About Plans And Priorities

Six Attention Getters
1. Announce a benefit.
2. Start with a question.
3. Ask the reader to think about a specific idea or fact.
4. State an offer.
5. Start with a bold sentence that shows readers they are missing out on an important benefit.
6. Begin on a warm personal note. Include a personal salutation.

On the origin of "Water under the Bridge"
A boy a long time ago leaned against the railing of an old fashioned bridge and watched the current of the river below. A log, bit of driftwood, a chip, all floated past. Again the surface of the river was smooth. But always, as it had for a hundred, perhaps a thousand years, the water slipped by - under the bridge. At seasons the current went more swiftly, and again quite slowly, but always the river flowed on - under the bridge.
Watching the river that day, the boy made a discovery. It was not the discovery of a material thing, something he might put his hands upon. He could not even see it. He had discovered great idea. Quite suddenly, and yet quickly, he knew that everything in his life would some day pass under the bridge and be gone, like water. And the boy came to like those words, ''under the bridge.”
All his life thereafter the idea served him well and carried him through, although there were days and ways that were dark and not easy. Always, when he made a mistake that couldn't be helped, or lost something that could never come again, the boy, now a man, said, ''It's water under the bridge.”
And he didn't worry about mistakes so much after that and he didn't let trouble get him down --- because it was ''water under the bridge.''

Humility In Greatness
You can distinguish a great man from a small man in this, that when riches, or honors, or prominence come to him the great man is humbled and sobered by his sense of duty, and by his consciousness of how little after all he had to do with it. No sincere soul really thinks he is superior. Success “comes” to us. No man earns it; or, rather, the one who earns it is denied it as often as not.
Oliver Wendell Holmes described how an idea “came” to him, striking him like a bullet, as he expressed it. Every creative mind has felt this, how things “just come”. The composer of music, the painter, the sculptor, the novelist, dramatist and orator, the inventor, all have the essence of recipiency. Only the egotistic fool thinks he is the author of his own conceptions. Socrates had his “daimon” that whispered to him suggestions. And every other great constructive soul has had that peculiar feelings of being played upon by some force or spirit not of himself.
Only little souls are cocky and chesty and greedy for praise, whether they deserve it or not. These are the plagiarists, copiers and second-raters of the world.
The same is true of the greatly rich. Under existing economic conditions a man may inherit a million dollars. In proportion as he regards it as “mine, to do with as I please”, he is small…. But if he realizes that…. The high and serious task of administering it for the welfare of mankind is laid on his shoulders, then he becomes great.
So also if a man makes his own fortune. He still perceives, if he be great; that “accident or favor” has played into his hands, and he can have no peace nor self- respect unless he gives himself over to doing what he can to help those less fortunate.

NO TIME, NO TIME
I knelt to pray but not for long,
I had too much to do
Must hurry off and get to work
For bills would soon be due
And so I said a hurried prayer
Jumped up from off my knees,
My Christian duty now is done
My soul could be at ease
All through the day I had no time
To speak a word of cheer
No time to speak of Christ to friends
They’ll laugh at me I feared
No time... No time… too much to do
That was my constant cry
No time.... My constant cry
No time to give to those in need
At last, it was time to die.
And when before the Lord I came
I stood with downcast eye
Within His hand He held a book
It was the Book of Life
He looked into the book and said,
“Your name I cannot find,
I once was going to write it down
But never found the time”.
-Unknown-

The Unanswered Prayers
I asked For Riches, That I might Be happy;
I Was Given Poverty,
That I Might Be wise.
I Asked For health, That I might do
Greater Things;
I Was Given infirmity,
That I Might Do Better Things.
I Asked For Strength, That I Might Achieve;
I Was Made Weak,
That I Might Learn Humbly To Obey.
I Asked For Power, That I Might Have
The Praise Of Men;
I Was Given Weakness,
That I Might Feel The Need Of God.
I Asked For All Things That I May Enjoy Life;
I Was Given Life,
That I Might Enjoy All Things.
I Got Nothing That I Asked For,
But Everything I Had Hoped For,
My Unspoken Prayers Were Answered.
I Am Among All Men
Most Richly Blessed.

On Success Ladders
You can never go higher than you can dream. But you can go as high as you can dream. Then the coach added, ''But you will have to climb a ladder to your dreams and it can be steep and hard going. And on that ladder to your dream are four rungs: the first is determination; the second, dedication; the third, discipline; and the fourth rung is attitude.'' The coach discoursed on the importance of each rung, but stressed the extra importance of attitude. ''Your attitude toward your goal, toward yourself, toward life, and toward the Lord God Almighty will determine whether or not your dream will come true.

God’s Plan For Your Mate
Everyone longs to give himself to someone,
To have a deep soul relationship with another;
To be loved thoroughly and exclusively.
But God, to the Christian says,
“No, not until you are SATISFIED, FULFILLED,
and CONTENT with giving yourself
totally unreserved to ME,
to having an intensely personal
and unique relationship with ME ALONE,
discovering that only in ME
is your SATISFACTION to be found,
then you will be capable
of the perfect human relationship
that I have planned for you.
‘ You will never be united with me
exclusive of anyone or anything else,
exclusive of any other desires or longings.
I want you to stop planning, stop wishing,
and allow ME to bring it to you.
Just keep watching ME.
Expecting the greatest things.
Keep experiencing the satisfaction that I am.
Keep listening and learning the things that I tell you.
You just wait, that’s all.
Don’t be anxious, don’t worry!
Don’t look around at the things others have
or at what I have given them.
Don’t look at the things you want.
You just keep looking at me, or you’ll miss what
I want to show you.
And then, when you’re ready,
I’ll surprise you with a love far more wonderful
than any of you could dream of.
You see, until you are ready,
(I am working even at this moment
to have both of you ready at the same time),
Until you are both satisfied exclusively
with ME and the lives prepared for you,
You won’t be able to experience the love that
exemplifies your relationship with ME.
This, is PERFECT LOVE.
And I want you to see in the flesh
a picture of your relationship with me:
And, to enjoy naturally, and concretely
the everlasting arm of BEAUTY,
PERFECTION and LOVE that I offer you with MYSELF.

On Pressures and Stress of Life
A fast-paced, exciting life can produce a tension and stress that destroy, or it can result in a strong life thrust that moves ever faster but still remains under control. When life is lived in an attitude of complete faith in Christ, there is peace at the center and inevitably power flows from inner quietness. The streams that turn the machinery of the world rest in quiet places. As Edwin Markham put it, “At the heart of the cyclone tearing the sky is a place of central calm.”

On Moving
Action is a great restorer and builder of confidence. Inaction is not only the result but the cause of fear. Perhaps the action you take will be successful; perhaps different actions or adjustments will have to follow. But any action is better than no action at all. So don't wait for trouble to intimidate or paralyze you. Make a move. The Prodigal Son didn't make way home by lying down the gutter. He moved!

Before Delivering a Speech
Never have I made a talk or given a sermon without asking Divine help; and what I pray for is clarity of mind to say the right thing in such a way that it will help people.

Women on Men
They wanted a smart man in business. A nice and funny one who will not always worry about his job.