Thoughts by the Dozen

 

"How you make others

feel about themselves

says a lot about you.”

~ Kerry life and loves

 

 

“Nothing can dim the light

that shines from within.”

~ Maya Angelou

 

 

“It is not what you do for

your children,

but what you have taught

them to do for themselves,

that will make them

successful human beings.”

~ Ann Landers

 

 

“We are all called to be

exceptional in the ordinary things,

faithful in the little things,

trustworthy when nobody’s looking.”

~ Elisabeth Elliott

 

 

  “In Mark 2, Jesus healed a

paralyzed man because of his

FRIENDS’ faith.

This is why your

circle matters.”

~ Unknown

 

 

“People do not decide their futures;

they decide their habits,

and their habits decide their futures.”

~ F. M. Alexander

 

 

“Our days are happier

when we give people

a piece of our heart

instead of

a piece of our mind.”

~ Deb Sofield

 

 

“Courage doesn’t mean

you don’t get afraid.

Courage means you don’t

let fear stop you.

~ Bethany Hamilton

 

 

“Sunflowers are a reminder to

be strong,

stand tall,

and always find the light.”

~ Unknown

 

 

“One of the most sincere

forms of respect is

actually listening to what

another has to say.”

~ Bryant H. McGill

 

 

“Some endings aren’t failures –

they’re beautiful beginnings in disguise.”

~ Annawin

 

 

“If you want to know

someone's mind,

listen to their words.

If you want to know

their heart,

watch their actions.”

~ Chris Weisler

 

 

After thinking through and discerning what is best, may we be willing to put it into action.

 

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

 

Heart Warmers

Kristi Thomas and her family were spending their vacation in Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The adventure for the first day was Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum. When the kids were participating in the interactive activities, their 13-year-old daughter put her phone down and forgot to retrieve it before leaving. About twenty minutes after they left, they realized the phone was gone. While returning to look for the iPhone, Kristi reminded her daughter of how much it would cost to purchase another phone, that she would be responsible to save up money to replace it, it would have made it easier to find if she had not turned off the find phone feature, and she couldn’t depend on people being honest and turning it in. Her daughter, who believes the best in people, kept saying she hoped someone turned it in. Approaching the main desk at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! again, they asked if the phone had been turned in and 3 staff members replied, “YES!” When given the phone, there were selfies of the teenager who had found the phone and turned it in. Kristi replied, “We were so thankful it was found. I want to thank this young man, from the bottom of my heart, for proving me wrong!!! And I especially want to thank his parents for raising him to be honest and kind, and to show amazing integrity at such a young age! YOU DID GOOD WITH THIS ONE!”

Austin Dennison, a 19-year-old senior, attends Parkway High School in Rockford, Ohio. He plays in the school band and is a member of the football, basketball, and baseball teams. Austin has achieved the rank of Scout and is also a volunteer fireman. Needless to say, he is well respected at school and in his community. Last week was the senior prom at the high school. After learning that his 89-year-old great grandma, Delores, had not been able to attend a prom when she was in in school, he came up with a plan. He asked Granny DD to be his date. She reminded Austin that after her heart attack and stroke she was not too good on her feet. The day of prom Austin took Granny DD to eat at Bob Evans, her favorite restaurant. Upon arriving at the prom, they had lots of pictures taken. The band played Frank Sinatra’s “Delores” for them to dance to and Austin’s peers gave them a standing ovation. Austin reminisced, “I respect my elders greatly. To be able to sit down and talk to them and learn from them and their experiences is a great thing.”

 

May our actions also continue to show love and respect to those we encounter.

 

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

1 John 3:18

Rising to the Occasion

 

Jack Higgins, a senior from Putnam County, New York, is well known and often seen in the hallways, classrooms, and library at Carmel High School. Due to his severe autism, Jack is super sensitive to sounds and sometimes wears headphones to help block out noises. With graduation approaching, Jack’s parents, Barbara and Pat Higgins, approached his teacher, Erin Appelle, to talk about concerns and a possible plan for the graduation ceremony. Principal Lou Riolo reminded them of a banner that is on display as people enter the school: “What’s Best for Kids.” Now was the time to decide what was best for Jack. They knew he would be overwhelmed if he had to sit for hours with the excitement and the congratulatory noise that is typical of this kind of ceremony. On the day of graduation, Principal Riolo approached the podium and explained Jack’s sensitivity to noise. He then explained that Jack would be graduating first, before any of the other festivities began, and asked that there be no cheering or clapping. Escorted to the stage by his two brothers and aide Rob Ancona, there was silence as a nervous Jack walked across the stage and shook hands with the principal. One by one, the seniors rose and gave their classmate a standing ovation and silently clapped, until he had crossed the stage and exited the area. Riolo commented, “The students were amazing. They are a class act and superseded expectations. For example them rising to their feet after Jack received his diploma was them. They made that amazing compassionate gesture on their own. I have been lucky and blessed to see some remarkable things in my 31 year career but this so far has to be the most incredible. But as much as the students rose to the occasion so did Jack. Since Jack is very limited verbally, how overwhelming was it for him with a large crowd and expectation that it would be loud? It was so brave of him to take that walk which must have seemed like forever and he did it with grace, class and strength.”

Whenever the opportunity comes, may we, too, be quick to rise to the occasion and do our part to make it better for others.

 

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,

Hebrews 10:24