RESPECT

“For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord the Church, Because we are memebers of his body” (Eph. 5:29-30).

Respect yourself; you have the right to be here and and you have important work to do.  By the grace of God you are what you are; glory in your selfhood, accept yourself and go from there.  Be gentle with yourself.  Although you can not always control what happens to you, you can always control how to respond to failure.  You know that as long as you keep faith in God and yourself nothing can permanently defeat you.  Keep your heart young and your expectations high and never allow your dreams to die.  Happiness doesn't come from doing what we like to do but from liking what we have to do.  It is found in little things: a baby's smile, a letter from a friend, the song of a bird, a light in the window.  Meet the challenge of each new day with the serene faith that: "All things work for good to them that love God."  Being today is recognizing that the only ceiling in life has is the one you give it and realize that you are surrounded by infinite possibilities for growth and achievement.  Success is having the courage to meet failure without being defeated.  It is refusing to let present loss interfere with your long-range goal.  Through the power of  your own creative imagination you catch a vision... you dream a dream and you see yourself as a triumphant personality striding toward far horizions of constructive accomplishments.  Put the stamp of your unique personality on the work you do.  By pouring your spirit into your task your work is a reflection of your faith, your integrity, your ideals.  Stand on the mountain and see the endless horizon. Dare the sky and reach for the stars.  Allow for your human frailties and foilbles and keep trying.  Believe ! Believe in life's enduring values-that you are big enough to master any problem.  You can do all things in him who strenthens you.