Keep Your Heart of Compassion Open

When my dad and I were traveling overseas to a Third World coun­try, our
plane stopped to refuel on a small island out in the middle of nowhere. We
had an hour layover, so we all got off the plane to stretch. The airport
was nothing more than a makeshift building with a thatched roof and a few
benches and a snack bar. I went over to get something to eat, and when I
came back, I saw my dad talking to a bedraggled-looking guy who looked to
be about my age.

I had noticed the fellow when I got off the plane. Actually, it was
difficult not to notice him. He was lying on the floor outside the
build­ing, and it seemed obvious that he had been there for quite some
time.
He and Daddy talked that whole hour while the plane was being serviced.
When it came time for us to leave, I watched my dad pull out his wallet and
give the young man some money. When we got back on the plane, I asked,
“Daddy, what was that all about? What was that young man doing here? What’s
his story?”
He said, “Joel, he was headed back home to the States, but he ran out of
money. He’s been here for a couple of weeks, all alone, stranded. So I gave
him enough money to get home.”
Daddy’s eyes welled with tears as he said, “When I got off the plane and
saw him lying there on the ground, I had so much compassion for him. I just
wanted to pick him up and hug him. I wanted to love and comfort him, and
tell him that he was going to make it.” He said, “All I could think about,
Joel, was, What if that was one of my sons? What if that was you? What if
that was Paul? What if that was one of my daughters? How I would want
somebody to help one of my children!”
Daddy was sowing seeds of compassion and love. He was making a difference
in the world. There’s no telling what kind of impact he made on that young
man life. Who knows? Maybe that fellow had never before experienced the
love of God and the goodness of God. But he’ll never forget that moment.
He’ll never forget the time some stranger, just passing through on a plane,
willingly gave him help in a hopeless situation. Perhaps, at his lowest
moment, he’ll remember that somebody cared for him, somebody was concerned,
so surely there must be a God who loves him.
Seeds of God’s goodness and compassion were planted in that young man’s
heart, and he’ll never be the same. But notice, it all started out of a
heart filled with compassion, when Daddy took time to listen to the young
man’s story.

The Ability to Empathize

One definition of compassion is simply “feeling what other people feel,
being concerned, showing that you care.” In other words, when you see
somebody in need, you feel their pain. You take time to com­fort them. When
somebody is discouraged, you feel that discourage­ment. You take it to
heart and you do your best to cheer them up. If you see somebody struggling
financially, you don’t just pat them on the back and give them a quick
Scripture verse. No, you take time for them, and you do what you can to
help. You have a genuine concern. You show them that you really care.
Everywhere you go these days people are hurting. People are dis­couraged;
many have broken dreams. They’ve made mistakes, and now their lives are in
a mess. They need to feel God’s compassion and His unconditional love. They
don’t need somebody to judge and criticize them, or to tell them what
they’re doing wrong. (In most cases, they already know that!) They need
somebody to bring hope, somebody to bring healing, somebody to show God’s
mercy. Really, they’re looking for a friend, somebody who will be there to
encourage them, who will take the time to listen to their story and
genuinely care.
This world is desperate to experience the love and compassion of our God.
More than any other human attribute, I believe our world is crying out for
people with compassion, people who love uncondition­ally, people who will
take some time to help their fellow sojourners on this planet.
We’re all so busy. We have our own priorities and important plans and
agendas. Often, our attitude is: I don’t want to be inconvenienced. Don’t
bother me with your problems. I’ve got enough problems of my own. But the
Scripture says, “If anyone sees his brother in need yet closes his heart of
compassion, how can the love of God be in him?” Interesting, isn’t it?
God’s Word implies that we each have a heart of compassion, but the
question is whether it is opened or closed.
Furthermore, the Bible says, “We are to continually walk in love being
guided by love and following love.” When God puts love and compassion in
your heart toward someone, He’s offering you an opportunity to make a
difference in that person’s life. You must learn to follow that love. Don’t
ignore it. Act on it. Somebody needs what you have.
Certainly, when God created us, He put His supernatural love in all of our
hearts. He’s placed in you the potential to have a kind, caring, gentle,
loving spirit. You have the ability to empathize, to feel what other people
are feeling. Because you were created in the image of God, you have the
moral capacity to experience God’s compassion in your heart. But too often,
because of our own selfishness, we choose to close our hearts to
compassion.
How can you tell if your heart is open or closed? Easy. Are you con­cerned
about other people, or are you concerned about only yourself? Do you take
time to make a difference, to encourage others, to lift their spirits, to
make people feel better about themselves? Do you follow the flow of love
that God puts in your heart toward somebody in need? Or are you too busy
with your own plans?
If you want to live your best life now, you must make sure that you keep
your heart of compassion open. We need to be on the lookout for people we
can bless. We need to be willing to be interrupted and in­convenienced
every once in a while if it means we can help to meet somebody else’s need.
If you study the life of Jesus, you will discover that He always took time
for people. He was never too busy with His own agenda, with His own plans.
He wasn’t so caught up in Himself that He was unwilling to stop and help a
person in need. He could have easily said, “Listen, I’m busy. I have a
schedule to keep. I’m on My way to the next city, and I’ve already been
delayed.” But no, Jesus had compassion on people. He was concerned about
what they were going through, and He will­ingly took the time to help. He
freely gave of His life. I believe He de­mands nothing less from those who
claim to be His followers today.
Many people are unhappy and are not experiencing life to its fullest
because they’ve closed their hearts to compassion. They are motivated by
only what they want and what they think they need. They rarely do anything
for anybody else unless they have an ulterior goal in mind. They are
self-involved and self-centered.
But if you want to experience God’s abundant life, you must get your focus
off yourself and start taking time to help other people. You must exhibit
and express God’s love and goodness wherever you go. You must be a person
of compassion.
“But Joel, I’ve got so many problems,” I hear you saying. “If I spend all
my time helping other people, how am I ever going to get my prob­lems
solved and my needs met? When am I ever going to get my life straightened
out?”
Take my word for this: If you will focus on meeting other people’s needs,
God will always make sure your needs are supplied. God will take care of
your problems for you.

Take the Time to Listen

Interestingly, Jesus was very patient with people. He took the time to
listen to their stories. He wasn’t in a big hurry. He didn’t try to see how
quickly He could get rid of a person so He could move on to somebody more
important or do what He wanted to do. Instead, He pa­tiently took the time
to listen to each person’s struggles. And He did what was necessary to meet
their needs.
Sometimes if we would just take the time to listen to people, we could help
initiate a healing process in their lives. So many people today have hurt
and pain bottled up inside them. They have nobody they can talk to; they
don’t really trust anybody anymore. If you can open your heart of
compassion and be that person’s friend without judging or condemning—and
simply have an ear to listen, you may help lift that heavy burden. You
don’t have to know all the answers. You just need to care.
More than our advice, more than our instruction, people need our listening
ears. Many people simply need somebody they can talk to, somebody with whom
they can be honest. They just need a friend they can count on. You will be
amazed at what a positive impact you can have in the world if you will just
learn to be a good listener.
The other day a man came up to me and began telling me about his problem—in
great detail. The person went on and on. About four or five times, I tried
my best to jump in, to interrupt his monologue long enough to give him my
expert advice, but I couldn’t get an opening. I thought, I have a wonderful
piece of advice. I’ve got a great Scripture for you. I know exactly what
you need to do. I tried and tried, but I just could not get a word in
edgewise. I kept listening and listening, looking all the while for my
opportunity, but it never came. Finally, the fellow finished telling me all
about his struggle, and just as I was about to give him my great wisdom, he
let out a big sigh, and said, “Boy, I feel so much better. God just spoke
to me and told me what to do.” Then he turned around and walked away! I was
so disappointed I al­most ran after him.
Then I realized that he didn’t need my profound wisdom; he didn’t need my
solution to his problem. He didn’t need my advice; he just needed my ears
to listen.
We need to learn to be better listeners. God can speak to people and tell
them what to do while they’re speaking to you about their strug­gle. Don’t
always be so quick to give your opinion. Be sensitive to what the real need
is in the person you hope to help. Too frequently, what we really want to
do is just shut them down, give them a quick word of en­couragement, a
semi-appropriate Scripture verse, and a fifteen-second prayer; then we can
go on and do what we want to do. But God wants us to take time for people,
to hear with our hearts, to show them we’re concerned, to show them we
really care.

Reaching Out

I used to feel compassion for people all the time, but I didn’t know what
it was. I thought I was just feeling sorry for them. But one day I realized
that was God speaking to me, wanting me to pour out His love and show His
mercy to people in need. Throughout life, God will lead us to people in
need. If you are sensitive to it, you will discern His su­pernatural love
welling up inside you, directing you toward a person or situation that God
wants to help through you. But you must recognize what is happening and
then follow that love. A lot of times we make God’s leading too
complicated. We all want God to speak to us, to lead us, to tell us where
to go and to whom we should extend kindness, love, mercy, or some physical
aid. We think we’ll feel goose bumps or hear thunder in the heavens. But
friend, when you feel love, you are feeling God. That’s God talking to you.
When you feel compassion to­ward someone, that’s God’s way of telling you
to be a blessing to that person. Go encourage them. See how you can make
his or her life better.
You may be in a crowded restaurant when, suddenly, you feel a tremendous
concern and compassion for somebody sitting across the room. You sense a
heavy burden for them, and you have a desire to help them. You may not even
know that person, but you want his or her life to be better. That may well
be God talking to you, prompting you to be a blessing to that person. Why
not buy their dinner? Slip them a note and tell them that you’re praying
for them. Stop by their table to extend a word of encouragement. Do
something to express the love that God is prompting within you.
Certainly, you must be discerning. Make sure that it is God prompt­ing you
and not some other motive. But more often than not, when you reach out with
concern and compassion, your overture will not be squelched or rejected.
“Come on, Joel, those people in that restaurant are doing fine. They’re
over there laughing and having a good time. They look as though they don’t
have a problem in the world. They don’t need my money. They’re going to
think I’m crazy if I pay for their dinner or tell them I’m praying for
them.”
Perhaps, but probably not. God would not give you such a strong level of
compassion for them if they didn’t need what you have to give. They may be
smiling on the outside, but you don’t know what they’re going through on
the inside. Only God can see a person’s heart. And God knows when people
are hurting. He knows the people who are lonely. He knows the people who
are about to make a wrong decision. And if you’ll dare to step out in faith
and reach out to them in love, let­ting them know you’re concerned, you
could be the one who helps turn a life around or keeps a person’s life on
the right course. You never know what one word of encouragement might do.
You don’t know the impact just one simple act of kindness might have.
A few years back, I woke up one morning and I had a real strong concern and
compassion for an old friend of mine. I hadn’t seen him in years, and
hadn’t talked to him for at least fifteen years, but he was one of my best
friends growing up. We played a lot of sports and spent a lot of time
together. All day long, I kept thinking about him, for no apparent reason.
I was just hoping that he was doing okay.
It finally dawned on me that maybe God was speaking to me, and I needed to
take action. I decided to give my old buddy a call to say hello and see how
he was doing. I had no idea how to get in touch with him. But I finally
tracked him down and called him.
My friend answered the phone, and I said, “Hey, man, this is Joel Osteen.
I’ve been thinking about you all day long. How have you been doing?”
The phone went completely silent. Not a word. I thought, This is very odd.
I didn’t know what was going on, but I stayed on the line. After about
fifteen or twenty seconds, I noticed that my buddy was all broken up on the
other end of the line. I could tell that he was weep­ing. This fellow was
one of the toughest athletes around as we were growing up. I had never seen
him shed a tear. But he was now. When he finally composed himself, he said,
“Joel, my wife just recently left me. And I’ve been so depressed and
discouraged.” He said, “I’m not a religious person, but I prayed, ‘God, if
You’re still out there, if You really love me, if You’re concerned at all,
just give me some kind of sign.’ And then the phone rang, and it was you.”
God knows what He’s doing. He knows who’s hurting. He knows who’s at the
end of their rope. If you will follow that flow of love and compassion
wherever it leads, you may be the answer to a desperate, lonely person’s
prayer. You may not fully realize the impact one brief phone call can have.
You may not realize the significance of what it means to a hurting, lonely
person to hear the words “I’ve been think­ing about you. I’ve been
concerned about you. I love you. I believe in you. I want to be praying for
you. I’m going to stand with you.” You may have forgotten how powerful and
life-changing those simple words of hope can be. Let love lead you through
life. Don’t ever ignore that feeling of compassion inside you. Learn to
follow the flow of God’s divine love. He will direct your paths and show
you where and how to express it.
Sometimes, you may have to risk appearing silly or super-spiritual, or
downright foolish, but it would be better to err on the side of being too
compassionate than to miss a person for whom you may be the last hope.
About fifteen years ago, during a service at Lakewood Church, my mother was
at the podium sharing a Scripture and welcoming vis­itors as usual.
Suddenly, Mother put her head down, and for no apparent reason, she began
to weep. Sitting in the audience, my family and I wondered what was going
on. Mother stood there silently for thirty or forty-five more seconds.
Finally, she lifted her head and said, “Don’t do it. Don’t do it. Somebody
here is about to do something you shouldn’t do. Please, don’t do it!”
It was a moving time in our service. The entire congregation spent a few
minutes praying. About that time, we noticed a beautiful young lady walking
from the very back of the auditorium. She was crying as she approached the
front of the building. After talking with her, we discovered that she had
been extremely depressed because she was pregnant and not married. Her mind
was filled with torment to the de­gree that she felt her life just wasn’t
worth living. She had already writ­ten her suicide note and left it at
home. But something told her to go to church one more time. She had not
intended to change her mind, but Mother’s words, “Don’t do it. Don’t do
it,” supernaturally pierced her heart. All at once, she realized God loved
her. God was concerned about her. God had a future for her. That one moment
saved her life and totally turned her life around.
How we need to learn to follow the flow of God’s compassion! Had Mother
thought, Oh, that’s silly. People will think I’m being overly dramatic or
foolish, a young woman and her baby may not be alive today
God may be prompting you about somebody to whom you need to reach out. If
somebody’s name keeps coming up in your mind, and you feel compassion
toward them, do something about it. Don’t put it off; make a phone call;
stop by to visit that person, or make contact in an­other appropriate
manner.
“I’ll pray for them privately.” you may say “Isn’t that good enough?” It
might be, if that is what God is directing you to do. But often, God wants
you to do more than pray for them. He wants you to contact that person to
whom He wants to express love and compassion. Per­haps He wants you to go
see them face-to-face, to look them in the eye and tell them that God loves
them and you love them. He may instruct you to put your arms around that
“untouchable” person and let them feel your concern. If he or she is too
far away, God may direct you to pick up the phone and let them hear your
voice expressing His love for that person. Don’t rule out a road trip, but
if God leads you to travel to a distant location to express His love and
compassion, He will pro­vide specific, unequivocal directions.
You may be feeling a special love toward your parents. Perhaps you’ve been
saying, “As soon as I get time, I’m going to visit them. As soon as I get
through this busy season at work, as soon as my kids get a break from
school, then I’m going to go.” Don’t put it off. We have to understand,
when God’s compassion rises up in us and we feel a special love toward
someone, it is there for a specific reason. God didn’t stimulate compassion
within you for that person just because He was bored and didn’t have
anything else to do. No, God put that concern in your heart and mind on
purpose. Now you need to respond to it. Recognize that although your
understanding may be limited, God can see the future. He can see the big
picture for our lives. We must learn to quickly follow that flow of
compassion.

An Irreplaceable Moment

Early one morning a few years ago, I got a phone call from my dad. At that
time, Daddy had been on kidney dialysis for about two months. He said,
“Joel, I didn’t sleep too much last night, and I really need to get up to
the clinic to take dialysis. Can you come and take me?”
I said, “Sure, Daddy. I’ll be right there.” I looked at my watch and was
surprised that it was around four o’clock in the morning. I quickly dressed
and drove toward Mother and Daddy’s home. As I was driving, I felt
tremendous love and concern for my dad. Not a normal affection; it was a
supernatural love. I began to think about how good Daddy had been to me,
how proud I was to have him as my father, and how well he had always
treated our family; I just had this extreme desire to express my love to my
dad. He knew I loved him, but this was some­thing different.
So early that morning, on the way to the clinic, I made sure my dad knew
how much I loved him. I told him, “Daddy, I’m going to do every­thing I can
to make your life better, to make your life more comfortable, to make you
more proud of me.”
Normally; when I took Daddy to dialysis, after he got all hooked up and the
procedure was under way, there wasn’t much else to do, so I would leave and
then return to pick him up later. The dialysis pro­cedure usually took four
or five hours, so I would go to work, run errands, or simply go back home
till Daddy was done. But this day, something down inside told me to stay
with Daddy; I just pulled up a chair and decided I would visit with him and
just be there for him.
I hadn’t planned on taking Daddy to dialysis, so I had a lot of things
scheduled for that day. But I just knew God wanted me to be there with my
dad. Daddy eventually fell asleep, so I ran out and got us some breakfast
and brought it back to the clinic. Daddy and I had a good time eating
breakfast together and visiting. Finally, he finished the dialysis and I
took him home.
As I was about to walk out the door of my parents’ kitchen, Daddy called me
back and gave me a great big hug. It wasn’t his usual sort of hug. He hung
on to me. He said, “Joel, you’re the best son a father could ever hope to
have.” It was a real special moment between us. I felt that we really
connected somehow I felt that I had accomplished my goal of letting my dad
know how much I loved him.
I left that morning feeling so good, knowing that Daddy knew I loved him,
knowing that he was proud of me, and knowing that I had followed that flow
of compassion toward him.
And that was the last time I ever saw my dad alive.
That was the last time I ever got to hug him, the last time I ever got to
tell him I loved him. Later that same day, Daddy had a heart attack and
unexpectedly went to be with the Lord.
Despite my grief and tears, I later thought, God, how good You are to me.
Here that whole time I thought I was following the flow of love for my
dad’s sake, just for his benefit. But now I realize You put that love in my
heart just as much for my own sake. How rewarded I feel today, knowing that
on the last day of my dad’s life, I was able to ex­press my love to him.
How fulfilled I feel, knowing that I have no regrets. There’s nothing more
I would have said, nothing 1 would have done differently. I’m at perfect
peace.
But what if I would have been too busy that day? What if I had not followed
that flow of compassion God put in my heart? What if I had not been
sensitive to that love and followed after it and expressed my feelings to
my dad? I would have missed out on something precious, an irreplaceable
moment in history—Daddy’s and my own.
Most of the time, when we reach out to other people, when we fol­low that
flow of love, we think we’re doing it for their sakes, for their benefit.
But I can tell you firsthand, sometimes God puts that com­passion in our
hearts as much for our benefit as for others’.
Keep your heart of compassion open. Learn to be quick to follow that flow
of love God puts in your heart. Be sensitive and obedient to do what God
wants you to do. You won’t be sorry—not now, or a million years from now!

Do you have what it takes to be happy?

Do you have what it takes to be happy?


It's time for true confessions. Answer yes or no to the following questions:

Do you ...

... generally expect things to go well in your life?

... have loving, supportive friendships and other relationships?

... feel as though your life has a sense of purpose?

... approach new situations with a can-do spirit?

... feel like you have some control over your life?

... feel fairly challenged in your work or personal interests?

... often get caught up in an activity because it's so enjoyable?

... practice some form of spirituality, religious or otherwise?

Your answers:

Now, add up your "yes" responses to see what your score means:

0-2: If happiness seems hard to come by, your attitude and outlook could be the holdup. Re-examine your beliefs on bliss to get back on track.

3-5: You're almost there--you have some of the traits that contribute to happiness, but you may not be putting them to maximum use.

6-8: Congrats! Not only do you possess many qualities and attitudes that are connected with happiness, but--equally important--you know how to use them to enhance everyday joy.

Money, beauty, fame and admiration.

Add these up and you've got the formula for a lifetime of bliss, right? Wrong. The truth is, your financial status, external circumstances and life events account for no more than 15 percent of your happiness quotient, studies show.

What elements do make a difference? Surprisingly simple, internal factors such as having healthy self-esteem, a sense of optimism and hope, gratifying relationships and meaning and purpose in your life have the most influence, according to recent studies on what researchers call "subjective well-being."

If that sounds like a tall order, here's the good news: Even if they don't come naturally, many of the attitudes and thought patterns that influence happiness can be cultivated, which means you can boost your capacity for happiness today--and in the future. "Studies with twins reveal that happiness is somewhat like a person's cholesterol level--it's genetically influenced but it's also influenced by some factors that are under our control," explains David Myers, Ph.D., a social psychologist at Hope College in Holland, Mich., and author of The Pursuit of Happiness (Harper-Collins, 1993). In other words, while your genetically determined temperament has a fairly strong influence on your happiness quotient, you can nudge it upward with the attitudes and approaches you bring to your life.

To develop a sunnier disposition, use the simple strategies outlined in the following Feel-Good Tool Kit, and you'll be on your way to a richer, more satisfying life, starting this summer!

Your feel-good tool kit Turn that frown upside down with our eight bliss-boosting tips:

1. Develop an upbeat attitude. No, you don't want to become a Pollyanna who overlooks problems and thinks everything is peachy even when it isn't. But you do want to consciously focus on what's positive in your life because this can engender a sense of optimism and hope. And research has found that happy people are brimming with these key ingredients: In one study at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, happy subjects were more hopeful about their wishes than their less sanguine peers. It's not that their wishes came true more often, but the happy people expected them to come true.

When you approach life with an upbeat attitude, you set yourself up for greater joy and satisfaction. That's because a positive state of mind gives you confidence and a sense of vitality, which helps make the expectation of happiness become a self-fulfilling prophecy. But "developing a positive outlook takes repeated practice, especially if you have gotten into the habit of being critical or looking on the dark side," says Ed Diener, Ph.D., distinguished alumni professor of psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The secret to turning your outlook around is to start thinking positively right now. How? By expecting to have a joyful summer (every day, not just when you're on vacation); by identifying negative thoughts and countering them with positive or neutral ones (instead of viewing a mistake as a sign of incompetence, look at it as something you can learn from); and by embracing challenges (like parasailing or public speaking) instead of fearing them, realizing they'll help you grow as a person.

2. Hang out with your favorite people. It's as simple as this: Carving out as much time as you can to spend with people you value gives you a sense of connection, as well as a support system for when your luck heads south. And this is no small effect. Research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found that people who are consistently very happy have stronger romantic and social relationships than unhappy people.

"We're social creatures by nature," says Louis H. Janda, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychology at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., and author of Are You Happy? (Perigee Books, 2004). "When you're involved with others, it gives you a sense of belonging and lets you engage in mutually enjoyable activities, all of which can buffer you from stress."

3. Infuse your life with a sense of purpose. If you want to be happy, it is important to give your life meaning: Research at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro found that having a sense of purpose is a significant predictor of happiness and life satisfaction. To create a vision of what's meaningful to you, ask yourself: What activities make me feel excited or enthusiastic? What do I want to be remembered for? What matters most to me? If you can articulate these desires to yourself, you can set specific goals to help you fulfill them. If you realize that your strongest desire is to become an influential teacher and role model, for example, you might set a goal of volunteering to help disadvantaged kids or of going back to school to get your teaching degree.

4. Get a new lease on life. So the weather was lousy for your weekend getaway, or your car got a flat on the way to work--no problem! Instead of fretting about unfortunate life events, set your sights on what you can control (managing your time and money well, staying fit and healthy, being a good friend) and you'll feel as though you're in the driver's seat of your life. Not only does this give you a can-do spirit--the feeling that you have the will and the way to achieve your goals--it also bolsters your ability to bounce back from everyday adversity without a woe-is-me mentality.

"The biggest difference between happy and unhappy people is happy people think of solutions, not problems," says Maryann Troiani, Psy.D., a psychologist in Barrington, Ill., and co-author of Spontaneous Optimism: Proven Strategies for Health, Prosperity and Happiness (Castlegate Publishers, 2005). When you do swing into problem-solving mode, set goals for yourself and break them into smaller targets that will help you stay on track and increase your sense of control. For example, if you want to rebound from a financial setback, try saving more from each paycheck, upping the increment every month until you reach your goal.

5. Count your blessings, not your burdens.

When people keep a gratitude journal, in which they jot down a daily list of what they appreciate in their lives, they experience a heightened sense of well-being, according to research at the University of California, Davis, and the University of Miami in Florida. "There's a natural tendency to take things for granted, but if you stop and think of all the ways you are blessed, it doesn't take long for the mind to use that as the new baseline for perceiving how happy you are," explains study co-author Michael E. McCullough, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychology and religious studies at the University of Miami.

6. Get engaged: no ring needed.

Have you ever become so immersed in a pleasurable pursuit (whether it's windsurfing, gardening, or drawing) that you've lost touch with what's going on around you, including all sense of time passing? If so, you're no stranger to what's known as "flow," that magical state in which you become absorbed in an activity because it's challenging, enjoyable and rewarding.

"Happiness comes from work and leisure activities that engage your skills and enable you to get caught up in what you're doing and lose consciousness of your self," Myers says. It's a matter of embracing challenges that push you to do your personal best without overwhelming you. The payoff? The more you can go with the flow, the more exhilarated and happier you'll feel.

7. Recharge your energy and your spirits.

Sure, exercise can work wonders in keeping your mood buoyant, but so can getting some simple R & R. "Happy people lead active, vigorous lives yet reserve time for restorative sleep and solitude," Myers says. Shortchange yourself of the shut-eye you need and it's hard to enjoy much of anything when you're exhausted. In a recent study involving more than 900 women, researchers assessed how happy women were based on their daily activities and found that sleep quality had a substantial influence over how much the women enjoyed life, even when they engaged in plenty of pleasurable activities like sex and socializing.

8. Put on a happy face! If you act as if you're on cloud nine--by smiling with your mouth and eyes, speaking in a cheerful voice and walking confidently- -going through the motions can trigger the actual emotion. There's even science to prove it: A study at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, N.J., found that when people forced themselves to smile or laugh, they experienced a substantial boost in mood afterward.

So start off this summer by acting like you're walking on the sunny side of the street--even if it's cloudy. Chances are, you'll begin to feel a little happier after just a few steps!

Stacey Colino, a frequent Shape contributor, is working on becoming more optimistic in Chevy Chase, Md.

Letting Go

To "Let Go" Does Not Mean To Stop Caring,
It Means I Can’t Do It For Someone Else.

To "Let Go" Is Not To Cut Myself Off,
It’s The Realization I Can’t Control Another.

To "Let Go" Is Not To Enable,
But To Allow Learning From Natural Consequences.

To "Let Go" Is To Admit Powerlessness,
Which Means The Outcome Is Not In My Hands.

To "Let Go" Is Not To Try To Change Or Blame Another,
It Is To Make The Most Of Myself.

To "Let Go" Is Not To Care For,
But To Care About.

To "Let Go" Is Not To Fix,
But To Be Supportive.

To "Let Go" Is Not To Judge,
But To Allow Another To Be A Human Being.

To "Let Go" Is Not To Be In The Middle Arranging All The Outcomes,
But To Allow Others To Affect Their Own Destinies.

To "Let Go" Is Not To Be Protective,
It Is To Permit Another To Face Reality.

To "Let Go" Is Not To Deny,
But To Accept.

To "Let Go" Is Not To Nag, Scold Or Argue,
But Instead To Search Out My Own Shortcomings And Correct Them.

To "Let Go" Is Not To Adjust Everything To My Desires,
But To Take Each Day As It Comes And Cherish Myself In It.

To "Let Go" Is Not To Regret The Past,
But To Grow And Live For The Future.

To "Let Go" Is To Fear Less And Love More.

Customer Service

Whether via blog, Web site, or news reports, consumers have a means to get back at companies for dishing out poor service


Forget the sternly worded complaint letter, that’s so 20th century. These days, companies can pay a much bigger price for their customer service slip-ups. Thanks to the proliferation of blogs and online video sites like YouTube, a global audience is at the fingertips of every ticked-off consumer. Companies continue to learn the hard way that poor-customer- service complaints can make their way from niche Web sites to network television before there’s time to say “full refund.”

Even companies with stellar service records can take a high-profile tumble, as JetBlue painfully discovered just this month.

Here’s a look at some major customer service gaffes:

Customer Service


Bloomberg News

JetBlue’s Blues
JetBlue, the airline with a once squeaky-clean customer-service record, fell hard this Valentine’s Day when an ice storm left passengers stranded on runways in New York for up to ten hours. But the downward spiral didn’t stop there: JetBlue had to cancel hundreds of flights over the next several days to ease its backlog. Intense media coverage combined with passenger outrage has left the company scrambling to offer full refunds, free flights, promises of major operational changes, and even a passenger bill of rights.

JetBlue joins the dubious ranks of other airline mishaps, including a legendary 1999 Northwest Airlines flight when passengers were trapped on board for seven hours after landing nearly a day late in Detroit. Recently American Airlines made headlines when hundreds of passengers were kept on planes at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport after New Year’s weekend thunderstorms hovered longer than expected.



Customer Service

Bloomberg News

Dell’s Hell
When media critic Jeff Jarvis bought a Dell laptop in 2005, he says the computer was a dud right out of the box. Even the service plan he purchased couldn’t remedy the problem. Frustrated, Jarvis took to the blogosphere, detailing his grievances against Dell on his Web site, BuzzMachine. com. Jarvis’s first complaint began directly with “Dell lies,” and it inspired more than 100 readers to share their stories of similar Dell hardships.

Jarvis went on to chronicle his trials with Dell, and his now famous blog post, “Dell Hell,” was born. The stories spread to other Web forums and the mainstream media, creating a major fiasco for the company. Since then, Dell has launched its own blog as a forum to learn from the experiences of its customers.


Customer Service


Bloomberg News

Comcast Couched
Cable-operator Comcast was left apologizing for what it termed an “unsatisfactory customer experience.” In June, 2006, Brian Finkelstein filmed a Comcast employee as he dozed on Finkelstein’s couch. Finkelstein edited his footage to just under a minute, peppered it with complaints about Comcast’s service, set the images to the Eels song, “I Need Some Sleep,” and uploaded it to YouTube. Nine days later, the video had been viewed more than half a million times.

The real kicker was that the technician had fallen asleep while on hold with his own company’s customer-service department. Comcast, which has more than 21 million U.S. subscribers, announced that it did not condone the behavior that appears on the video. The company fired the technician.


Customer Service



Doubletree’s Trouble
In November 2001, Tom Farmer arrived at the Doubletree Club Hotel Houston, a subsidiary of Hilton, to find that his “guaranteed” room had long since been handed over to another guest. Confronted with the hotel’s unapologetic night clerk, Farmer and a colleague were sent packing to less desirable accommodations elsewhere. The upset led to the creation of a biting, 17-slide PowerPoint presentation detailing Farmer’s poor service experience.

Complete with data points, quotations, and a graph of lost revenue, the creators sent their “graphic complaint” off to hotel management and select friends. But the presentation -- “Yours Is A Very Bad Hotel” -- was forwarded so widely that it eventually earned a permanent spot on the urban-legend Web site, Snopes.com.


Customer Service

Getty Images

AOL: You’ve Got a Cancellation
It took 21 minutes for Vincent Ferrari to cancel his AOL membership over the phone last year. Unfortunately for AOL, those 21 minutes were the beginning of Ferrari’s 15 minutes of fame. Ferrari had digitally recorded his cancellation call, during which he was confronted by the bizarre efforts of a service representative working in AOL’s “retention queue.”

The rep, identified as John, repeatedly implored Ferrari to keep the account, despite the customer’s blunt insistence that AOL “cancel the account.” The audio file was posted on Ferrari’s blog, insignificantthough ts.com, and picked up by the national media. The incident led AOL to outline new procedures for handling cancellation requests, and to John’s dismissal.



Customer Service

Getty Images

iPod Out of Juice
New York City filmmakers Casey Neistat and his brother Van took Apple to task for choosing design over function, and profit over good customer service. In September 2003, when the battery on Casey’s iPod failed to hold its charge for longer than an hour, the brothers created a three-minute movie highlighting the iPod’s often-fatal battery flaw, and launching iPodsDirtySecret. com.

The film features an audio recording of a customer service rep suggesting that Neistat buy a new iPod as, at the time, replacement of the lithium-based battery was only offered at a prohibitive cost. The bad publicity couldn’t put much of a dent in the widespread popularity of the music player, but Apple now has a battery replacement and extended warranty program for the iPod.

software engineer

A software engineer booked himself on a Caribbean cruise and proceeded
to have the time of his life. At least for a while.
A hurricane came up unexpectedly. The ship went down and was lost
instantly. The man found himself swept up on the shores of an island
with no other people, no supplies, nothing. Only bananas and coconuts.
Used to five-star hotels, this guy had no idea what to do. So, for the
next four months he ate bananas, drank coconut juice, longed for his
old life, and fixed his gaze on the sea, hoping to spot a rescue ship.
One day, as he was lying on the beach, he spotted movement out of the
corner of his eye. It was a rowboat, and in it was the most gorgeous
woman he had ever seen. She rowed up to him.
In disbelief, he asked her: "Where did you come from, and how did you get
here?"
"I rowed from the other side of the island," she said.
"I landed here when my cruise ship sank."
"Amazing," the software engineer said, "I didn't know anyone else had
survived. How many of you are there? You were really lucky to have a
rowboat wash up with you."
"It's only me," she said, "and the rowboat didn't wash up: nothing did."
He was confused, "Then how did you get the rowboat?"
"Oh, simple," replied the woman. "I made it out of raw material that I
found on the island. The oars were whittled from gum-tree branches, I
wove the bottom from palm branches, and the sides and
stern came from a eucalyptus tree."
"But, but, that's impossible," stuttered the man. "You had no tools or
hardware - how did you manage?"
"Oh, that was no problem," the woman said. "On the south side of the
island, there is a very unusual strata of exposed alluvial rock. I
found that if I fired it to a certain temperature, it melted
into forgeable ductile iron. I used that to make tools, and used the
tools to make the hardware. But enough of that. Where do you live?"
Sheepishly, the man confessed that he had been sleeping on the beach
the whole time.
"Well, let's row over to my place then," she said.
After a few minutes of rowing, she docked the boat at a small wharf.
As the man looked onto shore, he nearly fell out of the boat. Before
him was a stone walk leading to an exquisite bungalow painted in blue
and white.
While the woman tied up the rowboat with an expertly woven hemp rope,
the man could only stare ahead, dumbstruck.
As they walked into the house, she said casually, "It's not much, but
I call it home. Sit down, please. Would you like to have a drink?"
"No, no, thank you," he said, still dazed. "I couldn't drink another
drop of coconut juice."
"It's not coconut juice," the woman replied. "I have made a still -
How about a Pinacolada?"
Trying to hide his continued amazement, the software engineer
accepted, and they sat down on her couch to talk.
After they had exchanged their stories, the woman announced, "I'm
going to slip into something more comfortable. Would you like to have
a shower and a shave? There is a razor upstairs in the cabinet in the
bathroom."
No longer questioning anything, the man went into the bathroom. There
in the cabinet was a razor made from a bone handle. Two shells honed
to a hollow-ground edge were fastened to its tip, inside a swivel
mechanism.
"This woman is absolutely amazing," he mused. "What next?"
When he returned, the woman greeted him. She beckoned for him to sit
down next to her. "Tell me," she began suggestively, slithering closer
to him, brushing her leg against his, "We've both been out here for a
very long time. You've been lonely. There's something I'm sure you
really feel like doing right now, something you've been longing to do
for all of these months."
She stared into his eyes. He couldn't believe what he was hearing -
this was like all of his dreams coming true in one day.
"You mean...," he replied, "I can check my e-mail from here?"

I'll be over you....

Some people live their dreams
Some people close their eyes
Some people's destiny
Passes by

There are no guarantees
There are no alibis
That's how our love must be
Don't ask why

[Bridge:]
It takes some time
God knows how long
I know that I can forget you

As soon as my heart stops breakin'
Anticipating
As soon as forever is through
I'll be over you

Remembering times gone by
Promises we once made
What are the reasons why
Nothing stays the same

[Bridge:]
There were the nights holding you close
Someday I'll try to forget them
Someday I'll be over you

ABOUT MARRIAGE...

When a man steals your
wife, there is no better
revenge than to let him
keep her.
Sacha Guitry

After marriage, husband and
wife become two sides of a
coin; they just can't face
each other, but still they
stay together.
Hemant Joshi

By all means marry. If you
get a good wife, you'll be
happy. If you get a bad
one, you'll become a
philosopher.
Socrates

Woman inspires us to great
things, and prevents us
from achieving them.
Dumas

The great question... which
I have not been able to
answer... is, "What does a
woman want?
Sigmund Freud

I had some words with my
wife, and she had some
paragraphs with me.
Anonymous

"Some people ask the secret
of our long marriage. We
take time to go to a
restaurant two times a
week. A little candlelight,
dinner, soft music and
dancing. She goes Tuesdays,
I go Fridays."
Henny Youngman

"I don't worry about
terrorism. I was married
for two years."
Sam Kinison

"There's a way of
transferring funds that is
even faster than electronic
banking. It's called
marriage."
James Holt McGavran

"I've had bad luck with
both my wives. The first
one left me, and the second
one didn't."
Patrick Murray

Two secrets to keep your
marriage brimming
1. Whenever you're wrong,
admit it,
2. Whenever you're right,
shut up.
Nash

The most effective way to
remember your wife's
birthday is to forget it
once...
Anonymous

You know what I did before
I got married? Anything I
wanted to.
Henny Youngman

My wife and I were happy
for twenty years. Then we
met.
Rodney Dangerfield

A good wife always forgives
her husband when she's
wrong.
Milton Berle

Marriage is the only war
where one sleeps with the
enemy.
Anonymous

A man inserted an 'ad' in
the classifieds: "Wife
wanted". Next day he
received a hundred letters.
They all said the same
thing: "You can have mine."

Anonymous

First Guy (proudly): "My
wife's an angel!"
Second Guy: "You're lucky,
mine's still alive."

Does Getting Married Seem Hopeless?

When was the last time you had a date, much less a
relationship? Has life been somewhat of a disappointment
because you never dreamed you would still be single?

Single is a word you've grown to dislike because it
describes a life you wish was someone else's. A life that
seems normal would be one with a husband or a wife,
children, a house and maybe a dog and a cat.
Today I have a cat, but still no husband. I'm in my
forties but my life is far from hopeless. Have I gone to
all the wrong places, broken all The Rules (as the book
suggests) and simply missed it? I'm sure some would say,
"She's too picky, She's not getting out enough, She can't
expect him to appear on her doorstep."
Whatever the reasons, is it my fault? I'm choosing to
believe that God is still in control of my life.
Certainly, single or married we are to be the very best in
every area of our lives. Keep striving to look your very
best, be your very best, and live your very best. Don't
settle for less. Don't settle at all. Try not to worry
about your age. I must admit, this can be challenging at
times. Don't let your age cause you to do something you
regret.
You've probably heard horror stories about people who have
said, "I just couldn't wait any longer. But now I know
I've made a horrible mistake rushing into marriage."
Who likes to wait? I've never heard anyone say, "I love to
wait." Have you? Waiting at times can drive me crazy. I
don't like to wait in lines, wait in traffic, wait for my
food to cook, or wait to purchase things. But waiting is a
necessary part of life. We're an instant society and we've
grown to expect things when we want them.
But God says to wait on Him. "Wait for the LORD; be
strong and take heart and wait for the LORD" Psalm 27:14.
Frankly, a strong majority of folks don't want to wait on
God much for anything. God says we're to wait to have sex
prior to marriage (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7). How many are
doing this? Not many. God says we're not to marry an
unbeliever (2 Corinthians 6:14). How many are waiting for
a godly mate? Not many. God says, Wait on Him and His
timing. So why don't most people wait … because waiting is
hard?
If you're not careful you can either choose the wrong mate
or live life in utter frustration and despair. In all your
waiting don't give up on God. I've gotten a number of
e-mails from people who have become bitter, angry, and
very mad at God. I understand completely, but you must
begin to change your thinking.
If you're single and feeling God has forgotten you, what
are your options? It's profoundly simple. You have only
one choice: trust God or don't. I'm not suggesting that
anything about this is easy. It's not. I've been there.
You feel terrible. You're not happy where you are and you
would like a change. You cannot base your life on what you
feel. You feel lousy. You're not happy and you would like
to be married, plain and simple.
Will you continue to feel lousy or will you put your trust
in God? Hang on to the truths from God's Word, not the
lies from the evil one. Lies that tell you you'll always
be single. Lies that whisper in your ear and in your heart
that you cannot be happy without a mate. Lies that haunt
you and tell you that your life is hopeless because you're
single. What kind of life is that anyway? Lies. Lies.
Lies. …
The true and living God gives us reason for getting out of
bed. His refining process can be very painful. He uses
trials so that we will put our trust and our hope in Him
alone, not in someone else. I urge you to choose to be
better not bitter.
Hang on to these words …
Trust …
"God causes all things to work together for good to
those who love God, to those who are called
according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).
Divorced, never married, widowed, whatever the
reason for your singleness, you can trust God that
He can use you where you are today for good.
Hope…
"I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his Word
I put my hope
(Psalm 130:5).
He is your only hope. Cling to His Word. Don't give
up. Don't lose heart. Don't waste any more time
feeling sorry for yourself. Live for today; live in
the moment. I love what Jim Elliott said, "Wherever
you are be all there." Too often many singles miss
life, simply waiting for the day they'll get
married. You're missing too much life if you're
doing this. You've been given a purpose. You've been
given gifts. You've been given life. Live it. Live
it believing God for the impossible, for His best.
Believe…
"Jesus looked at them and said, `With man this is
impossible, but with God all things are possible'"
(Matthew 19:26).
Will you ever get married? Is it hopeless? Absolutely not.
Nothing is impossible with God. No matter your age, your
situation, your fears, trust Him. Put your hope in Him.
And believe Him moment by moment, day by day. Joy will be
back in your life as you continue to walk with Him,
believing He knows what's best for your life today.

-------------------------------------------------------------

HOW TO PROPERLY PLACE NEW EMPLOYEES

1. Put 400 bricks in a closed room.
2. Put your new hires in the room and close the door.
3. Leave them alone and come back after 6 hours.
4. Then analyze the situation:

a. If they are counting the bricks, put them in the Accounting
Department.
b. If they are recounting them, put them in Auditing.
c. If they have messed up the whole place with the bricks, put them
in Engineering.
d. If they are arranging the bricks in some strange order, put them
in Planning.
e. If they are throwing the bricks at each other, put them in
Operations.
f. If they are sleeping, put them in Security.
g. If they have broken the bricks into pieces, put them in
Information Technology.
h. If they are sitting idle, put them in Human Resources.
i. If they say they have tried different combinations, they are
looking for more, yet not a brick has been moved, put them in Sales.
j. If they have already left for the day, put them in Management.
k. If they are staring out of the window, put them in Strategic
Planning.
l. If they are talking to each other, and not a single brick has
been moved, congratulate them and put them in Top Management.
m. Finally, if they have surrounded themselves with bricks in such a
way that they can neither be seen nor heard from, put them in
Congress.

Teaching by living

“Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and
make you wise. Use his words to teach and counsel each other.” (Colossians
3:16a NLT)


Mission — Every day you teach people about God. You may teach Truth or you
may teach mythology; either way you teach. You teach others that God is
faithful or that he can’t be trusted, and you do that by reflecting faith
in God, or by behaving as if he can’t be trusted.


As if.


Some of us carry a myth in our minds that the only people who can teach are
the gifted or the professional, yet the Apostle Paul says, “I know that you
have all the knowledge you need and that you are able to teach each other.”
(Romans 15:14b NCV)


Certainly teaching includes unpacking Bible stories and giving theological
insight, but we also teach as we model biblical behavior when it comes to
the stuff of life, such as how to love/respect your spouse, how to make
godly decisions, how to keep our thought-life pure, or how to get out of
debt.


That means we become teachers when we tell, show, reflect how God is
working in our lives, and we become teachers when we respond, act, walk as
if Jesus himself were living through us (and he is – Romans 8:9-11). By
watching you, others will see what “Christ in you” looks like in another
human being. (Colossians 1:27 NIV)


So what?


· Being a living teacher makes you wise – Paul says, “Let the words of
Christ live in your heart.” You need to know God’s Word before you can
teach it through study or by living it. By hearing, reading, studying,
memorizing, and meditating on the words of Christ, they’ll take root in
your heart, and this will make you wise. (Romans 15:14b NCV)


· God’s wisdom over conventional wisdom – Too often we look to the world’s
conventional wisdom when we’re seeking answers, yet the Truth is found only
in God’s wisdom.

ang nakatutuwang katotohanan ng salitang "pag-ibig"

why do we love ba?

so we can have
somebody to talk to?

someone who can be
there pag gusto natin gumala?

a person na pwedeng manlibre satin?

taong magbibitbit ng gamit mo? ALALAY for short!
eh pano kung di ka nya mahal?
You Broke My Heart would you still love him/her?
would you still continue to care for that person?

bakit naman hinde? you didnt love that person para magkaroon ka ng alalay, magkaroon ka
ng instant meal dahil libre, taong gagawa ng assignments mo or projects, or
taong mahihila mo if you want to go out... if thats what you think about
love well sorry ang BABAW mo!
loving a person doesn't need to have a criteria na dapat maganda o
guwapo, dapat mabait or understanding, kasi once you fall inlove you take
the risk of accepting dat person kahit maingay sya matulog, yung hilik ng
hilik kahit matakaw sya
o sobrang fat na hindi kayo kasya pag puno ang jeep!

kahit sobrang moody nya na kulang na lang ay sapakin mo sa inis!
yung sobrang
selosa/seloso na pati barkada pinagseselosan..
badtrip diba? and yung napaka-arte OA kung baga!
o kahit ano pang things that would turn you off...
hirap tlaga magmahal trying to be PERFECT

gusto mong magtagal pero hindi yun ang sagot sa lahat... ACCEPTING the real
person fully
kase if you said na mahal mo sya you dont need to find answers kung bakit
mo sya mahal...


kase lahat ng tao nagbabago but if you accept
that person magbago man sya in the middle of your relationship hindi ka masasaktan kase
you know that darating
din yun.. tsaka tanggap mo sya ng buo...
mahirap gawin pero masarap subukan dahil wala ng sasaya pa if you let one person feel na MAHAL
NA MAHAL mo sya without asking 4 anything in return... then you can say wow un pla
ang LOVE! Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect. It means you've decided to
see beyond the imperfections.... >> Ganda noh…

==========================================
Nakakatawa talaga ang
love. Isa siyang napakalaking oxymoron. Lahat ng pwede mong masabi sa kanya, baliktarin mo at totoo
pa rin. Ang labo diba? Pero ang linaw. Masaya magmahal. Malungkot magmahal. Di mo
naiintindihan pero naiintindihan mo. Walang rason. Maraming rason. Di mo na
kaya, pero kaya mo pa rin. Masakit magmahal. Pero okey lang. Sus, ano ba
talaga?! May
kaibigan ako, sabi niya dati "Love is only for stupid people." Nakakatawa kasi laude ang
standing niya, pero dumating ang panahon, na-in-love din ang hunghang. At
ayun, tanga na siya ngayon.
Lahat kasi ng nahahawakan ng love nagiging oxymoron din. O kaya paminsan,
nagiging moron lang. Hindi lang kasi basta baliktaran ang pag-ibig. Lahat
ng bagay nababaligtad din niya. Lahat ng malalakas na tao,
humihina.
Ang mayayabang, nagpapakumbaba. Ang mga walang pakialam, nagiging Mother
Teresa. Ang mga henyo, nauubusan ng sagot. Ang malulungkot, sumasaya ang masaya nalulungkot. Nakakatawa talaga.
Lalo na kapag dumadating siya sa mga taong ayaw na talaga magmahal.
Napansin ko nga eh. Parang kung gusto mo lang ma-in-love ulit, sabihin mo
lang ang magic words na "Ayoko na ma-inlove!" biglang WACHA! No Ayan na siya.Nang-aasar. Magpapaasar
ka naman. Di ba
nakakatawa rin na pagdating sa problema ng ibang tao, ang galing galing mo?
Pero 'pag problema mo na yung pinag-uusapan parang nawawalan ng saysay
lahat ng ipinayo mo dun sa namomroblemang tao? Naiisip mong wala namang mali dun sa mga sinabi mo. Pero bakit parang wala
ring tama?
Bali-baliktad din ang nasasabi ng mga taong tinamaan ng madugong pana ng
"Ngayon
ko lang nalaman ganito pala. Sabi ko na eh!" "Ang sarap mabuhay. Pwede na 'ko mamatay. Now na!"
At hindi lang 'yon. Ang sarap din pagtawanan ng mga taong alam naman nilang masasaktan
lang sila eh magpapatihulog pa rin sa bangin ng pag-ibig. Tapos 'pag
luray-luray na yung puso nila, Broken Heart siyempre hindi sila yung may kasalanan. Siya!
"Bakit niya 'ko sinaktan?" May kasama pang pagsuntok sa pader yon, at
pagbabagsak ng pinto.

Hayop talaga.
Mauubos ang buong magdamag ko kakasabi ng mga bagay na nakakatawa 'pag
pag-ibig na ang pinag-usapan. Ang daming beses ko na kasi siya nakasalubong
kaya masasabi ko nang eksperto na 'ko.
Pero wala pa rin akong alam. Pero ang pinakanakakatawa sa lahat ay ang
katotohanang kapag gusto magpatawa ng pag-ibig, ipusta na mo na lahat ng
-arian mo dahil
siguradong ikaw ang punchline.

Nakakatawa no? Nakakaiyak.

"The best use of LIFE is LOVE.
The best expressions of Love is TIME.
The best time to Love is NOW..."

ECHOES OF OUR HEARTS

Sometimes we close our eyes and just
listen to the echoes of our hearts. We
all fall in love and there are times
when we love so much that we lose
ourselves in our emotions. More often
than not, we wonder why there are love
that grows, and love that grows cold.
We would start to search for answers
and try to find where love has gone
wrong. But in the end, we find
ourselves where we started for we
cannot question love when it has its
own reasons. Love will always be as it
always has been....silent, mysterious
and deeply profound.
Many of us believe that love is
forever, that love never dies, only to
be disillusioned in the end when we
find our hands empty and our hearts
longing. We mistakenly have looked at
love as a need to be fulfilled. But
love is a gift given to us. We should
not hold it in our hands for we may
never find the strength to let it go
when it decides to leave. We should
only embrace its warmth and glow while
it last and then freely open our arms
when its time to say good-bye.
When we fall in love, we don't want
that feeling to end for it is
everything we are, everything we wanted
to be. We pray that love will stay and
grow in our hearts. But if it doesn't
then we should never let our lives be
taken by it, for life should not end
where heartaches begin.
There is always a reason why we have to
move on. When we have to say good-bye
to the feeling we wanted to stay
forever, let us not wave our hands with
a heavy heart. For love will have to
set its wings free and find the place
where it belongs. We may have lost it
but then again, when we close our eyes
and listen to the echoes of our hearts,
we will hear that feeling resounding
silently forever.
Then we'll know that love never left
us, for the good that we have become
because of love will always stay. Love
will always be there, reminding us that
we should be thankful and happy not
because we have lost love, but because,
for once in our lives, that feeling
called love lived in our hearts and
made us happy.

Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now

Looking in your eyes I see a paradise
This world that I found is too good to be true
Standing here beside you, want so much to give you
This love in my heart that I’m feeling for you

Let ‘em say we’re crazy, I don’t care ’bout that
Put your hand in my hand baby, don’t ever look back
Let the world around us just fall apart
Baby, we can make it if we’re heart to heart

And we can build this dream together, standing strong forever
Nothing’s gonna stop us now
And if this world runs out of lovers, we’ll still have each other
Nothing’s gonna stop us, nothing’s gonna stop us now
Woh woh oh

I’m so glad I found you, I’m not gonna lose you
Whatever it takes, I will stay here with you
Take it to the good times, see it through the bad times
Whatever it takes is what I’m gonna do

Let ‘em say we’re crazy, what do they know
Put your arms around me baby, don’t ever let go
Let the world around us just fall apart
Baby, we can make it if we’re heart to heart

And we can build this dream together, standing strong forever
Nothing’s gonna stop us now
And if this world runs out of lovers, we’ll still have each other
Nothing’s gonna stop us, nothing’s gonna stop us

Ooh, all that I need is you, all that I ever need
And all that I want to do, is hold you forever, forever and ever
And we can build this dream together, standing strong forever
Nothing’s gonna stop us now
And if this world runs out of lovers, we’ll still have each other
Nothing’s gonna stop us, nothing’s gonna stop us
(And we can build this dream together, standing strong forever)
Woh oh oh-oh-oh (nothing’s gonna stop us now)
Nothing’s gonna stop us (world runs out of lovers)
Now (we’ll still have each other)
(Nothing’s gonna stop us) us now
(And we can build this dream together) hey baby
(Standing strong forever) I know
(Nothing’s gonna stop us now)

Trusting God When Life Doesn’t Make Sense

The Purpose of Trials

No matter how successful we are, we all face challenges, struggles, and
times when things don’t go our way. When calamities occur, some people
immediately think they have done something wrong, that God must surely be
punishing them. They don’t understand that God has a divine purpose for
every challenge that comes into our lives. He doesn’t send the problems,
but sometimes He allows us to go through them.

Why is that? The Bible says temptations, trials, and difficulties must
come, because if we are to strengthen our spiritual muscles and grow
stronger, we must have adversities to overcome and attacks to resist.
Moreover, it’s in the tough times of life that we find out what we’re
really made of. The pressure exposes things that we need to deal with
things such as wrong attitudes, wrong motives, areas where we’re
compromising. As odd as this may seem, the trials can be beneficial.
The Scripture says, “Don’t be amazed at the fiery ordeal that’s tak­ing
place to test your quality as though something strange was hap­pening.”’
Notice, the trial is intended to test your quality, to test your character,
to test your faith. In other words, “Don’t think it’s a big deal when you
go through these tough times.” All through life, you will face various
tests, and even though you may not enjoy them, God will use those trials to
refine you, to cleanse and purify you. He’s trying to shape you into the
person He wants you to be. If you will learn to Co­operate with God and be
quick to change and correct the areas that He brings to light, then you’ll
pass that test and you will be promoted to a new level.

Tests of Faith

I’ve discovered in the struggles of life that God is more interested in
changing me than He is in changing my circumstances. I’m not saying that
God won’t change the circumstances. Certainly, He can and often does. But
most of the time, I’m tested in the areas where I am the weakest.
You’ve probably found something similar to be true. If you have a problem
with jealousy; it seems as though everybody you meet has more or better
material possessions than you do. You notice that your best friend wears a
brand-new outfit every time you turn around. The person you work next to,
who makes half as much money as you do, comes driving up in a brand-new
car. Your long-lost relative calls to tell you that she just won the
lottery!
Are you going to pass the test? Are you going to keep a good atti­tude and
rejoice with those who rejoice and be sincerely happy for them? Or are you
going to get all negative and bitter and say, “God, I work harder than they
do. Nothing good ever happens to me. I go to church every Sunday. Why can’t
I get a new car?”
That’s a test of your faith. That’s God bringing to light impurities in
your character. That’s God trying to refine you. If you’ll learn to work
with God, and let go of that jealousy, you’ll be amazed at the blessings
and favor and victory that will come into your life.
I’m a very focused and goal-oriented person. When I have a project to do, I
like to get it done right then and there. I’ve been that way my whole life.
In elementary school, when the teacher would give us a homework assignment
on a Monday that wasn’t due until Friday, I’d go home on Monday night and
do the whole thing! I didn’t want any­thing hanging over my head.
When I go to a restaurant, I order before they even give me a menu. I’m
trying to tell you in a roundabout way that sometimes I’m impa­tient. I
don’t like to wait; I don’t like to be inconvenienced. But I’ve discovered
that the more impatient I am, the more I find myself in sit­uations where I
have to wait around. If I’m in a hurry to get out of the grocery store,
inevitably I’ll get in the line with a brand-new cashier who is plodding
through his or her first day on the job, and the person in front of me will
have twenty-three items that don’t have a price tag on them!
At home, I’ve noticed that the more impatient I am, the longer it takes
Victoria to get dressed for an occasion. Ironically, when I’m not in a
hurry or being impatient, Victoria will beat me getting dressed. She’ll be
out in the car waiting with the kids. But every time I’m impatient, one
thing after another will delay us. Little Alexandra will have taken
Victoria’s makeup. The iron won’t work right. My wife can’t find our
daughter’s shoes. Interesting, isn’t it? Victoria doesn’t re­alize it, but
God is using her to refine me while she’s getting dressed!
God deliberately uses situations such as these so I can recognize the
problem in myself and learn to deal with it. He’s working something out of
me so I can rise to a new level and be the person He really wants me to be.
In a similar way, God will use people in your life. Your own hus­band or
wife, your in-laws, or your own children may be the unwitting mirrors that
God uses to reveal areas where you need to change.
“Joel, I can’t stand my boss. He irritates me to no end. I don’t know why
I have to work with him day in and day out. When is God ever going to
change that man?”
Have you considered that God may want to change you? God may have purposely
arranged for you to be in close proximity to that per­son who grates
against you. He may be trying to teach you how to love your enemies. Or, He
may be trying to toughen you up a little and teach you to have some
endurance, to not run from everything that is hard, uncomfortable, or
inconvenient.
A husband moans, “God, why did You put me with this woman? She can’t do
anything right. She can’t even cook. She burns the toast. She can’t make a
meat loaf. God, when are You going to change her?”
She’s probably going to continue to cook just like that until you learn how
to get over it, have a better attitude, and start appreciating the fact
that at least she’s trying to do something for you. You could be eating a
TV dinner!
A parent complains, “God, these kids are driving me bananas. If You would
just make them behave, then I’ll be happy”
God is not going to change anyone you are dealing with until He first
changes you. But if you’ll quit complaining about everybody around you and,
instead, start taking a good look inside and working with God to change
you, God will change those other people. Examine your own heart and see if
there are attitudes and motives that you need to change.
One day I was driving to church, and I was running a bit late for an
important meeting. I knew that if could avoid any traffic jams, I’d get
there just in time. But I caught every single stoplight going out of the
neighborhood. I even got stopped by a light that I had never before seen
turn red, not in my entire lifetime!
I started praying as 1 drove, but the more I prayed, the longer it took me
to get through the traffic lights. I finally steered onto the highway and
took off toward the church as fast as I could drive, praying the whole time
that God would give me the discernment to know which hill the policemen
were waiting behind. I had just enough time to make it to my meeting.
But as I kept going, much to my chagrin, the traffic started moving slower
and slower. I thought, Oh, no! What is going on? Eventually, the traffic
came to a complete stop. I thought, God, I’ve got to get to this meeting.
You’ve got to help me. In a couple of minutes, the lane next to me started
moving. I tried everything I possibly could to get into that lane, but it
was just one of those days. Nobody was willing to let me squeeze in. I had
my blinker on, I was smiling and waving, I was holding up money, I was
blowing kisses, I was doing everything, yet no­body would let me in!
Finally, a sweet little old lady was kind enough to let me pull into the
lane in front of her. I thought, All right! At last, I can get going! But
just as I tramped down on the gas pedal, the flow of traffic in that lane
came to a complete stop, and I had to slam on the brakes. Meanwhile, my
previous lane starting moving! I was so frustrated that I didn’t even want
to think about trying to get back in that other lane.
I didn’t realize that God was testing me in the area of my patience. I sat
stewing in that traffic for about ten minutes, and when it started inching
forward, I noticed the problem. A car had stalled and had been pulled off
to the right side of the road by a wrecker.
As I drew nearer to the flashing lights, compassion for a stranded
mo­torist was the farthest thing from my mind. Instead, I was thinking, I
wish you’d keep that old piece of junk off the road; here you are holding
everybody up, and you’re making me miss my meeting! My attitude was
terribly sour. About that time, my heart sank. I looked over at the
dis­abled vehicle and I saw what looked to be a Lakewood Church bumper
sticker on it. Sure enough, when I drove by, I slowed down and looked over,
and saw a man smiling and waving at me. I smiled back and waved at him like
I was his best friend. I thought, If he only knew the truth!
That’s when it dawned on me that perhaps God was trying to teach me
something. Maybe God was using the traffic jam to bring to light impurities
in my character. This was God showing me areas in which I needed to
improve.
God often allows you, too, to go through situations to draw out those
impurities in your character. You can rebuke until your “re­buker” wears
out. You can pray, you can resist, you can bind, you can loose, you can
sing and shout, you can do it all, but it’s not going to do you any good!
God is more interested in changing you than He is in changing the
circumstances. And the sooner you learn to cooperate with God, the sooner
you’ll get out of that mess. The quicker you learn your lesson and start
dealing with those bad attitudes and start ruling over your emotions, the
quicker you’ll go to the next level in your spiritual journey. We must
recognize the refining purpose of tri­als. We can’t run from everything
that’s hard in our lives.
Perhaps you are in a trial, and you’re doing what I did. You’re praying for
God to deliver you out of that negative situation. That is a legitimate
prayer, but maybe you’re missing the point of why you were allowed to go
through that trying time.
Recognize that God wants to do a work in you. He’s molding you and refining
you. But you’re so busy trying to evade the difficulty, the work is not
being done. You’re so focused on all the circumstances and all the people
around you that you haven’t taken time to look deep in­side and deal with
the issues God is bringing to light.
Perhaps you get worried and full of fear when important things don’t go
your way. Have you ever thought that God may be allowing those events to
teach you to trust Him and to see if you will stay peaceful and calm in the
midst of the storm? Have you considered that God may be allowing some of
that to teach you how to rule over your emotions? He may be trying to
toughen you up, to help you develop some backbone and stability in your
life.
We often pray, “God, if You will change my circumstances, then I’ll
change.” No, it works the other way around. We have to he willing to change
our attitudes and deal with the issues God brings up; then God will change
those circumstances.
God loves you far too much to allow you to go through life in medi­ocrity.
He will often permit pressure to be applied to your life, to test you, and
only as you pass those tests will you advance. He will put peo­ple and
circumstances in your path that grate on you like sandpaper, but He will
use them to rub off your rough edges. You may not always like it; you may
want to run from it, you may even resist it, but God is going to keep
bringing up the issue, again and again, until you pass the test.

Work in Progress

Remember, the Bible says, “We are {God’s] workmanship.” That means we are a
work in progress, not a finished product. One way or the other, God is
going to get His way. Either you can learn the hard way, as I did in that
traffic, and say, “Okay, God, I’ll do it Your way. I understand. I’ll be
calm; I’ll be patient.” Or, you can do it the easier way: When struggles
come your way, look deep inside and be quick to change. Be willing to deal
with any issues that God brings up. Work with God in the refining process
rather than fighting against Him.
Scripture says that God is the potter and we are the clay. Clay works best
when it is pliable, malleable, and moldable. But if you are hard, crusty,
and set in your ways, God will have to pound away on that old, hard clay to
get out the lumps.
Certainly, none of us enjoy going through struggles, but you have to
understand that your struggle may be an opportunity for advancement and
promotion. The very thing that you are fighting against so tena­ciously may
be the springboard that catapults you to a new level of ex­cellence. Your
challenges may become your greatest assets.
Many years ago, fishing for codfish tip in the Northeast had be­come a
lucrative commercial business. The fishing industry recognized that a great
market for codfish existed all over America, but they had a major problem
in the distribution. At first, they simply froze the fish, as they did all
their other products, and shipped it out all across the country. But for
some reason, after the codfish was frozen, it lost its taste. So the owners
decided to ship the fish in huge tanks filled with fresh seawater. They
thought for sure that would solve the problem and keep the fish fresh. But
to their dismay, this process only made matters worse. Because the fish
were inactive in the tank, they became soft and mushy, and once again they
lost their taste.
One day somebody decided to put some catfish in the tank with the codfish.
Catfish are a natural enemy of codfish, so as the tank traveled across the
country, the codfish had to stay alert and active and be on the lookout for
the catfish. Amazingly, when the tank arrived at its des­tination, the
codfish were as fresh and tasty as they were in the North­east.
Like that catfish, perhaps your adversity was dropped in your path for a
purpose. Perhaps it was put there to challenge you, to strengthen you, to
sharpen you, to keep you fresh, to keep you alive and active and growing.
Granted, at times, it feels as though you have a great white shark in the
tank rather than a catfish, but the adversity you are facing could very
well be something that God is using to push you and chal­lenge you to be
your best. The trial is a test of your faith, character, and endurance.
Don’t give up. Don’t quit. Don’t whine and complain, saying, “God, why is
all this happening to me?”
Instead, stand strong and fight the good fight of faith. God is giv­ing you
an opportunity for promotion. It is the struggle that gives us the
strength. Without opposition or resistance, there is no potential for
progress. Without the resistance of air, an eagle can’t soar. Without the
resistance of water, a ship can’t float. Without the resistance of
grav­ity, you and I can’t even walk.
Yet our human tendency is to want everything easily. “God, can’t You teach
me patience without having to go through the traffic jam? God, can’t You
teach me how to love and trust You without ever hav­ing a problem?”
Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts; there’s no easy way to mature
physically, emotionally, or spiritually. You must remain determined and
work with God. The Bible says, “Work out your own salvation. Salvation is
more than a onetime prayer. It is constantly working with God, dealing with
the issues He brings up and keeping a good attitude, fighting through until
you win the victory.
Some bumblebees were taken along on a space mission for a study on the
effects of weightlessness. Similar to humans in space, the bees floated
around with such great ease, they didn’t even have to use their wings. It
looked as though they were thriving in the weightless envi­ronment without
work, struggle, or adversity. But after three days, all the bees died. The
experiment was summed tip with these words: “They enjoyed the ride, but
they didn’t survive.” Bees were never meant to go through life without
using their wings, not having any re­sistance. In the same way, you and I
were never made to float through life on flowery beds of ease.
God never promised that we wouldn’t have challenges. In fact, He said just
the opposite. His Word says, “Be truly glad’ These trials are only to
test your faith, to see whether or not it is strong and pure . . . So if
your faith remains strong after being tried in the test tube of fiery
trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day of his
return.”
When you go through difficult times, make sure you pass the test. Don’t be
stubborn and hardheaded. Recognize that God is refining you, knocking off
some of your rough edges. Stand strong arid fight the good fight of faith.
God has called each of us to be champions; you are destined to win. If you
will work with God and keep a good atti­tude, then no matter what comes
against you, the Bible says that all things—not just the good things in
life, but all things—will work to­gether for your good.




In 1958, when my dad’s future looked so bright in the denomination in which
he was serving, my sister Lisa was born with a birth injury similar to
cerebral palsy. The doctors told my parents that she would never be normal,
never walk, and would probably need twenty-four-hour care. Mother and Daddy
were devastated.
It was one of the darkest hours in our family’s history Mother and Daddy
could easily have become bitter. They could have easily said, “God, this is
not fair, Why did this happen to us? Here we are doing our best to serve
You, and You allow something like this to occur.
But no, Daddy knew that adversity could be a stepping-stone to something
greater. He knew God would not allow a trial without hav­ing a purpose for
that trial. Instead of being negative and running away from God, Daddy ran
to God. He began to search the Scriptures as never before, and he
discovered the God of the Bible in a fresh way—as a loving God, a healing
God, a restoring God, and, yes, as a God of miracles. Daddy went back to
his church and preached with a new fire and enthusiasm. Beyond that, he and
Mother began believing that Lisa could be healed.
Daddy studied the Bible and began preaching messages about hope, healing,
and living in victory. He honestly thought the congregation would be
thrilled with the message that God wanted good things for His people—after
all, who could argue with that?
But, as I mentioned earlier, some people became upset and Daddy eventually
resigned from that church. In that dark hour, Lakewood Church was born. God
used the adversity to enlarge my dad’s vision,
ushering him into a whole new era of ministry. What the enemy meant for
evil, God turned around and used it to His advantage. And in the midst of
the struggle, God healed Lisa’s body. To this day, my sister is healthy and
well. But I don’t believe any of that would have happened if my dad had not
handled his adversities correctly.
Many people immediately respond negatively to adversities and trouble,
rather than believing that God can bring good out of the sit­uation. I’m
not saving God sends the trouble, but I am saying God will use any
adversity you face to take you to a higher level if you’ll just do your
part and keep standing strong.

Two Kinds of Faith

In my life, I’ve discovered two kinds of faith—a delivering faith and a
sustaining faith. Delivering faith is when God instantly turns your
sit­uation around. When that happens, it’s great. But I believe it takes a
greater faith and a deeper walk with God to have that sustaining faith.
That’s when circumstances don’t change immediately, but you say; “God, I
don’t care what comes against me, I don’t care how long it takes, this
thing is not going to defeat me. It’s not going to get me down. I know
You’re on my side. And as long as You are for me, that’s all that matters.”
Sustaining faith is what gets you through those dark nights of the soul
when you don’t know where to go or what to do, and it seems that you can’t
last another day . . . but because of your faith in God, you do.
When you have that kind of attitude, the adversary doesn’t have a chance
with you. Besides, it’s not usually adversities that cause our problems;
it’s how we respond to our adversities. You can have a little bitty problem
and it can defeat you. On the other hand, I’ve seen peo­ple dealing with
huge problems—tragic deaths in the family, incurable diseases, divorce,
bankruptcy, and all sorts of other calamities yet they are happy and at
peace. They are living in an attitude of faith. They are believing for
things to change. They are determined to live in victory!
When you face adversity, you need to remind yourself that whatever is
trying to defeat you could very well be what God will use to promote you.
For example, when Daddy went to be with the Lord back in Jan­uary 1999, God
placed a strong desire in my heart to pastor Lakewood Church. All of the
critics said we would never make it, and with good reason. I had never
preached before! Ever!

A Willing Heart

I had spent seventeen years behind the scenes at Lakewood managing our
television production. Over the course of those years, Daddy tried many
times to get me out in public to speak, but I never had the desire to do
it. I was comfortable and content working behind the scenes. But about a
week before my dad went to be with the Lord, he and Mother were over at
Kevin and Lisa’s home eating dinner. During the meal, Daddy said to them,
“I’m going to call Joel and ask him if he’ll speak for me this Sunday”
My mother laughed and said, “John, you’re just wasting your time. Joel is
not going to get out there and speak in front of anybody.”
(Thanks for that vote of confidence, Mom!)
Nevertheless, Daddy telephoned me at my house. And just as Mother said, I
responded, “Daddy, I’m not a preacher. I don’t even know how to preach.
You’re the preacher.” I laughed and told him, as I had many times before,
“You get up there and preach, and I promise you this; I’ll make you look
good.”
We laughed, and I hung up the phone and sat down to eat dinner.
While Victoria and I were eating, Daddy’s words kept flitting through my
mind, and with no other provocation, I began to have an overwhelming desire
to preach. I didn’t really understand it at the time, but I knew I had to
do something. Keep in mind, I had never even pre­pared a sermon, let alone
considered standing up in front of thousands of people to speak.
Nevertheless, I called Daddy right back and said, “Daddy, I’ve changed my
mind. I think I’ll do it.”
Of course, Daddy nearly passed out!
I studied all week and prepared a message, and the next Sunday I spoke at
Lakewood Church for the first time. The message was well re­ceived by the
congregation. None of us, however, could have imagined that would be the
last Sunday of Daddy’s life. He passed away Friday night—five days later.
We had church that Sunday and, of course, the congregation was grieving the
loss of my father, their pastor and friend, yet there was an air of
confidence in the building. On Monday morning, three days after Daddy’s
death, I was at home contemplating all the events that had taken place and
spending a little time in prayer. We were to have a special memorial
service in Daddy’s honor later that week.
All of a sudden, I felt that overwhelming desire to speak once again. I
called my mother and said, “Mother, who’s going to speak this Sunday?”
She said, “Ah, well, Joel, I don’t know. We’re just going to have to pray
and believe that God will send the right one.”
“Well, I’m just sort of thinking about . . . maybe that I would like to do
it.”
That’s all Mother needed to hear. My mother has an interesting habit. When
she is on the telephone and finishes her part of the con­versation, she’s
through. She just hangs up. She doesn’t give on any time to respond. So
when I said, “I’m thinking about speaking,” she jumped right in and said,
“Oh, Joel, that would be great. I can’t wait to tell the people. We’ll see
you later.”
Click. The line went dead.
“Now wait a minute!” I said. “I said I was thinking about speaking. I
didn’t say I was going to do it.”
Too late; Mother was already long gone.
Well, that’s just my mother, I thought. I can always back out on her. It’s
not going to hurt her feelings. She’ll forgive me.
Two days later, at the memorial service for my dad, and in front of eight
thousand people, Mother turned around and said, “I’m so happy to announce
to you that my son Joel will he speaking this Sunday”
And I thought, Dear God, now I’m stuck!
Later that night, I was watching all the news reports about my dad. The
Houston media gave Daddy glowing tributes as they reported his passing
away. I was about to turn the television off and go to bed when I heard a
newscaster say one final thing about Daddy’s memorial ser­vice. “And by the
way,” the news anchor announced, “Osteen’s son Joel will be ministering
this Sunday”
I said, “All right, God. I got the message. I’ll do it.”
So I wasn’t surprised when after Daddy went to be with the Lord, almost
every subsequent media report discussed how Lakewood Church had little
chance of surviving. They talked about how we would never make it. The
naysayers were quick to point out that no large church with a strong,
dynamic leader such as my dad had ever survived after the death of that
leader. One article specifically opined, “The worst thing that could happen
is for one of the sons to take over.
I quipped to Victoria, “Now I could understand that if they knew my
brother, Paul, but they don’t even know me!”
As much as I tried to make light of the reports, the words still stung.
There I was, trying to get my nerve up to speak, trying to build my
confidence, and the media were already predicting our church’s demise!
I knew I had to make a choice: Would I believe God or would I be­lieve the
negative reports? I decided not to dwell on public opinion or popularity
polls. I refused to let those negative reports poison my heart and mind. I
declined to listen to anyone who seemed intent on talking me out of
fulfilling my destiny. More important, I knew God had raised up Lakewood
Church to be a beacon of hope for more than forty years, and He wasn’t
going to let it go down the drain just be­cause Daddy had graduated to
heaven.
Interestingly, the naysayers predicted that we’d be doing well if we merely
maintained the status quo. But God had other plans. Lakewood continued to
grow, and in 2003, Forbes magazine named Lakewood Church “the largest
church in America,” with twenty-five thousand people attending each
weekend. And we’re still growing!
If you will handle adversity in the right way, God has promised that He
will turn your challenges into stepping-stones for promotion. God wants to
do new and unusual things in our lives. He’s looking for peo­ple who will
trust Him with their whole hearts. He’s looking for people who won’t limit
Him with their small-minded thinking.
You may say, “Joel, I’m just an ordinary person. How could God ever use me?
What could I ever do?”
Friend, God uses ordinary people like you and me to do extraordi­nary
things. God is not looking for great power. He’s not looking for great
education. God is simply looking for a willing heart. God is not looking
for away ability; He’s looking for availability. Just give God what you
have. If you’ll give God the little that you do have, He’ll take that and
multiply it and increase it. And He’ll make more out of your life than
you’ve ever dreamed possible. God’s plan for your life is so must bigger
and so much greater than you can imagine.
I’m convinced that one day we will look back at what we consid­ered to be
the worst thing that could happen to us, and we’ll realize that God used
even that time of adversity to refine us, mold us, shape us, and prepare us
for good things to come. Interesting, isn’t it? Ad­versity often pushes us
into our divine destiny
And sometimes we need a push! Had God not pushed me out of my comfort zone,
I would probably still be behind the scenes today God wants us to
constantly be growing, and sometimes He’ll use a little adversity or some
tension to get us moving forward. He will allow pres­sure to push you, to
stretch you, to get you out of your comfort zone. He knows just how much
you can take, and in your times of distress, keep in mind, God is enlarging
you. The struggle is giving you strength. Furthermore, God knows the gifts
and talents that He has placed within each one of us. He knows what you are
capable of, and He’s going to do everything necessary to get you into your
divine destiny. You’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish when God puts a
little pressure on and you get out of that safe zone and step over into the
faith zone.