Beginners Are Many

I read a great article this morning and I thought I would pass along the thoughts to all you great supporters out there! We're all strengthened by your comments, thoughts, cheers, prayers and virtual hugs.

The title of the article was 'Beginners are Many, but Enders are Few' by C.S. Bezas. Boy does that strike a chord! This is a family activity but you get the idea:

Thanksgiving will be celebrated this week in the United States. This means that 2009 is nearly over. How did your 2009 New Year’s Resolutions turn out? Here’s a little lesson to inspire your family for even greater heights in 2010. Time for some Fun!

Activity:

Item Needed:

• Roll of tape

Pass out a short strip of clear cellophane tape to each person. Ask them to affix it to one of their finger tips and press on it very firmly. Once a minute or two has passed, invite everyone to pull it off and look at it very closely. Ask them to see what they found on the tape (of course, if there are individuals who are allergic to cellophane tape, have them only watch).

Pass out a second strip of clear tape and have each person place it on their cheek and press firmly. Once it’s been there for a few moments, have everyone remove it from their cheek. Ask them to look at the tape closely and share what they see.

Invite discussion on why small skin flakes, tiny hairs, etc., now are on the tape instead of on each person’s skin.

Then ask: what might this activity have to do with “friends”? With “service”? With “goals”? etc.

Application:

Explain that we are like tape. Everything that we “press” ourselves against deposits a tiny piece of itself on/with us. That is why we have to be careful with where our choices take us. That is why it is important that we pick carefully where we spend our time, who we associate with, and what kind of goals we work toward. Even our friends’ choices become part of our lives the longer we “stick” with those friends.

Stick to your task ’til it sticks to you;
Beginners are many, but enders are few.
Honor, power, place and praise
Will always come to the one who stays.

Stick to your task ’til it sticks to you;
Bend at it, sweat at it, smile at it, too;
For out of the bend and the sweat and the smile
Will come life’s victories after a while.

—Author Unknown

When we choose wisely what we’re going to “stick” to, the results are always joyous ones. In closing, ask the family quietly to think what they’ve “pressed” themselves against this past year. Do they like the results of what has collected on/in their lives? If not, what would they like to do differently for 2010?

Testify of the power of “choosing” rather than “allowing”. Each of us has the ability to choose what they can “stick” themselves to, thereby influencing what “sticks” to them throughout life. Invite each one tonight to make some private decisions and to record those in their journals, so that by the end of 2010, they can be pleased with what has “stuck” with them as they’ve “stuck” with uplifting friends, activities and goals.

So my question to my Blog friends -

What are you "stuck" to?? And what is "sticking" to you??

Original Post Date: Nov 23, 2009