10 Tips to Improve Your Speaking Voice

One of the most important components of public speaking is the sound of your voice. It influences the impact of your message, and might even make or break the success of your speech. Fortunately, for many people, good voice quality can be learned.

Instructions :

1. Breathe from your diaphragm – Practice long and controlled exhales. When you speak, use breath to punctuate your point. For example, take a breath at the end of each phrase whether you need to or not. Use that opportunity to pause and let the listeners absorb what you say.
    
2. Use pitch – Lower pitches generally are more soothing to hear. However, modulating your pitch for emphasis will keep your listeners engaged. Develop your pitch by practicing humming.
    
3.  Moderate your volume – Find out if you speak too loudly or too softly. When you begin speaking, ask your audience how your volume is (each situation is different). Try to stay at the appropriate volume throughout your speech.
    
4. Moderate your pace – This one is also closely related to breath. If you speak too quickly, people can’t keep up. If you speak too slowly, people will lose interest. Record your speech to determine if you need to change your pace. Get feedback from others.
    
5. Articulate – Try exaggerating your lip movement to reduce mumbling. Practice articulating tongue twisters and extending and exaggerating vowel sounds. Become an expert at articulating tongue twisters as quickly and crisply as possible. Focus on the ones you find difficult.
    
6. Practice your speech in advance and determine where you want to pause for a breath. For more emphasis, pause for more than one breath. Mark your breathing points in your notes.
    
7. Loosen up before you begin. Look side to side. Roll your head in half-circles and roll your shoulders back. Shift your rib cage from side to side. Yawn. Stretch. Touch your toes while completely relaxing your upper body, then slowly stand up, one vertebra at a time, raising your head last. Repeat as needed.
    
8. Posture – Stand up straight and tall to allow full lung capacity and airflow.
    
9. Record your voice repeatedly using different ways of speaking. Determine which one is most pleasing.
    
10. Practice breath control – Take a deep breath, and while you exhale, count to 10 (or recite the months or days of the week). Try gradually increasing your volume as you count, using your abdominal muscles—not your throat—for volume. Don’t let your larynx tense up.

cheers

A Million Dollar Lesson..

 A cab driver taught me a million dollar lesson in customer satisfaction and expectation. Motivational speakers charge thousands of dollars to impart his kind of training to corporate executives and staff. It cost me a $12 taxi ride. 

 I had flown into Dallas for the sole purpose of calling on a client. Time was of the essence and my plan included a quick turnaround trip from and back to the airport. A spotless cab pulled up. 

The driver rushed to open the passenger door for me and made sure I was comfortably seated before he closed the door. As he got in the driver’s seat, he mentioned that the neatly folded Wall Street Journal next to me for my use. He then showed me several tapes and asked me what type of music I would enjoy. 

 Well! I looked around for a “Candid Camera!” Wouldn’t you? I could not believe the service I was receiving! I took the opportunity to say, “Obviously you take great pride in your work. You must have a story to tell.”

 “You bet,” he replied, “I used to be in Corporate America. But I got tired of thinking my best would never be good enough. I decided to find my niche in life where I could feel proud of being the best I could be. 

 I knew I would never be a rocket scientist, but I love driving cars, being of service and feeling like I have done a full day’s work and done it well. I evaluate my personal assets and… Wham! I became a cab driver.

  One thing I know for sure, to be good in my business I could simply just meet the expectations of my passengers. But, to be GREAT in my business, I have to EXCEED the customer’s expectations! I like both the sound and the return of being ‘great’ better than just getting by on ‘average’”

 Did I tip him big time? You bet! Corporate America’s loss is the traveling folk’s friend!

 

 Lessons:

 

 * Go an Extra Mile when providing  any Service to others.

 

* The is no good or bad job. You can make any job good.

 

 * Good service always brings good return.

cheers,
Bobby Wan 

 

What’s Holding You Back?????

What’s Holding You Back?????

Everyone wants the good things in life.

Everyone wants to be a successful person.

Who doesn’t want to be a millionaire?

Who doesn’t want to have a big house, car, wonderful holidays?

With the exception of a few saintly people in this world,

I believe most would somehow dream about it sometimes in their lives?

But what’s holding people to go out to achieve what they have been dreaming for?

I’m sure many of you will be able to come out with a lot of reasons and causes.

But the fact remains – WHAT prevents people from going for what they want?

 

People will come up with reasons like:- “I don’t have money”, “I don’t know people”,

“I came from a poor family”, “This country is different”, “The economy is not good”,

“I don’t have the qualifications”, “I don’t have the ability”, “I’m a girl”, “I’m too young”, “I’m too old” and many more.

The interesting things are that people have achieved their dreams even when they don’t have money,

when economy is bad, when they have no qualification.

 

In fact they have achieved their dreams in worst kinds of conditions than those listed above.

And now, an inspiring note : “If someone somewhere can achieve it, so can you!”

So we come back again, what’s holding you back?

Nobody, not the environment, not your family, not your background,

not even your girlfriend or boyfriend – It’s YOU, yourself!

 

What’s within yourself that holds you back??

Self-doubt – You are not sure of yourself – you have no confidence in yourself,

you actually don’t believe in yourself and your own ability.

This is indeed an irony because we are the greatest miracle that was ever “created” and

yet we doubt ourselves. And most of us tend to hide in our dark side.

 

This is very well stated by Nelson Mandala,-”Our worst fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?” Somehow people seem to be brought up that to expose our “talents” is not being “humble”.

 

I strongly believe that not to exploit our talents make us live a life of hypocrisy and unhappiness.

Only through exercising our potentials are we accomplishing the reasons why we are on this planet.

Do not be like the millions of people who live, walk and died in this life with the music inside them left unsung.

 

So, free yourself from the fear of failure, don’t bother what people say, move on regardless of all rejections.

If some people reject you or your ideas, which they have the right to, so WHAT! You too have your right to stick to your ideas.

So move on to the next person. Just do what you have planned and you will be surprised by what you can achieved.

After all, how do you or other people know you can’t do it until you have tried ?

May your power be released.

 

---

If after you read this message above, you feel like running out to make a huge change to the world.

If after you read this message above, you feel like doing something DIFFERENT to your life right now.

If after you read this message above, you feel like you are stuck in the middle of your life. Not knowing what’s next.

If after you read this message….. if you ever felt something ….. some DESIRE to do something!

 

To make a change to your life. No one moved your cheese. You just did – yourself!

______________________________________________________

ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,

but by the moments that take our breath away.

The Power of Words

The Power of Words

 

How many times have we set goals, visualized our desired outcome, created and repeated positive affirmations, and yet still not achieved what we had hoped? There are numerous potential causes for this. Sometimes its simply a matter of WORDS.

 

Every sound we utter sends out an energy wave that aids in creating our world. With every sentence we speak we are improving or destroying our health, relationships, finances, etc.

 

The most powerful example I’ve ever heard was a story told to me directly by the woman who had the experience. This woman had developed an incurable disease of the eyes. She was quickly going blind. Her physicians said there was NOTHING they could do. Being very determined and not liking what she heard, she turned to alternative therapies for a possible cure – something she never would have done had she not been in this desperate situation. A friend recommended she see someone that did crystal healing. She thought that sounded ridiculous but decided to give it a try. During her appointment, the crystal healing therapist asked her to describe herself, her life, etc. and she let her talk for about 10 minutes. Suddenly, the therapist stopped her and said “Did you know that in the last 10 minutes you said the words ‘I hate to see’ 15 times?” The woman was shocked. She used the words “I hate to see” before many things. “I hate to see the way the world is going.” “I hate to see how they  are treating the children in schools.” On and on she made reference to “I hate to see” this or that. This was literally an eye opening experience. She switched her words and now years later has perfect vision.

 

HOW MANY WORDS DO WE USE THAT DESTROY OUR DESIRES?

 

NEVER NEVER NEVER say “I’m Sorry.” Two of the most powerful words in the English language are the words I AM. These words tell every part of you – your personality, your subconscious, your ego, your spirit – who you are. They define WHO YOU ARE. Be very careful what you place behind those words. When you say “I’m sorry,” you are saying that WHO YOU ARE is a sorry individual. Replace the words “I’m sorry” with “I apologize.” Anyone who eliminates the words “I’m sorry” from their vocabulary will increase their self esteem almost immediately! The same goes for “I’m sick.” “I’m tired.” “I’m stupid.” – you get the idea. Replace those with “I feel ___” and eliminate the stupid comment altogether.

 

SO WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH GOAL ACHIEVEMENT?

 

Another very important aspect of conscious language is the LAW OF FOCUS. What ever we place our attention on is what we create. It’s important to focus on the positive thing we desire rather than the negative thing we want to avoid. For example, never focus on NOT AGING. Focusing on not aging ensures that you will age and quickly. Instead focus on being healthy, vibrant, and youthful.

 

An interesting and often overlooked part of all this is the need to avoid words that are negating a negative. What the heck do I mean by that? A word like LIMITLESS is actually drawing the subconscious mind to focus on LIMITS. This is NOT what we want. So saying something like LIMITLESS ABUNDANCE is placing limits on the abundance.

 

An example from my own life is the word EFFORTLESS. In the past when I made affirmations, I would typically end them with the words “easy, effortless, and fun.” An example might be “Having a wonderful relationship is easy, effortless, and fun.” This was actually drawing EFFORT into my life. Since I have eliminated that word and now only use “easy and fun” EVERYTHING has shifted. We sold our house in 2 weeks because it was “easy and fun.” – and there was no EFFORT involved. Doug’s immigration process to the U.S. was taken care of in less than 2 months. There are many, many other examples of how this has made things move very quickly and easily for us.

 

Review your own affirmations and the words you say out loud or just to yourself and see how POSITIVE you are actually being. It does make a difference!

 

cheers,

Bobby Wan

 

Focus on Problems vs. Focus on Solutions

1) When NASA began the launch of astronauts into space, they found out that
the pens wouldn’t work at zero gravity (Ink won’t flow down to the writing
surface).In order to solve this problem, it took them one decade and $12
million. They developed a pen that worked at zero gravity, upside down,
underwater, in practically any surface including crystal and in a
temperature range from below freezing to over 300 degrees C. And what did
Russians do…………………………………??
The Russians used a Pencil!!!
_________________________________________________________

 

2) One of the most memorable case studies on Japanese management was the
case of the empty soap box, which happened in one of Japan’s biggest
cosmetics companies. The company received a complaint that a consumer had
bought a soap box that was empty. Immediately the authorities isolated the
problem to the assembly line, which transported all the packaged boxes of
soap to the delivery department. For some reason, one soap box went through
the assembly line empty. Management asked its engineers to solve the
problem. Post-haste, the engineers worked hard to devise an X-ray machine
with high-resolution monitors manned by two people to watch all the soap
boxes that passed through the line to make sure they were not empty. No
doubt, they worked hard and they worked fast but they spent whoopee amount
to do so.

 

But when a rank-and-file employee in a small company was posed with the
same problem, did not get into complications of X-rays, etc but instead
came out with another solution. He bought a strong industrial electric fan
and pointed it at the assembly line. He switched the fan on, and as each
soap box passed the fan, it simply blew the empty boxes out of the line.
Moral of the story: KISS (Keep It Simple,Stupid) i.e. always look for
simple solutions. Devise the simplest possible solution that solves the
problem So, learn to focus on solutions not on problems

“If you look at what you do not have in life, you don’t have anything”
“If you look at what you have in life, you have everything”

 

When You thought I wasn’t looking, by a child

 A message every parent should read, because your children are

   watching you and doing as you do, not as you say…

 

 “When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you hang my first

 painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

 

 When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw you feed a stray cat, and

 I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

 

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make my favorite

cake for me and I learned that little things can be the special things in life.

 

When you thought I wasn’t looking I heard you say a prayer, and I

knew there is a God I could always talk to and I learned to trust in God.

 

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make a meal and take

 it to a friend who was sick, and learned that we all have to help take

care of each other.

 

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you give of your time  and

money  to  help people who had nothing and I learned that those who have

something should give to those who don’t.

 

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I felt you kiss me good night

and I felt loved and safe.

 

   When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you take care of our house

and  everyone in it and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

 
When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw how you handled your

responsibilities, even when you didn’t feel good and I learned that I would
have to be responsible when I grow up.

 

   When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw tears come from your eyes and

I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it’s all right to cry.

 

   When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw that you cared and I  wanted

to be everything that I could be.

 

   When you thought I wasn’t looking, I learned most of life’s lessons that

I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

 

   When you thought I wasn’t looking, I looked at you and wanted to say,
thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn’t looking.’”

 

   Each of us, parent, grandparent, uncle, aunt or friend, influence

   the life of a child.

 

TO BE or TO DO – Part 2

Well what I remind/share with you earlier is that to BE first and DO later. It is the way to solve or create your life, indeed. I don’t mean just sitting at home and do nothing and let the magic happen by itself. No No No. I don’t mean DO NOT take action at all but start with BE first and the action flowing from that being. When your state of mind is in LOVE frequency (love, joy, peace, ecstasy, happy…) and if you act/do from that love energy inspiration (whatever that is!) then you will surely end up with love frequency experience that you may call RICH or Wealthy or Lucky Break.

Whatever you need to DO in your life then you have to do it. But with a different mind.

So what have I do?
I will find the good thing and thanking the universe/god for this hard life I have. Even I can’t accept that I do really create them all in the first place. If life required me to wash the dish, study, working in an office, rushing to work in a restaurant, or whatever, I will do it for joy. I will find a good thing to appreciate with pleasure and make the most of it. I will raise my vibration in a state of happiness and joyous even I have a hard life without resisting and complaining. Every night and morning, I would close my beautiful eyes and smile and think about what I want in life. Then I would imagine or just think about it what the wonderful life would be like? Then I just feel it. (BE it) day and night, night and day. Until I got inspiration to do something to solve my life problem or the problem will solve by itself instead of finding or attempting to DO first to solve problem. Meanwhile I would keep doing whatever life required me to do with LOVE attitude and keep being happy no matter what.

…………………………………………………………………
OK. Let’s me share my own story how I got out of poverty situation and end up being rich/wealthy with this wisdom.

When I did experience the lackness all around me and I am homeless or poor or what people call a street kid. My state of mind was in desperate, sad, confuse, angry, frustrated, needy, anxiety (FEAR energy). In that state of mind, I tried many ways and many attempts to solve/get out of being homeless and poverty. So what I did then? I start to find a job, think about how on earth I can get out of this messy situation, ask someone for help, search for the way to get rich quick as quickly as I can. But it seems all of these do not work. Even my parents or close friends were not to be found when I desperately need them. It seemed all the whole world run away from me. All opportunities were closed to me. No one seem can help/understand me in that state. I feel like the world is against me and left me in such a messy and dark place. You know when my mind is in that dark state of mind, it seem I can’t think and function properly.

When I can’t help myself and others can’t help me, then what should I do then? I was so hungryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy for food to eat. But what should I do?

I got 2 choices — commit suicide or ask GOD or whatever that higher power to help me out. I didn’t care whether God, Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, or any saints or unseen power or angels or whatever that can get me out as I was so desperate and I promise to be grateful forever and eternity. So I just cried out in my head that wherever or whoever you are please help me out. I was not quite sure there is a God or not but from my earlier belief, may be there is some one unseen out there who can bestow a good fortune and mercy to me.

Please help me, help me, help me!!!!!!!
Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!

After many hours of crying and pleading and begging, NO answer or any sign of help is forthcoming. It seem I want a super natural power or something unseen or magic or miracle to lift me out and be free forever. I was so tired with many tears and heartache and hungry. So after many long hours of frustration, I become tired and calm. The question that pop up in my head is “WHY do I really want to live? Why do I want to get out of this messy situation?”

WHY?

That questions intrigue me and make me think. Yeah Why DO I Really Want To Live? And Why Do I Really Want To Get Out Of This Messy Situation?

One thing for sure is I am afraid of dying by commit suicide because I don’t know what happen after I die, I was so scared. But I was too miserable with life situation while I was living too. So I ask myself if I died, what happen then? Well I would not have any worry or suffering with this life situation. Then AH! I would be FREE!

Ah, I see what I want is To be Free, Free from what? Free from suffering and miserable life! That was what I want whether through committing suicide or asking any higher beings helping me out. My body was so hungry but when I am able to find some food and it kept me going and living. You know when everything in your life turn upside down into very bad/messy situation, but nothing really matter until you lose HOPE. When you lose hope, you lose everything fortunately I still have HOPE and it keep me going and living.

From there I went to the bookshop and found this book “CREATIVE VISUALIZATION” by Shakti Gawaine. It said If you can imagine and belive and you can receive. My body was so hungry but my mind is becoming stronger than my body. I applied and practiced what it said in the book. It took me one long month before my life getting better and better and better everyday and every way.

I just understand that I have to BE first by doing an inner work (Thought/visualization and feeling). I did practice the power of gratitude to universe/God by thanking for this bad experience and start to count my blessing even I have none left. I went to the nature and focus on the good thing in my bad situation and thanks for an abundance air I breath, water I drink, earth I live and I am still alive although hungry and poor. I was left with $20 so I started to give/share to someone who was worse than me.

My consciousness was transforming and it help me to lift to a higher mood. I am not pleading or begging for my heavenly father or whatever to help me any more but I start to change my thinking and feeling of myself instead.

My state of mind become to be at peace and happy even though the situation around me is so bad. And my first manifestation/attraction is I met a wonderful millionaire stranger who offer me a place to live for free in exchange of a little help in his household and taking care of his mansion while he is away. Oh why did he choose and pick and trust me and why we are so co-incident meeting each other? I don’t know why? Is there any accident in this universe or just my destiny or fate or lucky break?

OH my god, it seem like a dream and miracle do come true. WHY oh WHy when I need help most he or any strangers or whoever that is NEVER SHOW up? After 2 months, my close friend start to offer me a place to live too:-) What a heck! when I need help most but none seem to help me but when I am not in need, everyone seem so helpful and generous?

I lived with this stranger millionaire for one year. I taste and experience how being rich felt like. I learn a lot of knowledge from him. From there I start to reflect and ponder and search even more why it is happened? Do I create my own life as the book said? From the many books I read I found the secret of the simple wisdom.

Of course when I become stronger and I do really believe this wisdom, I want to manifest my dream home instead of living with that kind stranger millionaire. I started with simple things such as the money, furnitures, cloth, toys. And all is mine. And eventually I start to dream bigger and bigger and bigger. And finally I manifest/attract/create and live in my ideal home.

How it works? Well there are many ways for my dream to come true. Sometimes I got an urge to go to a certain place and many opportunities appear there. Sometimes I come up with wonderful ideas and I sold that idea and I got lots of money. Sometimes, I got a gift from a stranger or my relatives out of the blue. Oh there are many ways, indeed:-) Now I got the urge to create and build my own website and it is on the way too:-)

When I got my need met and my desire fulfilled I start to yearn for more enlightenment. I want to know what is the real nature of universe/god? What is life on earth for? What is life after death? Is there any alien or other civilization out of this earth? Is there other universe or dimension or galaxy? I want to know it all and of course with the simple wisdom ” as you asked, believed, you shall received.”

My consciousness has been transformed and changed completely that I come to understand that:

1. We are all spirit/energy/unseen having human/physical life experience. We never die no matter what, we are all eternal being. NO ONE can destroy energy. So God/angel in heaven NEVER cry or feel sad when we die or experiencing a hard life except rejoicing and partying for ever more. Why so? Beacuse planet earth is like a TV for them to watch and they all know it is not REAL. But all human forget and lost into our own drama. No one really die or hurt in TV drama, isn’t it?

Have you ever surprised that ALL God/Jesus or guru NEVER show up to help the world with many miserable and suffering on earth? You know why — because all things are unreal and not forever and they know we are here to create this experience. They all know we have the same power as them. So the best way they can help is to awake us by reminding us again and again and again who we really are while we are on this dense dimension called earth.

2. We can absolutely create our own life even bad/messy or good/wonderful with consciously or unconsciously. If we can create the bad life, we can create a wonderful life too as it is the same power and energy except opposite direction. Simple as that! But we forget ourselves and we think the force outside us create this to us except ourselves.

3. Life on earth is a fun game. Nothing is real. As all is an illusion. While we are all on earth we lost and forget and think it is real but it is not. The thing is real is our spirit. Earth is just a playground for spirit being to play a drama no matter rich/poor, good/bad ,…..and then we left. We are not here on earth forever but just for a short visit. The more we forget the more we feel attach and that create suffering for us.

4. Life is about feeling but with many stories and drama.
Have you ever noticed this in your life?
4.1) When everything get worst and the worst will be keep on coming.
4.2) When we get depressed and unhappy and desperate and in need, the more bad things flying to us.
4.3) When we feel happy, content or not in need, it seems all good thing come to us. The whole universe and world is opening to us. I did remember when I was so poor and desperate and in want, all money in the world seem to disappear or hide from me. I felt like the end of the world. But now it seems more money coming to me like Niagra Waterfall. I wonder where the hell money hiding from me during those hard year?
4.4) Happy one always goes lucky and get all goodies from life and universe.
4.5) What we want from life is FEELING, no matter you want to get rich or get out of bad experience. We want money because we expect WHAT money can do for us – paying bills, going oversea trip, etc….and that’s create GOOD FEELING.

5) No matter how many books and wisdom we read, it seems not all of us REALLY do understand the simple teaching. We interpret each wisdom in our own limited human way according to our background, education, experiences, taste or style.

Let me provoke these simple ideas:
What is God For?
Is God an only idea for human to fear or respect?
Is God for only life after death instead of helping human while on earth?
When we need him/her most why he/she never help us? Why is that?

God is everything, you know that?
There is no any exception. Every life experience is God and God is everything. The spiritual law of life is applied to everything on earth. Every thought, feeling and action is God/energy. Sometimes we don’t consciously realize for what we do but we see the result in the form of physical and we think that is the cause. But everything in life start with MIND first. And physical is just a result or effect. But we think the physical/effect is the cause so we lost the true understanding indeed.

When we have a problem, we try to find human way to solve and ignore spirit without realizing that the spiritual law is the one and only governed the physical life. But we don’t understand it completely as we don’t know the real true nature of universe that we live in. There is no mysterious or magic or miracle or super/higher power as everything is working according to the LAW.

Awesome answer to prayer!

Isaiah 65:24: ‘Before they call, I will answer.’

 

This story was written by a doctor who worked in South Africa…

One night, I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive, as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator).

We also had no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the Equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in.

Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates). ‘And it is our last hot water bottle!’ she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways.

‘All right,’ I said, ‘put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm.’

The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died.

During prayer time, one ten-year old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. ‘Please, God’ she prayed, ’send us a water bottle. It’ll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon.’ While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, ‘And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she’ll know You really love her?’

As often with children’s prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say, ‘Amen’?  I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh yes, I know that He can do everything, the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren’t there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never ever received a parcel from home. Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the Equator! Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses’ training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door.

By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there, on the veranda, was a large twenty-two pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children.

Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting.  Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas that would make a batch of buns for the weekend. Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the… could it really be? I grasped it and pulled it out. Yes, a brand-new, rubber hot water bottle. I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could. Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, ‘If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!’

 

Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted! Looking up at me, she asked: ‘Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl so she’ll know that Jesus really loves her?’

That parcel had been on the way for five whole months. Packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God’s prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the Equator. And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child, five months before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it ‘that afternoon.’

‘Before they call, I will answer’ (Isaiah 65:24). This awesome prayer takes less than a minute. When you receive this, say the prayer, that’s all you have to do. No strings attached. Just send it on to whomever you want, but do send it on. Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive. There is no cost but a lot of rewards.

Let’s continue praying for one another:

 

“Loving God, I ask You to bless my friends reading this right now. I am asking You to minister to their spirit at this very moment. Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy. Where there is self doubt, release a renewed confidence to work through them. Where there is spiritual stagnation, I ask You to renew them by revealing Your nearness and by drawing them into greater intimacy with You. Where there is fear, reveal Your love, and release to them Your courage.  Bless their finances, give them greater vision, and raise up leaders and friends to support and encourage them. Give each of them discernment to recognize the evil forces around them, and reveal to them the power they have in You to defeat it.  I ask you to do these things in Jesus’ name.”

P.S. Passing this on to anyone you consider a friend will bless you both. Passing this on to one not considered a friend is something Christ would do.

‘Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps if you’re not willing to move your feet.’

God Bless all
Bobby Wan

Who you are DOES make a difference!

A teacher in New York decided to honour each of her students in high school by telling them the difference they each made to her. She called each student to the front of the class, one at a time. First she told each of them how they had made a difference to her and the class. Then she presented each of them with a blue ribbon imprinted with gold letters, which read,”Who I Am Makes a Difference.” Afterwards the teacher decided to do a class project to see what kind of impact recognition would have on a community.

 

She gave each of the students three more ribbons and instructed them to go out and spread this acknowledgment ceremony. Then they were to follow up on the results, see who honoured 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 honoured him for helping him with his career planning. He gave him a blue ribbon and put it on his shirt. He then gave him two extra ribbons and said, “We’re doing a class project on recognition. We’d like you to go out, find somebody to honour, give them a blue ribbon, then give them the extra blue ribbon so they can acknowledge a third 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 met his boss and told him that he deeply admired him for being a creative genius. The boss seemed very surprised. 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’s 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 honouring somebody 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 and find out how it affects people.

 

That night the boss came home to his 14-year-old son and sat next to him. 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 somebody else to honour. As I was driving home tonight, I started thinking about whom I would honour with this ribbon and I thought about you. I want to honour 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 and 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, and he couldn’t stop crying. His whole body shook. He looked up at his father and said through his tears, “Iwas planning on committing suicide tomorrow, Dad, because I didn’t think you loved me. Now I know you care. This is the happiest day I’ve known.”

 

The boss went back to work a changed man. He was no longer a grouch but made sure to let all his employees know that they made a difference. The junior executive helped several other young people with career planning and never forgot to let them know that they made a difference in his life……one being the boss’s son. And the young boy and his classmates

learned a valuable lesson.

 

Who you are DOES make a difference.

 

Remember… I give you a blue ribbon. Who you are makes a difference to me, and I wanted you to know that!

cheers,
Bobby Wan

Management

A man in a hot air balloon realized he was lost.
 He reduced altitude and spotted a woman below.
 He descended a bit more and shouted, “Excuse
 me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would
 meet him an hour ago, but I don’t know where I am.”
 
 The woman below replied, “You’re in a hot air
 balloon hovering approximately 30 feet above the
 ground. You’re between 40 and 41 degrees north
 latitude and between 59 and 60 degrees west
 longitude.”
 
 “You must be in Information Technology,” said the
 balloonist. “I am,” replied the woman, “How did
 you know?”
 
 “Well,” answered the balloonist, “everything you
 told me is, technically correct, but I’ve no idea
 what to make of your information, and the fact
 is I’m still lost. Frankly, you’ve not been much
 help at all. If anything, you’ve delayed my trip.”
 
 The woman below responded, “You must be in Management.”
 
 “I am,” replied the balloonist, “but how did you know?”
 
 “Well,” said the woman, “you don’t know where you are
 or where you’re going. You have risen to where you are,
 due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise,
 which you’ve no idea how to keep, and you expect people
 beneath you to solve your problems. The fact is you are
 in exactly the same position you were in before we met,
 but now, somehow, it’s my fault.”