Persistence and Resilience

"In dealing with bereaucracy and petty bureaucrats (and people like them, I add) there is only one way to achieve results: be as cool as a glacier and, like a glacier, move forward inch by inexorable inch until you get what you want."
Gerald Durrel "The Ark's Anniversary" RD Condenced book p460

Actually, perhaps there are other ways of dealing with seemingly unyielding people and systems, I want to learn them so that I have more of a choice when dealing with situations and people like that. I liked this quote when I read it. It felt useful to me. Perhaps it will feel useful to you too.

Fear

"Fear gives each of us a chance to act our way into the very life we've always wanted."
"Feeling Fearful? Forget About It!" Michelle Burford - O SA Mag August 09 p 99

Successful People

"Successful people adapt to their circumstances."
Radio Pulpit

Honeymoons, and After...

"There is a honeymoon period to every relationship - whether it's a sister relationship, or husband and wife, or two best friends. And I think that you find out what you're made of, and what kind of person you are, when you get throught that honeymoon period, and keep going."

Troy Dunn

Trials - Some Reasons They Bless Us

Heard on "Grace To You" (Radio Pulpit) yesterday:

Our trials come to test the strength of our faith.
Our trials come to humble us.
Our trials wean us from worldly things.
Our trials call us to a hope in eternal things.
Our trials reveal what we really love.
Our trials teach us to value the blessings of God.
Our trials enable us to help others in their suffering.
Our trials help us develop enduring strength for greater usefulness.

"The worth of a soldier is never known in times of peace."
"The more useful you are, the more used you will be."

John McArthur

Tandem Bike Ride With God

I used to think of God as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the things I did wrong, so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when I die. He was out there, sort of like a president. I recognized His picture when I saw it, but I didn't really know Him.

But later on, when I met him, it seemed as though life was rather like a bike, but it was a tandem bike, and I noticed that God was in the back helping me pedal. I didn't know just when it was He suggested we change, but life has not been the same since I took the back-seat to (God) Maharaj. He makes life exciting. When I had control, I thought I knew the way. It was rather boring, but predictable. It was the shortest distance between two points.

But when He took the lead, He knew delightful long cuts, up mountains, and through rocky places and at break-through speeds; it was all I could do to hang on! Even though it often looked like madness, He said, "Pedal!" I was worried and anxious and asked, "Where are you taking me?" He laughed and didn't answer and I started to learn to trust. I forgot my boring life and entered into adventure. And when I'd say, "I'm scared", He'd lean back and touch my hand.

He took me to people with gifts that I needed, gifts of healing, acceptance and joy. They gave me their gifts to take on my journey. And we were off again. He said, "Give the gifts away; they're extra baggage, too much weight." So I did, to the people we met, and I found in giving I received, and still our burden was light.

I did not trust Him, at first, in control of my life. I thought He'd wreck it, but He knows bike secrets, knows how to make it bend to take sharp corners, jump to clear high rocks, fly to shorten scary passages. And I am learning to shut up and pedal in the strangest places, and I'm beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze on my face with my delightful constant companion.

And when I'm sure I just can't do any more, He just smiles and says... "Pedal."

www.sikhsangat.com
posted 3 August 2009

quoted by Erin D Maughan
BYU Devotional 4 August 2009

Dreams and Obstacles

"My dream was bigger than my obstacles."
Guest on TV Show I glanced into - "The View"

Bad Choice...

Harvey Boarden wanted to be a star in the NBA, but he made a bad choice.
"...sometimes a bad choice stays to haunt you and remind you that you are not where you could have been."
Saturday Star - 48 Hours p 4

My Voice is Small

"There are times I was really down, I would tell myself 'Pick yourself up because the world needs you.'... I know that, even though my voice is small, someone out there needs to hear what I have to say.... I also believe God brings people into my life that need me, and who I need, and we will help each other in some way or another."
Yolanda Yawa (Lead singer of CODA) O Mag South Africa p 128