A High School Teacher Imparts A Lesson

This Wednesday is Veteran’s Day. I am planning a very special post for that day. I will be doing a video about something that I did on my radio show for many years on Veteran’s Day.

I think that it’s a great idea to say, “Thank you,” whenever you see a veteran, but especially on Veteran’s Day. This Wednesday, express your gratitude to our veterans.  When my dad was alive, I used to call him on Veteran’s Day to thank him for his service to our country.

This morning, I thought you might enjoy reading a true story about a high school teacher in Arkansas and what she did to teach her students.

Enjoy this story.

It Happened In 2005

Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock, did something not to be forgotten.

On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom. When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks.

Looking around, confused, they asked, “Ms. Cothren, where’re our desks?”

She replied, “You can’t have a desk until you tell me what you have done to earn the right to sit at a desk.

They thought, “Well, maybe it’s our grades.”

No,” she said.

“Maybe it’s our behavior.”

She told them, “No, it’s not even your behavior.”

And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom. By early afternoon, television news crews had started gathering in Ms. Cothren’s classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.

The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the classroom devoid of desks, Martha Cothren said, “Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he or she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom.

Now I am going to tell you.”

At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it. Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall.

By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place, those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned.

Martha said, “You didn’t earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it’s up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don’t ever forget it.”

Sometimes we only hear the bad news.  But there are a lot of really good teachers out there.  Maybe they are not as dramatic as Martha, but many of them are doing their best to really teach the children.

In fact, one of my neighbors, Len, has been a teacher for many years. He has a wonderful heart for his students. I am thankful for all those teachers who are truly helping our children.  God bless you!

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Is Opportunity Knocking Or Waiting?

CB033972Sitting here at my computer this morning,  thinking about opportunities.  I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “Opportunity is knocking.”    I once heard someone say that opportunity doesn’t knock; it waits!  I like that.

But I don’t like the phrase,  “Opportunity only knocks once.”  Now, you may miss an opportunity, but I don’t believe that every person is only allotted one opportunity in life.

Many People have Lost Hope

In these uncertain days we live in, there are lots of people who feel like there are very few if any opportunities available.  Many think that times are so difficult that opportunity for success has just vanished away.  Einstein once said that in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.

The real question is not, “Are there any opportunities left?”  Rather, “Are you ready for a great opportunity for your life?”  You certainly won’t be if you’re just accepting things the way they are right now.

There are opportunities.  There are possibilities.  There are solutions!

What Makes Me So Sure?

How can I be so sure that there are lots of opportunities available?  I believe the Bible is bible-2true. And God promised that He would supply all our need.  He also promised to make all grace abound toward us so that we could have all sufficiency in all things, and abound.

And He even promised beyond that by saying that He is able to do for us that which is exceeding abundantly above all that we could ask or think.  How then could there not be opportunities for you and for me, despite what is going on in our world today?

So What Are You Expecting?

If your focus is on all the difficulties and you convince yourself that there is no hope, you would not even recognize an opportunity if it fell right in your lap.  That would be a missed opportunity.  But, even if you have missed an opportunity, start looking and expecting another!

So, are you ready? Are you expecting?  Are you anticipating?  Are you looking?

God is still a God of abundance and He still has unlimited resources.  Keep praying and asking, and, keep looking and expecting.

And, if you haven’t read the book, “Who Moved My Cheese?”, you ought to read it.  It offers a very timely analogy to the days we are living in.

Have a great day, and keep your eyes open!

Mike Verdicchio

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What’s Your Fate?

I don’t like the word, “fate.”  Maybe it’s because for a long time now I have not been one to just settle for the way things are today, with no hope for better days ahead. With so many promises in the Bible of help, deliverance, healing, and, prosperity, no one needs to just settle.

dictionaryThe dictionary defines the word “fate” as, “The supposed force, principle, or power that predetermines events,” and, “the inevitable events predestined by this force.” It also says, “An event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future: the ultimate agency that predetermines the course of events.”

You have probably heard a number of phrases that talk about fate, like, “Don’t tempt fate,” or, “That was a twist of fate,” or, “She deserves a better fate,” or, “That will certainly seal his fate.”  In Greek mythology, “The Fates” were three goddesses who controlled human destiny! What? No thank you!

Fate is also described and referred to in other ways, like, “Well that was just meant to be“, meaning that it was going to happen, and that it was supposed to happen, and so that’s why it happened.  If you follow that logic you end up with the conclusion that whatever happens was meant to happen.  But doesn’t that take away all personal responsibility for your actions?  Yes it does, and that’s the point.

Let’s See How This Works

sandwichSuppose I decide to have a sandwich for lunch. Is that fate?  Was it meant to be? As I eat that sandwich, am I to think that eating this sandwich right now is what was supposed to have happened?  Some would say, “Yes.”

But what if I took the bread out to make the sandwich, andsalad then stopped and said, “Wait a minute – I think I’ll have a salad instead.”  But the bread is already out and sitting there! Wasn’t I meant to have a sandwich?

Which one was meant to be, the sandwich or the salad?  There are some who would say that I was meant to get the bread out first, and then I was meant to change and go with the salad.  For those who think like that, everything is just meant to be.

The problem with that kind of thinking and rationale is that it eliminates free will.  It also eliminates any and all responsibility for your actions.  And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

What Cards Have You Been Dealt?

No one is destined to be successful or destined to be a failure.  Far too many people accept that their lives are dictated by fate.  They say things like, “This is my lot in life; these are the cards that I’ve been dealt; I’m just a victim of circumstances and fate; this is all I can really expect in life.”  To all of that I say, “No, no, no!”

How can a child of the Creator of the universe go through life accepting things as they are, thinking that he cannot change them and just accepting that this is the way things are supposed to be?

Are We All Just Robots?

Have you ever considered that if your “fate is sealed,” you have no free will? If you have no free will then it really doesn’t matter what you do, good or bad, because it is not your fault.  It’s what was supposed to have happened.

The Creator gave each and every one of us free will to choose.  Each one of us can decide what we want to believe and what we want to do.  And, with God’s help, there’s really no limit to what we can accomplish.

If anything is really “meant to be,” it is that God wants us successful and blessed with the life that we have to live. He has lovingly provided all that we need.   But, he also gave us free will to choose.

What Will You Choose?

You can choose to accept “fate,” or, you can choose to accept the promises in the Bible as true and choose to believe them.

You are in life today where you are because of what you have believed and accepted as true.  You can change your circumstances by changing your thinking.  You can choose to focus on the things that you do desire instead of settling for the way things are now.

The only other choice is to accept fate.  And, if you choose to accept fate, well then, “good luck.” You’ll need it!

Mike Verdicchio

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If I Were Any Better, I’d Be Twins

It’s Another Podcast!

A number of years ago when I produced “Mike’s Pep Talks,” I did a one called, “If I Were Any Better, I’d Be Twins.”  It is currently on the series for “Self Employed Christians,” in two parts.

Since the material is very relevant for the days we are living in, I thought it would be profitable to re-do it here on the blog, and add some other insight.

Once you listen to it, you’ll know why I picked up the habit of often saying, “If I were any better, I’d be twins.”  Find out in this short podcast (9:13) what Jerry did when faced with a very serious situation.

[If you cannot see the player below, just click the title above]

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Coach Carter

Last night Kathy and I watched the movie, “Coach Carter. We have seen it several times before.  It is a really an inspiring movie, based on the true story of Coach Ken Carter, in Richmond California.

There is a great quote near the end of the movie.  The quote is from a poem by Marianne Williamson.

Even though the quote in the movie was very inspiring, there were some lines that the movie script left out from the original poem.  So, below, first, the quote from the movie, and then, the actual poem from Marianne Williamson.

From the movie, Coach Carter:

Our deepest 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.

Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine as children do. It’s not just in some of us; it is in everyone.

And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

From the poem, Our Greatest Fear, by Marianne Williamson:

Our deepest 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, fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Those are some pretty powerful words – perhaps some good food to chew on over the weekend.  If you have a comment, please type itin below; we’d love to hear what’s on your mind.

Have a great weekend!

Mike Verdicchio

By the way, if you want to buy the movie, click the link below; it will take you to Amazon where you can get the best price.

Coach Carter (Widescreen Edition)

Coach Carter (Full Screen Edition)

What Does Your Appendix Do?

Unexpected Plans For The Weekend

We had an unexpected adventure this past weekend – a trip to the hospital.  We left the house, Saturday morning, at 3am, headed for the emergency room.  It didn’t take too long for them to diagnose that my Kathy had appendicitis.

So, Saturday, around 1:15pm, Dr. Perez-Soto performed the procedure and removed Kathy’s inflamed appendix.  All went well and I brought Kathy home late yesterday afternoon.  We were thankful for Dr. Perez-Soto; she was absolutely wonderful!

We are very grateful for those who were praying for Kathy this weekend.  I think sometimes we underestimate just how effectual prayer can be for each other.

Kathy and I are also thankful for all the advances in medicine, especially since untreated appendicitis can be fatal.  We are also grateful for all those who cared for her during her short stay in the hospital.  We are also very happy that she got to come so quickly.

So Just What Does The Appendix Do?

For a long, long time, many thought that the appendix didn’t really do anything.  I always thought that was absurd.  The reason I felt that way is because I believe God designed the human body.  So for Him to include something that does nothing, and then, if it gets bad, it can be fatal, well, that just doesn’t make sense to me.

I found some interesting information from Duke University that came out in 2007.  I have put it in this post for those who are curious about the appendix.  I found it very interesting.  Perhaps you will too.

From the Medical News web site:

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center say that the function of the frequently discarded appendix, an organ often credited with little importance and often dismissed as having no significant function, does it seems have a role to play after all.

Researchers in the United States say the appendix produces and protects good germs for the gut by “rebooting” the digestive system.

The team of immunologists at Duke University Medical Center says the human digestive system contains massive amounts of bacteria most of which are good and help the digestion of food.

However the researchers say sometimes the bacteria die off or are purged from the intestines as in diseases such as cholera or dysentery.

According to the researchers, the appendix’s job is to “reboot” the digestive system when that happens with the bacteria safely harbored in the appendix.

Many doctors believe the appendix is a vestigial organ with no function and is no more than a blind ended tube connected to the cecum, from which it develops embryologically.
appendixThe cecum is a pouch-like structure of the colon and the appendix is near the junction of the small intestine and the large intestine and has abundant infection-fighting lymphoid cells, which suggests it plays a role in the immune system.

The most common diseases of the appendix (in humans) are appendicitis and carcinoid tumors. Appendix cancer accounts for about 1 in 200 of all gastrointestinal malignancies.

Appendicitis is a condition where the appendix becomes inflamed and in almost all cases it is removed either by laparotomy or laparoscopy; left untreated, the appendix will rupture, leading to peritonitis, then shock, and, if continued untreated, death.

The appendix is routinely removed without any notable ill effects or side effects and the scientists stress that even though the appendix seems to have a function, people should still have them removed when they are inflamed because since leaving it untreated could be fatal.

Dr. Bill Parker, a professor of surgery and one of the scientists responsible for establishing its status as a useful organ, says the function of the appendix seems related to the massive amount of bacteria that populates the human digestive system and where it is located just below the normal one-way flow of food and germs in the large intestine, helps support that theory.

The study appears in the online edition of the Journal of Theoretical Biology.

God sure did a very wonderful and remarkable job in putting together the human body!

Have you had you appendix removed? Do you have a comment?  If you do, please type it in below, we’d love to hear from you.

Mike Verdicchio

Are You A Late Bloomer?

Below is a picture of the tangelo tree in my backyard.  Can you see it has blossoms on it?  Kathy took that picture yesterday, September 1.  Are you kidding me?  Blossoms?

tree 003 (Small)

This tree is nearly three years old.  It is a smaller variety so it is only supposed to grow to around ten or twelve feet.  Right now at four and a half feet tall it shows no sign of reaching twelve feet; at least not yet anyway.

Here in Arizona our citrus trees blossom around mid April.  Our lemon tree blossomed in April and this tangelo tree also blossomed in April.  (Our little orange tree blossomed too, but that’s a whole other story.)

Have You Ever Seen This Before?

Maybe you have, but I have never seen a citrus tree here in Arizona blossom twice in the same year!  And I have certainly never seen a citrus tree have blossoms in late August and early September.  The fruit for this tree is supposed mature around December.

Last year we enjoyed five delicious tangelos from this tree.  This year I was certainly expecting to see the tree grow a lot more than it has.  But regardless of my expectations, this tree is going to grow at its own pace.

Seeing those blossoms reminded me a couple of things.  First, that tree has its own individual potential.  I can fertilize it and water it.  But the growth is from within.  The same is true with people, especially when it comes to their own Christian walk.  Too often people are unfairly judged by others because of the expectations of others.

Perhaps we should all remember what the Apostle Paul said: “I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.”  When it comes to helping people with their Christian walk I think we need to love people and plant and water. I prefer that much more than being critical and judgmental, don’t you?

Should I Call It A Late Bloomer?

Secondly, I thought about blossoming the second time this season.  Will those new blossoms become fruit?  If so, when will the fruit from those new blossoms mature?  I don’t know.  I just know that tree is doing the best it can right now and it has produced another round of blossoms.

We should always be ready to give someone else another chance.  God has forgiven us so we really ought to forgive others as well.  Besides, the past is the past; no one can change what has happened in the past.

Trees and plants all grow at their own individual pace and the same is true with people. If we really want to help, then we need to love people, and just plant and water.

What Do You Think?

Do you have a comment?  Have you ever seen a citrus tree that bloomed twice in the same year?  Maybe you know the reason why?  If you have any comment please type it in below, we’d love to hear from you.

And, if you don’t have your free lifetime subscription to “Enriching Your Life Now,” details are below.

Mike Verdicchio
tree 002 (Small)

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It Changed My Life

Have you been to the movies recently?

A number of years ago, a young lady told me that the movie she had seen movierecently changed her life.  I thought that it must be a pretty powerful movie if it was actually changing people’s lives.  What I didn’t realize at the time was that there isn’t a single movie ever made that has the power to change your life.

You’ve probably heard people tell you, “It changed my life!”  You may have heard commercials promise, “It will change your life!”  But the truth is that no book, no course, no quote, no movie, no, not even a blog can change your life.

You may be inspired and motivated by something you hear, read, or see, and as a result, you may decide to change the way you think. When you decide to change what you are thinking, that is when your life will start to change.  No person or thing will ever change your life except you.

Only you can change your life!

That’s not just a positive reinforcement statement to try to give you courage.  The reason you can change your life is because of how the Creator designed our brains to work.  The Bible states that “as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”

What’s The Secret? secret

It is no secret that some people are successful and some people are not.  Is that just fate or chance?  Or, is it, as some would have you to believe, predestination? Are some people just destined to succeed, while others are destined to fail?

No.  As hard as it may be to face it, your current situations and circumstances are directly related to your own thoughts.

You may not be too thrilled about where your life is right now.  But just as your thoughts got you where you are today, it will be your thoughts, and your thoughts alone, that determine where your life will be tomorrow.

Can’t I Just Hope For The Best?

Most people just float through life.  They take what comes to them and then just hope for the best.  Far too many people simply do not take charge of their lives.  But, you really can take charge of your life by taking charge of your thoughts.

Have you noticed that people who are consistently negative think totally different thoughts than people who are consistently positive?  And have you noticed that the results in their lives are also completely different? Is that just an amazing coincidence?  No.

What about goals?  Some people reach their goals and others do not. Are pos-negthose who reach their goals just lucky?  Do you often wonder just what is going on in their brains?  Well, what’s going on in your brain?  That is critically important because it will determine your success or failure.

What Can I Do?

If you don’t like where your life is right now, start changing your thoughts. It may take a little effort and you may feel awkward at first.  However, be assured that just as the law of gravity works for every person who tries it, our brains work with the same accurate precision. We are all a product of our own thoughts.

If you are waiting for some special course, or a dynamic book, or even a movie to change your life, you’ll be waiting a lifetime.  These things can help you by pointing you in the right direction.  They can show you how to think successful thoughts.  They can also show you where your thoughts are defeating you.

I am highly in favor of motivation and inspiration. But I also know that I cannot motivate people.  I cannot inspire people.  I can present ideas in various ways and when people hear them or read them, they can decide to be inspired or motivated, and as a result, take action. excited

We have all been exposed to things that sounded really good.  We may have even been very excited about them.  But there is a huge difference in being excited about something and actually taking action.

Taking that action begins with the thoughts you think. No one can think your thoughts for you. That takes a decision on your part.  Make a decision to consistently think the right thoughts and you will indeed begin to change your life! Then, take action on those thoughts, and expect God’s blessings to follow.

Mike Verdicchio

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Do you have a comment about something the helped you to change your life? If you have any kind of a  comment, please type it below – we’d love to hear from you.

Are You Too Busy To Notice?

Someone sent me an email recently about an event that happened two years ago.  Since it was the first that I heard of it, I thought I would pass it on to you, thinking that maybe you might not have heard abouot it either.

The link below will take you to an article on the Washington Post’s web site.  As you read the article, you will find 4 different videos.  Be sure to watch the videos! And, if you like, please leave a comment below.

Here’s My Comment

I’ll go ahead and give you my comment.  How often do we unknowingly pass by opportunities and blessings from God?  Are we so distracted and so busy that we many times don’t even see an answer to our prayer that is right in front of us?

The article is called, “Pearls Before Breakfast.”

Don’t you think that this article gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, “stop and smell the roses?”

Do you have a comment?  Please type it below, we’d love to hear from you!

Reducing Stress

I Have A New Product!

If you read This Is My Story, then you know I have been pursuing public speaking.  One of the main presentations that I do is called “Reducing Stress At Work.”  I offer this presentation to companies to help their employees.

In today’s job market, the rules have changed drastically.  The information in this presentation is not only helpful, but it is vital.  It is designed to benefit those who currently have a job as well as those who are looking for a new job.reducingstress

While I do give some basic and practical keys to reducing stress, the presentation offers a lot more: 4 steps to eliminating fear, how to increase your value and worth no matter who you work for, how to increase your skills and abilities, the right mind set, and more!

Download Your Own Personal Copy!

I decided to record a special studio version of that presentation so that anyone can have their own copy.  It is now available as an audio download! It also comes with a PDF handout of notes and quotes from the presentation.

Take a moment to see and hear some more details about Reducing Stress At Work. This information really is critical for today’s job market, and, it will prepare you for tomorrow’s job market.

Get your copy today!

Mike Verdicchio

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Have a comment?  How are things going where you work?  What do you anticipate for the days ahead in your field?  Type your comment below – we would love to hear from you.