Tuesday, July 22, 2008



















"Laugh at yourself and at life. Not in the spirit of derision or whining self-pity, but as a remedy, a miracle drug, that will ease your pain, cure your depression, and help you to put in perspective that seemingly terrible defeat and worry with laughter at your predicaments, thus freeing your mind to think clearly toward the solution that is certain to come. Never take yourself too seriously.”

_____________


"Each day is a special gift from God, and while life may not always be fair, you must never allow the pains, hurdles, and handicaps of the moment to poison your attitude and plans for yourself and your future. You can never win when you wear the ugly cloak of self-pity, and the sour sound of whining will certainly frighten away any opportunity for success. Never again. There is a better way.”

- Og Mandino, American Essayist and Psychologist



"A little less complaint and whining, and a little more dogged work and manly striving, would do us more credit than a thousand civil rights bills.”


- W.E.B. DuBois, co-founder of the N.A.A.C.P.



"The tendency to whining and complaining may be taken as the surest sign symptom of little souls and inferior intellects.”

- Lord Jeffrey, Founder and editor of the Edinburgh Review




“Firmness in enduring and exertion is a character I always wish to possess. I have always despised the whining yelp of complaint and cowardly resolve.”


- Robert Burns,
National Poet of Scotland

____________




If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.

(Proverbs 24:10 – NKJV)


And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

(2 Timothy 2:2-3 - NKJV)


For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].

(Philippians 4:8 - Amplified Bible)



Selah!


BTW, it's very cool to log on to the Million Acts of Service and Kindness site and see so many of your names there! Thanks for participating...I'm very proud of you!

38 comments:

Anonymous said...

Amen.
...good words on which to say good night...(or good morning, depending on how you look at it).

Love to all,
mayam (a non-whiner)

Anonymous said...

You won't here whining from someone

who is MOVING FORWARD.

You more than likely will here

whining from someone who is going

nowhere.

NTL

Anonymous said...

Whenever we caught or were caught whining about conditions on the fireground it was usually followed by an old salt saying "hey, ya want a little cheese with that whine" and the rest of that communication is unintelligible.

The point was that whining leads to slacking and that can lead to not getting the job done safely.

As an individual whining is not as gratifying as pushing through the problem to get to the other side.

It seems to me that chronic whiners have cultivated a method of slacking so that others will do their part but the problem is that if others for some reason can not do that part then something important goes undone that could lead to the undoing of the slacker and even others.

It is helpful to think of the goodness that comes from the accomplished goal and keep on keeping on until the job is done and time for enjoying the fruit of labor comes. Oh that fruit is so sweet when you know that you have done your best in the effort to see its fruition.

Donald said...

Who likes to be around a whiner?
Some of my favorite responses to those who whine about their heavy workload:
1. If it was any easier we'd hire less qualified people.
2. Would you like for me to go hire a more qualified person to do it for you?
3. If it was any easier we'd have your wife and kids out here doing it?
The next one has been modified from its actual wording for decency's sake.
4. If it was any easier we'd have a bunch of "Hooter's waitresses" out here doing it.

Anonymous said...

NO WHININIG : HERE OR HEAR...

NTL

DoubleBack Alley said...

Sahib,

Whiners....kill 'em all. Let God sort 'em out.

Ain't God Good?

peacemaker said...

Whining is no more than an outward manifestation of a strong ego crying, " I was hungry and you didn't feed me". If something didn't turn out like we planned or if things don't look like their going to as we have anticipated, whining is the carnal (egoic) response.
How beautiful it is when we submit the ego to God consciousness and just allow life to flow. I see life as a continuum. Starting at birth, and ending when we transition to another plane. In between is the process itself. Where we miss it sometimes is perceiving life as a series of segmented processes with definite outcomes.
Anticipating a certain outcome, and it doesn’t turn out like we think...we whine. This is brought on by memory. Memory of past "disappointments" and failed plans. From there we may be afraid to engage in the process again for fear of let down. Then; total detachment. It turns into a vicious cycle where life loses it fun and flow.
Detachment is certainly not our highest good, but maybe "un-attachment" is. Maybe instead of fully removing ourselves from the flow of life and whining about what we're missing, we should be fully engaged in the process without any attachment to the outcome. We just "go with the flow" and allow life to happen. Let life be life and enjoy it. Take what comes as a learning experience and not as a set-back. With that attitude, the outcome will be part of the continual flow ever working together for our highest good.
There are no whiners in that River.

Peace,
PM

Anonymous said...

I want my mommy

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

DBA, please tell everyone you're joking...

you are joking, aren't you?

Anonymous said...

I love this place...good morning to all of you. (God)morning.

Hi Bishop!...and greetings from Hilton Head Isle!

...after seeing the No Whining sign I figured I'd best not talk about all the extremely stressful things that happened just to get here to the isle...so I just won't do it!

Yesterday was great here on the isle and hardly ANY WHINING from anybody in the car or on our activities...what a fun day...Zachary made a sand-dollar necklace and we ate at The Wreck of the Salty Dog.

Please pray in agreement for our days here to be filled with JOY and NO WHINING, peace, safety and wisdom...and of course great fun...THANK YOU!

Well, gotta get back for breakfast, I'm at an internet cafe...oh man, so many days of not being able to read the blogs (WAAHHHHH!!!...oops,sorry).

I really miss you guys but I thank God that I have you here and in my thoughts and God willing I'll see you guys next Sunday.

Take care, love you, Karl

Ebony said...

Bishop, how do you know what to say? I'll admit, I was *ahem* "less than enthusiastic" about my return to work this Friday, especially since I'll be floating from room to room again but instead of that, I'm looking at the positives. Another year of work, I get to catch up on my work buddies and hear how my summer is. I'm saving money (no classroom, no classroom to decorate). And I do like teaching, so I've put a cork in the "whine".

Unknown said...

On the front page of the AJC Sunday was a story of a boy dying of cancer and the fight he has fought along with his family. It's the boy Pastor Scott asked us to pray for a couple of months ago, Tyler. I read it on the way to church and needless to say I was in tears and an overwhelming feeling of wanting to tell everyone about what I just read and exclaim HOW BLESSED WE ARE!!! Seriously, we have no room whine or complain! God gave me today! Tyler's story is so amazing to me. Here is the link if any of you would like to check it out.

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/cobb/stories/2008/07/19/tyler_0720.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab

Bless what you have! If you are about to start complaining about something stop yourself and really think about what you are about to say..... Love those close to you and be so thankful for this day.
Each day is such a special gift from God...

Anonymous said...

Looking back for a moment...inspiring word and video yesterday!!!

I choose NO WHINING! I can always taste it when I start to whine and it is terrible which prompts me to get some praise and gratitude going on with a paradigm shift! Thanks for the reminder and push to go to a higher level of 'NO WHINING!' (I love Og Mandino!)

DBA....you made me chuckle!...and peacemaker~enlightening!

...this is kinda long but someone sent to me and thought everyone might enjoy it too!
Have a BEAUTIFUL day! ~PEACE~

Crownjewel

Native American Code of Ethics

1 Rise with the sun to pray... Pray alone... Pray often... The Great Spirit (GOD) will listen, if you only speak...

2 Be tolerant of those who are lost on their path... Ignorance, conceit, anger, jealousy and greed stem from a lost soul... Pray that they will find guidance...

3 Search for yourself, by yourself... Do not allow others to make your path for you. It is your road, and yours alone. ..Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you...

4 Treat the guests in your home with much consideration... Serve them the best food, give them the best bed and treat them with respect and honor...

5 Do not take what is not yours whether from a person, a community, the wilderness or from a culture... It was not earned nor given... It is not yours...

6 Respect all things that are placed upon this earth, whether it be people or plant...

7 other people's thoughts, wishes and words... Never interrupt another or mock or rudely mimic them... Allow each person the right to personal expression...

8 Never speak of others in a bad way... The negative energy that you put out into the universe will multiply when it returns to you...

9 All persons make mistakes. And all mistakes can be forgiven...

10 Bad thoughts cause illness of the mind, body and spirit... Practice optimism...

NO WHINING! =)

11 Nature is not FOR us, it is a PART of us... They are part of your worldly family...

12 Children are the seeds of our future... Plant love in their hearts and water them with wisdom and life's lessons. When they are grown, give them space to grow...

13 Avoid hurting the hearts of others... The poison of your pain will return to you...

14 Be truthful at all times... Honesty is the test of one's will within this universe...

15 Keep yourself balanced... Your Mental self, Spiritual self, Emotional self, and Physical self, all need to be strong, pure and healthy. ..Work out the body to strengthen the mind... Grow rich in spirit to cure emotional ails...

16 Make conscious decisions as to who you will be and how you will react... Be responsible for your own actions...

17 Respect the privacy and personal space of others...

18 Be true to yourself first... You cannot nurture and help others if you can not nurture and help yourself first...

19 Respect others religious beliefs... Do not force your belief on others...

20 Share your good fortune with others. Participate in charity

Larry Usher said...

Gotta keep the whining to an ocassional blip so we don't miss THE CONSTANT STREAM OF MIRACLES THAT ARE HAPPENING EVERY DAY!!
Loved the "Miracle Worker"- priceless! The moment the light shines in and bathes our heart and mind in a peace that can't be explained or measured or studied- like David, these are the moments we pull back up to the surface when the battle gets tough and throw them back in the face of the adversary!
NTL- well said on the "you won't hear whining from someone who is moving forward" quote.
We have to reckon our steps as ordered (and the timing of them) of the Lord, or we'll be focused on what we don't have rather than all we do have.
If you ARE whining, at least let it be a teacher...look into yourself at that moment and ask God to shine His light on what is going on in your soul. What is at the root of the thinking process that causes the angst within you? Better to admit the problem than to shove it deeper under the rug hoping you never have to deal with it- it will dog you until you do.
Hey Karl- glad you are having some away time- I had a great time in NY & NYC with my daughter & family. Good to be back though.

Blessings & peace to all,

Larry

Anonymous said...

The Mandino quote reminds me of the two most common responses to stress: laughter and tears. Whining or crying can be a release of sorts. Verbalizing my frustrations sometimes helps me to get a handle on them, so I think there is some value in whining (when not done to excess, as is the case with most things).

We all appreciate laughter, but not always when we're the object of ridicule. Happiness is in humility; laughter is a sign of happiness. If we can laugh at ourselves on ocassion, we'll al be better for it.

Peacemaker, I agree with the selfless ideals you mentioned. It's important, I think, to listen to the Swan Song of the ego. It only cries out to be heard. When things don't proceed as we expect them to, it's as if we're not even here, as if we don't exist. And this is a crushing blow to the ego through which we experience existence.

PS. PM, you're right; I'm an English teacher. Don't fret, though. I play fast and loose with grammar and mechanics when posting online - the language is constantly evolving.

Peace,

Abraham

Ebony said...

"Did you know?" for the day: Chris Tomlin (How Great is our God, Indescribable) performed "God of this City" at a recent Worship conference, but the song was written by an Irish band called Bluetree while on a missions trip to Thailand. I think we should sing it at next year's walk of faith (is there gonna be an 09 walk?0

Anonymous said...

Fear less, hope more; WHINE LESS, breathe more; Talk less, say more; Hate less, love more; And all good things are yours.
- Swedish Proverb

Iris said...

I know I have talked about perception alot lately... It's been deep in my Spirit for a while... but when our perception has changed... and we view life as it is meant to be viewed... We really have nothing to whine about...

Welcome back Larry Usher... missed your blogs...

Also... where is everyone else... Friend for Life... Elle... and all of the others... Are we Blurking???... Missing hearing from the missing regulars....

Love you all...
Iris

Anonymous said...

Iconoclast,

Yumpin' yiminee, you yust hit close to home. Yah...

NTL

Anonymous said...

Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!

DoubleBack Alley said...

Sahib,

Just joking...

Critically injure 'em all and let God sort 'em out.

Better?

Ain't God Good?

Anonymous said...

mmm mmm aamm mmaa ammm mmaaa mmmm

that's a wise quote from a whinner with duck tape over the spout where the whinning comes out.

just jokin bishop

Unknown said...

Checkin' in.
I will not quote my word ver.
Its a bit obscene--but its not whining.

Excellent observation, anon@623am.
"chronic whiners have cultivated a method of slacking so that others will do their part"

Whining got me results I was not particularly fond of growing up-- More props for Mom!

A-hem, DBA! Potato, puhtahto--what's the diff? [I admit it, I laughed approvingly. Pray for me.]

Anonymous said...

...on second thought, is whining ever the same as venting?...(I think I may be trying - to no avail - to help Jesse...)......cut me some slack, please, I am sleep deprived...I'm not whining...I'm just saying...

Anonymous said...

Wow - all of us ethnically-diverse and integrated individuals (I affectionately refer to myself as a mutt since my ancestral background is a mixture of Czech, Scotch, English and Irish - among others) that migrated to this great country, originally without invitation, could have learned some valuable lessons from the Native Americans that were already here if only we would have embraced their paradigm. I believe this code of ethics (universal truth) will prevail and all of us will walk in this revelation.
What a great list of "do's" for staying in the NOW - appreciate the moment - it's all you have.

linda said...

Good evening Bish and bloggers

When I was growing up if my sister or I started to whine or cry my dad's favorite line was "Dry it up or I'll give you something to whine about". Needless to say, he meant it and I did not want to receive that particular gift.

whining and complaining makes you go around in circles (i.e. the Israelite children during Moses' time) and God says when you dry it up and see things the way I do, you can stop walking around that mountain and get on with the good things that I have planned for you.

Lord help me not whine

Love you all,
Linda :0)

Anonymous said...

Whining is one thing.

But beering? Dude, some say they could miss an event they don't even believe is going to happen if they mess with beering.

Better think before you try beering.


NTL

Anonymous said...

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to
cry if I want to
cry if I want to
You would cry to if it happened to you.
Just Kidding
Maybe

Anonymous said...

Anon 8:28,
I have had my ancestry on my mind all day. I'm Swede, Norwegian, Irish and Bohemian.

Just thought it was interesting you brought up something I'd been thinking about today.

NTL

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

Someone sent this to me by e-mail today and I want to share it with you. I asked his permission to use it, but I haven’t heard back from it yet, so I’m going to go ahead and post it without his name (and I replaced his wife’s name with “my wife”)…



Bishop,

You have spoken a great deal recently (as you often do) about "perception" and "speaking" things into existence by the words of our mouths. It brings some old adages to mind that I often reflect on, one of my favorites being by Albert Einstein, a fairly bright individual by anyone's standards. He said: "The significant problems we face in life cannot (and will not) be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them."

This is simply another way of saying that if we intend "to change some things in our lives we need to change some things in our lives." Yet, many people would rather whine and expect someone else (often the government) to make up for what they want rather than they simply making whatever necessary changes are required, usually only temporarily.

Leaders, while recognizing problems, don't look for them like so many people seem to do. Heck.... it's easy to find problems; there all around us depending on our "perceptions." However, isn't it really the "problem solvers" we need?

Nothing better illustrates what I'm talking about than the current political environment in our own country. Though there have been "bad" times in the past it seems like whatever is "perceived" (or made by the media) as bad is "worse than it's ever been." What's that all about?

Have people forgotten the Great Depression? Or how about the double digit inflation in the late 70s? For those who have been through those times, today is a relative cakewalk. Our "instant gratification" society is out of control. People with cell phones (for every member of their family), huge flat screen TVs, cars and mortgages they can't really afford are complaining and expecting the government to bail them out.

Phil Gramm got in trouble, even resigned his position as John McCain's chief economic advisor as a result of making what some would certainly consider an accurate appraisal..... that being that we have become a "nation of whiners." Now perhaps this remark is too inclusive, but to be outraged by a largely "true" statement is merely another example of politicizing a comment.

It would seem that if just half as much time and energy was spent (by many) looking for "solutions" rather than sighting obvious "problems" a lot more progress could and would be made. But then that's just one man's opinion.

I say all of this because (my wife) and I so appreciate your "personal responsibility" messages/teachings. I know for a fact that I'm exactly where I am, good or bad, due to every decision I've ever made. And believe me.... some were not so good. And I've suffered the consequences of those decisions, from being married three times to having a stroke because I wouldn't give up smoking. Yet, my third marriage is absolutely "the charm".... and my stroke only helped me to put things in better perspective on so many levels. And to be honest, (my wife) and I are better off today, physically, spiritually, and financially than we've ever been. And I largely attribute this to our "looking for solutions" rather than "looking for problems!"

The glass is indeed always "half full."

Thanks for all you do.... and teach.

Regards,

R.

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

That should read "I haven't heard back from HIM yet"...

Anonymous said...

Bishop:
I think some of us have taken the lighter side of this discussion because we do hear you, we agree with and appreciate your point of view, your leadership and your example, and we realize there is power in the tongue. Many of us also recognize that being a responsible believer is a difficult model for some even though it is the easier paradigm for others of us - all about perception and confidence in certain fundamental truths that are conduits to a peace that does indeed surpass "understanding".

Finding joy and marrying yourself off to it is an incredible commitment and act of faith, but it is also a decision to be at peace, to celebrate life, and to exhibit unconditional love and confidence in God.

...the glass is not only half full, it's a cool drink of water that with the slightest sip on the tongue - like the speck of chocolate on the lip of Comte Paul de Reynaud in the film Chocolat - is immediately fulfilling and cleansing.

Life is not prescribed...it is perceived, and to me, joy, peace, love, etc. are options...we have been given authority and power to choose.

FYI: I must confess, DBA made me laugh a bit inside as well...I suppose I need prayer, too, avatar.



Not only

Iris said...

Exactly Bishop...

Perception is the key... Your friend said it all... When all things are perceived in the right way... there is never anything to whine about...

The glass... well... from my perception is abundantly full and running over...

Iris

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

Very poetic, Mayam...thanks.

Anonymous said...

Turning in all.

Good night John boy...

Anonymous said...

I just noticed the "Christian lion video" made the home page of MSN and MSNBC Wow! Maybe we started it. at least helped. I'll have to put it on my blog now. Seems like I have been putting a lot of video on my blog lately and the same here also. Seems there are some folks out there that The Lord is reaching through these videos that otherwise would not get it; I don’t know, just seems like there is a wave of the Spirit with this media right now. My motto has always been "whatever it takes"

Burning bridges,
Building new ones,
Iconoclast

Anonymous said...

Whining advice from Sparkpeople.com

Do you want your everyday life to be more fruitful? Each one of the above recommendations can make this happen. For example, fear often makes people stop trying. You might feel like there is no need to try something because you are scared of failure or you might worry all day after you turn in a project at work because you fear what your boss will think of it. Try to make fear nonexistent. Replace it with hope. Hope that you will succeed or that your boss will love your project. Another recommendation is to replace whining with breathing. Most of us have fits of uncontrollable whining when we want something. Whining will not get you anywhere with anyone for a very long time. Spend your time breathing and preparing your thoughts instead of whining. A quick suggestion from SparkPeople is to print this email out and place this quote somewhere that you face these problems…fear, whining, hate, etc…and read it often to remind yourself of the alternatives.

Anonymous said...

to whine or not to whine...?

"WHINE NOT!" I say, it is not my true identity.