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What book was most influential in your life?
When I was asked of this, many of the 2,000 titles I've ever read swam through my head at lightning speed, yet my heart instantly singled out one among them. It's an all-time runaway international best seller, translated into over 2,400 languages. Not a single book has ever come close into matching its number of copies sold or freely distributed, nor has any book been ever studied, discussed, assimilated, criticized, loved, or hated, as much. No wonder, for I know it's a masterpiece that has not only greatly influenced my life but is the cornerstone of every person, past, present, and future.
The book is like a history textbook, when studied with faith and reasoning, will guide us on making the right choices today to positively effect our futures. Each nonfictional character depicted on its pages is significant, no matter how small or major the role each plays, and by studying their life stories, we can apply the same principles that helped them climb high mountains, or avoid the same temptations that brought them to their ruins.
From the story of a man sacrificing his own life to save the lives of sinners, I've discovered what unconditional love is all about. From the tale of a mere shepherd boy defeating a giant with only a sling and a stone, I've learned what great miracles faith can perform. Between its covers, I've also learned how to remain hopeful when my surroundings seem hopeless; I've learned how to love strangers as my own family members; I've learned how to overcome challenges with the powers I'm gifted with; and above all, I've learned how to return the unconditional love I've been blessed with from the day I was an embryo. Hence, the course of my life has been solely depended on my taking in its knowledge, and it has lead me to a life filled with immeasurable happiness, love, peace, and hope.
Reading, as you can see, has changed my life in every sense of the word. For without the knowledge of words, how could I personally read, study, and apply the infinite wisdom found in this best seller? How could I have known the existence of the wondrous treasures that hunger to be found and cherished? How could I have made a lasting positive impact on my life? And how could I have the ability to spread the good news to those around me that can potentially bring them everlasting happiness and fulfillment?
Of course, merely a human, I cannot understand the book on my own; I need help to apply its invaluable teachings in my daily living. And I have no fear of never finding the right teacher, for I am sure to find the greatest and perfect teacher to guide me: the Author of the book Himself.
Thus, I thank Jehovah God for giving me the highest privilege to read His most wonderful book, the Bible. I pray for understanding of His Word; I pray for a loving heart; I pray for faith that will assist me in enduring the hardest tribulations; and most importantly, I pray for His sacred name be known among all and glorified for eternity, and for worldly knowledge of His Holy Word to take it in as food to feed our spiritual needs so all His fantastic creations can enjoy His fulfilled purpose forever and a day. Jehovah is our divine beacon of light and life, and having Him as our King, we shall never be in want. Amen.
Q & A with Shirley
Today, I will answer questions Gayle Gregory e-mailed me. Ms. Gregory dropped out of corporate life and sailed to Mexico where she clearly saw how to move through fears into our natural, unrestricted potential. Gayle founded Pure Possibility, a coaching and mentoring program, and co-authored "The Grand Experiment." In her experience, "If you must fear, fear settling for less than what is possible." www.pure-possibility.org
Question: How do we move with the boldness of daring?
Answer: We can move boldly and courageously only when we put our faith and trust in Jehovah God and the wondrous plans He has laid out for our future.
Question: What would it take to take yourself lightly?
Answer: We can take ourselves lightly only when we allow God to care for our needs as we enjoy life to its very fullest. We should let God take care of our problems, and ask for strength from Him so we can overcome the hardships of our world.
Taking ourselves lightly, however, does not excuse us from partying our days away or pardon us from our responsibilities to live well in every way. What it means is that we should not be anxious of our needs, for God knows what we need and He will supply them.
Of course, we should be concerned for ourselves and others around us, for it is our duty to care for ourselves and one another. But we should not let our concern turn to excessive anxiety to overwhelm and consume our mental and physical energy. Would worrying do us any good? Would worrying magically put food on our table? But concern will allow us to diligently work for our next meal.
Yes, I know what you may be thinking right now: "How could we not worry when we know there are millions of people who have literally starved to death? God did not care for their needs, did He?"
At first thought, your concern may be rationalized. Certainly, it does seem that God has abandoned quite a few people who lack food and shelter. But appearance is deceiving. For many, our dire situation seems to be hopeless and an abandonment on God's part. But if you are a believer in God, you would know how misleading and wrong this concern is.
Had God really abandoned our needs on Earth? I urge you to carefully think this question through. Think about our planet; it has the ability to provide all the food we could ever ask for. But it is our unfair distribution and greed, and lack of care for others, that has abandoned the needs of fellow humans. Therefore, we are to blame for the abandonment, not God! It is grossly unfair to accuse God for not meeting our needs when it is ourselves who are guilty of this crime.
I would also like to add that as a Christian, my focus is on our everlasting home, not this earthly home. While our needs may not all be met in this world due to human unfair doing, we will live in eternal happiness and prosperity, with every bit of our needs met abundantly and endlessly, after our lives end here. So we must hope for our needs not in this world but after this world.
Question: Can you disengage and watch the show?
Answer: We can certainly disengage and watch the show, but we should not.
We are artists of our lives and the creators of our destiny. It is unwise to be a bystander and put our lives on autopilot to see life unfold before our eyes without contributing to it with our heart and mind. I believe we should be active participants in our lives so we can make sure they are steered in the right direction to achieve the goals we desire.
Being active means we are in charge of the decisions we make, not necessarily the events we face. After all, we cannot control every aspect of our lives—that control is in God's sovereign hands.
Shirley's Corner
I recently received word from my translator that the Vietnamese edition of my book "Dance with Your Heart: Tales and Poems That the Heart Tells" has sold 1185 copies in Vietnam so far! Needless to say, I'm more than thrilled. It is very humbling indeed.
My book, "Embrace Ultra-Ability! Wisdom, Insight & Motivation from the Blind Who Sees Far and Wide" has been placed in Top 50 Products of 2008 as well as Best 100 Products of 2008 by the staff at Parent to Parent. They also awarded me two additional Adding Wisdom Awards for 2009: Adult Health & Well-Being and Inspirational/Christian Books. I am speechless with honor!
As promised, the featured article in this issue is my Honorable Mention essay entry in Be the Star You Are! annual writing contest. It is titled, All-time Best Seller of Infinite Wisdom and Love.
Before when people asked me what is my favorite book, I would often hesitate in order to rummage through, in my mind, the many titles I have read. But now, as I have grown older both mentally and spiritually, I no longer have to hesitate. My all-time favorite book is the Bible! I rarely read any book more than once, but I have read the Bible five times from cover to cover, and I'm reading it again. I find that I may never get tired of the words of love and wisdom within, and I always learn something new with every new reading.
Friend, if you have never picked up a copy of the Bible, I passionately urge you to do so. The Bible is like no other book, for it is the only book written by God to not only guide us on the right path to take but bring us endless hope and strength. There are tons of self-improvement books out there (including mine), but the Bible is the only self-improvement book that guarantees improvement and carries out its wonderful promises. With the Bible, you will never need another inspirational and self-help book ever again (yes, not even mine)! (Now, how many times have you heard that from authors about their own books!)
I recommend literal translations of the Bible, such as the American Standard Version and the New American Standard Bible, as opposed to dynamic translations, such as the New International Bible and The Message.
After you read God's holy Word, you will then discover my ultimate secret to happiness, success, and strength, despite my multiple physical disabilities since infancy and blindness since age seventeen.
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 in Jehovah haul you high!
Take care!
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Best regards,
Shirley Cheng
Award-Winning Author with fifteen Awards
5-Time Parent to Parent Adding Wisdom Award Winner
Mom's Choice Awards Recipient
Miracle survivor, inspiring author and contributing author of 25 books by age 25, 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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