The Charles Schultz Philosophy

The Charles Schulz Philosophy



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The
following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz,
the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic
strip.




You don't
have to actually answer the questions. Just
ponder on them. Just read the e-mail straight
through, and you'll get the
point.




1. Name the
five wealthiest people in the
world.

2. Name the
last five Heisman trophy
winners.

3. Name the
last five winners of the Miss America
pageant.

4. Name ten
people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer
Prize.

5. Name the
last half dozen Academy Award winners for best
actor and actress..

6. Name the
last decade's worth of World Series
winners.

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How did you
do?




The point
is, none of us remember the headliners of
yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers.
They are the best in their fields. But the
applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are
forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried
with their owners.

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& nbsp; Here's
another quiz. See how you do on this
one:




1. List a
few teachers who aided your journey through
school.

2. Name
three friends who have helped you through a
difficult time.

3. Name
five people who have taught you something
worthwhile.

4. Think of
a few people who have made you feel appreciated
and special!

5. Think of
five people you enjoy spending time
with.

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Easier?




The
lesson:




The people
who make a difference in your life are not the
ones with the most credentials.. the most
money... or the most awards. They simply are the
ones who care the most!

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Pass this
on to those people who have made a difference in
your life, like I did.





"Don't
worry about the world coming to an end today.
It's already tomorrow in Australia
!"

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&nb sp;
"Be
Yourself, Everyone Else Is
Taken!"

Little i

Little i

Marybeth Whalen

"He must become greater; I must20become less."

John 3:30 (NIV)

Devotion:

The other night my husband and i were at an event where the words to the worship music were placed on a screen for all to see. But this night i noticed something: every time they used the word "I" on the screen, it wasn't capitalized. My editor's eye was drawn to this glaring error, and i spent much of the time that i was supposed to be singing trying to discern why they had done this. Oversight? Trying to be cute? It bugged me.

Then i felt God's whisper to my heart, causing me to go a bit deeper. "Why are you stressing about capitalizing the i?" He asked me. "Why does it need to be capitalized? Who decided that? Maybe these folks recognize that "i" am not important -- but I AM is."

While i am not proposing a little i revolution -- shaking up tradition and causing a crisis in the grammar world -- i am wondering, what does a little i life look like?

Sacrifice?
Surrender?
Slaying self?
Setting apart?
Seeking Him?
Serving others instead of doing what i want?

This little i thing could catch on. It should catch on, because it's the life Jesus called us to. We don't need to be capitalized. We need to be small, insignificant -- just a jot and a tittle, the littlest marks in the alphabet. Instead of a capital letter that announces our importance. At least, that's what i am learning these days -- and trying to live out.

Sacrifice, surrender and servanthood are hard. But i know that's what God calls us to do; laying down our wants, needs and desires and straining towards His.

Dear Lord, I want to make Your name famous and mine unimportant. Help me to be mindful of my tendency to make things about me. And help me Lord to keep the focus on You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

i am not but i know I AM by Louie Giglio

Share with your children the joys of focusing on the Lord with The Tale of Three Trees retold by Angela Elwell Hunt

God desires all areas of our lives to be set apart, even our finances. Read Marybeth's story of surrendering to God in this area in Learning To Live Financially Free by Marybeth and Curt Whalen

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Visit Marybeth's blog

Application Steps:

While not capitalizing your "i's" might not be proper or practical, journal some ways that you can consciously choose to make Jesus become greater in your daily life as you become less.

Reflections:

Do you struggle with taking the focus off God and putting it on yourself? Are there certain times or situations when this happens for you? What can you do to change your response when this happens?

Power Verses:

John 3:31, "The one w ho comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all." (NIV)

© 2009 by Marybeth Whalen. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries

616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road

Matthews, NC 28105