A man named Jordan has two good friends, Jim and Bruce. One day, he called both of them over and asked them to help him with some carpentry work for the following month. Both of them gladly said yes and that they would do a great job. When the day arrived, both friends showed up as promised. But by the end of the day, Jordan and Bruce wound up doing most of the work, even cleaning after the mess Jim made.

There was a man, Steven, who constantly told his wife, Judy, how much he loved her and how beautiful she was, while the man of their neighboring couple, Tom, rarely said "I love you," to his wife, Julie, yet both pairs seemed happily married. One day, Judy got extremely ill and had to bedrest for days. She was dismayed when Steven not only failed to claim his love for her but also treated her roughly, nearly making her cry a few times. In the meantime, Julie also got ill, but her suffering was not as great, for she had a doting husband who looked after her every need. She got well more quickly in her happiness.

Linda was a regular Church goer. She even taught Bible studies every week. She also enjoyed volunteering in her community and donating to educational institutions and charities. People viewed her as a model citizen. But if they had a hidden camera in her home, they would be appalled to see that she did not show the same kind of love and care toward her grandmother, who seldom had enough to eat.

Vincent, a man known for his strict moral teachings, was found having an extramarital affair and. Soon, it was also discovered that he physically abused his only child. Everyone was shocked, for they had always viewed him as Mr. Virtuous, whose teachings were against the exact sins he had committed.

What do all these fictional stories have in common? Yes, all of them illustrate the fact that actions speak much louder than words. Just like a photograph, a single action speaks one thousand words.

What else can you learn from the third story? While Linda's actions in her community are highly admirable, she showed her true nature at home. This story demonstrates that true love starts at home. If you cannot love the people who are closest to you, how could you truly care for strangers? Could Linda's actions outside of her home be truly honest?

The two most important commandments in the Bible are 1) love Jehovah God and 2) love others. Many claim to love God, while they do not care much for fellow humans. How could you truly love God, the Great Creator you cannot see, when you cannot love those who you see every day? You cannot do the first without doing the other. It is important to show your love to God by loving His creations. Do not forget that we are all His creations! For instance, a parent who loves his or her child will automatically appreciate the artwork the child creates.

How are you at home? Are you doing good in secrecy, without letting the world know about it (yet God will record down your every good done behind closed doors)? Your actions at home are manyfold more important than your actions performed outside. But that does not mean you should treat your family with love while treating outsiders horribly! Remember, just as with the two commandments above, you cannot do one without doing the other. If you are good at home, you ought to be the same outside, and vice versa. I repeat that love starts at home, then it should spread outward like ripples.

Some people ask, "How can you know if someone is faithful, loyal, and good?" You know if they are good by their actions. If someone says he or she is faithful, but does not show it in his or her actions, then that person is faithless. For example, there are folks who claim to have faith in God, yet they worry all the time. Is that an action of a faithful person?

Lastly, doing good does not mean speaking bad is acceptable. Speaking is also an important action. A rash word spoken is hurtful and wrong, and should be avoided. One of my biggest pet peeves is people speaking without thinking first and say something that is either hurtful or untrue. Doing good does not give people the excuse to speak bad.

Do you speak with words or actions? How well do your actions speak for you?

Shirley's Corner

I am absolutely thrilled to tell you that my book Waking Spirit: Prose & Poems the Spirit Sings has received more awards! Yes, more awards as in plural! I could hardly contain my joy when I was notified that I am a winner in THREE categories of Reader Views 2007 Annual Literary Awards: First Place in Poetry Nonfiction, and Second Place in both Spirituality/Inspiration and New Age Nonfiction. That is triple the joy!

Besides those awards, Waking Spirit also received the Avatar Award for Spiritual Excellence in Literature. This award is given to spiritual resources of exceptional quality and clarity. It is given to those writers, authors, musicians, editors, etc. who have displayed excellence, clarity, and a non-compromising stance when assisting in humanity's spiritual awakening. The award is presented by Avatar Publications, in association with "ALL THINGS THAT MATTER," a blog devoted to exploring issues that confront today's society. The selection committee is comprised of experts in the field of spirituality and spiritual awakening including authors, publishers, and academic professionals.

To receive the Avatar Award, books must be well written and they must convey a clear spiritual message and content. Books that promote a specific religious ideology are not considered. Books must be informative, easy to understand, documented (non-fiction), enjoyable and uplifting. They must point the way towards a new direction for human spiritual evolution and/or present a spiritual concept or message with new clarity and a deep sense of understanding.

"As a member of the award committee I had the pleasure of reviewing Shirley's book. Shirley is a shining star in a world in need of light. Her writing is straight forward,inspirational and uplifting," says Philip Harris, nationally syndicated writer and radio host of All Things That Matter. "To read Shirley's writing is to dance with life. For her, there is truly no mountain high enough."

Kathy Andrews recently asked me, "Do you experience miracles every day? Describe a typical day of miracles," and I thought I would address her question in my newsletter.

For those who know me for even just a little while, they could answer the first part of Kathy's question for me. Since I consider the gift of my life as my biggest miracle, I definitely experience miracles every day. Everything I do and experience—from typing this newsletter to listening to oldies (yes, I love oldies!)—is a miracle. A typical day of miracles for me, then, would simply be any usual day that I am alive to experience life! To me, a "tiny" miracle is tremendous. Think about it, the grass growing at your backyard, your heart beating rhythmically, the ocean waves splashing—are you not in awe of them all? Can these phenomena possibly be created by you and me? No, they are miracles of life. A computer, a mere gadget, is considered a human miracle, so imagine the immeasurable extent of life's miracles!

Kathy Andrews is an international business consultant and a certified Miracles coach. She's combined these skill sets to create a site dedicated to help people easily create miracles in their life. Visit her at www.miraclemarvels.com

I had a wonderful interview on Calling All Authors with host and publisher Valerie Connelly on March 25, even though I was so sleepy. I was there for two segments because there was a mix-up of time for another author scheduled for the second segment, so I took her place. I was on Valerie's show back on May 30, 2006. On Tuesday's show, I updated the listeners about my adventures and new book releases I have had since two years ago. Listen to the show (filled with plenty of giggles from both of us!) at globaltalkradio.com/shows/callingallauthors and click on the episode date.

I end this issue of my newsletter with: you are an agent of free will and choice, so make the wise decision to do good in every way possible!

By the way, I did not play any April Fools trick. Yes, all the awards I received are for real! Don't forget to celebrate with me!

See you in May!

Content Copyright by Shirley Cheng; All rights reserved

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Best regards,

Shirley Cheng

Award-Winning Author
Miracle survivor, inspiring author and contributing author of seventeen books by age 24, poet, motivational speaker, self-empowerment expert, advocate, and a co-author in the bestselling Wake Up...Live the Life You Love book series
Board member of World Positive Thinkers Club
http://www.shirleycheng.com
Having a bad day? Then meet Shirley Cheng, A.K.A. the modern day Helen Keller, to inspire, empower, and motivate you to go for the gold medal in life!
"Although I'm blind, I can see far and wide; even though I'm disabled, I can climb high mountains. Let the ropes of hope haul you high!"
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