Things to think about

Yesterday I finished the book One Simple Act: Discovering the Power of Generosity by Christian author Debbie Macomber. (Thank you, Mom, for sending me good books written in English!)

It was inspirational & encouraging, and I read it with a pen in hand so I could underline statements that stood out to me and make notes in the margins.

Here are just a few thought-provoking sentences that I underlined and want to share:

There are more verses in the Bible that praise God than anything else.

I think that says a lot about how important it is to just simply praise God.

Praise too often refers to the product, while encouragement focuses on the act itself and the heart behind the action.

I've been thinking about this in the classrooms this week as I encourage students to keep studying English and not give up. I'd never really thought before about the differences between praising and encouraging.

The more we look to find ways to encourage others, the more we'll find ourselves being encouraged.

Good point. I think this is very true.

When tragedy hits, don't focus on the faces of pain and horror. Let your eyes follow those who are rescuing, feeding, healing, sweeping, comforting, and rebuilding.

I immediately thought of the earthquake in Haiti when I read this. The devastation there breaks my heart, and I really want to do something about it. I'd like to be one of the people there who is helping out. While I can't go to Haiti right now, I can look at the people who are there as role models.

Besides the author's points, the book is filled with quotes that got me thinking about generosity :

"You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you."

-- John Wooden

"A prerequisite to living abundantly is giving abundantly. These are two concepts that are woven together tightly. If you don't know how to give, you don't know how to live."

--Elizabeth Pearle Allen

"Money is to be used and not loved. You are to use money and you are to love people. If you get that reversed you are in trouble because if you start loving money, you will start using people to get more money."

-- Rick Warren

"You can't wring your hands and roll up your sleeves at the same time."

-- Pat Schroeder

As someone who's a doer, I especially like this quote.

I pray that my eyes would continually be opened to opportunities and ways to encourage, give, and help others.