“If you want to be Happy, BE”

“Recuerda que el plan de Dios es bueno. Dios sabe lo que es mejor para ti y en su corazón tiene presente tus mejores intereses. Dios le dijo a Jeremías: «Los planes que tengo para ustedes [son] planes de bienestar y no de calamidad, a fin de darles un futuro y una esperanza».20 José entendió esta verdad cuando les dijo a sus hermanos que lo habían vendido como esclavo: «Ustedes pensaron hacerme mal, pero Dios trasformó ese mal en bien».21 Ezequías se hizo eco del mismo sentimiento al referirse a su enfermedad mortal: «Fue por mi propio bien que yo pasé ese tiempo tan difícil».22 Siempre que Dios te diga no a tu pedido de alivio, recuerda: «Dios está haciendo lo mejor para nosotros, entrenándonos para vivir para él de la mejor y más santa manera».23 Es vital que te concentres en el plan de Dios, no en tu dolor o tu problema. Así es como Jesús soportó el dolor de la cruz, y así se nos insta a seguir su ejemplo: «Mantengamos fijos los ojos en Jesús que, sin importarle lo oprobioso de tal muerte, estuvo dispuesto a morir en la cruz porque sabía el gozo que tendría después».

“If you want to get ahead, leading up is much better than kissing up.”

“Let us not forget who we are. Drug abuse is a repudiation of everything America is.”

“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.”

“Five percent of the people think;  ten percent of the people think they think;  and the other eighty-five percent would rather die than think.” 

“True friends don’t spend time gazing into each other’s eyes. They may show great tenderness towards each other but they face in the same direction - toward common projects, goals - above all, towards a common Lord.”

“Living the rest of your life for the glory of God will require a change in your priorities, your schedule, your relationships, and everything else.”

“If life hands you a lemon, don’t complain, but instead make lemonade to sell those who are thirsty from complaining.”

“I have examined all the known superstitions of the world,and I do not find in our particular superstition of Christianity one redeeming feature. They are all alike founded on fables and mythology. Millions of innocent men women and children since the introduction of Christianity,have been burnt, tortured, fined and imprisoned. What has been the effect of this coercion? To make one half the world fools and the other half hypocrites; to support roguery and error all over the earth.”

“Nothing you have not given away will ever really be yours.”

“Fellowship is a place of grace, where mistakes aren't rubbed in but rubbed out. Fellowship happens when mercy wins over justice.

“When obstacles arise, you change your direction to reach your goal; you do not change your decision to get there.”

Valuing Yourself and Your Needs (As a Parent): This is about taking care of your OWN needs as a parent because when you consistently put yourself last to be taken care of and habitually continue to sacrifice your basic necessities to make everyone else happy…Essentially, what you’re teaching your children is that they’re here to be of service to others, then themselves. In other words, you’re teaching them to take advantage of you and use you as they please, which in turn communicates to them that they’re most likely to be used. To prevent this from happening, you need to set consistent limits that protect you from demands that could be overbearing and unfair. That way, you’re communicating that your basic needs are just as important as theirs. It’s true…often times parents that are constantly sacrificing themselves are idealized and praised by other parents. You know… the ones that have no hobbies, no friends and no avenue of enjoyment. Is this really desirable? Parents constantly stressed about the needs of others in the family are usually irritable, and unmotivated to try anything new, fun or exciting. How can parents do this long term with no outlet? Instead, us parents need to enjoy ourselves and focus on being re-energized. When you take good care of yourself, you provide the means to take better care of your children. Going out to dinner or cocktails, trips to the gym 3 or 4 times a week, date night with your spouse or even some alone time reading or going for a walk allows you to be a more productive, interested and patient parent.”

“Until you have learned to be tolerant with those who do not always agree with you;until you have culrivated the habit of saying some kind word of those whom you do not admire; until you have formed the habit of looking for good instead of the bad there is in others, you will be neither successful nor happy”