ONE
One song can spark a moment,
One flower can wake the dream.
One tree can start a forest,
One bird can herald spring.
One smile begins a friendship,
One handclasp lifts a soul.
One star can guide a ship at sea,
One word can frame the goal.
One vote can change a nation,
One sunbeam lifts a room.
One candle wipes out darkness,
One laugh will conquer gloom.
One step must start a journey,
One word can start a prayer.
One hope will raise our spirits,
One touch can show you care.
One voice can speak wisdom,
One heart can know what’s true.
One life makes the difference,
You see, the one is YOU!
~~taken from the Allen Park, MI bulletin

A GOOD WORD
Mark Twain once remarked, 'I can live for two months on one good compliment.' We all know what he meant by that. It lifts your spirit to have someone say something genuinely nice to you or about you.
Solomon notes this human truth: 'Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down, but a good work makes it glad' (Proverbs 12:25). Haven't we all experienced days when the morning began just right? Someone in your family mentioned something special about you that he or she appreciated. Perhaps your boss gave you a compliment as you entered the workplace. Then there was a note in the mail or a phone call from someone you love, and words of cheer entered your heart and made your day.
Since we know how good it feels to receive such expressions from people, shouldn't we spread the same joy to others? Let's take advantage of the many opportunities that are available to us!
We don't have to be rich to give compliments away. We don't have to be well-known to have a good effect on others. Even complete strangers reap the benefit of receiving a good word from us.
We hear multitudes of bad words in our world. Instead, let's start a campaign to balance what people hear. We can begin with 'a good word makes it glad!'


A BRAVE SOLDIER...

A fine lad entered the army. On the first night in the barracks when he went to bed, he faced a real test. At home, he had the habit of reading the Bible and kneeling down to pray before retiring. In the barracks, he was entirely surrounded by rough fellows. Many of them were cursing and joking loudly. The lad thought it might be wise to go to bed and read his Bible where nobody would notice him.
Then he thought and boldly decided, I'm a Christian! I ought be an example for Jesus before the fellows. I won't pull down my colors. I will do here like I always did at home. So he took out his Bible and read it. Then he knelt down to pray. The barracks became as quiet as a church. After a while, the talk began again, but it was more subdued. No one said anything about the young soldier's unusual behavior. The next night, when he got out his Bible, eight other buddies got out their Bibles.
Within a month, every soldier in the barracks would have fought for the lad. They came to him with their questions and their troubles. He influenced more men in the barracks for good than a dozen ministers could have in a year of Sundays.

(from 'For All Things Are Yours' compiled by Jack Exum)