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Archive for August, 2013

The Secret of Successful Salesmanship

Posted in Good Morning on August 30, 2013| Leave a Comment »

 

True salesmanship means finding out what your customer really needs, and supplying him with it; or if you cannot furnish it yourself, advising him to go elsewhere. Such a policy will not mean loss of business. On the contrary, working in this way you may lose one order but you will get half a dozen in its place – and you will have peace of mind. Any one particular sale does not matter; it is the annual turnover that counts.
 
The policy, the Golden Rule, was taught by Jesus, the wisest and most practical teacher who ever lived. Salesman, treat your customer exactly as you would like him to treat you if the positions were reversed. Tell him exactly what you would like to be told about the merchandise, if you were the purchaser; and if you will do this the whole universe will cooperate to make your business career an outstanding success.
 
Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God: thy spirit is good… (Psalm 143:10)
 
Treating people fairly in business and personal life is not always easy or profitable in the short term. In the long term, it always yields exponential benefits. Any financial advisor would counsel us to invest in that which assures our long term success. The Bible advises us to invest our personal lives the same way. When we give our heart to God, we ensure the long term success of  our spirit.
 
Fairly yours,
Z gardener

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The Kaffir Didn’t Know It

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on August 27, 2013| Leave a Comment »

 
About the middle of the last century, a traveler was journeying along through what was then a remote part of South Africa. One day while smoking his pipe outside the hut in a native village, he noticed a group of little naked children playing what was evidently a native version of the time honored game of marbles. He watched the game idly for a while, and then something about the rough stones caught his attention. They were quite small pebbles, dull, but – here his pulse began to steeplechase. He spoke to the children’s father, with studied carelessness, and the Kaffir said, “Oh yes, the children like these little stones. They have some more in the hut, “and he brought forth a small basket containing several more.
 
Repressing his excitement, the traveler took out a large plug of tobacco, worth perhaps twenty or thirty cents in our money, and said, “I would like to take the stones home for my children. I will give you this tobacco for them. Are you willing?” The Kaffir laughed and said, “I am robbing you but if you insist, all right,” and the bargain was sealed – which not only enriched the stranger but led in time to the great discovery of the South African diamond fields.
 
The fate of the Kaffir is really the fate of most human beings. Man holds a fabulous treasure in his possession – the power of the Spoken Word – and yet, in most cases, he does not know it.
 
The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure … to bless all the work of thine hand… (Deuteronomy 28:12).
 
The power of the spoken word is among our greatest powers. It springs from our thoughts, is more powerful than bullets and can be just as deadly. Let our thoughts, words and deeds reflect the love of God so that all our power is used for good.
 
Reflecting love,
Stan

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Brains or Excelsior?

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on August 26, 2013| Leave a Comment »

You all know the Great Law. One way of stating it is to say: Like produces like. What we sow in thought we reap in experience.
 
People know that these things are true, and yet in spite of this transcendent knowledge they constantly use the Great Law for their own destruction. They would not dream of pouring water in the gas tank of their car, or sand into their watch, or broken glass into their food; but they do something just as foolish every time they think, speak, or act negatively. One cannot help wondering what such people have inside their heads – brains or excelsior.
 
In the future, when you catch yourself thinking negatively, say to your self severely, “Brains or excelsior?” and immediately switch to what you know to be the Truth of Being.
 
Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord… (Ephesians 6:8).
 
    We live the way we think. Want to live in peace, joy and hope? Then think joyfully, peacefully and hopefully. Want a positive environment? Then think positively.
 
This is the way to live in the garden God gave us.
 
Thinking joy,
Z gardener
 

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Theoretical Centipede

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on August 22, 2013| Leave a Comment »

 

 Do not dissect things too much. By the time you have dissected a living thing you have killed it, and you no longer have the thing that you began with. Take a rose out of the bowl, pull its petal apart, count them, weigh them, measure them, and then, while you will have certain interesting information, you no longer have a rose.

 

 

 

There is a place for analysis, but it is apt to be quite fatal in prayer and meditation. Do not dissect the love of God, but feel it. Do not dissect divine intelligence, but realize it. Do not wonder how God can possibly solve this problem, but just watch Him do it in His own way – and He will if you will give Him a chance.

 

 

 

You know that God is Love. So go ahead on that, and do not get theoretical about it.

 

 

 

Do you remember the old verse that says:

 

 

 

A centipede was happy quite,

 

Until a frog in fun

 

Said, “Pray, which leg comes after which?”

 

This raised her mind to such a pitch,

 

She lay distracted in the ditch,

 

Considering how to run.

 

 

 

The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in him: and all the upright in heart shall glory (Psalm 64:10).

 

 

 

Instead of dissecting and wondering, let us realize, observe and feel the love of God in our lives. It is fine to ponder and seek to understand God, but if this becomes an obstacle to our faith or a distraction from it, then it is not fine.

 

 

 

It is also fine to have doubts and questions about our faith and how to live it. It is not okay to let that doubt or those questions block us from following the will of God or accepting his solutions to our problems.

 

 

 

The true answer to all questions is faith. Have it and find the path; lose it and miss the path.

 

 

 

In faith,

 

Z gardener

 

 

 

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A Smile Is An Investment

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on August 21, 2013| Leave a Comment »

 
Important, or, if you prefer, that the most important things in life are found to be the simplest. This is a very profound discovery. What is more important to us than breathing, for instance?
 
Another simple thing that is of great moment is a smile. A smile affects your whole body from the skin right in to the skeleton, including all blood vessels, nerves, and muscles. It affects the functioning of every organ. It influences every gland. Even one smile often relaxes a number of muscles, and when the thing becomes a habit you can easily see how the effect will mount up. Last year’s smiles are paying you dividends today.
 
The effect of a smile on other people is no less remarkable. It disarms suspicion, melts away fear and anger, and brings forth the best in the other person – which best he immediately proceeds to give to you.
 
A smile is to personal contacts what oil is to machinery, and no intelligent engineer ever neglects lubrication.
 
Rejoice evermore (1 Thessalonians 5:16).
 
A smile costs nothing, yet yields great rewards such as health, joy and peace. It benefits the person smiling and those who receive that smile. This may the one place where you can get something valuable for zero cost. What better investment can you get?
 
Investing in joy,
Z gardener
 

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Foresight and Hindsight

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on August 16, 2013| Leave a Comment »

 
When you have to make a decision or take a certain action, all that you can do is to do the best you know at that time, and if you do that you will have done your duty. In the light of after events it may turn out that you made a mistake, but that will not be your fault because you could not possibly do better that the best you know at the time.
 
Claim that the Christ is guiding you; and believe it, and the ultimate outcome will be favorable even if things seem to go wrong for a time.
 
And the Lord shall guide thee continually (Isaiah 58:11).
 
As Christ guides us, let us look forward to favorable outcomes in all things.
 
Looking,
Z gardener

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The Consecrated Life

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on August 14, 2013| Leave a Comment »

 
Of what does the consecrated life consist?
 
Your life is a consecrated one when you are ready at all times to do the will of God – when you are willing and anxious that God may be fully expressed through you, through your thoughts, words, and deeds, during every hour of the day.
 
You are not concerned with the question of results. Results belong to God.
 
Here am I; send me (Isaiah 6:8).
 
Are we living a consecrated life; are we even trying to do so? When we supplant God’s will for our own, then we are living a consecrated life.
 
When we let go of the self and embrace God, we open the door to this type of life. When we follow God’s will, we can live in the Eden God created for us as consecrated children of God.
 
Here Am I,
 
Z gardener
 
 

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Tail Wags Dog

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on August 12, 2013| Leave a Comment »

 
 
Man controls his own life. The Bible says that God has given him “dominion over all things,” and this is true when he understands the Truth; and the Truth is that our outer conditions – your environment – are not cause; they are effect. You are not happy because you are well. You are well because you are happy. You do not have faith because things are going well. They are going well because you have faith. You are not depressed because trouble has come to you, but trouble has come because your realization of the Truth had first fallen off.
 
The secret of life then is to control your mental states. To accept sickness, trouble, and failure as unavoidable, and perhaps inevitable, is folly, because it is this very acceptance by you that keeps these evils in existence. Man is not limited by his environment. He creates his environment by his beliefs and feelings. To suppose otherwise is like thinking that the tail can wag the dog.
 
If you have been thinking that outer conditions are stronger that you are, say to yourself: “Tail wags dog” and immediately reverse the belief.
 
… who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? (Galatians 5:7).
 
The sad but true fact is that we are the primary ones who hinder ourselves so that we “do not obey this truth”. It is so easy to say “there is nothing I can do about this or that.” In truth, it is only we who can truly do anything about our outer conditions. When we understand that the impact of all outer conditions are dependent on our reaction to them for their effect on us, will we truly understand how the universe works. As within, so without.
 
Working within
Z gardener
 
 

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Praying With A Feather

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on August 9, 2013| Leave a Comment »

 
 
Years ago many devoted preachers and Sunday School teachers were fond of telling people to “pray hard.” Well-meaning as this advice was, it was mistaken. I often tell people to pray “soft,” which of course, means gently.
 
I do this because I know that the more quietly and gently we pray, the better results we get. In prayer, as in many other activities, effort defeats itself. More than once I have said to my congregation, “Pray with a feather – not with a pickax.”
 
Always pray gently, and especially if you have a good deal of fear, or if your difficulty seems to be a very important one.
 
For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee (Psalm 86:5).
 
This writer would add another element to successful prayer…feeling. When we pray gently it indicates strong faith. When we pray with feeling, it indicates sincerity. Pray sincerely and with faith; then expect results.
 
A word of advice, sometimes the answer to our prayers is “no”, and sometimes it is “wait”. We must be prepared to accept either answer with grace and obedience to God’s will. Then we can be assured our best good will have been secured.
 
Feeling gently,
Z gardener

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Shack or Palace?

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on August 8, 2013| Leave a Comment »

 

 

 

There is no use in merely saying that everything will be all right. Thinking rightly, of course, means putting God into all your affairs and expecting him to change them. For example, if you are living in a shack it is not any good pretending that it is a palace. Cheap optimism is never spiritual. Realize that you are living in a shack, but claim the Presence of God to guide you to something better.

 

 

 

Teach me the way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path … (Psalm 27:11).

 

 

 

Father, let us clearly see our reality and even more clearly see your presence in it.

 

 

 

Seeing clearly,

 

Z gardener

 

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