Friendship


Sometimes in life,
You find a special friend,
Someone who changes your life
Just by being a part of it

Someone who makes you laugh
Until you can't stop
Someone who makes you believe
That there really is good in the world

Someone who convinces you that
There really is an unlocked door
Just waiting for you to open it.
This is a Forever Friendship

When you're down,
And the world seems dark and empty,
Your forever friend lifts you up in spirit
And makes that dark and empty world
Suddenly seem bright and full.

Your forever friend gets you through
The hard times, the sad times,
And the confusing times.
If you turn and walk away,
Your forever friend follows.

If you lose your way,
Your forever friend guides you
And cheers you on.
Your forever friend holds your hand
And tells you that everything
Is going to be okay.

And if you find such a friend,
You feel happy and complete,
Because you need not worry.
You have a forever friend for life,
And forever has no end.

"Two are better than one...
If one person falls, the other can reach out and help.
But people who are alone when they fall are in real trouble."
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NIV, NLT)

Jesus Really Does Love You


Every Sunday afternoon, after the morning service at their church, the Pastor and his 11-year-old son would go out into their town and hand out Gospel tracts. This particular Sunday afternoon, as it came time for the Pastor and his son to go to the streets with their tracts, it was very cold outside as well as pouring down rain. The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest clothes and said "Okay Dad, I'm ready."

His Pastor Dad asked, "Ready for what?"

"Dad, it's time we gather our tracts together and go out."

Dad responds, "Son, it's very cold outside and it's pouring down rain."

The boy gives his Dad a surprised look, asking, "But Dad, aren't people still going to Hell, even though it's raining?"

Dad answers, "Son, I am not going out in this weather."

Despondently the boy asks, "Dad, can I go -- Please?"

His father hesitated for a moment then said, "Son, you can go. Here's the tracts; be careful son."

"Thanks, Dad!" And with that he was off and out into the rain.

This 11-year-old boy walked the streets of the town going door-to-door and handing everybody he met in the street a Gospel tract. After 2-hours of walking in the rain he was soaking bone-chilled wet and down to his very last tract. He stopped on a corner and looked for someone to hand a tract to but the streets were totally deserted.

Then he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the sidewalk to the front door and rang the doorbell. He rang the bell -- but nobody answered. He rang it again and again but still no one answered. He waited but still no answer.

Finally this 11-year-old trooper turned to leave but something stopped him. Again, he turned to the door and rang the bell and knocked loudly on the door with his fist. He waited, something holding him there on the front porch. He rang again, and this time the door slowly opened. Standing in the doorway was a very sad looking elderly lady.

She softly asked, "What can I do for you, son?"

With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, this little boy said, "Ma'am, I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you that Jesus Really Does Love You! I came to give you my very last Gospel tract which will tell you all about Jesus and His great love."

With that, he handed her his last tract, and turned to leave. She called to him as he departed, "Thank you, son! And God bless you!"

Well, the following Sunday morning in church, Pastor Dad was in the pulpit and as the service began he asked, "Does anybody have a testimony or want to say anything?"

Slowly, in the back row of the church, an elderly lady stood to her feet. As she began to speak, a look of glorious radiance came from her face.

"None of you in this church know me. I've never been here before. You see, before last Sunday I was not a Christian. My husband has passed on, some time ago, leaving me totally alone in this world. Last Sunday, being a particularly cold and rainy day, it was even more so in my heart . . . as I came to the end of the line where I no longer had any hope or will to live.

"So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of my home. I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof then stood on the chair and fastened the other end of the rope around my neck.

"Standing on that chair, so lonely and brokenhearted, I was about to leap off when suddenly the loud ringing of my doorbell downstairs startled me. I thought, 'I'll wait a minute, and whoever it is will go away.'

"I waited and waited -- but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and more insistent and then the person ringing also started knocking loudly. I thought to myself again, 'Who on earth could this be? Nobody ever rings my bell or comes to see me!'

"I loosened the rope from my neck and started for the front door, all the while the bell rang louder and louder. When I opened the door and looked I could hardly believe my eyes!

"There on my front porch was the most radiant and angelic little boy I had ever seen in my life! His smile! Oh, I could never describe it to you! And the words that came from his mouth caused my heart, that had long been dead, to leap to life as he exclaimed with a cherub-like voice, 'Ma'am, I just came to tell you that JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU.'

"Then he gave me this Gospel tract that I now hold in my hand. As the little angel disappeared back out, into the cold and rain, I closed my door and read slowly every word of this Gospel tract. Then I went up to my attic to get my rope and chair. I wouldn't be needing them any more.

"You see, I am now a happy child of the King, and since the address of your church was on the back of this Gospel tract I have come here to personally say, 'Thank you to God's little angel who came just in the nick of time, and by so doing, spared my soul from an eternity in Hell.'"

There were now no dry eyes in the church.

As shouts of praise and honor to the Lord resounded off the very rafters of the building, Pastor Dad descended from the pulpit to the front pew where the little angel was seated. He took him in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


There are a lot of hurting people in the world, searching for that thing which will make them complete, but the answer to true peace and happiness can only be found in Jesus Christ. Lets all do our very best to help reach these people.

Matthew 5:16 (NKJ) "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

For those that have not been "saved," or don't know about Christ's love: Be encouraged and know that Jesus Loves You, no matter what sin or past mistakes you have made. He will forgive you and receive you unto Himself -- simply ask Him. He died on the cross for your sins. If you have any doubt of God's love for you, then please read the following scripture and allow God's Word to get deep into your heart and soul.

John 3:16 (NKJ) "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

How To Be A Weak Leader

Ten sure-fire ways to become a weak leader:
Weak leaders are blind to the current situation. They solve the wrong problems in the wrong way.

Good leaders understand what is happening. They size up the situation, put themselves in the right position to respond, prepare, and then act at the proper time.

Weak leaders discourage others. They find fault and blame. They criticize when things don't go right.

Good leaders encourage. They give credit when things go well and take responsibility when they don't go well.

Alabama football coach "Bear" Bryant was once asked how he inspired his players. He responded, "Well, I'm just an old plow hand from Arkansas, but I've learned a few things about getting people to do what you want them to do. When things go wrong, I did it. When things go semi-good, we did it. And when things go good, you did it. That's all it takes to hold a team together and win football games."

Weak leaders know it all. They already have the answers.

Good leaders keep learning. A cross-discipline study of leadership indicated that effective leaders in all fields are always learning. They constantly improve their skills. The best leaders are perpetual learners. Unlike weak leaders, they know that a spurt here and a spurt there does not make one an expert!

Weak leaders never rock the boat. They won't make courageous decisions for fear of failing. They prefer to keep things as they are, even if the system is not working all that well. Weak leaders will almost always follow the well-worn path.

Good leaders, however, will often go where there is no path and leave a trail. They are sure of their direction and they act boldly.

Weak leaders keep others in their place. They remind them who is boss.

Good leaders know that authority is more earned than granted.

A young Army officer found that he did not have the correct change for a soft drink vending machine. Noticing a subordinate nearby, he said, "Private, do you have change for a dollar?"

Cheerfully, the man said, "I think so - let me look."

"That is no way to address your superior, soldier!" scolded the officer. "Now, let's try it again. Private, do you have change for a dollar?"

The soldier snapped to attention, saluted and said, "NO, SIR!"

Weak leaders do all of the work themselves. They delegate poorly. They micro-manage and control.

Good leaders identify the gifts, strengths and limitations of those they lead. They assign, train, encourage and then get out of the way.

Weak leaders sabotage the successes of others. When those below them succeed, they feel threatened.

Good leaders, on the other hand, help their subordinates find success. They give a hand up. They realize that when one is lifted to another's shoulders, both stand taller.

Weak leaders ask others do what they are not willing to do themselves, and try to get others to go places they have not been.

Good leaders always lead by example.

Weak leaders motivate by force. They cajole, intimidate, threaten and issue ultimatums.

Good leaders know that motivation by force destroys morale. They understand that people respond best to positive incentive. They know that people who believe in themselves will do more work and better work.

Finally, weak leaders do not listen to those they lead. Their minds are already made up and they charge recklessly ahead.

Good leaders listen and learn. U.S. Secretary of State Dean Rusk once said, "One of the best ways to persuade others is with you ears -- by listening to them." Good salespeople know this. Good motivators know this. Good leaders know this.
There you have it: ten characteristics of weak leaders. Avoid all ten of these leadership blunders and you can become a GREAT leader.