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Newsletter
I OCTOBER 2003
TWO CHOICES
Rob
is the kind of guy who is always in a good mood and always has
something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was
doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be
twins!"
He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day,
Rob was there telling the employee how to look on the positive
side of the situation.
Seeing this attitude really made me curious, so one day I went
up to Rob and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a
positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Rob replied,
"Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices
today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to
be in a bad mood. With God’s help, I choose to be in a good
mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim
or I can choose to learn from it. With God’s help, I choose
to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining,
I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the
positive side of life. With God’s help, I choose the positive
side of life.
"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested. "Yes,
it is," Rob said. "Life is all about choices. Every
situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations.
You choose how people affect your mood. You choose to be in a
good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you
live your life. You can choose to allow God to control your life
and give you the grace to make the right choices."
I reflected on what Rob said. Soon thereafter, I left the Tower
Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often
thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting
to it.
Several years later, I heard that Rob was involved in a serious
accident, falling some 60 feet from a communication tower. After
18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Rob was released
from the hospital with rods placed in his back.
I saw Rob about six months after the accident. When I asked him
how he was, he replied. "If I were any better, I'd be twins.
Wanna see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but I
did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took
place.
"The first thing that went through my mind was the well being
of my soon to be born daughter," Rob replied. "Then,
as I lay on the ground, I remembered that God was in control of
my life, and I had two choices: I could choose to give up or I
could trust God. I chose to trust God."
"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I
asked. Rob continued, "...the paramedics were great. They
kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled
me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors
and nurses, I got really scared.
In their eyes, I read ‘he's a dead man.’ I knew I
needed to take action." "What did you do?" I asked.
Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me,"
said Rob. "She asked if I was allergic to anything."
"Yes, I replied." The doctors and nurses stopped working
as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled,
"Gravity."
Over their laughter, I told them, "God is in control here.
I have chosen to trust Him. Now operate on me with that trust
in mind." Rob lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors,
but also because of his trust in the Lord and His will for his
life. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to
live fully. We can choose to trust God. Faith in God, after all,
is everything.
"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will
worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
After all, today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.
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LETTER
FROM THE ISF ASSISTANT
Dear International Friend,
Greetings to you from International Student Fellowship.
Now that the autumn season is officially here we are enjoying one
of the most beautiful times of the year in the Pittsburgh area.
Although spring is lovely with its array of blooming flowers, somehow
autumn has a beauty all its own. God gives us a wonderful display
of fall colors of red, orange, yellow and brown when the trees start
their annual change of colors. How good God is to present us with
such a gift before the cold winter season begins. Speaking of gifts,
on September 8th, my wife and I officially became grandparents.
Our new grandson, Tyler, was born at 5:28 in the afternoon. He weighed
6 lb 2 oz. and was 19 inches long. We were able to hold him just
minutes after he was born so it was a very wonderful experience.
Since the new baby has visited in our home a few times some of our
friends who attend our weekly Bible Studies have been able to see
him and hold him. There is always much joy when a new life begins
so we are very happy and thank God for his many blessings to us.
We realize that God is the giver of life.
We look forward to seeing you at the October gathering. This gathering
will be on Friday, October 17th at 7:30
PM in the beautiful Ballroom of the William
Pitt Union. The William Pitt Union is located in Oakland
on the corner of Bigelow and Fifth Avenue. To get to the Ballroom,
use the entrance on Fifth Avenue and then follow the signs. As always,
there will be good music, a challenging lecture, wonderful fellowship,
and a full course meal for you to enjoy. As always, there will be
children’s activities in the Kurtzman room. And remember it’s
all free!
We look forward to seeing you on October 17th!
--Terry
Tiberio, ISF Assistant
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ONE
LINE SERMONS
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Give God what's right -- not what's left.
· Man's way leads to a hopeless end -- God's way leads to
an endless hope.
· He who kneels before God can stand before anyone.
· When praying, don't give God instructions – just
report for duty.
· We don't change God's message -- His message changes us.
· Plan ahead -- It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.
· Most people want to serve God, but only in an advisory
position.
· Nothing else ruins the truth like stretching it.
· Compassion is difficult to give away because it keeps coming
back.
· He who angers you controls you.
· God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
SEPTEMBER
ISF GATHERING
(September 19, 2003)80
were present from the following 8 countries: China,
Indonesia, Jordan, Philippines, South Korea, Syria, Vietnam, USA.
Hope
to see you at the October ISF Gathering on October
17th, in the Ballroom of William Pitt! |
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