PERSEVERANCE

If someone were to ask me to pick one word to best describe any success in  life....

I wouldn't hesitate; the word would be perseverance.

There have been a lot of potholes, detours and roadblocks along the way. 

Persist no matter what.

Endure discomfort.

Request help.

Steadfastly hold on to your beliefs and values.

Envision triumph.

Very consistently keep at it.

Embrace adversity as your teacher.

Refuse to give up.

Enjoy and celebrate every tiny bit of progress!

The Best Way Out is Always Through. 

BE CAREFUL LITTLE TONGUE

It's strange isn't it, how things occasionally just "slip out of our mouths."  We really never meant to say whatever we said, but sometimes we do. 


For me, most often I find it hard to keep my mouth shut when someone is sharing their problems of present difficulty with me. It's natural (I think), to want to commiserate with them, to share with them and let them

 know that you have experienced similar things in your life.


Most of the time though; what they really need is just a listening ear on which to unburden themselves.

 We have the same problem when someone mentions another person, far too often in a negative way. We are tempted to "join in" and add our personal

 comments regarding that person or persons. At times we may even be the one who is in the forefront of the discussion.

 At other times, we may be speaking directly to someone and either on purpose or inadvertently say something hurtful or mean. Once it is said, it's impossible to take it back.

 One author wrote: "My grandson, Justus, age 10, and his sister Taylor, age 13, were always teasing each other. One day, Justus was getting "sensitive" about things his sister was saying to him. I reminded him that he had said the same types of things many times in days past. With quiet

 reflection, he spoke a gospel truth: "But it doesn't hurt as much coming out of my mouth as it does going into my ears."

 There is a children's song that says, "Be careful little tongue what you say… the Father up above is looking down in love, so be careful little tongue what you say!

 James puts it this way in James 1:26, "If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is

 worthless." (NLT)

 There are times I mess up and say the wrong thing, even though I try very hard not to. Thankfully my wife is very forgiving, but I am even more

 thankful to my God that he is even more forgiving! How are you doing?