Oh, the comfort,
The inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person:
Having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words,
But to pour them all out, just as they are,
Chaff and grain together.
Assured that a faithful hand will take and sift them;
Keep what is worth keeping, and then,
With the breath of kindness,
Blow the rest away.
~ Dinah M. Craik
Re-sending the toxic energy of re-sent-ment in a fresh New Day is a re-occurring
waste of time. Whether oppressed or abused, victims who try
to exact 'pay back' execute this self-inflicting irony:
Resentment is the Poison that You Drink,
while expecting your offenders to die
from the Poison that You Drink.
Those who habitually harbor resentment
should dig two graves.
~ Matt Moody
Love is the answer that everyone seeks;
Love is the language that every heart speaks.
Love works in ways that are wondrous and strange,
and there's nothing in life that love cannot change.
Love can transform the most commonplace into
beauty and splendor and sweetness and grace!
Love can't be bought, it is priceless and free;
Love, like pure magic, is sweet mystery!
~ Helen Steiner Rice
You have enemies? Good, that means
you stood up for something in your life.
~ Winston Churchill
What other people think of me is none of my business.
One of the highest places you can get to is being independent
of the good opinions of other people.
~ Dr. Wayne Dyer
The worst lies are the lies we tell ourselves. Denial is a way of lying to ourselves.
Denial is not a cocoon, but a cage: Denial is not a budding step to something beautiful,
but a self-imposed prison that blocks transformation. De Nile is not just a river in Egypt,
it's an ocean that thousands drown in whenever they fail to own their contribution
to a problem. Facing the Truth is the key to metamorphosis.
~ Matt Moody
Every day I live, I am more convinced that the waste of life lies
in the love we have not given, the powers we have not used,
the selfish prudence that will risk nothing and which,
shirking pain, misses happiness as well.
~ Mary Cholmondeley
If you choose to pop a pill to chase away emotional pain,
when you awake from your drug-induced dream,
Life will be waiting for you,
right where you left it.
Better than Popping Pills
is applying True Principles that
cure the cause of emotional pain at the root.
~ Matt Moody
Our lives begin to end the day we become
silent about things that matter.
~ Martin Luther King
It is not the enjoyableness
of objects or activities or opportunities
that make us happy or unhappy; rather, our happiness,
rooted in our relationships, makes objects and activities enjoyable.
Things, events, and opportunities have no value in and of themselves;
they get their value from the significant part they play
in our key relationships with others.
~ C. Terry Warner
Assumptions surrounding Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
suggest that He who is All-Powerful, is not really powerful enough
to heal every victim of extreme abuse. But in the whole history of the world,
no trauma, no matter how tragic and terrible, has ever prevented a person from
believing in Jesus and receiving His healing miracle.
~ Matt Moody
Nobody grows old by
merely living a number of years.
People grow old by deserting their ideals.
You are as young as your faith, and as old as your doubt;
As young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear;
As young as your hope, as old as your despair.
.~ Douglas MacArthur
A great many people think they are thinking
when they are really rearranging their prejudices.
~ William James
Certainly clumsy, embarrassing, unprincipled, and mean spirited things
do occur in our interactions with other people that would tempt us to take offense.
However, ultimately it is impossible for another person to offend you or to offend me.
Indeed, believing that another person offended us is fundamentally false.
To be offended is a choice we make; it is not a condition inflicted
or imposed upon us by someone or something else.
~ David A. Bednar
Have you ever been invisible? Have you ever stood toe to toe with someone physically,
yet you could perceive that the person before you was not fully present in spirit?
Have you ever looked into glazed-over eyes that were not really seeing You —
eyes that were visualizing something other than Here & Now?
Being authentic requires that we Be where we are,
and Do what we are doing, with all heart,
mind, strength, and soul.
~ Matt Moody
We must endure the winter, if we would value spring,
and the forest must be silent, . . . before the robins sing.
Flowers lay in darkness, before they bud & bloom,
and the sweetest rays of sunlight shine
after storm and gloom.
~ Anon. (edited by m.m.)
If you change the way you look at things,
the things you look at . . . change.
~ Dr. Wayne Dyer
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate,
violence multiplies violence in a descending spiral of destruction.
The chain reaction of evil must be broken, or we shall
be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
My experience convinces me that optimism is just another word for amnesia—
no matter how bad my life is, I forget about it when the sun rises and I find myself with
another chance! "A certain day became a presence to me; there it was, confronting me:
a sky, air, light—a being. And before it started to descend from the height of noon,
it leaned over & struck my shoulder as if with the flat of a sword, granting
me honor and a task. The day's blow rang out, metallic—
or it was I, a bell awakened, and what I heard
was my whole self saying and singing
what it knew . . . . I can.
.- Denise Levertov
With strength that gradually grows old,
we endure life's journey, faithfully pulling handcarts
filled with trials and troubles across a vast prairie of opportunity;
where Lord Jesus is ever willing to walk with us and bear each heavy load,
till we reach the valley of His promise—forgiven and redeemed.
- Matt Moody
The only real revolution is in
the enlightenment of the mind
and the improvement of character,
the only real emancipation is individual,
and the only real revolutionaries
are philosophers and saints.
- Durant
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word,
a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring,
all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
- Leo Buscaglia
You don't drown by falling into troubled waters; instead,
you drown because you don't know how to swim, or
fail to fully apply the ability to swim. There is
always a way out of turbulent waters:
Find it! Learn it! Apply it!
- Matt Moody
You Need to Put your
Peepers on the Words in My Book.
You'll be so much Smarter and
Happier if you do!
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves,
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God. You're playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that
other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest
the glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we naturally inspire
others to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear,
our shining presence automatically liberates others.
- Marianne Williamson
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity;
and optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
- Winston Churchill
Free Email Advice from Dr Matt
Footprints in the Sand
by Mary Stevenson
One night I dreamed a dream:
I walked along the beach with Jesus.
Across the sky flashed scenes from my life, and
in each scene I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand:
one belonging to myself, and the other to the LORD.
When the last scene of my life flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand, and
noticed that at times, along the path of life,
there was only one set of footprints.
I also noticed that the single set of prints
happened at my lowest times in life.
So, I questioned the LORD:
Jesus, when I chose to belief in you,
you promised to walk beside me. But I
noticed that during my most trying times,
there is only one set of footprints in the sand.
Why would you leave me, when I needed you most?
The LORD replied:
"My precious child, I love you and would never leave you.
During those times of trial and suffering, when you
saw only one set of footprints in the sand,
those were the times . . . I carried you."
If emotional outcomes are never our fault,
we cannot take responsibility for them, but
if we do not take responsibility for our emotions,
we will always be a victim of environment.
~ Matt Moody
Let us resolve to be masters, not the victims,
of our history, controlling our own destiny without
giving way to blind suspicions and emotions.
~ John F. Kennedy
91 Rules of Thumb
.by Matt Moody
Life is not so much a matter of position as of disposition.
A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
A pint of example is worth a gallon of advice.
The best vitamin for making friends: B-1.
Make friends before you need them.
Patience carries a lot of . . . "wait."
A small leak can sink a big ship.
Lost time is never found again.
He who throws mud loses ground.
If you fail to prepare, . . . prepare to fail.
One thing you can't recycle is . . . wasted time.
You will not raise your reputation by lowering others.
Diplomacy is the art of letting someone else have your way.
The hardest thing about business is minding your own.
Nothing ruins the truth . . . like stretching it.
Triumph is just "umph" added to try.
He who forgives ends the quarrel.
Children need more models than critics.
Jumping to conclusions can be bad exercise.
Dieters: People who are thick and tired of it.
Frogs have it easy, they can eat what bugs them.
The pursuit of happiness is the chase of a lifetime.
If the going gets easy you're likely going downhill.
The best labor saving device is doing it tomorrow.
Patience is counting down without blasting off.
Hard work is the yeast that raises the dough.
Failure is the path of least persistence.
Backbone is better than a wishbone.
If you can laugh at it, you can live with it.
Swallowing pride seldom leads to indigestion.
If you want your dreams to come true, don't oversleep.
A turtle only makes progress when he sticks his neck out.
Some folks won't look up . . . until they are flat on their backs.
The Ten Commandments . . . is not a multiple choice question.
Forbidden fruit is the ingredient for cooking up a bad jam.
You can't direct the wind, but you can adjust your sails.
Birds have bills too but they still keep on singing.
Money talks and often just says, "Good-bye".
God's retirement plan is out of this world.
"Well done!" is better than, "Well said!"
A good example is the best sermon.
The Lord can't steer a parked car.
Minds are like parachutes, they
function only . . . . when open.
Ideas won't work unless you do.
Being critical makes YOU incorrect.
The heaviest thing to carry is a grudge.
Success is … more attitude than aptitude.
A short pencil is better than a long memory.
Success comes in cans. Failure comes in can'ts.
Hindsight is 20/20, . . . Foresight requires bifocals,
Gratitude is the best attitude for raising your altitude.
The bees that make the honey, don't hang around the hive.
The smallest good deed is better than the grandest intention.
It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it.
There can be no rainbow without first a cloud and a storm.
Carelessness is not courage.....Caution is not cowardly.
The greatest of all faults is to imagine you have none
Past failures are the guideposts for future success
There is no right way to do a wrong thing.
If your dreams turn to dust . . . vacuum.
Live as you wish your children would.
Anger is one letter short of danger.
Winners never quit, and quitters never win.
If you only think once, you're bound to speak twice.
Before you saw into something: Measure twice, cut once.
Behavior is the mirror in which everyone shows their image.
If you must cry over spilled milk . . . make it condensed.
One thing you can give and still keep . . . is your word.
Smiling takes only 13 muscles; and a frown takes 64.
A friend walks in when everyone else walks out.
Hug your kids in public, belt them in the car.
A bad conscience has a very good memory.
It's better to be kind . . . than correct.
Procrastination is the thief of time.
One who lacks the courage to start is already finished.
No man knows less than the man who knows it all.
Feed your faith and doubt will starve to death.
Money is a good servant and a cruel master.
You can break a bad habit by dropping it.
Don't learn safety rules . . . by accident.
People don't fail, they simply give up.
The future is purchased by the present.
A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor.
Two-Thirds of promotion is . . . "motion."
Seek joy in what you give not what you get.
Having a sharp tongue can cut your own throat.
The road to success is always under construction.
When looking for faults use a mirror, not a telescope.
Action speaks louder than words, but not nearly as often.
Of all the things you wear, a happy face is most appealing
You'll develop eye strain, if you're always looking for trouble.
Kindness, a language deaf people can hear and blind can see.
You Need to Put your Peepers on the Words in My Book.
You'll be so much Smarter and Happier if you do!
Free Email Advice from Dr Matt
Excellence versus Winning
If you would hit the mark, you must aim a little above it;
Every arrow that flies feels the attraction of earth.
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
When an archer is shooting for nothing . . . he has all his skill.
If he shoots for a brass buckle . . . he is already nervous.
If he shoots for a prize of gold . . . he goes blind;
or sees two targets . . . he is out of his mind!
His skill has not changed. But the prize . . . divides him. He cares.
He thinks more of winning than of shooting . . .
and the need to win drains him of power.
- Chuang Tzu, 400 B.C.
Trying to do well and trying to beat others are two different things.
Excellence and victory are conceptually distinct . . . and are experienced differently.
- Alfie Kohn
Whenever you fall, pick something up.
- Oswald Avery
There are two ways to live your life.
One as though nothing is a miracle.
The other as though everything is a miracle..
- Albert Einstein
Four People
This is a story about four people named:
Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.
There was an important job to be done
and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.
Anybody could have done it, . . . but Nobody did it.
Now Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job.
Everybody thought Anybody could do it,
but Nobody realized . . . that Everybody wouldn't do it.
In the end, Everybody blamed Somebody
when Nobody did . . . what Anybody could have done.
Free Email Advice from Dr Matt
Tao of Leadership
When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.
When I let go of what I have, I receive what I need..
By yielding, I endure. The empty space is filled.
When I give of myself, I become more.
When I feel most destroyed, I am about to grow.
When I desire nothing, A great deal comes to me.
Do Good Anyway
People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind,
People may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful,
You will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank,
People may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend a year building,
Someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness,
They may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today,
People will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have,
And it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis,
It is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.
- Mother Teresa
Free Email Advice from Dr Matt
For Those Who Have Suffered
I asked God for strength, that I might achieve.
I was made weak, . . . that I might learn humility.
I asked for health, that I might do greater things.
I was given infirmity, . . . that I might do better things.
I asked for riches, that I might be happy.
I was given poverty, . . . that I might be wise.
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men.
I was given affliction, . . . that I might feel the need for Grace.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life.
I was given life, . . . that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing I foolishly asked for . . .
but received everything I hoped for.
"For God performeth the thing that is appointed for me,
He hath tried me, and I shall come forth as gold." (Job 23:10,14)
For Those Who have Lost Loved Ones
You can a shed tear that she is gone
or smile that she has lived.
You can close your eyes and curse your emptiness
or open your eyes and be filled with the love you shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and mourn yesterday
or live for tomorrow . . . because of yesterday.
Your heart can feel sad because you're not with her
or feel glad because she is with God.
You can think of her and only that she's gone
or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.
- David Harkin
Free Email Advice from Dr Matt
The Birth Called Death
In a beautiful blue lagoon
on a clear day, a fine sailing-ship
spreads its brilliant white canvas in a fresh morning breeze
and sails out to the open sea. We watch her glide away magnificently
through the deep blue and gradually see her grow smaller and smaller
as she nears the horizon. Finally, where the sea and sky meet,
she slips silently from sight; and someone near me says,
"There, she is gone!" Gone where?
Gone from sight -- that is all.
She is still as large in mast and hull and sail,
still just as able to bear her load. And we can be sure that,
just as we say, "There, she is gone!" another says, "There, she comes!"
- Paul Dunn
Those who live with honor, who act in harmony with their own intuitions of Heart,
have nothing to cover up and no excuses to offer. Since what they are doing is right,
they invest no energy in trying to appear right. Thus, time spent convincing yourself
means that you're really not convinced; the fact that you struggle for self-approval
is a tell-tale sign that you don't approve of yourself from the Heart.
~ Matt Moody
They must often change,
who would be constant in happiness or wisdom.
- Confucius
Not everything that is faced can be changed,
but nothing can be changed until it is faced.
- James A. Baldwin
When you come
to the edge of the Light you've known,
and now, must step into the darkness of unknown,
having faith means one of two things: Within the shadows,
there will be solid ground upon which to stand,
or . . . you will be taught to fly.
- Patrick Overton
If we work upon marble, it will perish.
If we work upon brass, time will erode it.
If we rear temples, they will crumble to dust.
But if we work upon men’s immortal minds, if we imbue them
with high principles, with love of God and love of their fellowmen,
we engrave on those tablets something which no time will erase.
and which will brighten and brighten to all eternity.
- Daniel Webster
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The Power of Commitment
by W.H. Murray
Until one is committed there is hesitancy,
a chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness.
Concerning all acts of initiative and creation,
there is one elementary truth,
the violation of which kills
countless ideas and
splendid plans; that, once one definitely
commits oneself, then providence moves too.
A whole stream of events issues from the decision,
raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidence, meetings,
and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would
have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can,
begin it; boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.
* * * * *
The existence of God
is clearly displayed by what He has made.
The amazing intricacies of His created order reveal
the work of a Divine Designer, just as marvelous achievements
in architecture are clear evidence of an architect.
~ Matt Moody .
* * * * * *
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