the help she needed Her words were powerful! Even at the age of three, she put others into motion in order for her to achieve her goal.
I, for one, think I'll just use my words to communicate my desires.
"Honey, since you're up..."
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Rough Ride!
Today we were on the boat enjoying the lake. The sun was shining and boaters were everywhere. All of a sudden the sky started to darken, the wind began to get stronger, and the rain was coming across the lake like a curtain being drawn at the end of a Broadway play!
On the other side of the lake, several miles away, the sun was shining. I began to think,"If we go towards the sunshine, we can get out of the way of this storm." But, this storm was moving too fast and widening as it got closer. Whoooosh! Hard rain, huge waves, the boat was tossed to and fro, and worst of all, no visibility!
I slowed the boat and kept trying to move in the direction of the sun. The more we moved, the worse the storm became. Here we were in the middle of a large lake and struggling to find safety in the center of a thunder storm! My family was all huddled together and hanging on! Waiting for me to do something to get them out of this mess!
At this point, I was frustrated. There was literally nothing I could do. I slowed the boat even more and kept a watchful eye towards land. "Lord, we can't take much more of this," I prayed. "Will you ease this storm so that we can get back home?"
Several minutes went by. Then, the rain began to cease and the sun began to shine! "Home! I can see it!" Immediately, I pointed the boat towards home and continued until we were all safe. The trip back was eye opening. Several sailboats had capsized! We stopped to help those along our way to our safe haven.
As we docked the boat, I was reminded of a passage of scripture that I had read. It had just become a reality! That passage was Psalm 107:23-30. NKJV
"23Those who go down to the sea in ships, Who do business on great waters, 24They see the works of the Lord, And His wonders in the deep. 25For He commands and raises the stormy wind, Which lifts up the waves of the sea. 26They mount up to the heavens, They go down again to the depths; Their soul melts because of trouble. 27They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits' end. 28Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses. 29He calms the storm, So that its waves are still. 30Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven."
The storms in our life come upon us sometimes without warning. Sometimes, however, we see them coming but struggle to get out of their way. Either way, they still come! But what do we do when these situations overtake us? Most of the time we fight them or try to out smart them. Only to find ourselves frustrated with no answers or peaceful end in sight.
All the while, the One who can calm the storms in our life is standing by to still the waves and bring us peace and comfort. He is waiting for us to cry out to Him so that He can bring us out of our distresses.
As we walked up the dock toward the house, I watched everyone as they hurried to get inside and "freshen up." We all bore the marks of the storm...soaked, weary, and even somewhat disappointed. But we were safe!
Our life storms will sometimes leave us scarred and battered, and even at times capsize us. Nevertheless, as we place our trust in the Lord, we will arrive at our safe haven!
By the way, the weather will be nice next week. I think I'll go for a boat ride!
On the other side of the lake, several miles away, the sun was shining. I began to think,"If we go towards the sunshine, we can get out of the way of this storm." But, this storm was moving too fast and widening as it got closer. Whoooosh! Hard rain, huge waves, the boat was tossed to and fro, and worst of all, no visibility!
I slowed the boat and kept trying to move in the direction of the sun. The more we moved, the worse the storm became. Here we were in the middle of a large lake and struggling to find safety in the center of a thunder storm! My family was all huddled together and hanging on! Waiting for me to do something to get them out of this mess!
At this point, I was frustrated. There was literally nothing I could do. I slowed the boat even more and kept a watchful eye towards land. "Lord, we can't take much more of this," I prayed. "Will you ease this storm so that we can get back home?"
Several minutes went by. Then, the rain began to cease and the sun began to shine! "Home! I can see it!" Immediately, I pointed the boat towards home and continued until we were all safe. The trip back was eye opening. Several sailboats had capsized! We stopped to help those along our way to our safe haven.
As we docked the boat, I was reminded of a passage of scripture that I had read. It had just become a reality! That passage was Psalm 107:23-30. NKJV
"23Those who go down to the sea in ships, Who do business on great waters, 24They see the works of the Lord, And His wonders in the deep. 25For He commands and raises the stormy wind, Which lifts up the waves of the sea. 26They mount up to the heavens, They go down again to the depths; Their soul melts because of trouble. 27They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits' end. 28Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses. 29He calms the storm, So that its waves are still. 30Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven."
The storms in our life come upon us sometimes without warning. Sometimes, however, we see them coming but struggle to get out of their way. Either way, they still come! But what do we do when these situations overtake us? Most of the time we fight them or try to out smart them. Only to find ourselves frustrated with no answers or peaceful end in sight.
All the while, the One who can calm the storms in our life is standing by to still the waves and bring us peace and comfort. He is waiting for us to cry out to Him so that He can bring us out of our distresses.
As we walked up the dock toward the house, I watched everyone as they hurried to get inside and "freshen up." We all bore the marks of the storm...soaked, weary, and even somewhat disappointed. But we were safe!
Our life storms will sometimes leave us scarred and battered, and even at times capsize us. Nevertheless, as we place our trust in the Lord, we will arrive at our safe haven!
By the way, the weather will be nice next week. I think I'll go for a boat ride!
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