A Teacher's Word

“PLEASE COME UP TO MY DESK, NANCY,” my geography teacher requested.

“Why is she calling me?” I wondered. I didn’t even know that she knew my name. As far as I could remember, she had never spoken to me. I was a very shy and quiet student. I succeeded to make average grades, even though I didn’t study. I wasn’t one of her best students, or one of her worst. I was simply an “average” student. Unfortunately, average kids don’t usually get noticed. I have found that teachers tend to pamper smart kids and help the slow kids, when they are not trying to discipline the bad kids. Average kids, somehow, get lost in the shuffle.

I arose from my seat and tiptoed, hesitantly toward her desk. Around me, my friends were whispering and snickering. I began to tremble. “What did I do?” I asked myself, as I stood at her desk. She looked up to me and placed her pen on her desk. She began to shuffle through some papers.

“Did you call me?” I whispered. I was hoping I had misunderstood. “I certainly did young lady,” she answered, as she pulled several pieces of paper from the bottom of the rustled stack. “Is this your test, Nancy?” “Yes,” I replied.

It was an essay test, which consisted of three difficult questions. I had answered each of the questions to the best ability, even though I didn’t have a clue as to what the correct answers were.

“Did you study Nancy?” she quizzed. “No, I didn’t,” I confessed, expecting her to tear my test in half. “I didn’t think so,” she declared, as she placed an A on my paper. “An A?” I inquired. “Yes,” she said. “Why do you look so surprised? You have a way for words like I never seen before. You earned it but please study next time.” As I started to walk away she called my name again when I turned around, she was smiling. “You’re going to be a great writer someday,” she said. “I believe in you.” I was elated. I had my very first ‘A’ in that class. But better than that, I knew that my teacher believed in me, even though I didn’t even believe in myself. From that day on I studied diligently and brought my grades up. “If my teacher believed in me, I couldn’t let her down,” I decided.

That day was a turning point in my life. I never forgot her words. I began my writing career thirty years later and have now been published in numerous books and periodicals. Encouragement goes a long way in the life of success. “You’re going to be a great writer someday,” she said. “I believe in you.” What a difference those few words made in my life!

This story is written by NANCY B. GIBBS who turned out to be a very prolific writer.

It was my first week in college when a science professor told me to stay after class. I hated the idea of having to stay after class now that I’m in college because I had been a regular after-class stayee all of my high school life. After all the students have left the professor showed me the very first quiz I had taken at the start of my college life. I had a perfect score. And then she said, “Mr. Kong, I can see now that you will become a scholar in this school.” For the first time in my life somebody believed in me. I decided to take up on her challenge. Four years later, I graduated top in my school. And I am here today because a professor gave me a break and believed in me.

Perhaps this is the reason why I have spent more time and money, giving lectures and seminars to educators all over the country. Challenging them to believe in their students and to help them build a life. Teaching is a most noble profession and once we begin to see potential in our students something happens, they become great. The greatest Teacher who ever walked this planet sees us for our potential, and If we put our faith in Him, learn from Him then truly we shall accomplish much. For none can ever match the greatness of the Greatest Teacher Jesus Christ Himself.

Mayonnaise or Coffee?

One day a conversation took place between the husband and the wife. The wife was not in a very happy disposition that morning and so she complained:

"You think so much of your old game you don't even remember when you were married."

The husband calmly replied: "Of course I do, my dear; it was the day I sank that 30-foot putt."… Oops… Priorities!

Here's another story.

A wife was getting tired of her husband golfing every Saturday, so she decided to go with him to see what the attraction was.

His first drive of the day went into the rough, then his second shot bounced across the fairway into the lake. After retrieving his ball, his third shot wasn't any better. It went back across the fairway into the rough again.

After taking several more shots to finally reach the green, he turned to his wife and said, "And you thought I was having a good time!" Again, priority!

I think this is a rehash of an old story with a twist but is worth retelling because of its practical benefit for today.

Peter McIntyre from Far East Broadcast Company sent me this material entitled: “The Mayonnaise Jar & 2 cups of coffee.” How true this is!

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.

Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "Yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things-- God, your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions-- and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter-- your job, your house, and your car.

The sand is everything else--- the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first--- the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

Shall we have coffee then?

Send me your feedback and write me: franciskong@businessmatters.orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

I invite you to also listen to my radio program “Business Matters” aired 8:30a .m. and 6:30 p.m. daily over 98.7 dzFE-FM 'The Master's Touch', the classical music station.

Success Is Harder Than You Think

One top notch corporate trainer invited me to her office and talked to me about the challenges she has to face in her company. Business is good. In fact business is extremely good. From a work force of 300 Main Office expect her to grow her work force to about 900 within two years time. This is her challenge.

I smiled and I assured her the situation is not unique especially in her industry. Recruiting good people is a big challenge in itself let alone train them and prepare them to take over leadership positions. And then this charming lady said something I will not forget. She says many of her qualified people who are being groomed for positions of leadership are hesitant to take on the responsibility.

Now don't get me wrong. The perks are there, the pay increase offered and of course the opportunity for further advancement yet there is great hesitation on the qualified candidates to take up on the offer. This puzzled me and when I asked why she explained somberly that the new success of these people is looked with disdain from their former peers who now consider them as outcasts from their inner circle. And now they are troubled.

This phenomenal experience is not unique. It happened to famous Hollywood actor Dustin Hoffman. Dustin Hoffman once said that if he had known how much success awaited him, he never would have become an actor.

The book entitled: “ Whoever Makes the Most Mistakes Wins ” authored by Ralph Keyes talks about this.

The Oscar- winning movie star explained that he began acting expecting to fail. He was mistaken, and sorry about it. Hoffman found that the costs of success included not only a serious loss of privacy, but having to forego the company of failed actors. The latter was especially frustrating. According to Hoffman, failed actors were much better company than successful ones. That's not true just of actors. In general, those who aren't successful (on the world's terms) tend to be better company than those who are. They not only have more sympathy for others, but more time to spend with them.

Success is extremely time consuming. Scheduling becomes a problem. Those who get to the top and want to stay there have little room on their calendars for much else: hobbies, travel, family, and friends. A pal is someone you can call, or drop in on, at a moment's notice. This is seldom possible after one becomes prominent.

According to Bette Midler, “The worst part of success is trying to find someone who is happy for you. When we're doing well and report that news to others, we would like to think they'll be happy. This is seldom true. “Anyone can sympathize with sufferings of a friend,” said Oscar Wilde, “but it requires a very fine nature to sympathize with a friend's success.

There's a German word- “schadenfreude” - that refers to the guilty pleasure of hearing about someone else's misfortune. There is no comparable word for the joy of hearing about another person's good fortune because that feeling is so rare. When someone else tells us how well they're doing instead of feeling pleasure, we often feel rotten. Leads to envy, followed by resentment then anger and despair.

Everyone fails. Only a handful succeeds. Since even apparently successful, however, a sense of failure is the most common human condition. Hearing about someone else's difficulties elicits our humanity. We emphasize with those in distress and want to lend them a hand or at least a sympathetic ear. But when we hear of a person being successful, then it takes a great amount of confidence and character to be able to celebrate other people's success.

There is always a price to be paid for success.

Only secure people would celebrate your success.

This is why people should be trained to handle success. People should be trained for leadership skills. And the HR lady of this very prestigious firm is right on target.

She sees the importance of training her people in different leadership levels the right skills for leading people.

Here is my advice: If you cannot be a runner-up, try not to be a runner down.

Learn to celebrate success and if God has granted you success, learn to be humble and gracious with other people.

Lisa Edmondson "A talented trumpeter who toots his own horn winds up playing to an empty theatre. A talented trumpeter who lets others recognize his talent winds up a legend."

(Send me your feedback and write me: franciskong@businessmatters.orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it I also invite you to listen to my radio program “Business Matters” aired 8:30a.m. and 6:30p.m. daily over 98.7 dzFE-FM 'The Master's Touch', the classical music station.)

10 Things You Should Do Before Going To Heaven

David Bordon & Tom Winters writes a very interesting article entitled: 10 Things You Should do Before Going To Heaven. Practical ideas for living a more complete life this side of eternity.

Now who wouldn’t be intrigued with a title like that?

I am known as an author with fancy long titles for my books. IN fact the latest book of mine carries a longer one than before.

But with a title like this? Well let me share their article with you. But as usual I will have to add some personal comments of my own.

Heaven. If you're a committed follower of Jesus Christ, it's your final, glorious destination. But there's a life to live "down here" in the meantime, and too many of us drift through it without any real sense of purpose or joy.

While this world is full of heartache, God still wants us to be people of faith and hope ( Rom. 12:9-21). We are, in a sense, living advertisements for the abundant life He desires everyone to experience (2 Cor. 5:20).

In their new book, 101 Things You Should Do Before Going to Heaven (Warner Faith), authors David Bordon and Tom Winters present an inspiring list to help us live life to its fullest. In this exclusive excerpt, we offer ten doable ways to make each day count for eternity.

1. Give Away Something Valuable

If you had to evacuate your home and had one hour to pack your car with everything that was valuable to you (above and beyond your family, pets, and old tax returns!), what would you choose to save?

Sometimes, items are of value simply because of the wonderful memories they represent. On the other hand, some of the possessions that own a piece of your heart may be more tied up in self-centeredness than sentiment—that stereo system, that jewelry, that new car. It may even be the home that houses all of your prized possessions. The truth is, when you go to heaven, none of these things will be going with you. So why not start loosening your grip on them a little early?

You don't need to start big. Donate something to charity that's not broken or worn out. Give something to another family simply because they need it more than you do. God never said owning things was wrong. However, He did say it was harder for a rich man to get into heaven than for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle (Matt. 19:24). The less tightly you hold on to your possessions, the more contentment you'll have here on earth.

The whole world was inspired by the generous giving of its richest citizen William Gates of Microsoft. This act of giving pulls in another rich citizen in the person of Warren Buffet and here in our own country, John Gokongwei celebrating his 80 th birthday decided to give what would turn out to be the single biggest contribution to charity. Giving inspires people. Taking and getting turns people off.

2. Reconnect With A Long-Lost Friend

If you misplaced a hundred-dollar bill, chances are you'd turn your home upside down to find it. But when friends get misplaced along the road of life, all too often their names are simply crossed off the Christmas list and relegated to conversations that begin with "I wonder what ever happened to…"

Don't let an address change or the passing of time erase someone from your life. Invest in future joy by reconnecting with people from your past. Conduct your own friendship "search and rescue" by typing a friend's name into your favorite Internet search engine. Call mutual friends and ask the "Do you know whatever happened to…?" question. Send a note to a friend's last known address, asking whoever currently lives there for help.

Once you think you've located your friend, drop him or her a note. Share a few favorite memories, a little about what's happened in your life since you last saw each other. Chances are, your friends will be as excited to reconnect with you as you are with them. What's more, your timing in tracking them down may be God's timing in meeting a need. It takes time, energy, and love to make a friend. Don't squander that investment. And when friends do wind up "missing," don't wait until heaven to reconnect with them. Reach out now. True friends are treasures whose value increases with time.

People who love the Lord understand the value of love and friendship.

3. Spend A Day Alone With God

Suppose God gives you 70 years to live on this earth? That means, before your departure to heaven, you would have 25,550 days to explore, enjoy, and make a difference in the world around you. Out of all those days of opportunity and adventure, dedicating a single day to spend totally focused on the One who gave you the gift of life itself seems like a small thing. And it is, especially in light of eternity.

There are a lot of people I know whose concept of spending time with God is to drop in a church and attend Midnight Mass on Christmas eve. This appeases their conscience and leads them to think that their “spiritual obligation” has been met. Others go to the same place on the same occasion to eat their favorite rice cakes and stuffs. But what does it take and how much does it cost you to spend one whole day just being with God?

Take for example just reading the Bible.

How much time does it take to read from Genesis to Revelation? If you would read the Bible at standard pulpit speed (slow enough to be heard and understood) the reading time would be seventy-one hours. If you would break that down into minutes and divide it into 365 days you could read the entire Bible, cover to cover, in only twelve minutes a day. Is this really too much time to spend reading about God?¹

Every Tuesday morning the Ilocana and I (this is a term I fondly use on Lilia my wife). Together we join more than a thousand people gathered together for one hour of prayer that begins at 6AM and ends at 7. Just pouring out gratitude, concerns, supplications to God. To say that it is a most refreshing experience is a grave under-statement. I think the authors are correct. We just need to spend time alone with God and we do it before we go to heaven.

4. Touch An Untouchable

In the Hindu caste system, some people in the society are viewed as "untouchable." These individuals are deemed intrinsically inferior from the womb to the grave. Although the caste system is now illegal in India, its practices are still widely accepted. Members of the lowest caste are still regularly shunned, insulted, and oppressed. You may feel a tinge of superiority because you don't believe anyone's untouchable. Or do you?

I have been to India twice and I have seen them. Now here is the application. Take a good look at how you feel about different groups of people. Bikers. Manual laborers. Teenagers. Panhandlers. The elderly. Unwed mothers. Immigrants. People with aids. The physically handicapped. People with tattoos and body piercings. Individuals with a different skin color, religion, or even gender. Who's on your personal list of "untouchables"?

Before you get to heaven, banish any internal caste system that's preventing you from opening your hands and your heart to others. Begin with prayer. Ask God to bring situations into your life that will allow you to get close enough to reach out and "touch" an untouchable. You may feel uncomfortable at first. You may even feel like a hypocrite, that your actions are not sincere. But the desire to do the right thing can be a genuine motivation for love. The more you put your love into action, the easier it will be to see how God has woven His image into each and every person, making it impossible for anyone to ever be an "untouchable."

5. Dance With Abandon

Polka, samba, hip-hop, salsa, waltz… or just put on some music and get your body moving to the beat. Dancing is fun, freeing, and good for your health. While you can learn plenty of formal steps, simply getting into the habit of being able to respond to music in a physical way is something worth doing before you get to heaven. After all, there likely will be plenty of dancing there. In the same way that David danced before God to express his joy and gratitude (2 Sam. 6:14), you'll get your chance to dance with abandon before the Lord in heaven. Why not get into the habit here and now?

Now I know of many conservative folks who think that dancing is world and of the devil. We have to respect their opinions even though we disagree with them. God has given us the faculties to enjoy this art expression and the people of God danced in the Scriptures. Just don’t do strip teasing – which is becoming popular in many areas of the world today.

I don’t dance. I’m a terrible dancer. But at least I know how to sway with the beat of the music and I do enjoy music and I admire those who have the talent for dancing. Let’s look at the next one:

6. Refuse To Retire

Just because you retire from your job doesn't mean you have to retire from life. One way to keep going and growing is to pour yourself into someone else. Become a mentor. Share your woodworking skills with the kid on the corner. Meet with a young mom who could use your years of parenting experience to help her survive her daughter's "terrible twos." Volunteer to be a Big Sister or Big Brother. No matter what stage of life you're in, others could benefit from your experience. Ask God to lead you to someone who needs what you know. Then simply be a friend with a focus. Share what you've learned. Listen as much as you talk. Ask questions. Encourage. Stay open to God's surprises, and you may learn as much as you teach.

You will never be happy unless you are productive.

Many people have this erroneous notion that what they’ll do now is to work hard, save money and look forward to the day they will retire.

What they fail to understand is that many people begin dying the day they retired. And why is this so? Because one of the most tragic thing that can happen to a human being is that he or she wakes up one morning and finds himself totally useless.

God has created us to be creative. Do not retire but refire before we go to heaven.

7. Change Churches For One Sunday

Before you get to heaven, it's a good idea to get to know a few of your future neighbors. Not the ones you usually hang around with, but the ones who are different from you. The ones whose worship services are too contemporary or too traditional, too loud or too staid, too charismatic or not charismatic enough. These neighbors may live in a different part of town, dress in a different style, speak a different language, or have a different skin color than you do—but you're going to be worshiping side by side with them one day in heaven. And on that day, no one's going to be debating denominational differences.

Until that time, catch a glimpse of heaven by visiting a different church some Sunday. Choose one that is a different denomination from your own. Then, walk into the service with an open mind and an open heart. People may welcome you warmly—or not. How they respond to you is irrelevant. Your example of spending one Sunday expanding the borders of your church "box" may encourage others to do the same. Focus on what you have in common instead of on what sets you apart. Take a risk, and you may learn something new about God, worship, and the beauty of the place all of Christ's followers will someday call home.

Great leaders in church are always those who go out of their way to help other churches. Insecure leaders tend to control their members for fear of losing them to others. What they have is a scarcity mindset which is not based on Scriptures.

And when you visit other churches, follow their house rules. Behave like a guest and a visitor because you truly are. And when you come across church leaders who are rude, brash, proud and ignorant…pray for them. Don’t be like them.

Number 8 in our list of things we need to do before going to heaven is this:

8. Select A Life Verse

The Bible is filled with great verses. Verses that challenge, convict, encourage, and ultimately draw us closer to God. While being consistent in reading the whole of Scripture is important, applying what you learn is even more so. One way to do that is to take God's Word to heart. That means getting intimate with a portion of Scripture by studying it, memorizing it, turning it over in your mind, and putting what you learn into practice. It means weighing your life against God's truth.

Choosing a life verse can help you do that. Think of it as a mission statement for your life. What do you see as God's primary purpose for your life? It may be to love others as you love yourself, to proclaim God's message through every aspect of your life, or to serve God by serving others. It's true that God asks you to do all these things, but what one area does God want you to become an "expert" in?

What characteristic does your heart cry out most deeply for? Mercy? Purity? Truth? Humility? Find a verse that captures your most heartfelt cry to God.

Finding that verse may take some time. As you read through the Bible, write down every verse that summarizes the kind of person you want to be. Live with each verse for a while. Think about it as you go through your day. Ask God to help you apply it in life-changing ways. After a while, you'll find one that strongly resonates with you. Use it as a flashlight during dark times, a scale to weigh who you are against who you long to be, and a promise of what God can do as you wholly lean on Him.

9. Bake Bread From Scratch

Here's something that sounds like a waste of time and energy. Instead of going to the grocery store, visiting your favorite bakery, or using your own handy-dandy bread maker, make a loaf of bread from scratch. Knead it. Let it rise. Then, bake it until it's golden brown.

Why, you might ask, should you go to all the trouble? After all, the task not only promises to be time-consuming and dirty-dish inducing, it doesn't even save you money. However, the truth is that when you make a loaf of bread, your level of gratitude has a chance to rise along with the dough. While you're mixing and measuring, consider how much it took just to get that flour to your mixing bowl. Grain had to be planted, watered, harvested, ground, packaged, and delivered to market. Consider all those who help bring clean water to your tap, and electricity or gas to your stove. Soon you realize that having the ingredients and tools to make a simple sandwich involves a major group effort.

If this is your first loaf of homemade bread, success isn't guaranteed. Getting the yeast to rise correctly can be a tricky business. But whether your bread rises or falls, browns or burns, cut yourself a slice after it cools. Sit down and eat it with God. Thank Him for the gift He's given you of community, even with those you may never meet. Thank Him for His daily provision. Ask Him to help you be heartfelt and sincere before every meal when you ask His blessing on your daily bread.

10. Refuse To Act Your Age

Your age is just a number. It's a label to help you keep track of time. Sure, it's true that your age can act as a sort of warning system, like a ten-minute buzzer reminding players that the end of a game is near. But it's just a reminder that every day takes you one step closer toward heaven. It's a cue to make the most of the days that lie ahead.

Focus more on the benefits of getting older than on the difficulties.

Cherish the wisdom, discipline, and great memories that can be gained only through living long and well. Recognize the measure of a friendship or marriage that spans decades. Rest in the comfort of knowing that God will see you through the hard times just as He has always done in the past. Don't let a number bring you down. Let it spur you on toward making the most of every moment that lies between you and heaven.

Nice article.

Now here’s my take on this.

Read the Bible and enjoy God’s Word. Don’t cram for the final exams.

The more you read the more you know but most importantly, maintain your freshness of intimacy with God.

I know of a minister who says in public he wants to live till the age of 120. Doesn’t he realize how boring that will be. People who love the Lord would want to be with Christ a whole lot sooner. So live this day as if it was the last but enjoy every moment of it. ²

¹James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) pp. 43-44.

²Adapted from 101 Things You Should Do Before Going to Heaven. 2006 Bordon-Winters LLC. Used by permission of Warner Faith, a division of the Time Warner Book Group. Copyright © 2006 by the author or Christianity Today International/Today's Christian magazine.