No. 941 SOME GREAT THOUGHTS TO PONDER!

No. 941

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

SOME GREAT THOUGHTS TO PONDER!

It has been a long-established maxim that one of the keys to success and happiness as a unique human being during our short time on this earth is to live a balanced life. We are emotional beings, which is good, as we can experience both the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. However, this can also be bad if we stay in one mode, either high or low, for too long and become severely depressed or live in a constant state of euphoria. When we tighten the guitar strings too tight, we know what happens. While it’s not a pleasant thought, we burst a gut. Our marvelous human mind that God has given to each of us is what controls our thoughts, which in turn affects our emotions.
It is for this reason that I try to present thoughts, ideas, concepts and other information in this column that have a balance, being strong on the positive side to create hope and optimism, while at the same time doing my best to stay in touch with reality. A while back a friend sent me some thoughts by an unknown author that may be just what you needed to read today. It begins with the author giving this admonition: “Try to understand the deep meaning of these thoughts, as they are like the Ten Commandments to follow in life all the time!
No. 1: Prayer is not a “spare wheel” that you pull out when in trouble, it is a “steering wheel” that directs the right path throughout the journey. No. 2: So why is a car’s WINDSHIELD so large and the REAR VIEW MIRROR so small? It is because our past is not as important as our FUTURE. So look ahead and move on. No. 3: Friendship is like a BOOK. It takes a few minutes to burn, but it takes years to write. No. 4: All things in life, are temporary. If going well, enjoy it, they will not last forever. If going wrong, do not worry, they can’t last long either. (This is so true) No. 5: Old friends are GOLD! New friends are DIAMONDS! If you get a Diamond, don’t forget the Gold, because to hold a Diamond, you always need a Base of Gold.
No. 6: Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, God smiles from above and says, “Relax, sweetheart, it’s just a bend, not the end! No. 7: When God solves your problems, you have faith in His abilities; when God doesn’t solve your problems, He has faith in your abilities. No. 8: One day a blind person asked St. Anthony: “Can there be anything worse than losing eyesight?” He replied, “Yes, losing your vision.” No. 9” When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them, and sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you. No. 10: WORRYING does not take away tomorrow’s TROUBLES, it takes away today’s PEACE.”
Well, that’s 10, and the end of the unknown author’s thoughts. To my mind they are very good and certainly worth pondering. Again, his or her admonition is, if you really enjoy these thoughts, please pass along to others, as it may just brighten someone’s day. Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.
Along these lines I would like to add another thought that I heard some time ago. For those of us who profess to be Christians, we should preach Christ, and when necessary, use words. Would this not be a much better nation and world if we would simply live the way we say we believe? Sadly, we have millions of children and young people all across America today who do not have Godly parents, and we are all paying a high price.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)