Perspective

One of the early explorers of South Africa’s ocean waters, Bartolomeu Dias, went around a cape on a stormy sea. His ship threatened to go to pieces, so he called the place the Cape of Storms.

But Vasco da Gama, who came later, changed the name to the Cape of Good Hope, for he saw ahead of him the jewels and treasures of India. You can call this a life of storms if you wish. But if you can see the glorious redemption of eternity ahead of you, you can call it what it is only in Christ—a life of good hope.

Someone has calculated how a typical lifespan of 70 years is spent. Here is the estimate:

Sleep—23 years—32.9%

Work—16 years—22.8%

TV—8 years—11.4%

Eating—6 years—8.6%

Travel—6 years—8.6%

Leisure—4.5 years—6.5%

Illness—4 years—5.7%

Dressing—2 years—2.8%

Religion—0.5 years—0.7%

Total—70 years

Source: Our Daily Bread, November 25, 1992

Submitted by the homiletics class of West Coast Baptist College

Many years ago a senior executive of the then Standard Oil Company made a wrong decision that cost the company more than $2 million. John D. Rockefeller was then running the firm. On the day the news leaked out most of the executives of the company were finding various ingenious ways of avoiding Mr. Rockefeller, lest his wrath descend on their heads.

A man fell into a pit and couldn’t get himself out:

Prentice Henderson lived to be 100. He lived through the Great Depression, fought in World War II, and buried his wife.

He did not retire until he was in his 70s, and he taught Sunday School to 7th-grade boys for over 30 years at First Baptist Church. He had a simple little philosophy: “I chose to be happy.”  His daughter testified that, “He was always positive regardless of the situation.”

This man influenced generations because he “chose to be happy.”

Source: Houston Chronicle, August, 21, 2009

On November 4, 2010, Eunice Sandborn became the world’s oldest living person. She celebrated her 114th birthday in July, 20, 2010, at her church, First Baptist, in Jacksonville, Texas. Eunice says that she not only loves everything about her life, but she also has “no complaints.” If she had wanted to complain, she would have had many things accumulate throughout her 114 years to complain of. Yet, this lady has demonstrated that complaining is a choice.

Source: Houston Chronicle, November 5, 2010

Psychologists at the University of Cardiff in Wales found that people whose frown muscles were deadened with Botox were happier and less anxious than those whose muscles were not treated. The Journal of Pain May 2008 issue reported on a study which showed that people who grimace during uncomfortable procedures actually feel more pain than those who don’t.

Source: U.S. News & World Report, December, 2010

On February 27, 1991, during the Desert Storm War, a woman by the name of Ruth Dillow received the worst call of her life. Her son, Clayton Carpenter, Private First Class, had stepped on a land mine and was dead. For the next three days she grieved. No one could comfort her.

On the third day after receiving the terrible news, the phone rang. On the other end of the phone there was a voice that said, “Mom, it’s me. I’m alive.” At first she thought it was a cruel joke, but as the conversation continued, she realized it was her son.

Appetite says, “Be sensuous, enjoy yourself.”

Education says, “Be resourceful, expand yourself.”

Materialism says, “Be satisfied, please yourself.”

Psychology says, “Be confident, fulfill yourself.”

Pride says, “Be superior, promote yourself.”

Humanism says, “Be capable believe in yourself.”

God says, “Be wise, humble yourself.”

A husband was coming out of anesthesia after a series of tests in the hospital. His wife was sitting at his bedside, when his eyes fluttered open he said, “You are beautiful.” Flattered, the wife continued the vigil. Later he woke up again and said, “You’re cute!”

“What happened to beautiful?” She asked.

“The drugs are wearing off,” the husband replied.

Source: Unknown

The story is told about two wives who were doing their laundry in a laundry mat. They were both mending their husband’s pants.

One wife said, “My husband is so miserable. Nothing goes right at work, and he can’t find anything good on television. Our home is a place of despair. When we go to church, the song leader is terrible and the pastor is an idiot.

The other wife said “My husband is so excited.” He can’t wait to go to church. He loves the sermons. We laugh all the time and enjoy our family.

In one Peanuts cartoon Lucy says to Charlie Brown, “I hate everything. I hate everybody. I hate the whole wide world!”

Charlie says, “But I thought you had inner peace.”

Lucy replies, “I do have inner peace. But I still have outer obnoxiousness.”

Source: Unknown

The story is told of two men who shared a hospital room. One man was by the window, and the other was by the hall. The man by the hall was angry because he wasn’t by the window. The man by the window would cheerfully relate to the other what he saw out the window. The angry man wished the other man would go home soon. Eventually the man by the window died, and the angry man was moved to the window, but when he looked out to see the view all he saw was another wall.

Some people see the good in everything, while others see only the bad.

Source: Unknown

School officials in Bloomingdale, Michigan lost a 2 1/2-year fight in May, 1995 to keep a painting of Jesus in a high school hall way, where it had hung for 30 years. The U.S. Supreme Court let a lower court ruling stand that said the art has, “A proselytizing, affirming effect that some nonbelievers find deeply offensive.”

Source: Times Union, Albany New York, May 2, 1995

The story is told of a man who smoked cigarettes. Through the reading of numerous articles he became alarmed about the strong relationship between smoking and lung cancer. He finally confided in a friend: “I’ve been reading so many articles about smoking and lung cancer that I’ve decided to quit reading.”

Source: Unknown

When David Livingstone began his trek across Africa in 1852, he carried 73 books which together weighed 180 pounds. After he had gone 300 miles he had to throw away some of the books because it was not feasible to carry so much through the jungle. He continued throwing books away as he went further into the jungle. Eventually his library had shrunk to one book—the Bible—this he did not throw away.

The Bible is truly the most important book in the world, yet many read it as if it were the least important.

A man was walking through the zoo when he saw a little girl leaning into the lion’s cage. Suddenly, the lion grabbed her by the cuff of her jacket and tried to pull her inside and devour her right in front of her screaming parents. The man ran to the cage and hit the lion square on the nose with a powerful punch. Whimpering from the pain, the lion jumped back and let go of the girl, while the man returned her to her terrified parents.

A reporter saw the whole scene and said to the rescuer: “Sir, this was the most gallant and brave thing I saw a man do in my whole life.”

After a tough and discouraging day at work, Melvin plopped himself on the couch and began wallowing in self-pity. He moaned to his wife, “Nobody cares about me. In fact, the whole world hates me.” Without even looking up from her work, Melvin’s wife replied, “That’s not true, honey. The whole world couldn’t possibly hate you because most of them don’t even know you.”

Source: Houston Chronicle, November 29, 2006

James Cash Penney (who started J. C. Penney stores) made some unwise commitments and became very depressed. He worried so much that he developed shingles. He went to see his doctor who admitted him to the hospital, but his condition became worse. One night he was prescribed a sedative that quickly wore off, and he awoke believing that he would die that night. He wrote letters to his family and fell asleep.

A lady arranged the cremation of a body she believed was her son. He turned up alive the next day.

Greater Manchester Police said the confusion began when the body of a man in his 30s was discovered in Manchester, northwest England, on Oct. 12. He was identified as Thomas Dennison, 39, by a care worker who knew him. Officials contacted Dennison’s mother, Gina Partington, 58, who identified the dead man as her son.