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| This page is intended to serve as a resource for the Librarians of Bethels throughout the world of Job's Daughters. Members and Guardians are invited to submit Librarian's Reports for posting on this page. Please provide full credit to the original author for all reports submitted. Submit your reports to Dad Ron Zimmer via e-mail or c/o Bethel No. 19, 12 East Lockwood Blvd., St. Louis, Missouri, 63119. | |||
| Friends Friendship |
Priorities Food for Thought |
Influences Who I am Makes a Difference |
Opportunities The Obstacle in Our Path |
| Giving | Cooperation | Thankfulness | Cults |
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The following is an essay from Rebecca Pimentel, Librarian of Bethel #337 of Orange, CA. who won 2nd Place in the Grand Bethel Essay Contest in the 11-13 age group. What is the true meaning of friendship? Some people do not look any farther than the definition in the dictionary. The Random House Unabridged Dictionary defines friendship as: "a state of being a friend, a friendly feeling or disposition, an association of friends, a relationship." To me, the true meaning of friendship can not be found in any mere book. Many have searched for the meaning of friendship in vain because they looked everywhere but to themselves. It is amazingly easy to discover the true meaning of friendship when you look in the right place. The search for the meaning of friendship must begin in one's own heart. If the search for friendship begins in the heart, I believe the search will be complete. I found I had to look deep into my heart to realize what friendship meant to me. I had to look at not only what my friends mean to me but what I thought I meant to them. I had to think about the times we shared, the talks we have had, the secrets we share, and the good times we have experienced. I believe friendship is a special gift. It is a gift that we give to others and that we give to ourselves. I believe that friendship is one of life's most precious joys. Friendship can be treasured to last through life's journey, but only with proper attention from those who care. Without the gift of friendship our world and lives would be bleak. We would feel much less pleasure in our daily lives. Our time would be lonely and, at times, even idle. Even though we would carry on without daily lives, that missing special spark would make our lives dark. However, with friendship, we can turn a pleasant face towards the hardship that may come our way. Our dreams for the future can continue with the help of friendship. Especially in today's world, friendship can help us cope with the pain we see around us. Whether in war ravaged Sarajevo or in famine devastated Somalia, the gift of friendship brings joy to people's lives. In conclusion, I would like to offer this poem I wrote to express my feelings about friendship. FRIENDSHIP
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Source Unknown One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African-American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her- generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab. She seemed to be in a big hurry! She wrote down his address, thanked him and drove away. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant combination console color TV and stereo record player were delivered to his home. A special note was attached. The note read: "Dear Mr. James: Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes but my spirits. "Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others. Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole." |
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| A friendship ball Submitted by Beth Wilson, PGG-Missouri A ball Pass it on to a friend !!!!!!! |
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| My
Special List ... I have a list of
folks I know... |
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Provided
by Melissa Foster A Friend . . . . |
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| Food for
thought: The big rocks in life Source Unknown An expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As this man stood in front of the group of high-powered over achievers he said, "Okay, time for a quiz." Then he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed Mason jar and set it on a table in front of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?" Everyone in the class said, "Yes." Then he said, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. Then he asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?" By this time the class was onto him. "Probably not," one of them answered. "Good!" he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in and it went into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?" "No!" the class shouted. Once again he said, "Good!" Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked up at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?" One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things into it! " No," the speaker replied, "that's not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is: If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all." What are the 'big rocks' in your life? Time with your loved ones? Your faith, your education, your dreams Your faith, your education, your finances? A worthy cause? Teaching or mentoring others? Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you'll never get them in at all. --- So, tonight or in the morning when reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question: What are the 'big rocks' in my life or business? Then, put those in your jar first. |
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Source Unknown During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: 'What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?" Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. Absolutely, said the professor." In your careers you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say hello". I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy. |
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Source Unknown In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" "Fifty cents," replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied a number of coins in it. "How much is a dish of plain ice cream?" he inquired. Some people were now waiting for a table and the waitress was a bit impatient. "Thirty-five cents," she said brusquely. The little boy again counted the coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and departed. When the waitress came back, she began wiping down the table and then swallowed hard at what she saw. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies - her tip. |
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Submitted by Beth Wilson, PGG-Missouri Michael is the kind of guy you love to hate. He 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, Michael was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Michael and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Michael replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Mike you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood. 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. 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. I choose the positive side of life. "Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested. "Yes, it is," Michael said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life." I reflected on what Michael 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 Michael was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Michael was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back. I saw Michael 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 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," Michael replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live." "Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Michael 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 Michael. "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, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead." Michael lived, not just due to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything. You have two choices now:
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Jack
took a long look at his speedometer before slowing down: |
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Grand Bethel Honored Queen Tina Sanzaterra read the following under closing remarks at her Reception on March 14th. It was from a school teacher in Rochester, New York in 1988. A teacher in New York decided to honor all of her high school seniors by telling each of them how much of a difference they made. Using the WHO I AM MAKES A DIFFERENCE Ceremony, she called each student to the front of the class, one at a time. First she told the class how that student made a difference to her. Then, she presented each of them with a WHO I AM MAKES A DIFFERENCE Blue Ribbon. Afterwards, the teacher decided to do a class project to see what kind of impact acknowledgment would have on their community. She gave each of the students three more ribbons and instructed them to go out and spread this Blue Ribbon Ceremony. They were to follow up on the results, seeing who honored whom, and report back to the class in about a week. One of the boys in the class went to a junior executive in a nearby company and honored him for having helped him with his career planning. The boy gave him a Blue Ribbon, placing it on his shirt just above his heart. Then he gave the junior executive two extra ribbons, and said, "We're doing a class project on acknowledgment, and we'd like you to go out and find someone to honor. Give them this Blue ribbon, then give them the extra Blue Ribbon so they can acknowledge another person to keep this acknowledgment ceremony going. Then, please report back to me and tell me what happened. Later that day, the junior executive went in to see his boss, who had been noted, by the way, as being kind of a grouchy fellow. He sat his boss down and told him that he deeply admired him for being a creative genius. The junior executive asked him if he would accept the gift of the Blue Ribbon and would he give him permission to put it on him. His surprised boss said, "Well, sure." The junior executive took the Blue Ribbon and placed it right on his boss' jacket above his heart. As he gave him the last extra ribbon, he said, "Would you do me a favor? Would you take this extra ribbon and pass it on by honoring someone else? The young boy who first gave me the ribbons is doing a project in school and we want to keep this recognition ceremony going to find out how it affects people." That night, the boss went home to his 14-year-old son and sat him down. He said, "The most incredible thing happened to me today. I was in my office, and one of the junior executives came in and told me he admired me, and gave me a Blue Ribbon for being a creative genius. Imagine. He thinks I'm a creative genius. Then he put this Blue Ribbon that says WHO I AM MAKES A DIFFERENCE on my jacket above my heart. He gave me an extra ribbon and asked me to find someone else to honor. As I was driving home tonight, I started thinking about whom I would honor with this ribbon, and thought about you. I want to honor you." "My days are really hectic and when I come home, I don't pay a lot of attention to you. Sometimes I scream at you for not getting good enough grades in school or for your bedroom being a mess. But somehow, tonight, I just wanted to sit here and, well, just let you know that you DO make a difference to me. Besides your mother, you are the most important person in my life. You're a great kid, and I love you!" The startled boy started to sob and sob. He couldn't stop crying. His whole body shook. He looked up at his father and said through his tears, "I was planning on committing suicide, Dad, because I didn't think you loved me. Now I don't need to." |
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Source Unknown I was taking my usual morning walk when a garbage truck pulled up beside me. I thought the driver was going to ask for directions. Instead, he showed me a picture of a cute little five-year-old boy. "This is my grandson, Jeremiah," he said. "He's on a life-support system at a Phoenix hospital." Thinking he would next ask for a contribution to his hospital bills, I reached for my wallet. But he wanted something more than money. He said, "I'm asking everybody I can to say a prayer for him. Would you say one for him, please?" I did. And my problems didn't seem like much that day. |
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Source Unknown I hurried into the local department store to grab some last minute Christmas gifts. I looked at all the people and grumbled to myself. I would be in here forever and I just had so much to do. Christmas was beginning to become such a drag. I kinda wished that I could just sleep through Christmas. But I hurried the best I could through all the people to the toy department. Once again I kind of mumbled to myself at the prices of all these toys. And wondered if the grandkids would even play with them. I found myself in the doll aisle. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a little boy, about 5, holding a lovely doll. He kept touching her hair and he held her so gently. I could not seem to help myself. I just kept looking over at the little boy and wondered who the doll was for. I watched him turn to a woman, and he called his aunt by name and said, "Are you sure I don't have enough money?" She replied a bit impatiently, "You know that you don't have enough money for it." The aunt told the little boy not to go anywhere, that she had to go get some other things and would be back in a few minutes. And then she left the aisle. The boy continued to hold the doll. After a bit I asked the boy who the doll was for. He said, "It is the doll my sister wanted so badly for Christmas. She just knew that Santa would bring it." I told him that maybe Santa was going to bring it. He said, "No, Santa can't go where my sister is...I have to give the doll to my Mamma to take to her". I asked him where his sister was. He looked at me with the saddest eyes and said, "She has gone to be with Jesus." "My Daddy says that Mama's going to have to go be with her." My heart nearly stopped beating. Then the boy looked at me again and said, "I told my Daddy to tell Mama not to go yet. I told him to tell her to wait till I got back from the store". Then he asked me if I wanted to see his picture. I told him I would love to. He pulled out some pictures he had taken at the front of the store. He said "I want my Mamma to take this with her so she don't ever forget me." "I love my Mama so very much and I wish she did not have to leave me". "But Daddy says she will need to be with my sister." I saw that the little boy had lowered his head and had grown so very quiet. While he was not looking, I reached into my purse and pulled out a handful of bills. I asked the little boy, "Shall we count that money one more time?" He grew excited and said, "Yes, I just know it has to be enough". So I slipped my money in with his, and we began to count it. Of course it was plenty or the doll. He softly said, "Thank you, Jesus, for giving me enough money." Then the boy said "I just asked Jesus to give me enough money to buy this doll, so Mama can take it with her, to give to my sister." "And He heard my prayer." "I wanted to ask Him for enough to buy my Mama a white rose, but I didn't ask Him, but He gave me enough to buy the doll and a rose for my Mama." "She loves white roses so very, very much". In a few minutes the aunt came back, and I wheeled my cart away. I could not keep from thinking about the little boy, as I finished my shopping in a totally different spirit than when I had started. And I kept remembering a story I had seen in the newspaper several days earlier, about a drunk driver hitting a car and killing a little girl, and the Mother was in serious condition. The family was deciding on whether to remove the life support. Now surely this little boy did not belong with that story. Two days later, I read in the paper where the family had disconnected the life support and the young woman had died. I could not forget the little boy, and just kept wondering if the two were somehow connected. Later that day, I could not help myself and I went out and bought some white roses and took them to the funeral home, where the young woman was. And there she was, holding a lovely white rose, the beautiful doll, and the picture of the little boy in the store. I left there in tears, my life changed forever. The love that little boy had for his little sister and his mother was overwhelming. And in a split second a drunk driver had ripped the life of that little boy to pieces. You now have the choice, you can:
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Presented by Jennifer Conrad, PHQ Bethel No. 19, Webster Groves, MO One day a man was walking along the seashore. He noticed that during the night many seashells and starfish had washed upon the shore. Thoroughly enjoying the morning sun and cool sea air, the man strolled for miles along the sand. Far off in the distance, he saw a small figure dancing. The man was joyous that someone was enjoying life in such a grand, uninhibited manner. As he drew closer, however, it became apparent that the figure was not dancing, but repeatedly performing some ritual. Approaching the figure, the man noticed that it was a child. She was methodically picking up starfish stranded on the shore and tossing them back into the surf. The man paused for a moment, puzzled, then asked, "Why are you throwing those starfish?" "If I leave these starfish on the beach," she replied, "the sun will dry them, and they will die. So I'm throwing them back into the ocean because I want them to live." The man was thoughtful for a moment, impressed with the girl's concern. Then he motioned up and down the miles and miles of sandy beach and said, "There must be thousands of starfish along here! How can you possibly expect to make a difference?" The girl pondered the man's words for a moment, then she slowly leaned over, reached down and carefully picked up another starfish from the sand. Straightening up, she tossed the starfish gently into the surf. She turned to the man and smiled shyly, "You may be right," she said. "But I made a difference for that one!" |
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Source Unknown In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand. Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one's condition. |
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Every day we are given the opportunity to learn something new and positive. This may be at work or at school. But it may be at the most unusual place that you could ever imagine. Be aggressive in your learning. Ask yourself why does that happen that way? How does this really work? Then ask someone that might know. If you don't think that their explanation is real, challenge them. Make them prove what they told you. If you don't understand what they told you ask them to make it clearer. The more you learn, the more excited you will become about learning even more. In Job's Daughters, visitation to other Bethels is a great opportunity to learn about Job's Daughters. Watch closely how each element of the Ritual is presented. You may learn ways to make some part clearer or more meaningful. You may also see things that are not effective, maybe your doing it that way now. In the conduct of the business meeting learn from both the good and the not so good. Take from the best and learn from the rest. Then share what you learn with others. Advancement only comes from taking the best that others have to offer, then improving it and passing it on so others can do likewise. Dad Zimmer |
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(Author Unknown) I just realized that while children are dogs - loyal and affectionate - teenagers are cats. It's so easy to be a dog owner. You feed it, train it, boss it around. It puts its head on your knee and gazes at you as if you were a Rembrandt painting. It bounds indoors with enthusiasm when you call it. Then around age 13, your adoring little puppy turns into a big old cat. When you tell it to come inside, it looks amazed, as if wondering who died and made you emperor. Instead of dogging your doorsteps, it disappears. You won't see it again until it gets hungry -- then it pauses on its sprint through the kitchen long enough to turn its nose up at whatever you're serving. When you reach out to ruffle its head, in that old affectionate gesture, it twists away from you, then gives you a blank stare, as if trying to remember where it has seen you before. You, not realizing that the dog is now a cat, think something must be desperately wrong with it. It seems so antisocial, so distant, sort of depressed. It won't go on family outings. Since you're the one who raised it, taught it to fetch and stay and sit on command, you assume that you did something wrong. Flooded with guilt and fear, you redouble your efforts to make your pet behave. Only now you're dealing with a cat, so everything that worked before now produces the opposite of the desired result. Call it, and it runs away. Tell it to sit, and it jumps on the counter. The more you go toward it, wringing your hands, the more it moves away. Instead of continuing to act like a dog owner, you can learn to behave like a cat owner. Put a dish of food near the door, and let it come to you. But remember that a cat needs your help and your affection too. Sit still, and it will come, seeking that warm, comforting lap it has not entirely forgotten. Be there to open the door for it. One day your grown-up child will walk into the kitchen, give you a big kiss and say, "You've been on your feet all day. Let me get those dishes for you." Then you'll realize your cat is a dog again. |
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This is a presentation written by Dad Dwight Wyatt, Past Associate Guardian - Bethel #19 and Dad Ron Zimmer, Director of Epochs - Bethel #19 International Order of Jobs Daughters, Webster Groves, Missouri. Prior to the presentation, each person present was given a new unsharpened wooden pencil. Look closely at the pencil you have just received. This is truly an incredible item. Locked inside are amazing and wonderful things that are yet to be imagined. Things that humankind has never foreseen nor dreamed could ever exist. When you sharpen the pencil and begin to use it somewhere inside you will find the great secrets hidden. There are poems that speak eloquently of the beauty around us, there are melodies to delight our hearts. Within the pencil is the answer that will unlock the mysteries of science, or solve the riddle of cancer, a cure for aids or other illnesses. Inside these pencils lies a new clean source of energy and the resolution to mankind's warring madness. But none of this will come to pass without your assistance. It is solely up to you what great things will flow from this instrument. Only you possess the power to bring out the best that the pencil has to offer. With your experience in Job's Daughter's you can find the basis, the background from which many of these great things can come to pass. Now please look at the other end of the pencil, you see an eraser. It is put there in recognition that we all occasionally make mistakes, we do something that, on second thought we choose to do differently. And when you discover that you have made an error it is there to assist you in correcting that which was incorrect. May you all recognize when those times come, and carefully and joyfully make the necessary correction, learn from it and move on. Before I close I must also warn you that everything that might flow from the pencil is not necessarily good. Only you can control what comes out. Inside there can be found, for those who seek it, evil and hurtful things. And I admonish you that once these hateful and hurtful words come forth, even the eraser can not fully make things right. For though the visible marks may be removed, careful examination of the paper will reveal that the impression of the words remains. My gift to you is simply the pencil. I ask that your gift to others be to bring out the best the pencil has to offer. |
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Source Unknown Giving Blood many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at Stanford Hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liza who was suffering from a disease and needed a blood transfusion from her five-year-old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes, I'll do it if it will save Liza." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?" Being young, the boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give her all his blood. |
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Submitted by Laurie Lenhardt, PHQ Bethel No. 43 Fenton, MO There was a little boy with a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, to hammer a nail in the back fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Then it gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one. Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us. Show your friends how much you care. |
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From the Associate Grand Guardian of Arizona, as published in the Arizona Job's Daughters Web Newsletter. Have you ever taken the time to look closely at an ordinary everyday chain? It can be any type of chain; a paper chain, a gold chain, a paperclip chain or a heavy steel chain. It doesn't really matter, because they are all essentially the same. They are just a group of links; separate but inseparable, similar but not quite the same, each link movable but held by another, each depending upon the others to do the job it was designed for. Separated, the links of a chain can accomplish little, but combined with others a chain can move the heaviest load, raise the largest burden and hold the strongest animal. It can be plain and nondescript or one of the most beautiful sights in the world. Is this beginning to sound familiar? The same can be said of Job's Daughters. Job's Daughters is just like a chain, a living, breathing chain of people, both daughters and adults. Each of you is a separate person but inseparable from one another, similar but nowhere near the same, each of you can move in your own direction but are also held by the actions and movements of others. By yourself, you are able to accomplish many things, but when you are together, you can move mountains and accomplish just about anything you set your mind to. You can be overlooked or totally unforgettable; and you can certainly be the most beautiful in all the land. But like the mightiest chain, Job's Daughters is only as strong as its weakest link. The success of a Bethel depends on all of its members, but it is especially limited by a lack of involvement or disinterest. Just like the chain, Job's Daughters will break down at the weakest point or weakest link. Do you take pride in your Bethel? Do you lead by example? Do you do your job or learn your parts and try to do your very best? Do you get involved whenever you can? Do you act like a Job's Daughter when you are away from the Bethel? Are you the weakest link in the Job's Daughters chain? In our daily lives there are several truths we should always remember. Things we should learn to live by like "treat others like I want to be treated" or "anything worth doing is worth doing correctly" or "it is the little things that count the most". It may take a while, but we will all eventually learn that it is always easier to learn how to do something correctly the first time because then you will always know how to do it right and you won't have to waste time learning it again and again. It is just like telling the truth; you never have to worry about saying the wrong thing because the truth never changes. Once you have learned how to do something correctly, it is then time to teach it to someone else. We all learn by example. Is the example you set for others correct? Or not? If we set a good example, those around us will follow. If we expect little, they will provide little. If we demand a lot, they will live up to our examples and provide a lot. Don't be the weak link. Be the strongest and share your strengths with those around you. Make Job's Daughters the strongest chain it can be. And be proud of your organization, because that chain will eventually help move the immovable and lift the unliftable, and you will indeed be the Fairest in all the Land and true leaders of the future. May God be with you until we meet again. |
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Presented by Jennifer Conrad, PHQ Bethel No. 19, Webster Groves, MO As each goose flaps its wings, it creates an "uplift" for the bird following. By flying in a V formation, the whole flock adds 71% more flying range than if each bird flew alone. Lesson: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they're going quicker and easier because they are traveling with one they trust or one another. When a goose gets sick, wounded or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with the goose until it is either able to fly again or dies. Then they launch out on their own with another formation or catch up with the flock. Lesson: if we have as much sense as geese, we'll stand by each other like that. Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone, and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the "lifting power" of the bird immediately in front. Lesson: If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. When
the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into the
formation and another goose flies at the point position.
Lesson: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and
sharing leadership--with people, as with geese,
interdependent with each other. |
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Submitted by Mom Donna Koyn of Bethel No. 2. CNN REPORTS A NEW VIRUS HAS BEEN RECENTLY DISCOVERED. ONE PERSON CAN PASS IT ON TO MILLIONS AS IT IS VERY CONTAGIOUS THE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL HAS REPORTED THIS WEEK THAT THE VIRUS SPREADS VERY RAPIDLY FROM ONE PERSON TO THE NEXT. THEY HAVE PUT A VERY INTERESTING NAME ON THIS VIRUS. IT IS CALLED....... A SMILE |
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During this Holiday Season I thought that it might be interesting to reflect on being thankful. I invite you to look around and list the many things that you can be thankful for. Set aside any thoughts about a shinny new car, a big house or even that latest hot CD you think you just must have. Concentrate on the closer personal experiences that buoy you through each day. This might be the concern expressed by a good friend at a troubled time or the pure fun of doing something together. God's love, expressed in so many ways, such as the beauty of nature seen on a bright spring morning, the warmth of summer, the colors of fall, and the bright new-fallen snow of winter. The help of a parent or teacher that is so willingly given. Even the simplest things are deserving of our thanks; like picking up something you dropped or holding a door open; and the efforts of all who make our daily lives better. All of these are worthy of our daily thanks. Every once in a while I hear someone act embarrassed rather than thankful upon receiving a favor from someone else. That is an unfortunate feeling because you can be sure that the favor was given in joy, and the person seeks nothing in return for this effort. Sometimes we feel that when we receive a favor that we must do something in return for the person who helped us. I offer you the following thought on that count. We have received so much during our lives that we will never be able to repay those whom have helped us, except to pass the same type of help on to yet another, with joy. In this Holiday Season may we celebrate the joy of giving as we are thankful for all we receive. Dad Zimmer |
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The following was submitted by Mom Donna Koyn of Bethel No. 2 in Hazelwood, MO. The little girl was sitting in her grandfather's lap as he read her a goodnight story. From time to time, she would take her eyes off the book and reach up to touch his wrinkled cheek. By and by she was alternately stroking her own cheek, then his again. Finally she spoke, "Granddaddy, did God make you?" "Yes, sweetheart" he answered, "God made me a long time ago." "Oh she said," then she asked "Granddaddy, did God make me too?" "Yes, indeed honey" he assured her. "God made you just a little while ago." "Oh" she said. Feeling their respective faces again, she observed, "God's getting better at it now isn't he?" |
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| ATITUDE Submitted by
Jane Zimmer Daniels, MM Bethel No. 19, I woke up early today, |
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JOB'S DAUGHTERS "CULT" OR "NOT A CULT" Are your friends or relatives accusing you of belonging to a cult? I have heard this many times over this year, so I decided to find out for myself what the true definition of a cult is, in order to be able to answer this question myself when it arises. The following definitions were taken from FUNK & WAGNALLS COLLEGE EDITION DICTIONARY: cult (kult) n. 1. A system of religious rites and observances: the cult of Aphrodite. 2. Zealous devotion to a person, ideal, or thing. 3. The object of this devotion. 4. The followers of a cult; a sect.--Syn. See RELIGION. F culte < L cultus < colere to cultivate, cherish, worship. religion SYN. 1. Religion, faith, cult, denomination, church, and sect denote a particular system of religious beliefs or the persons that adhere to it. Religion is the general name for all such systems, from earliest recorded history to the present day. A faith is a clearly formulated system of religious beliefs and worship. A cult is an agglomeration of practices, not necessarily theistic; the word is often applied to forms of religious worship which are regarded with suspicion or disfavor. A denomination is a group of persons adhering to a particular creed under a distinctive name; Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians are separate Christian denominations. Church is interchangeable with denomination in this sense. A sect is smaller group within a denomination, especially one that differs from the larger body in a particular matter of faith or worship. Sect is also used derogatorily of a denomination, to stress its separateness or particularity. theism n. 1. Belief in, or in the existence of God, a god, or gods. 2. Belief in a personal God as creator and supreme ruler of the universe, who transcends his creation but works in and through it in revealing himself to men. What does all this mean to you the Job's Daughter member? I have taken the definitions apart in order to dispel any thinking that Job's Daughter is a cult. Job's Daughters do not participate in any religious rites or have a devotion to any person, ideal or thing. We are not a religious organization, only basing our lessons on the Book and Life of Job as a manner in which to live life. Our members are of many denominations who believe in God. We do not require of our members to belong to a formal religion, only that they believe in God. Job's Daughters meetings include protocol, courtesy, and parliamentary procedure as a means of learning to work together. We wear Grecian styled robes similar to the garments worn in the time of Job only to express equality of all our members. We learn time-honored teachings such as the strength of the family unit, patriotism, respect for elders, and faith in God. Our organization has been a source for developing personal character for over 65 years. Please share this knowledge with those who may question the organization to which you belong. What parent would not want their daughter to participate in an organization which teaches these things. Invite them to attend a meeting if eligible so that they can see first hand what our organization can do for their daughters. Don't be afraid to stand up for Job's Daughters. I know no finer organization today which teaches the lessons and disciplines of life, which will help you in all that you do for a lifetime of successes. |
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