Getting Ahead At The Expense of Others

Ambition, a good enough thing within reasonable bounds, is an Apollyon among men, when it gets the mastery over them.

Have you ever seen boys climbing a greasy pole to reach a hat or handkerchief? If so, you will have noticed that the aspiring youths for the most part adopt plans and tricks quite as slimy as the pole. One covers his hands with sand, another twists a knotted cord, and still another one climbs fairly (and he is the one boy whose chance is smallest!). The hasty desire to rise is the cause of many a fall. Those who see the glittering heaps of gold before them are frequently in so much haste to thrust their arms in up to the elbow among the treasures that they take shortcuts, leave the beaten road of honest labor, break through hedges, and find themselves before long in a ditch.

It is hard to keep great riches without sin, and we have heard that it is harder still to get them.

Walk warily, successful friend! Growing wealth will prove no blessing to you unless you acquire growing grace. Prosperity destroys a fool and endangers a wise man. Be on your guard, for whichever you are, your testing hour has come.

-- Charles Haddon Spurgeon, The Quotable Spurgeon, (Wheaton: Harold Shaw Publishers, Inc, 1990)

See: Phil 2:3-4

New! Joke of the Day

We would like to take a moment to introduce our newest Blog item.. "The Joke of the Day" - This will be placed on the right hand side of the web page each time new posts are added to the E-Inspiration Blog. Today, we have also included the "Joke of the Day" here as a Blog posting. Be sure to check our Blog on a daily basis, and if you have not subscribed via e-mail, be sure to do so by using the Subscription box at right.

Today's Joke of the Day -

A Christian man who was overweight decided to go on a diet.

One of his main problems with eating was that he would stop for donuts every morning on the way to work.

So he decided to make things easier for himself -- he would change his route to work to avoid the temptation of stopping.

As the weeks went by he started losing a lot of weight and was receiving compliments from his friends and co-workers. Then one morning without thinking, he accidentally turned onto the road which would take him by the donut shop. At first he was going to turn around but then he thought to himself, "maybe the Lord is rewarding me for my efforts".

So, in thinking this he said a short prayer telling the Lord that if this was his true intention, let there be an open parking place directly infront of the shop. And sure enough, on the fifth time around the block there was an open spot right up front.

Zingers by Croft Pentz - August 30 2007

Every person should take some time daily to look at the road map of his ambitions.

Easy is the enemy of ambition.

The father of success is work--the mother of achievement is ambition.

The ambition of many dieters is to be weighed and found wanting.

Buy the Book by Croft Pentz Here

The Truth About Debt Reduction

What a powerful change in our lives since, as a family we adopted the principles taught by Dave Ramsey that in turn are based on the statement from the Bible that the "borrower is slave to the lender". (Proverbs 22:7 - The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.)

Below is an article dealing with the "myth" of believing that only the rich can be debt free.

By Dave Ramsey

Myth: Only the rich can be debt free.
Truth: Anyone can become debt free. True debt reduction is plain common sense and hard work.

Many hard-working people get into debt because of mistakes. I work with those people every day. I'm talking about them - those who are willing to keep working hard - when I promise that there's hope to get out of debt and have a financially peaceful future.

Beware of Quick Fixes

But then there are lazy people who look for a quick fix, such as debt consolidation or debt management. Real debt help is not quick or easy. Laziness is a character flaw. You need to be willing to work and sacrifice in order to fix the situations that you created with your own irresponsibility. If you are not willing, then you cannot be helped.

Are you willing to get another job and work a few 80-hour weeks? If you are in financial stress because of something you've done, you need to get yourself out of the mess by working. If you think that it is too hard, you will never get out of the debt that you brought upon yourself.

Laziness is a sickness, and it will get you absolutely nowhere in life. We all make mistakes, but the question is whether you are willing to take responsibility for your mistakes! You need to learn from your mistakes or you - and your children - will be doomed to repeat the cycle. How badly do you want to be out of debt?

How to Get Out of Debt

We've developed a little process called the Debt Snowball to do one thing at a time and keep the debt reduction process simple. I have been broke. I know how scared I felt, and I know how fast I wanted to get out of debt. I know how you feel, and I have learned that what really works is unbelievably fierce, focused intensity.

Visit DaveRamsey.com for more information and the tools to get out of debt.

Two Ways of Responding

Two paraplegics were in the news a few years ago.

One was Kenneth Wright, a high school football star and later, an avid wrestler, boxer, hunter, and skin diver. A broken neck sustained in a wrestling match in 1979 left him paralyzed from the chest down. He underwent therapy, and his doctors were hopeful that one day he would be able to walk with the help of braces and crutches. But, apparently, the former athlete could not reconcile himself to his physical disability. He prevailed upon two of his best friends to take him in his wheelchair to a wooded area, where they left him alone with a twelve-gauge shotgun. After they left, he held the shotgun to his abdomen and pulled the trigger.Kenneth Wright, twenty-four, committed suicide.

The second paraplegic in the news was Jim McGowan. At the age of nineteen, Jim was stabbed and left paralyzed from the middle of his chest down. He is now confined to a wheelchair. But he made the news recently when he made a successful parachute jump,landing on his target in the middle of Lake Wallenpaupack in the Poconos. Newspeople learned a number of things about Jim. He lives alone, cooks his meals, washes his clothes, and cleans his house. He drives himself in his specially equipped automobile. Hehas written three books, and he did the photography for ourc ountry's first book on the history of wheelchair sports.

Two men with handicaps: one chose life and the other one didn't. As Robert Frost wrote: "Two roads diverged in a yellowwood, and I took the one less traveled by--and that has made all the difference."

--James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: TyndaleHouse Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 276.

To The Third and Fourth Generations

Max Jukes lived in New York. He did not believe in Christ or in Christian training.

He refused to take his children to church,even when they asked to go. He has had 1,026 descendants; 300were sent to prison for an average term of thirteen years; 190were public prostitutes; 680 were admitted alcoholics. Hisfamily, thus far, has cost the state in excess of $420,000. They made no contribution to society.

Jonathan Edwards lived in the same state, at the same time as Jukes.

He loved the Lord and saw that his children were in church every Sunday, as he served the Lord to the best of his ability. He has had 929 descendants, and of these 430 were ministers; 86 became university professors; 13 became university presidents; 75 authored good books; 7 were elected to the United StatesCongress. One was vice president of his nation. His family never cost the state one cent but has contributed immeasurably to the life of plenty in this land today.

--James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: TyndaleHouse Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 195.

Zingers by Croft Pentz - August 28 2007

No power on earth or under earth can make a man do wrong withouthis consent.

It is not a question as to who is right but what is right.

It is never too early to decide for Christ, but the time willcome when it will be too late.

He who provides for this life but takes no care for eternity iswise for a moment but a fool forever.

Buy the Book by Croft Pentz Here

I Decide to be Happy Every Day

The 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud mother-in-law of my best friend, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with her hair fashionably coifed and makeup perfectly applied, even though she is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.

Maurine Jones is the most lovely, gracious, dignified woman that I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. While I have never aspired to attain her depth of wisdom, I do pray that I will learn from her vast experience.

After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on her window."I love it," she stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy."Mrs. Jones, you haven't seen the room...just wait." "That doesn't have anything to do with it," she replied. "Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged...it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it..." She went on to say, "It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away...just for this time in my life. Old age is like a bank account...you withdraw from what you've put in...So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories, so when you go over it a second time, you can enjoy it again."

- Author Unknown

A Smile

A smile costs nothing, but gives much. It enriches those who receive, without making poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None is so rich or mighty that they can get along without it, and none is so poor but that they can be made rich by it. A smile creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in business, and is the countersign of friendship. It brings rest to the weary, cheer to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and it is nature's best antidote for trouble. Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away. Some people are too tired to give you a smile. Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as the one who has no more to give.

--James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 278.

Zingers by Croft Pentz - August 27 2007

A sense of humor is what makes you laugh at something that would make you angry if it happened to you.

Happiness is that peculiar sensation you encounter when you're just too busy to feel miserable.

If you are really concerned about what you wear, remember your facial expressions can be the most important.

The secret of happiness sometimes depends on what you don't do.

Buy the Book by Croft Pentz Here

The Truth About Budgeting

Since going on the plan by Dave Ramsey and developing a Budget every month, our family has experienced greater freedom, and as Dave says, it feels like we received a raise.

Too many families find themselves in great financial trouble because they don't take the time to develop a Budget. I used to think that a budget had to be "perfect", as well as laid out for the entire year, but have since come to realize that the farthest ahead we can predict with any sense of accuracy is 1 month. Even then, it may not be exact, yet the discipline of doing a budget is one of the greatest things we have done for our family.

Dave Ramsey writes:
"The dreaded "B" word. Budget. The only other word that starts with "B" that might generate a worse reaction in most people is the word bankruptcy. Unfortunately, the word budget has gotten a bum rap. It is basically just a plan. When you budget, you're spending on paper, on purpose, before the month begins. But many people view a budget as a straight jacket that keeps them constrained. Freedom and budget just don't seem to go together.

However, when you see that a budget is just spending your money with intention, you'll actually experience more freedom than before. Many people say they found even more money when they created a realistic budget and stuck with it."

The Bible tells us: Proverbs 22:7 The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

If you find yourself "hopelessly" in debt, rest assured there is an answer for you. It is not a "magic pill" and it won't happen overnight, but for most people who go on the plan are debt free within 2-3 years, except for their house. This is not a guarantee of course, because there is no way to predict how intense people will be, but this has helped our family in great ways, and I encourage you to take a look for yourself and see the benefits of this great plan!

Silver Makes The Difference

One day a wealthy old miser visited a rabbi who took him by the hand and led him to a window. "Look out there," he said, pointing to the street. "What do you see?" "I see men and women and little children," answered the rich man. Again the rabbi took him by the hand and led him to the mirror and said, "What do you see now?" "Now I see myself," the rich man replied. Then the rabbi said, "Behold, in the window there is glass, but the glass of the mirror is covered with silver, and no sooner is the silver added then you fail to see others but see only yourself." If you see self and all the respect and honor others ought to give you, you are on dangerous ground. You won't be able to see others if self is in the image you hold in front of you.

Zingers by Croft Pentz - August 24 2007

Inflation is the price we pay for those government benefits we thought were free.

People who live beyond their means should be given a lot of credit.

He made money the old-fashioned way--he inherited it.

How much money does it take for a rich person to be happy? Just a little more.

Depression is a time when you can't spend money you don't have.

Buy the Book by Croft Pentz Here

The Bible And It's Christ

We have an almost superstitious attitude to Bible reading as if it had some magical efficacy. But there is no magic in the Bible or in the mechanical reading of the Bible. No, the written Word points to the Living Word and says to us, "Go to Jesus." If we do not go to the Jesus to whom it points, we miss the whole purpose of Bible reading.

Evangelical Christians are not, or ought not to be, what we are sometimes accused of being, namely, "bibliolaters," worshipers of the Bible. We do not worship the Bible; we worship the Christ of the Bible.

Here is a young man who is in love. He has a girlfriend who has captured his heart. As a result he carries a photograph of his beloved in his wallet because it reminds him of her when she is far away. Sometimes, when nobody is looking, he might even take the photograph out and give it a surreptitious kiss. But kissing the photograph is a poor substitute for the real thing. And so it is with the Bible. We love it only because we love him of whom it speaks.

John R. W. Stott --James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 44.

The Bones of Belief

A clergyman took a seat in a dining car on a train traveling along the Hudson River. Opposite him was an atheist who, seeing his clerical collar, started a discussion. "I see you are a clergyman." "Yes," came the reply. "I am a minister of the gospel." "I suppose you believe the Bible." The clergyman, orthodox in his views, responded, "I certainly do believe the Bible to be the Word of God." "But aren't there things in the Bible you can't explain?" With humility the minister answered, "Yes, there are places in the Bible too hard for me to understand." With an air of triumph as though he had cornered the preacher, the atheist asked, "Well, what do you do then?" Unruffled, the clergyman went on eating his dinner--which happened to be Hudson shad, a tasty fish but noted for its bony structure. Looking up, he said, "Sir, I do just the same as when eating this shad. When I come to the bones, I put them to the side of the plate and go on enjoying my lunch. I leave the bones for some fool to choke on.

--James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 43.

Zingers by Croft Pentz - August 23 2007

The Bible was not written to teach science, but the Bible is scientifically correct.

The Bible is the only book whose Author is always present when it is read.

Carrying your Bible will never take the place of reading it.

You can remove the cinders of doubt from the eye of faith only by the water of the Word.

Buy The Complete Book of Zingers

Character or Reputation?

Character or Reputation. When we see these two words together, we often mistakenly believe that you cannot have one without the other.

Reputation in a nutshell is what others around us think of us. It is really the opinion that is held by others concerning who we are, and the motives they believe we have in doing what we do.

We can have a "good" reputation, or a "bad" reputation. However, we must realize that either of those are relative, and a "good" or "bad" reputation is only in the eye of the beholder.

Much more valuable is our Character. Character in a nutshell, is who we are when no one is looking. It is not just the face in the mirror, but the "face behind the face".

A person with Godly character is one who can stand fast in the face of false accusations, insinuations, slander, and ridicule. They remain rock solid in the midst of these things, even though the hurt may be real, the despair and depression cannot take hold of them, and bring them to defeat.

When Joseph was falsely accused by Potiphar's wife in the Old Testament, and was thrown from a high place of honor in the palace, into prison, one might say that his "repuation" was destroyed. "He said, she said..." He spent 12 long years in prison, the "victim" of unfounded allegations. However, his character remained strong!

Even in prison, he did not languish in bitterness, and look for ways to seek revenge on those who had hurt him. He knew his day would come. Character knows no time restraints.

As you know, his day did come, and he became second in command in Egypt, and was in charge of food distribution during a great famine that he had prophesied would take place.

Reputations come and go. Character will hold you through the storms. Develop character, and you will never have regrets.

By Norman Lawrence -
If used, please provide link back to this website:
http://e-inspirational.blogspot.com/

Don't Forget The Musician

Years ago, there was a master violinist in Europe. He would play in concerts, and he had a magnificent Stradivarius violin, extremely expensive. He would play the Stradivarius violin in concert and everyone would whisper in the crowd, "Listen to the beautiful sounds of the Stradivarius."

He would play in churches, and people would say, "Listen to the beautiful sounds of the Stradivarius." He even played before kings and queens, and they, too, would turn to one another and say, "Listen to the beautiful sounds of the Stradivarius." All the glory went to the instrument.

Then one day this master violinist was walking by a pawn shop. He noticed an old, beat-up, worn-out violin. He walked into the pawn shop and asked how much it would cost. The owner of the pawn shop told him the American equivalent of five dollars. He bought the violin, and he took it home. He polished it, and he refined it, and he tuned it, and he retuned it, and he built some character into that violin. Then, when he was to play the greatest performance of his life in a concert hall, he took out the little, five-dollar, worn-out, beat- up violin that he had polished and refined. He put it up to his chin, and he began to play, and everybody in the concert hall whispered, "Listen to the beautiful sounds of the Stradivarius."

-- Ron Lee Davis, "Rejoicing in Our Suffering," Preaching Today, Tape No. 74.
See: Ps 66:10; Ro 5:1-5; 1 Pe 1:7.

Zingers by Croft Pentz - August 20 2007

A man's character is like a fence; it cannot be strengthened by whitewash.

It is better to be short of cash than to be short of character.

A broken character doesn't knit easily.

A reputation once broken may possibly be repaired, but the world will always keep its eye on the spot where the crack was.

When we die, we leave behind us all we have and take with us all we are.

-- Croft M. Pentz, The Complete Book of Zingers (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1990). Buy it here

Greater Love Hath No Man...

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Like you, my heart has been saddened as I have seen the plight of the trapped miners on a daily basis on the national news channels. It has been particularly heart-wrenching as each day it seems like a new message comes out concerning the "possibilities" and "hope" that may still exist in finding the 6 men trapped deep below the ground in a mountain that continues to move and shift.

This morning (August 17), we awoke to realize that not only are the men still trapped, but that those who were attempting to rescue them from the horizontal route were tragically injured, and at least 3 were killed in their attempt to resuce the others.

The scripture of John 15:13 quoted above is very relevant in a time like this as these heroes gave their all in an attempt to rescue their friends from the crisis they were involved with. This is the true definition of friendship: That we would be willing to lay down our lives for our friends if the time should come. Jesus Christ did this 2,000 years ago as He became the perfect sacrifice on an "Old Rugged Cross" for the sins of mankind, and rescued us from the clutches of the enemy.

His freedom is there "if" we accept it into our lives. This life is so short in relation to eternity. Please remember to pray for the injured miners, and for the families of those who continue to wait for word on their loved ones....

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Adversity Overcome

Cripple him, and you have a Sir Walter Scott. Lock him in a prison cell, and you have a John Bunyan. Bury him in the snows of Valley Forge, and you have a George Washington. Raise him in abject poverty, and you have an Abraham Lincoln. Strike him down in infantile paralysis, and he becomes Franklin Roosevelt. Deafen him, and you have a Ludwig van Beethoven. Have him or her born black in a society filled with racial discrimination, and you have a Booker T. Washington, a Marian Anderson, a George Washington Carver. . . . Call him a slow learner; "retarded," and write him off an uneducable, and you have an Albert Einstein.

Ted W. Engstrom (1916- )

-Edythe Draper, Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1992). Entries 161-162.

Zingers by Croft Pentz - August 17 2007

A smile is a light in the window of your face that shows that your heart is at home.

The whole world is a camera--smile please.

Laugh and the whole world laughs with you--frown and see who cares.

It always pays to smile in the morning because later in the day you may not feel like it.

-- Croft M. Pentz, The Complete Book of Zingers (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1990). Buy it here

Get Out of Debt

We live in a nation where being in debt is "normal", and almostexpected of families right from the moment of marriage throughtheir entire lives.

A few months ago, we came upon the tremendous resources offeredby Christian Financial Expert, Dave Ramsey. Until this point, Ihad only heard of his name, but had not taken time to actuallyreview the resources he offered, but decided to take a look ingreater detail.

After further examination, all I can say is "WOW"! Why didn't Ifind him earlier? In just 10 short months, we have paid off about$16,000.00 in debt, and are well on our way with a tremendous plan for Debt Freedom. Dave often says, "this plan will work if youdo." In other words, it is not by any means a "get rich quick"scheme, but is simply a powerful resource to enable people tobecome better stewards of the finances God has blessed them withas they practice budgeting, restraint, and the "debt snowball".

I have recommended many great resources in this ezine, but nothing with so much potential to change America's families forthe good as this.

As Dave often says; "America, it's time to act your wage"!

Check it out here...

It Makes All the Difference

On a crowded street of one of our large cities, a young man was snatched from the path of a speeding truck, his life saved by a venerablelooking man. Still breathless from fright, the youth thanked the one who saved his life and then was lost in the crowd. Two weeks later in a crowded courtroom, an anxious young man stood in the prisoner's box to be sentenced for murder. "Young man, have you anything to say before the sentence of death is passed upon you?" "Why! Yes! Yes, Judge," the youth responded, "you know me." A silence moved like a shock wave over the courtroom. "I'm sorry. I cannot place you." "Yes. Surely you remember. Two weeks ago. At Main and Seventh Streets, you saved my life. Surely, Judge, you can do something to save me now." A silence pervaded the courtroom. "Young man, now I do remember you. But that day I was your savior. Today I am your judge." Today the Lord Jesus Christ wants to be your Savior. If you refuse Him and His grace, one day He will be your Judge.

Christ Abides With Us

When the first missionaries went to St. Thomas, they could not get near the suffering and degraded slaves until they took part in their bondage and asked the masters to make them slaves also. Then they were received with perfect confidence and were able to bring multitudes of the poor suffering ones to Christ. They trusted them when they saw that they had become identified with their very own lives and lot. "Praise be to the Lord the God of Israel, because He has come and has redeemed His people" (Luke 1:68). But He comes closer. These missionaries could work by the side of the slave, but they could not come into their hearts.

Never Again...

Never again will I say, "I can't," for "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" (Phil 4:13). Never again will I admit lack, for "My God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus" (Phil 4:19). Never again will I fear, for "God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love and of self-discipline" (2 Tim 1:7). Never again will I harbor doubt and lack of faith, for "The Lord is my light and my salvation-whom shall I fear" (Psa 27:1). Never again will I allow the supremacy of Satan over my life, for "the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). Never again will I admit defeat, for "God always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him" (2 Cor 2:14). Never again will I lack wisdom, for "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him" (James 1:5). Never again will I be worried and frustrated, "Casting all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you" (1 Pet 5:7). Never again will I be in bondage, for "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Cor 3:17).

What About Your Pocket?

A serviceman once wrote about a moment of comedy he had witnessed in the army.

It happened during a company inspection at the Redstone Arsenal in Alabama. The inspection was being conducted by a full colonel. Everything had gone smoothly until the officer came to a certain soldier, looked him up and down and snapped, "Button that pocket, trooper!"
The soldier, more than a little rattled, stammered, "Right now, sir?" "Of course, right now!" was the reply. Whereupon the soldier very carefully reached out and buttoned the flap on the colonel's shirt pocket.

The officer had been quick to note the youngster's uniform problem, but hadn't noticed his own. For some reason, we seem to be the same way. The faults of others stick out like a missing tooth, while our own are often hard to spot. Small specks in other people seem major, while the planks in our own eye seem excusable (Matt 7:1-5). Let's quit dwelling on the faults of others all the time. The church needs builders and workers-not a wrecking crew. Work on your own faults, then seek to help others in a spirit of gentleness.