Ten Things I believe

Here is a list of 10 things I believe.
Maybe you want to do a list like this as well! I certainly would like to read it.

1. Don't get involved with "high maintenance" people.
   They will zap your strength and add to your woes. They are not happy unless there is a crisis in their life (there usually is one - self inflicted) and they love to lament about it.
2. If you don't stand for something, you will fall for everything.
   Unless you have lines in your life which you refuse to cross, anyone can just push you around and you will end up in situations not knowing how you got there in the first place.
3. Most people do not need a good talking to but a good listening to.
   We are all happy to give advice and to suggest ways of getting out of some troublesome predicament. Opinions are however cheap to get hold of and by far the better way is to give your time listening and asking questions which will help the person to form their own solutions.
4. Love will win the day.
   There is nothing more powerful than true, unconditional love. It will heal, restore, drive out fear, build faith, overcome barriers and it is the difference between existing and living. If you have not found this type of love, seek God- because God IS love.
5. An end with horror is better than horror without end.
   When things are not right it is better to cut loose rather than continuing on the same path and be subjected to more and more pain, frustration and heart-ache. Only once you have let go can you restart afresh.
6. Don't ask me if I 'can keep a secret'.
   Ask yourself . . why do people want to tell you a secret? If it is a secret, then why are they telling it to you? Is it because it is too heavy to carry? In which case why do you want to be burdened with it? Does 'knowing the secret' give you any advantage apart from being able to gossip it to someone else? No! It usually puts you in an awkward position should someone ask you if you know anything about this.
7. Money is a great slave but a terrifying master.
   If you use money for what it can do for you then it is very useful but if you are running after it and it becomes your focus for life, then you are screwed! Giving it away to do good offends its power and puts you right back in charge. So practise charity often! Guard your heart.
8. There is one name only by which man can be saved - Jesus Christ
   Someone has sold us the lie that we are all pilots of our lives in the full knowledge that we are all going to crash and burn. Handing your life over to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Saviour and master of life will guarantee life eternal and forgiveness of all sins.
9. Generalisations are usually wrong
   Stay away from statements such as: "You are always late" or "All men are b*stards" or "The youths of today are all irresponsible"!
   Ignore comments like these or at least question their validity.
10. People are in essence 'good'!
    Yes, many people are careless, misguided, stressed, make mistakes and are often not on our wave-length but I challenge you to think about this:
    If you look for the bad in people, you will find it! Look for good in people and you will also find it! Which would you rather find??
    A man had a white and a black dog who were constantly fighting. "Which one will win?" his son asked. "The one I feed!" was the reply.
    So feed the white dog in people and in yourself.

On a different note:
Yes, we finally have got a nice cold spell and the temperature this morning was a nice -8 degrees Celsius, turning everything into a white winter wonderland. How beautiful is this!!?