Love for Others
Love Your Neighbor As Yourself
My daughter
Hannah practiced for two weeks for the high school cheerleader tryouts. She had
been a junior varsity cheerleader but wanted to move to the top squad. Only
three varsity spots were available in a school of about two thousands students.
And Hannah was nervous about competing against the other girls.
“Dad, do
you think God wants me to make the varsity squad?” she asked.
“Practice
as hard as you can,” I answered. “Do your best at the tryouts, and leave the
results to God.”
Her best
friend, Melissa, who was already a varsity cheerleader, practiced with Hannah
every day to help her make the varsity squad. They had talked about how fun it
would be if they could cheer together. Melissa taught her the proper way to jump
and encouraged her to keep a smile on her face. When Hannah became discouraged,
Melissa always egged her on with, “You can do it, Hannah! I know you can!”
On the day
of the tryouts over a hundred girls showed up to compete for the three spots.
That afternoon each girl performed a routine in front of the judges. The results
of the competition would be posted at 9:45 p.m. Although each contestant had
high hopes of making the squad, all but three would go home heartbroken that
evening.
Just before
10:00 p.m., Hannah came bursting in our front door sobbing uncontrollably.
Immediately my wife, Cindy, and I jumped out of our chairs and rushed over to
comfort her for not making the cheerleading squad. Cindy patted her on the back
and said, “It’s OK that you didn’t make varsity cheerleader. We still love you,
and we’re glad that you tried.”
Hannah
continued to cry. She finally settled down and explained what happened.
“Mom and
Dad, I did make varsity. But Melissa didn’t make it! The judges demoted
her to the junior varsity squad and gave me her place on the varsity. She’s
devastated. I hurt so badly for her!”
We were
stunned. Melissa had gone the extra mile to help Hannah make the varsity team so
they could cheer together. We certainly didn’t expect this strange turn of
events. With hands covering her face, Hannah continued to weep. “I don’t want to
be a varsity cheerleader now. I want my junior varsity position back so Melissa
can stay on varsity. Do you think the judges will let me swap places with her? I
love her so much. Now she says she has nothing to live for.”
“Hannah, I
don’t think the judges would allow that,” I said.
She
realized what she needed to do. Immediately she got up, walked out the front
door, and drove to Melissa’s house. She wanted to comfort Melissa that night, so
she slept on the floor next to her bed. Hannah knew the best thing she could do
was to be near her friend during this difficult time.
The next
few days Hannah helped her work through her devastation. Melissa put her
disappointment behind her and excelled in other ways during her remaining years
in high school.
I watched
Hannah lead cheers at varsity football and basketball games for the next two
years. But that’s not what I remember most about her cheerleading career. My
fondest memory was the night she slept on the floor of a hurting friend.
When you
swap places with others to feel how they hurt, you’ve taken the first step
toward loving your neighbor as yourself.
(Kent
Crockett, I Once Was Blind But Now I Squint, Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers,
2004, 85-86)
Lust
Love vs Lust
Don’t
confuse being “in love” with being “in lust.” A pastor told me about a young
couple who fell madly in lust with each other. He said, “They aren’t in
love—they’re in heat!”
(Kent
Crockett, I Once Was Blind But Now I Squint, Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers,
2004, 120)
The Only Way to Overcome Lust
The only
way to overcome lust is through a genuine work of the Holy Spirit in your heart.
(Kent
Crockett, I Once Was Blind But Now I Squint, Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers,
2004, 123)
Self-Control Instead of Remote Control
I once
counseled a man who had a weakness for watching pornographic movies in his motel
room when he went on business trips. I told him he needed to use self-control
instead of the remote control. If he never turned on the television set, he
couldn’t be tempted by it. I advised him to forget the TV, but instead take
Christian books and his Bible to read.
It worked.
He made a plan before he arrived at the motel to replace television-watching
with book-reading. By keeping his mind occupied, he conquered the temptation.
(Kent
Crockett, I Once Was Blind But Now I Squint, Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers,
2004, 125)
A Nationwide Problem
Americans are renting 800
million pornographic videos and DVDs per year. --HomeLife, February 2007
Lying
How Hitler Got People to Follow Him
"If you tell a big enough lie and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it." --Joseph Goebbels, Adolf Hitler's propoganda minister
Too Many Lies
Saint Peter stopped a man
who was trying to enter the gates of heaven. "You've told too many lies to be
permitted in here," he said.
The man protested. "Have a heart. Remember, you were once a fisherman yourself." --Reader's Digest
The Two Story House
A man said, "I just
bought a 2-story house. The realtor told me one story before I bought it, and
another story after I bought it."
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Marriage
If You Were Married to You
Let’s suppose that everyone on this planet is an absolutely identical
clone of you. You all have the same preferences and opinions. Everyone thinks
the same. Each individual sees from your viewpoint.
Now imagine—hypothetically, of course—that you are married to you.
Would you have a perfect marriage? Would you ever argue with yourself? What if
you both wanted the last piece of chicken? Suppose neither of you wanted to take
out the trash. What if you were both in bad moods?
Yes, you would still have arguments with yourself if you were married
to you. You would find out how difficult it can be to live with yourself. You
might even ask yourself for a divorce!
(Kent Crockett, I Once Was Blind But Now I Squint, Chattanooga, TN: AMG
Publishers, 2004, 7-8)
Perfect Pictures of Marriage
Dr. Howard
Hendricks has said people get married with a picture in their minds of a perfect
marriage. Then after a few trials, they discover they aren't married to a
perfect picture, but an imperfect person. When this realization occurs, they
will either tear up the picture or they will tear up the person. (Kent Crockett,
The 911 Handbook, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2003, 86)
Love is blind, but . . .
"Love is blind. Marriage
is an eye-opener." --Leonard Ravenhill
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Changing Your Spouse
A young bride-to-be was
at the rehearsal for her wedding. She was nervous and having a hard time
remembering what she was supposed to do when she walked down the aisle. The
minister said, “Relax, it’s not hard. First, all you need to do is slowly walk
down the aisle. Second, walk straight at the altar. Third, when get to the
altar, turn and look at him—your husband to be. If you’ll just remember those 3
things, you’ll do just fine.”
The next day, everyone
was seated at the church and it was time for her to walk down the aisle. As the
organist played the Wedding March, she walked down the aisle saying out loud,
“Aisle. . .altar. . .him. Aisle. . .altar. . .him. I’ll alter him!”
Thousands of brides have
walked down the aisle saying the same thing—“I’ll alter him. I’ll change him!”
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The Reason Women Talk So Much
A husband was reading the
newspaper and told his wife, "This article says that a woman speaks 30,000 words
per day, while a man only speaks 15,000 words."
The wife replied, "The
reason has to be because a woman has to say everything twice."
The husband looked up
from reading the newspaper and asked, "What?"
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Comparing a Spouse With a Parent
A husband told his wife,
"I wish you could bake bread like my Momma did."
His wife replied, "I wish
you could bring home the dough like by Daddy did."
Don't compare your spouse
with a parent because marriage means to leave your father and mother.
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Quotes about Marriage
"The first miracle Jesus
performed was at a wedding. Jesus can still do a miracle with your wedding."
--Kent Crockett
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Sign on marriage clerk's
window: "Out to lunch. Back at 1 o'clock. Think it over."
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"Forgiveness is a repair
kit for marriage, but good communication prevents the damage from happening."
--Kent Crockett
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"The best marriage in the
world is two servants in love. The worst marriage in the world is two masters in
love." --Jimmy Evans
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"The wedding ring is that
small piece of jewelry placed on the finger that cuts off your circulation"
--unknown
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"Show me 12 drunkards and
I will show you 12 nagging wives." --Charles Spurgeon
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"A Prenuptial Agreement
is a legal document that says, 'I love you almost as much as my money.'" --Gene
Appel
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"Marriage is like a
violin. When the music stops, the strings are still attached." --unknown
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"The grass is always
greener on the other side of the altar." --Dr. James Kennedy
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"Marriage can be heaven
or hell. It will be as much of heaven as there is God in it, and as much of hell
as there is devil in it." --unknown
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"Two can live as cheaply
as one--if one doesn't eat the other goes naked." --W. A. Criswell
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"Two can live as cheaply
as one--but only for 1/2 a month." --unknown
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Honeymoon Sandwich
Honeymoon Sandwich: Just lettuce alone
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www.kentcrockett.com
After 50 Years of Marriage
A couple had been married
for 50 years and a party was thrown for their golden anniversary. The husband
was very moved by the occasion and wanted to tell his wife how much he thought
of her. She was hard of hearing, however, and often misunderstood what he said.
With family and friends gathered around, he toasted her and said, “My dear wife,
after 50 years I’ve found you tried and true!”
Everyone clapped for
them, but his wife was a little irritated and asked, “What did you say?” He
spoke louder, “After 50 years, I’ve found you tried and true!”
The wife was now visibly
upset and shouted back, “Well, after 50 years I’m tired of you, too!”
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Cooking by Newlyweds
·
A couple sat down to eat their first meal as newlyweds. The wife said, "Today I
learned how to make meat loaf and banana pudding." The husband looked at his
plate and said, "That's nice, Honey. Which one is this?"
·
A husband told his friend, "My wife doesn't know how to make pot roast, but she
does know how to make roast pot!"
·
A newlywed husband posted a sign in his kitchen: "Duncan Hines wept here!"
·
Newlywed's recipe for toast: "Burn, then scrape"
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www.kentcrockett.com
Removing the Curse
A man had
been under a curse for 30 years. He walked for miles over rugged terrain and
climbed a mountain to find a guru who could free him. When he got to the top of
the mountain, the guru asked, “Why have you come?” He said, “I need for you to
remove a curse that was placed on me.”
The guru
said, “I can remove the curse, but I must know the exact words that were used to
put the curse on you. What were they?” The man answered, “The words were: ‘I now
pronounce you husband and wife!’"
Kent
Crockett’s Sermon Illustrations,
www.kentcrockett.com
The Maturity Factor
Females who wait until
they are at least twenty years of age to marry are nearly four times more likely
to stay married than those who exchange vows in their teens.
Christian News Standard, October 2006, as cited in In
Other Words.
Mercy
The Meaning of Mercy
"The real meaning of
mercy is that it can look on failure and still see a future." --John Claypool
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And Justice For All?
"The problem is we want
justice for everyone else and mercy for ourselves."
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Mid-Life
How Mid-Life Looks
Someone has said that youth looks forward, old age looks backward, and middle age looks worried. (Kent Crockett, The 911 Handbook, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2003, 149)
Mid-Life is When . . .
Mid-life is
when:
You know
all the answers--but nobody asks you the questions.
You are too
tired to work--but too broke to quit.
Your work
is less fun--and your fun is more work.
Your narrow
waist and your broad mind change places.
You have
more hair growing in your ears than on your head.
You read
the obituary page every day to see if anyone your age has died.
(Kent
Crockett, The 911 Handbook, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2003, 149)
Mistakes
Causing Our Own Mistakes
A famous pianist had a
habit of taking a drink before his performances. One evening he drank a little
too much.
After the concert, he
asked a friend how he did.
The friend replied, "You
didn't miss a wrong note!"
Sometimes we cause our
own mistakes through irresponsible behavior.
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Money
Does She Love Me or my Money?
A wealthy
elderly man married a beautiful young woman. Not long afterward, he began to
wonder if she married him for his money or love for him. He decided to consult a
counselor.
“Doc, my
problem is driving me crazy. I need to know if my wife really loves me or if she
just married me for my money.”
“The answer
is simple,” the counselor explained. “Give away all your money except just
enough to live on. If your wife stays, she loves you. If she leaves, she loves
your money.”
(Kent
Crockett, I Once Was Blind But Now I Squint, Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers,
2004, 62)
If Your Money Could Talk
If money
could talk, where would it say it had been?
A
one-dollar bill met a fifty-dollar bill and said, “Hey, I haven’t seen you
around here much. Where have you been?”
The
fifty-dollar bill answered, “Oh, I spent some time around casinos and playing
the lottery, and then I went on a cruise and made the rounds on the ship. I came
back to the United States for a while, went to a couple of pro football games,
to the mall—that kind of stuff. Where have you been?
The
one-dollar bill said, “You know, same old place—church, church, church.”
One day our money will talk because we will give an account to God for what we did with it. Although we can't see inside a person's heart, we can see where his treasure goes. (Kent Crockett, Making Today Count for Eternity, Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, 2001, p. 70)
Where Your Treasure Is
If our
treasure is in heaven, our hearts will be there. If our investments are on
earth, our hearts will be here. Our hearts and treasure are interlocked.
I know a
man who invested a considerable amount of money in the stock market. When his
stock went up in value, his spirit was high. But when his stock went down, he
became depressed. His treasure and heart rode together in the same roler coaster
car. He invested his treasure in the stock market and, sure enough, his heart
was also invested in it. (Kent Crockett, Making Today Count for Eternity,
Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, 2001, p. 71)
Marrying For Money
Robert had
never been married and still lived at home with his elderly father. His mother
had passed away several years before. Now that his father was sick and near
death, he was the sole heir to inherit a fortune. His father told him, "Robert,
you're going to be lonely living in this big house by yourself. You need to go
find yourself a wife to keep you company."
So, he went
to a singles bar, and spotted a woman whose beauty took his breath away. He
boldly walked up to her and said, "Right now, I'm just an ordinary man. But a
month or two from now, my father will pass away and I'll inherit over 20 million
dollars." The woman gladly went home with Robert and he introduced her to his
father.
Four days
later, she got married and became his stepmother.
Kent
Crockett's Sermon Illustrations,
www.kentcrockett.com
True Security?
"Keep a few hundred million at least, because you never know. Things could get really tough." --Ted Turner speaking to 300 fellow philanthropists, In Other Words 11/24/06
A Miserable Millionaire
Former heavyweight boxing
champion George Foreman, in his book God in My Corner, explains how money
couldn't buy him happiness. He writes:
Before I met God, my
attitude was about as bad as it could get. Even when everything was going well
for me, I couldn’t see it. And I didn’t appreciate it. When Muhammad Ali fought
me for the heavyweight championship, I received a five-million-dollar paycheck.
That purse was an astronomical amount of money in those days, and would be worth
many times more than that amount in today’s dollars. No fighters had ever been
so well-paid in the history of boxing. You’d think that being a multimillionaire
would bring instant joy to my soul.
It didn’t. Because I lost
the boxing match, I couldn’t enjoy my money. I had five million dollars in the
bank, but couldn’t find pleasure in even one penny of it!
I chose to see the worst
in my situation, and my stomach was tied up in knots as a result. My sour
attitude caused me to sink into deep depression, even though I was filthy rich.
Five million dollars could buy me anything I wanted—except happiness. (George
Foreman, God in My Corner, Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2007, p.71-72)
How Rich Are You?
People living in North America, Europe, and high-income Asia-Pacific countries hold 90% of the world's wealth. If your household assets exceed $61,000 (home equity, cars, retirement, investments) then you are among the richest 10% in the world. You're in the top 1% of global wealth if your assets top $500,000. Half of the earth's adult population, 1.8 billion, has less than 1% of the world's wealth. (U.S. News & World Report, 12/18/06)
Millions starving--but she leaves money to a dog
After Leona Helmsley died in August 2007, she left her dog a $12 million trust fund to provide luxurious care until death. Then the dog will be buried next to her in their $1.4 million mausoleum. Her will calls for their new mausoleum to be washed or steam-cleaned at least once a year and has left $3 million to cover the tab.
The Unlucky Lottery
In December
2002, Jack Whittaker won $314.9 million in the lottery. He opted for the
lump-sum payout of $170 million, which was $93 million after taxes. But 5 years
later, he seems to have been another victim of “the lottery curse.” Whittaker’s
wife has left him, his drug-addicted granddaughter died, his daughter has
cancer, and he's struggled with alcohol and gambling. He claims he doesn't have
any friends and has been involved in 460 legal actions since hitting the
jackpot.
Ironically,
Whittaker was a multi-millionaire before winning the lottery. He had built a
pipeline business worth $17 million. Even after adding $93 million to that
amount, the 59-year-old West Virginian said, "I don't have any friends. Every
friend that I've had, practically, has wanted to borrow money or something and,
of course, once they borrow money from you, you can't be friends anymore."
Whittaker
said, "I'm only going to be remembered as the lunatic who won the lottery. I'm
not proud of that. I wanted to be remembered as someone who helped a lot of
people." Jack Whittaker bought a Powerball ticket and learned the painful truth
that money can’t make anyone happy. Houston Chronicle, 9/14/07 as cited
in In Other Words, September 2007, Issue #2.