Denise's ABCs For Success! (Part One)

Denise was the speaker for the youth program at church many years ago. Her ABC’s were written for the youth, but I thought it would be good for the adults to hear as well, because this is something we can apply to our lives as well:

A:  Always be Appreciative of what you have. There is always someone out there who would be glad to trade places with you.
B:  Be ye not Boastful. No one who really loves you cares about how much you have, what kind of car you drive, or how many pair of Nikes you own.
      An Alternate B: Be on time!

C:  Courteous, Cautious, and Considerate. These three characteristics alone will take you farther in life than money ever will.

D:  Make clear, well-thought out Decisions. Take the time to really consider all of the factors before making a hasty decision.

E:  Strive for Excellence in each and everything that you do.

F:  Forgive and Forget. Seventy times seven is the number of times the Bible says that we are to turn the other cheek. So don't hold grudges!       
      Another great F word is Friends. Find out who your friends really are and hold on to them for life. Friends are always great things to have. Like a mind, a true friend is a terrible thing to waste!

G:  Practice Goodwill. Give to those who are less fortunate than you with love and joy in your heart and the Lord will make sure that it comes back to you ten-fold!

H:  Happiness is fundamental to success. But not just your happiness, be sure to take into consideration the lives of others whose life you may have an effect on.
      An even better H is to Hold on to God's unchanging Hands. He will never leave nor forsake you.

I:  Identify and define who YOU are. Don't be afraid to be an Individual. Just because all of your friends are doing something, that does not mean that you have to jump on the bandwagon too!

J:  Most importantly, know, trust and depend on Jesus. As I said before, He will never leave you hanging. But don't just know Him. Anybody can just know someone. However, it takes a special person to develop a personal relationship.

K:  Keep your eyes, noses, ears, and mouths out of other people's business. Make sure that your own house is in order before talking about others.
      Also, (this one is especially for the younger folks) – Keep those pants up, those skirts down and Keep focused.

L:  Learn to Love, Live Life to the Fullest and always Look before you Leap.

M:  Mind your Manners. A little "Yes Sir," "No Ma'am" never hurt anyone and it may get you closer to what you want than "naw" and "uh huh" ever will.

Be sure to tune in next week for part two of the ABCs.

With all that said, let the Church say Amen and... Amen!