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[NewSong]

Humility


[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Matthew 18:4[/size][/font]





[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted."[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Matthew 23:12[/size][/font]





[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Psalm 10:17 (NIV)[/size][/font]





[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"When you are cast down, you will speak with confidence, and the humble person He will save."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Job 22:29[/size][/font]





[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"It is better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Proverbs 16:19[/size][/font]





[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Proverbs 3:34 (NIV)[/size][/font]





[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"But He gives us greater grace. Therefore it says, "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]James 4:6[/size][/font]





[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"For He who requires blood remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the afflicted." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Psalm 9:12[/size][/font]





[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord are riches honor and life."[/size][/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Proverbs 22:4[/size][/font]





[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom, and before honor comes humility." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Proverbs 15:33[/size][/font]





[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"A man's pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor."[/size][/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Proverbs 29:23[/size][/font]





[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]1 Peter 5:6[/size][/font]

 

[The Story Teller]

February 20
​

Graham at Baxter Travenol
​

“A reputation for good judgment, for fair dealing, for truth, and for rectitude, is itself a fortune.”
—Henry Ward Beecher
​

William B. Graham is perhaps the most successful business leader in America. When Graham took over leadership of Baxter Travenol Laboratories in 1953, sales were just over a million dollars. During his years as chief executive officer of Baxter Travenol Laboratories, the medical enterprise’s earnings grew cumulatively in excess of 20 percent per year for twenty-five years, a record no other Fortune 500 company can match. What made Graham so wildly successful for such an extended period of time?

Graham believed in risk-taking. For example, in the mid-1950s he gambled with a kidney dialysis machine that had already been a commercial failure for its Dutch inventor, Willem Kolff. Graham saw the machine as a pioneer effort, and it took seven years before the machine really made a significant impact in the medical community. Graham took his risks in limited but promising fields, where the hope for expansion was good. That policy has resulted in a stream of innovative, medically oriented products that have become standards in the healthcare industry throughout the world. Graham’s management style has always been open, and his company’s employee benefits are among the best in the nation. Graham’s blend of high standards, folksy ways, and caring for people have paid dividends to everyone involved.

Consider This: High standards and care for the individual employee can exist side by side. In fact, one is essential for the other. High morale always seems to be an antecedent to productivity and innovation.

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

February 21
​

Quality Is Ewes’ Best Advertisement
​

“Don’t do anything haphazardly, don’t scratch the surface, don’t give a job part-time attention; give it your best.”
—Clinton Davidson
​

Progressive Farmer magazine often reports on new ideas from America’s heartland. One such story was about entrepreneur Robin Giles. Robin raised sheep in west Texas. However, in the 1980s prices began to decline, and losses mounted to $10 to $15 per head. “I realized that if we were going to continue in the sheep business, we’d have to find a way to make it profitable,” Robin recalls. Sitting around one day, Robin and his wife, Carol, devised a plan. They had been selling lamb to friends in the area and thought that others might be interested in their high-quality meat.

The Gileses contacted restaurants, hotels, country clubs, and every potential customer they could think of, but they did not receive the volume of orders that could generate the kind of income they needed. Then, Robin and Carol decided to focus on selling directly to the people they already knew. After the couple let it be known that they wanted to expand their operation, their few customers began singing the praises of the Gileses’ fresh cuts of lamb. Over the next few years, Robin and Carol’s customer base grew to over 400. The Gileses knew that quality and personal attention was their reason for success. They sold only the highest-rated meat, and they guaranteed everything they sold. “Our customers don’t like fat,” Robin says. The Gileses’ reputation for producing high-quality meat provided another bonus as their breeding stock came into strong demand among other sheep breeders.

Consider This: Quality sells products, keeps customers, and is one of the best advertisements for new customers—for small family businesses as well as for large corporations.

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

February 22
​

George Washington
​

“The test of the progress of mankind will be their appreciation of the character of Washington.”
—Lord Brougham
​

The ideals of American character and integrity were originally established by the examples set by our Founding Fathers. We have truly become children of their beliefs and the principles they honored. George Washington is perhaps the most eminent example. Even during his lifetime, Washington symbolized the quality of character that Americans look up to today. Daniel Webster said that America owed a considerable debt to the Old World, and that the debt has been paid through the character of Washington: “If our American institutions had done nothing else, that alone would entitle them to respect.” Even the fabricated cherry-tree story by Mason Locke Weems—“I can’t tell a lie, Pa; I cut it down with my hatchet”—is testament to the respect Washington’s integrity commands. There has perhaps never been an American who has been more revered in his lifetime.

Washington was a true living hero. He could have been king. Yet it was the example Washington set as our nation’s first president that gave America its respect, stability, and unique flavor of democracy. Henry Lee called Washington “First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.” Other heroes have used their popularity to benefit their own kingdoms. Washington used his popularity to establish a code of conduct in which the welfare of the people came first. Because of Washington’s example, later American leaders have had a superior model to try to match.

Consider This: It is important for the leader to set a strong example of character and integrity. No rules or commandments will speak louder than a leader’s actions.

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

February 23
​

Levi Strauss Invents Bluejeans
​

“Study how to do the most good, and let the pay take care of itself.”
—Lyman Abbott
​

In 1853 Levi Strauss was invited by his brother-in-law David Stern to help start a dry goods store in San Francisco during the gold rush. Levi packed goods onto a ship that sailed 17,000 miles from New York to California. During the trip he sold most of his goods to the passengers. In fact, the only item he had left was canvas material used to make tents. Upon his arrival in California, Levi was told, “You shoulda brought pants.” All the prospectors were wearing out their pants almost faster than they could dig. Levi immediately went to a tailor and had the man make pants from the remaining canvas in stock. Word spread about the sturdiness of Levi’s pants, and his inventory was soon sold out.

Levi then was able to get some heavy cloth from France called “serge de Nimes,” which was Americanized to “denim.” The original cloth was brown, but Levi dyed it indigo to make the color deep purple. Since the weight of their gold often ripped the prospectors’ pockets, Levi began riveting the pockets to the pants to give them added strength. Levi and tailor Jacob Davis patented the innovation in 1873. Levi’s business flourished, and he became a wealthy man. Until his death in 1902, Levi Strauss spent much of his wealth helping others, including the California School for the Deaf. He also provided scholarships to the University of California. Because Strauss was a bachelor when he died, he willed a considerable portion of his estate to orphanages and benevolent associations. Today, relatives descended from Strauss’s brother-in-law own the apparel company.

Consider This: Look at the resources you have and determine what needs you can meet.

Submitted by Richard

 

[NewSong]

Forgiveness

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit!" [/size][/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Psalm 32:1-2 [/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"You forgave the iniquity of Your people; You covered all their sin." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Psalm 85:2 [/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Psalm 103:12 [/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"'Come now, and let us reason together,' says the LORD, 'Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.'" [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Isaiah 1:18 [/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Isaiah 43:25 [/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the LORD, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Isaiah 55:7 [/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned against Me and by which they have transgressed against Me." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Jeremiah 33:8 [/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Mark 11:25 [/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]2 Corinthians 5:17 [/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"To the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Ephesians 1:6-7 [/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Colossians 2:13 [/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Colossians 3:13 [/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Hebrews 8:12 [/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]1 John 1:9 [/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]1 John 2:1 [/size][/font]

 

[The Story Teller]

February 24
​

Phillip Caldwell at Ford
​

“It is good to rule and polish our brains against those of others.”
—Michael DeMontaigne
​

Phillip Caldwell took over as chief executive officer of Ford Motor Company during a bleak period in 1979. The oil crisis and the growing importation of foreign cars had stunned the American automobile market. Ford’s costs were skyrocketing, and its cars were rated “poor” in quality and design. Caldwell remembers that it was tempting to cut all expenses to save what little was left, but adds, “That would have given away our future … we didn’t even give it serious consideration.” Instead, Caldwell and other leaders at Ford went on an unprecedented spending spree, pouring more than $13 billion worldwide into new products, processes, machinery, and equipment, and spending another $9 billion on research and engineering development. Company management agreed that “quality was our primary objective,” says Caldwell.

Everyone at Ford seemed to get the message. By 1984, Ford had reduced its operating costs, introduced higher-quality cars, and posted a record profit of $2.9 billion—one of the largest turnarounds in American corporate history. Caldwell gives much credit to Ford’s employees, who originated many of the ideas that set the company back on the right course. There was a great change in attitude. Workers felt they were being heard and that their talents were being put to good use. Management and workers alike wanted to produce high-quality products—it was a matter of pride. Caldwell opened the doors of communication, and everyone, from assembly-line personnel to top management, listened to each other. That is what makes business successful.

Consider This: Do you make it profitable for employees and management to communicate? Does everyone have the same goal of making your organization the best that it can be?

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

February 25
​

The Invention of the Telephone
​

“Attempt the end, and never stand in doubt; nothing’s so hard but search will find it out.”
—Robert Herrick
​

Alexander Graham Bell was the son of a speech teacher from Scotland. In fact, both his father and grandfather made careers of teaching people how to speak correctly and also developed a method for teaching the deaf to speak. Tuberculosis in the family triggered the Bells’ move from England to Canada, and an offer to present teaching methods for the deaf in Boston brought young Alexander to the United States. During his study of speech, he read a German article (Alexander could barely read German) and mistakenly thought it said that vowel sounds could be produced by electricity and tuning forks. That misconception led Alexander to begin experimenting with electricity.

At first he tried to develop a multiple telegraph and took out a patent on an invention that never worked. While experimenting, he realized that vibrations made by the voice could be picked up and changed into electrical pulses. His assistant, Thomas Watson, helped in the breakthrough by connecting some vibrating reeds too tightly. When a wire was plucked, Alexander heard the sound emanating from another reed attached to the wire. He realized that something important was happening and studied the situation for several days, making various changes. On March 7, 1876, Alexander was working on the device and spilled some acid on his pants. “Mr. Watson, come here, I want you!” he shouted. Watson, who was in another room, heard the message transmitted over the wire. The apparatus was the first working telephone.

Consider This: There is no telling what can be accomplished once you think it is possible.

Submitted by Richard

 

[NewSong]

Repentance

"For thus the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said, 'In repentance and rest you will be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength.'"




[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Isaiah 30:15[/size][/font]



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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Acts 3:19[/size][/font]



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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?"[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Romans 2:4[/size][/font]



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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Acts 8:22[/size][/font]



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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]James 4:8[/size][/font]



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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]1 John 1:9[/size][/font]



[size=+1][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]
[/size][/font][/size]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Matthew 3:11[/size][/font]



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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Mark 1:4[/size][/font]



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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Luke 5:32[/size][/font]



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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Luke 15:7[/size][/font]



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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Luke 24:47[/size][/font]



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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, 'Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.'"[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Acts 11:18[/size][/font]



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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Acts 5:31[/size][/font]



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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]2 Corinthians 7:9[/size][/font]



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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]2 Corinthians 7:10[/size][/font]



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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"With gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]2 Timothy 2:25[/size][/font]



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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Hebrews 6:1[/size][/font]



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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Hebrews 12:17[/size][/font]



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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]2 Peter 3:9[/size][/font]



[size=+1][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]
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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Mark 1:15[/size][/font]



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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"If the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed and observes all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die. All his transgressions which he has committed will not be remembered against him; because of his righteousness which he has practiced, he will live."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Ezekiel 18: 21-22[/size][/font]



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[The Story Teller]

February 26
​

Tom Landry Learns Football
​

“Coaching: To get people to do what they don’t want to do in order to achieve what they want to achieve.”
—Tom Landry
​

In the small town of Mission, Texas, during the Great Depression, a scrappy boy by the name of Tommy Landry began learning about the game of football. There were no organized leagues for kids, so Tommy and his friends would stage their own games on a field near his house. They played thousands of football games, often stopping only when their moms demanded that they come home for supper. Tommy played center and quarterback, coached, and organized the games. But he needed more than a small-town sandlot league to set him on the track to becoming one of America’s greatest sports legends. He needed a coach.

When young Tom entered Mission High School, he was fortunate to become a member of Bill Martin’s junior-varsity team. Tom thrived on the competition provided by football. The fanaticism of Friday night football in Texas, combined with the increasing success of the Mission team under Coach Martin, ignited a blaze of enthusiasm throughout the entire community. During Mission’s 1941 championship season, Tom experienced what he still remembers as his most memorable and sweetest victories. After World War II, Tom become a gridiron star at the University of Texas, then went on to play and coach in the National Football League. His astoundingly successful reign as coach of the Dallas Cowboys from 1960 through 1988, which led to his enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, possibly never would have occurred had it not been for the experience he gained under Coach Martin as a youngster in Mission, Texas.

Consider This: Raw talent plus effective coaching equals success. Seek and hire the most talented people possible, then train them to be their best.

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

February 27
​

Jay Leno’s Big Break
​

“Laffing is the sensation ov Pheeling good all over, and showing it principally in one spot.”
—Josh Billing
​

Jay Leno was headed for a career of flipping burgers. He brought home poor grades and was known as the class clown. Even when slicing potatoes into fries at a McDonald’s, he earned a reputation as a “cut-up.” Jay remembers hating homework until his English teacher, Mrs. Hawkes, encouraged him to write down some of his funny stories as a creative writing assignment. Suddenly, Jay was spending hours writing and re-writing his stories. When he read them in class, he got laughs, and that encouraged him to create more funny stories.

Jay spent plenty of time in detention. Luckily, the overseeing teacher, Mr. Walsh, liked his stories. One day he asked Jay, “Why don’t you go into show business?” That was a new concept for Jay—and it was the beginning of a dream. He got his first break as the French Fry Cut-Up in a McDonald’s talent show and won $150. While in college, Jay began learning the comedy craft by performing in non-paying, low-paying, and often sleazy joints. After spending years in New England, he decided to try his luck in California. Jay played comedy clubs and began to land small roles on TV sitcoms and in movies. To a comedian, a successful appearance on The Tonight Show is the ultimate break. It eluded Jay until one night when Steve Martin dropped by the club where he was performing. Martin liked what he saw and talked to the people at The Tonight Show, and Jay got his chance on March 2, 1977. His first Tonight Show performance drew big laughs and a “wink” from Johnny Carson, and Jay was on his way to stardom.

Consider This: Big breaks come to those whose hard work and talents prepare them for their “moment of judgment.”

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

February 28
​

The Plastics Revolution
​

“Every addition to true knowledge is an addition to human power.”
—Horace Mann
​

Recent technological inventions and discoveries have caused an explosion of businesses and products that are changing our everyday lives. In a similar way, plastics were the technological marvel of a previous era. Although Celluloid, the first plastic, was invented in England around 1850, it was an American who recognized plastic’s commercial potential. In 1868 an ivory shortage prompted a New England manufacturer of billiard balls to offer a $10,000 prize for a suitable substitute. John Wesley Hyatt purchased the British patent for Celluloid, presented it as an ivory substitute, and won the prize.

With his winnings, Hyatt not only produced billiard balls, he began to discover other uses for the new material. In 1872 the Celluloid name was trademarked. Some of the first successful Celluloid products were “wipe-clean” shirtfronts, cuffs, collars, and combs. Other uses that followed include dental plates and children’s toys. In 1889 Kodak introduced Celluloid photography film, and Thomas Edison used strips of the film to create motion pictures. In 1906 a Belgian-American named Leo Baekeland created, trademarked, and promoted another type of plastic as a rubber substitute named Bakelite. Other polymer-based products appearing in the years following include rayon, polyvinyl chloride (used in plastic pipes), plastic tableware, Plexiglas and Teflon. During World War II, plastics provided a wealth of substitutes for materials that were in short supply. After the war, the research that had begun into new uses of plastics exploded into an industry that is still growing today.

Consider This: One invention can lead to the development of an entirely new industry. Keep your eye on the cutting edge—that’s where new products and companies are born.

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

February 29
​

A Little Something Extra
​

“And if any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.”
—Jesus Christ
​

Like the extra day that is tacked onto leap year, we all take notice of a little something extra we get for our money. Everyone is familiar with the prize in Cracker Jacks. But would Cracker Jacks be around today if the company had not thought of that innovative extra? Children will always pick out the cereal that has something extra inside. In a service business, that something extra might be a call-back after a job is finished to see if the customer is satisfied. It is IBM’s policy to make call-backs to customers within twenty-four hours. To an employee, the little something extra may be a bonus or recognition for a helpful idea. Encouragement costs nothing, yet many managers hold onto it as if it were gold. In fact, it only becomes gold when it is given away. The same thing can be said of friendliness to a customer.

Many people use the phrase “go the extra mile,” which comes from a portion of the Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus tells his followers that if a soldier requires that they carry his equipment for one mile, they should carry it for two. People expect to get what they pay for, and they seldom take notice when they get only that. When someone goes the extra mile in giving the customer more than is required, the customer remembers that good feeling, develops loyalty, and tells others about it. Doing business or serving others is no more complicated than treating people with respect, kindness, and concern for their satisfaction. Go the extra mile in everything you do.

Consider This: When someone receives something from you, do they feel that they got their money’s worth—and more?

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

January 10
​

Patton’s Message of Mind Over Body
​

“Now, if you are going to win any battle, you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do.”
—Gen. George S. Patton
​

In his book Patton’s Principles, Porter Williamson recalls several of the general’s pronouncements concerning the value of a healthy mind and body. Patton demanded that every soldier run a mile every day, twenty-five years before jogging became popular. He warned his officers to stay away from desks; they were to be out talking with the troops. Too much desk work, according to Patton, soured the brain. Patton taught that one must exercise beyond the point of exhaustion to gain superior strength and stamina. To overcome the weakness of one’s body, the mind must play its part. Patton encouraged his troops to gain mental strength from daily readings of the Bible. When it was time for battle, he believed, the mind must be in charge of the body, since the body will always give up first.

Patton’s troops were some of the most feared and respected of World War II. Many times, enemy soldiers would purposely arrange to surrender to Patton’s units, since that was considered to be no disgrace. Patton demanded more physical fitness from those under his command than did any other leader. That emphasis on health gave his soldiers advantages over enemy troops that would become exhausted in battle. Today, we know that physical fitness is an important component of our own ability to face the “battles” of daily life. Exercise and diet directly influence our mental health and our ability to effectively carry out our activities.

Consider This: Is your life controlled by aches, pains, and tiredness—or by a mental determination to reach your life goals?

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

January 11
​

Billy Sunday Speaks Plainly
​

“I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth, nor actions, nor utterance, nor the power of speech to stir men’s blood: I only speak right on.”
—Shakespeare
​

Billy Sunday was a premier baseball player. He was a man’s man—tough, sweaty, and hard-drinking. One day in 1887, when Billy went out drinking with friends, he encountered a group of men and women from the Pacific Garden Mission playing gospel songs. They invited Billy and his friends to a meeting to hear alcoholics and prostitutes tell how their lives had been changed by faith in God. Something clicked inside Billy. In that moment, he turned to his friends and told them, “I’m through, I am going to Jesus Christ.”

Billy not only went to Christ, he became an evangelist. When he came to New York in 1917, the city had never seen such a religious frenzy. A special tabernacle was built to seat 20,000, the structure being so large that it took four train carloads of sawdust to cover its floor. At the revival, Billy, who appealed mostly to men, preached to over 1.5 million people. “I am the rube of rubes,” he declared. “The odor of the barnyard is on me yet. I have greased my hair with goose grease and blacked my boots with stove blacking. I have wiped my proboscis with a gunnysack towel, I have drunk coffee out of my saucer and have eaten with my knife.” Billy would prop his feet up on the pulpit, say “done it” when he should have said “did it” and “I have saw” when he should have said “I have seen.” At the end of each message, Billy would call for the people to “walk the sawdust trail” to salvation, and as a result, millions of lives were changed.

Consider This: Are you speaking the language of your clients? More people will understand what you are talking about if you communicate with them on their own level.

Submitted by Richard

 

[NewSong]

Marital Problems

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Then the LORD God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.'" [/size][/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Genesis 2:18 [/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Genesis 2:24 [/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Joshua 24:15 [/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"I will give heed to the blameless way. When will You come to me? I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Psalms 101:2 [/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Proverbs 3:5-6 [/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all transgressions." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Proverbs 10:12 [/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Romans 13:10 [/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Ephesians 4:31-32 [/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"And be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.
[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.
[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,
[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself;
[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,
because we are members of His body.
[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH.
[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.
[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Ephesians 5:21-33 [/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]1 Peter 1:22 [/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives,
[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.
Your adornment must not be merely external -- braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses;
[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.
[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands;
[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.
[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]1 Peter 3:1-7 [/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;
[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. For, [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]THE ONE WHO DESIRES LIFE, TO LOVE AND SEE GOOD DAYS, MUST KEEP HIS TONGUE FROM EVIL AND HIS LIPS FROM SPEAKING DECEIT.
[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]HE MUST TURN AWAY FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD; HE MUST SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]1 Peter 3:8-11 [/size][/font]

 

[The Story Teller]

January 12
​

Keep Your Eyes on Your Goal
​

“Successful individuals have game plans and purposes that are clearly defined to which they constantly refer.”
—Denis Waitley in Seeds of Greatness
​

Have you ever walked near the edge of a cliff or on a small plank bridge over a crevice? Most people catch themselves looking down to see where they might fall. Feeding our fears of what might happen often makes that which we fear more likely to happen. Karl Wallenda thrilled millions of people during decades of high-wire walking. He walked tightropes that spanned stadiums, rivers, and buildings, and performed almost anywhere that a crowd could gather. He frequently said that, for him, living was walking a tightrope. Wire walking came naturally to the “Great Wallenda.” Then one day Karl mentioned to his wife that he was concerned about falling. Before performing that day, he checked and re-checked the wire’s tautness and its anchors. Never before had Karl shown such concern. Later, as he was performing an easy walk between two buildings without a safety net, Karl fell to his death. He had stopped concentrating on the walk and had begun to think about falling.

While training for sporting events, athletes often are taught how to visualize the desired outcome of a game, a jump, a dive, or a race. Thinking about a positive outcome gives the mind encouragement to make the body attain what the mind “sees.” Have you noticed that when you tell small children not to do something, that is exactly what they do? We end up doing or obtaining those things we think about.

Consider This: Are you concentrating on your goals or on the risks? Respect your risks, but once you have begun your journey, put all of your concentration, passion, and creative energies into the task at hand.

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

January 13
​

Dress Your Business for Success
​

“The clothes make the man.”
—Latin proverb
​

Much has been said about the concept of “dressing for success.” What a business “wears” also makes a difference to customers and employees. For instance, when people enter the national headquarters of Frito-Lay, they will find a large bowl of hand-selected chips, carefully chosen to represent the best the company produces. A customer walking into Sewell Village Cadillac in Dallas will find the showroom filled with beautiful antiques. Trammell Crow, one of the largest real-estate developers in the United States, made a fortune constructing warehouse buildings that offered such amenities as first-class offices and manicured lawns with fresh flowers and shrubs. Part of the continued success of the Disney theme parks is their constant attention to authenticity and cleanliness. The McDonald’s restaurant chain is very strict with its franchisees concerning the upkeep of their stores. A popular admonition to restaurant workers is, “If you have time to lean, you have time to clean.”

It should not be surprising that these companies are among the top producers in their fields. Their attention to the details of public perception carries over to their attention to the other details of business. There are probably small “mom-and-pop” type stores you are familiar with that have a reputation for always being attractive and pleasant. Clear signs that a retail store is in trouble include items that are sloppily arranged on the shelves, a parking lot that is not swept, and clerks that can never be found. A company that pays attention to its public image dresses the entire organization for success.

Consider This: How is your organization presented to the public, customer, and employee? Are you concentrating on getting the details right?

Submitted by Richard

 

[NewSong]

Sin


[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Psalm 38:3[/size][/font]



[size=+1][/size]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"For my iniquities are gone over my head; as a heavy burden they weigh too much for me."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Psalm 38:4[/size][/font]



[size=+1][/size]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1] "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me."
"Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Psalm 51:2-4[/size][/font]



[size=+1][/size]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"'Come now, and let us reason together,' says the LORD, 'Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.'"[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Isaiah 1:18[/size][/font]



[size=+1][/size]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Behold, the LORD's hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Isaiah 59:1[/size][/font]



[size=+1][/size]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"For this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Matthew 26:28[/size][/font]



[size=+1][/size]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Romans 5:8-10[/size][/font]



[size=+1][/size]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Isaiah 53:12[/size][/font]



[size=+1][/size]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Galatians 5:19-21[/size][/font]



[size=+1][/size]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,' declares the LORD, 'for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.'"[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Jeremiah 31:34[/size][/font]



[size=+1][/size]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Galatians 6:7-9[/size][/font]



[size=+1][/size]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]1 John 1:8-10[/size][/font]



[size=+1][/size]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]1 John 2:1-2[/size][/font]



[size=+1][/size]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!'"[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]John 1:29[/size][/font]



[size=+1][/size]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.'"[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]John 8:34[/size][/font]



[size=+1][/size]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Romans 4:8[/size][/font]



[size=+1][/size]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Romans 6:12[/size][/font]



[size=+1][/size]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]2 Corinthians 5:21[/size][/font]



[size=+1][/size]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Ephesians 4:26[/size][/font]



[size=+1][/size]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]1 Timothy 5:22[/size][/font]



[size=+1][/size]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]1 John 5:17[/size][/font]



[size=+1][/size]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Hebrews 12:1[/size][/font]



[size=+1][/size]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]1 John 1:7[/size][/font]



[size=+1][/size]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"By sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]1 Corinthians 8:12[/size][/font]



[size=+1][/size]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called 'Today,' so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin."[/size][/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Hebrews 3:13[/size][/font]



[size=+1][/size]

 

[The Story Teller]

January 14
​

Getting a Foot in the Door
​

“I can tell where my own shoe pinches me.”
—Don Quixote
​

Young Billy Scholl showed an interest in shoes from his childhood. He liked working with leather and made harnesses for the family farm’s horses. He repaired and made shoes for twelve brothers and sisters. In response to his interests, Billy’s parents apprenticed him to a local cobbler at the age of sixteen. One year later, he went to Chicago to work as a cobbler and shoe salesman. The number of foot ailments he encountered concerned Billy. The big city and the fast pace of modern times were rough on feet. Customers suffered from bunions, corns, and fallen arches. Billy saw a huge need, and decided to become the “foot doctor to the world.” He enrolled in the Illinois Medical College, and by the time he had graduated in 1904, he had patented his first invention, an arch support called the Foot-Eazer.

Billy opened his own store and began producing arch supports for other shoe stores. To sell his wares, he would go to a shoe store and pull a skeleton of a human foot out of his bag. He would then proceed to explain the ailments of the foot to the proprietor and inevitably take an order for his product. For more than sixty years, Billy personally promoted his own products with flair and enthusiasm. He established a correspondence course for shoe clerks and hired consultants to criss-cross the country, giving lectures on foot-care products. Billy Scholl’s enthusiastic dedication to good foot care and his endurance as an able spokesman has made his name a household word.

Consider This: You are at your best when you are promoting something you really believe in—and when you promote it with enthusiasm, pizzazz, and knowledge.

Submitted by Richard