The Scroll Marked 2: "I Will Greet This Day With Love In My Heart" by Og Mandino The Greatest Salesman in the World

"The Scroll Marked II"

"The Greatest Secret in the World"

Og Mandino

I will greet this day with love in my heart.

For this is the greatest secret of success in all ventures. Muscle can split a shield and even destroy life but only the unseen power of love can open the hearts of men and until I master this art I will remain no more than a peddler in the market place. I will make love my greatest weapon and none on whom I call can defend against its force.

My reasoning they may counter; my speech they may distrust; my apparel they may disapprove; my face they may reject and even my bargains may cause them suspicion; yet my love will melt all hearts liken to the sun whose rays soften the coldest clay.

I will greet this day with love in my heart.

And how will I do this? Henceforth will I look on all things with love and I will be born again. I will love the sun for it warms my bones; yet I will love the rain for it cleanses my spirit. I will love the light for it shows me the way; yet I will love the darkness for it shows me the stars. I will welcome happiness for it enlarges my heart; yet I will endure sadness for it opens my soul. I will acknowledge rewards for they are my due; yet I will welcome obstacles for they are my challenge.

I will greet this day with love in my heart.

And how will I speak? I will laud mine enemies and they will become friends; I will encourage my friends and they will become brothers. Always will I dig for reasons to plaud; never will I scratch for excuses to gossip. When I am tempted to criticize I will bite on my tongue; when I am moved to praise I will shout from the roofs.

Is it not so that birds, the wind, the sea and all nature speaks with the music of praise for their creator? Cannot I speak with the same music to his children? Henceforth will I remember this secret and it will change my life.

I will greet this day with love in my heart.

And how will I act? I will love all manners of men for each has qualities to be admired even though they be hidden. With love I will tear down the wall of suspicion and hate which they have built around their hearts and in its place will I build bridges so that my love may enter their souls.

I will love the ambitions for they can inspire me; I will love the failures for they can teach me. I will love the kings for they are but human; I will love the meek for they are divine. I will love the rich for they are yet lonely; I will love the poor for they are so many. I will love the young for the faith they hold; I will love the old for the wisdom they share. I will love the beautiful for their eyes of sadness; I will love the ugly for their souls of peace.

I will greet this day with love in my heart.

But how will I react to the actions of others? With love. For just as love is my weapon to open the hearts of men, love is also my shield to repulse the arrows of hate and the spears of anger. Adversity and discouragement will beat against my new shield and become as the softest of rains. My shield will protect me in the market place and sustain me when I am alone. It will uplift me in moments of despair yet it will calm me in time of exultation. It will become stronger and more protective with use until one day I will cast it aside and walk unencumbered among all manners of men and, when I do, my name will be raised high on the pyramid of life.

I will greet this day with love in my heart.

And how will I confront each whom I meet? In only one way. In silence and to myself I will address him and say I Love You. Though spoken in silence these words will shine in my eyes, unwrinkle my brow, bring a smile to my lips and echo in my voice; and his heart will be opened. And who is there who will say nay to my goods when his heart feels my love?

I will greet this day with love in my heart.

And most of all I will love myself. For when I do I will zealously inspect all things which enter my body, my mind, my soul and my heart. Never will I overindulge the requests of my flesh, rather I will cherish my body with cleanliness and moderation. Never will I allow my mind to be attracted to evil and despair, rather I will uplift it with the knowledge and wisdom of the ages. Never will I allow my soul to become complacent and satisfied, rather I will feed it with meditation and prayer. Never will I allow my heart to become small and bitter, rather I will share it and it will grow and warm the earth.

I will greet this day with love in my heart.

Henceforth will I love all mankind. From this moment all hate is let from my veins for I have not time to hate, only time to love. From this moment I take the first step required to become a man among men. With love I will increase my sales a hundred fold and become a great salesman. If I have no other qualities I can succeed with love alone. Without it I will fail though I possess all the knowledge and skills of the world.

I Stand by the Door by Sam Shoemake

I stand by the door. I neither go too far in, nor stay too far out. This door is the most important door in the world. It’s the door through which men walk when they find God. There’s no use my going way inside and staying there when so many are still outside. And they, just as I, crave to know where the door is. And all that so many ever find is only a wall where that door ought to be. They creep along the wall like blind men with oustretched groping hands feeling for a door, knowing that there must be a door, yet they never find it.

So I stand by the door.

The most tremendous thing in the world is for men to find that door, the door to God. The most important thing any man can do is to take hold of one of those hands, and put it on that latch, the latch that only clicks and opens to that man’s own touch. Many die outside that door as starving beggars die on cold nights in cruel cities in the dead of winter, die for want of what is within their grasp. They live on the other side of that door. They live because they have not found it. Nothing else matters compared to helping them find it, and open it, and walk in and find God.

So I stand by the door.

Go in great saints, go all the way in. Go way down into the cavernous cellars and way up into the spacious attics in its vast roomy house, this house where God is. Go into the deepest of hidden casements of withdrawals, silence and sainthood. Some must inhabit those inner rooms and know the depths and heights of God, and call outside to the rest of us how wonderful it is in there. Sometimes I take a deeper look in. Sometimes I venture in a little further. But my place seems to be closer to the opening.

So I stand by the door.

There’s another reason why I stand there. Some people get part way in and become afraid lest God and the zeal of His house devour them. For God is so very great and asks all of us. And these people feel a cosmic claustrophobia, and they want to get out. “Let me out!” they cry. And the people way inside only terrify them even more. Somebody must be by the door to tell them that they’re spoiled. For the old life they have seen too much. Once you taste God, nothing but God will do ever again. Somebody must be watching for the frightened who seek to sneak out just where they came in, and tell them how much better it is inside.

The people too far in don’t see how near these people are to leaving, preoccupied with the wonder of it all. Somebody must watch for those who have entered the door but would like to run away.

So, for them too, I stand by the door.

I admire the people who go way in, but I wish they wouldn’t forget how it was, before they got in. Then they would be able to help the people who have not yet even found that door, or the people who want to run away again from God. You can go in too deeply, you can stay in too long, and forget the people outside the door. As for me, I’ll take my old accustomed place, near enough to God to hear Him, and know that He is there, but not so far from men as not to hear them and remember they are there too. Where? Outside the door .. Thousands of them. Millions of them. But more important for me, one of them, two of them, ten of them, whose hands I am intended to put on the latch. So I stand by the door and wait for those who seek it. I’d rather be a doorkeeper.

So I stand by the door.


(This is the same Sam Shoemaker who was the minister who helped Bill W. and Dr. Bob meet. Those three are the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous.)

AMEN by Adrain Pass

Amen

When I became a Christian I said, Lord, now fill me in,
Tell me what I’ll suffer in this world of shame and sin.
He said, your body may be killed, and left to rot and stink,
Do you still want to follow me? I said Amen - I think.
I think Amen, Amen I think, I think I say Amen,
Look, I’m not completely sure, can you just run through that again?
You say my body could be killed and left to rot and stink,
Oh, yeah, that sounds terrific, Lord, I say Amen - I think.

But, Lord, look, there must be other ways to follow you, I said,
I really would prefer to end up dying in my bed.
Well, yes, he said, you could just put up with sneers and scorn and spit,
Do you still want to follow me? I said Amen - a bit.
A bit Amen, Amen a bit, a bit I say Amen,
Look, I’m still not entirely sure, could we just run through that again?
You said I could put up with sneers and scorn and spit,
Well, yes, I’ve made my mind up, and I say, Amen - a bit.

Well I sat back and thought a while, then I tried a different ploy,
Now, Lord, I said, the Good book says that Christians live in joy.
That’s true he said, you’re going to need the joy to bear the pain and sorrow,
So do you want to follow me, I said, Amen - tomorrow.
Tomorrow, Lord, I’ll say it then, that’s when I’ll say Amen,
You see, I’ve got to get it clear, let’s just run through that again?
You say that I will need the joy, to bear the pain and sorrow,
Well, yes, I think I’ve got it straight, I’ll say Amen - tomorrow.

He said, Look, I’m not asking you to spend an hour with me
A quick salvation sandwich and a cup of sanctity,
The cost is you, not half of you, but every single bit,
Now tell me, will you follow me? And I said Amen – No, I quit.
I’m awfully sorry Lord I said, I’d like to follow you,
But I don’t think religion is a manly thing to do.
He said forget religion then, and you think about my Son,
And you tell me if you’re man enough to do what he has done.

Are you man enough to see the need, are you man enough to go,
Are you man enough to care for those that no one wants to know,
Are you man enough to say the thing that people hate to hear,
And battle through Gethsemane in loneliness and fear.
And listen! Are you man enough to stand it at the end,
The moment of betrayal by the kisses of your friend,
Are you man enough to hold your tongue, are you man enough to cry?
And when nails break your body - are you man enough to die?
Man enough to take the pain, and wear it like a crown,
Man enough to love the world and turn it upside down,
Are you man enough to follow me, I ask you once again?
I said, Oh Lord, I’m frightened, but I also said Amen.
Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen,
I said, Oh Lord, I’m frightened, but I also said, Amen.

Adrian Pass

Depraved Indifference

You're a Reformer

Blitz Build 2011

A group will leave for Tuscaloosa at 10:15 from Landmark for the move in. I would love for any of you who are able to go with us!

Some of you have asked for more details on this project. The vast majority of materials and contractors (ie. electrical, plumbing, etc) were donated. Each student paid $225 per person for the week (which included their food). The lot was also donated. And is located on the same block where several other University Church members live (or will live soon). The house is close to 1100 sq feet. All of the framing and OSB was constructed in the UCC bus barn prior to our arrival.

Total cost was 12k. Which was paid for by students and other donations.

From Sam Evans
today i arrived home from the best spring break of my life!
yes, i, along with about 70 other volunteers, built a house for a woman in need, but it was filled with more than just that. much more.
in the community of West Circle,in Northport, Alabama, where the Brown House and the Pierces are, this group of people had the visible goal of building a house in a week for an elderly woman confined to a wheelchair, but this is just the beginning. many more families are planning to move to this area, continue to build relationships, and, most importantly, share with them and unconditional love only found in Him.
this is our calling as christians. to love others as God has loved us. unconditionally.
even though this is stated countless times in the Bible, it never really stuck until i saw it in action this past week. not only in the way the kids, visitors, and the inhabitants of west circle were treated, but also how i was treated.
i was the only highschooler there and was honestly expecting to be blown off a little by everyone. and after this week, i am proud to say it was the very opposite. from the very moment i got to tuscaloosa i became completely overwhelmed! it went from me thinking id be sitting on the sidelines all week to being included in everything and building relationships with everyone there.
after this week, i can honestly say i have never met a group of people so genuinely kind, patient, and loving than the blitz build team.
i mean, it was just thing, after thing, after thing, after thing. everyday.
even the little things such as being asked if i wanted to ride with someone to go get supplies, coming in at 4 am and seeing the Amy had washed all my clothes, being invited to go hang out at the lake saturday night for a few hours just to relax, or even just being asked to sit at a table at dinner, overwhelmed me completely to almost speechlessness.
you all displayed the greatest love and patience i have ever witnessed! and i am still in awe of how God has worked through all of you this past week!
thank you for being so caring, loving, kind, generous, hospitable, gracious, patient, incredible, and completely Spirit-filed!
thank you to everyone apart of this past spring break that made it more than i could have ever hoped for. i have truly been blessed.
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short and sweet. this week has been completely awesome in every way possible and is full of Him in every aspect. ive been so blessed to stay with Adam, Amy, Reed, and Wilkes Pierce in the Brown House this week! they are an absolutely incredible family with a humungous heart for people in need. hearing their story and their goals and just what their focus is, is amazing.
altogether, fantastic week so far and it’s only have way over! more updates to come.
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this week, spring break, ive come to tuscaloosa to work with the university christian ministry (ucm) and landmark campus ministry (lcm) to build a house for ms. mattie, an elderly woman confined to a wheelchair.
today went amazing! i arrived and immediately got to work along side others from ucm, while lcm was running an hour and a half behind.
the walls of the house are pre-built by volunteers over the past month in the university churchs bus barn, so it not a lot of work, right? umm, thats entirely false. haha. a house is more than walls. theres plumbing, electicity, sheetrock, paint, carpet, roof, etc. and the whole process of moving the walls to the site.
and as we kept moving walls to the trailer, i noticed phrases written on the door frames. different scriptures talking about God being a fortress, phrases casting out fear, and thoughts promoting love and compassion in the house.
this really hit me hard. i mean, it seems simple, but having all that on the house, itself. not somewhere hanging by a nail on the wall serving as decoration, but on the innermost parts of the house.
then it hit me. this is exactly how we should be.
not only wearing the t-shirt with bible verses on them or talking about God, but having His word written inside of us, on our hearts, in our minds.
you can always take a shirt or a bracelet off, or remove a sign or picture from a wall, but you can never remove those truths without demolishing the house completely.
the Word is true and everlasting. it never changes. its all powerful. its a light in the darkness. its peace. its security. its wisdom. its perfect. its Him.



Tuscaloosa News Article

Spring Break Fund Raiser "Parents' Night Out" Feb 11th

PARENTS' NIGHT OUT- February 11 from 5:30-8:00 p.m.
Would you like to spend more quality time with your spouse? Of course you do! We'd like to offer you a great deal: a night out with your spouse and a night of fun for your children. The Landmark Campus Ministry is raising money for their Spring Break Mission Trip to serve the underprivileged populations in Tuscaloosa, AL, and we've planned a Parents' Night Out that will benefit everyone. Drop your kids off at the church building, and while you are enjoying a relaxing evening, your children will be entertained with movies, games, and pizza. Price is $15 for one child, $25 for two, and $40 for three or more. Keep an eye out for college students with sign-up sheets before and after Sunday morning services. The number of children we can accept is limited, so reserve your spot soon! Questions? Want to sign up? Nathan@landmarkchurch.net or KatieA@landmarkchurch.net

Update from the Brown House in Tuscaloosa!

College students, adults, and churches working together to show Christ.

Michael Frost "Following Jesus Into Mission: Acts 8"

http://www.dts.edu/media/play/world-evangelization-conference-michael-frost/
One of my favorite speakers, Michael Frost, speaking on Acts 8 at the World Evangelism Conference at Dallas Seminary. 1. To Whom Have You Been Sent? 2. What Chariots Do You Need to Climb Into? 3. Trust the prevenience grace of God. (trust that God is already at work where he is sending you). Check it out!

Frontiers All Around Us

"maybe the world breaks on purpose so we can have work to do"