Brother Don's Top Ten

This Sunday was the baccalaureate service for the Seniors at FUMC in Kosciusko.  The preacher's sermon was titled "Doc's Top Ten" which gave the Seniors his last words of advice to them.  He made it clear that his top ten changes every now and again and at times it falls in a different order, but that this was his thoughts for them as they moved forward to the next phase in their lives.  As he cited them I thought, anyone can use these!  I began jotting them down, and now am glad that I did.  It was really good advice. 
The list went like this..

10.  Manage your time and money right now.
9.    Don't be afraid to move away from home.
8.    Obey the absolutes (start with the Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20: 1-17)
7.    Enjoy family and friends before they are gone.
6.    Make a habit of learning (ask hard questions and don't be afraid of being misunderstood)
5.    Discover what you do best, then do it.
4.    Strive for excellence through preperation and integrity (Whether that be for an exam, job interview, etc.  Don't expect God to take up all the slack, when there is clearly something you can do to prepare for it)
3.    Understand and practice the true nature of success.
2.    Understand and practice the true nature of love. (Romance will not sustain you. True love comes in the practice of obedience to Christ.  Example of this is the day Jesus was placed on the cross.  Jesus said, "not my will, but yours," talking to his Heavenly Father.  Even though Jesus did not want to go to the cross, in the end he showed obedience to His Father.)
1.    Take your baptism seriously (When you are baptized, you take on a new name: Little Christ)

Going with number 3, Brother Don gave the Seniors a slip with a poem written by Ralph Waldo Emerson titled "What is Success?" 

What is Success

To laugh often and much;

To win the respect of intelligent people

 and the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics

and endure the betrayal of false friends;

To appreciate beauty;

To find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better, whether by

a healthy child, a garden patch

or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed

easier because you have lived;

This is to have succeeded.

  

I hope everyone has a wonderful day : )

**My new favorite song**