A CHRISTIAN GRADUATE'S LITTLE INSTRUCTION GUIDE

1. Pray daily; it holds your day together and connects you with God.
2. Read the Bible regularly. It is the guidebook to living out your faith in life.
3. Worship often: your spirit needs to express praise to the Creator in community
with others.
4. Become part of a fellowship/Bible study group: it helps you to grow in faith and
the support of other Christians is encouraging, inspiring and comforting.
5. Make and keep a place for faith in your life; the well-being of your spirit
depends on it.
6. Don't be fooled by slick advertising, the pull of society and the Hollywood
crowd; they do not hold the ultimate truth.
7. Stand firm in your faith even when challenged and don't be ashamed of your faith.
8. Live by the Great Commandmant. (Matthew 22:34-40)
9. Do the best you can where you are with what you have. God expects excellence not
perfection.
10. Expect some pain and disappointment in life. God will be along side of you and
will bring you through even the most trying of times, even when you feel as God
isn't there, God is there, most profoundly.
11. Live with the hope of Christ in your heart.
12. Don't be afraid of troubles or failures; God provides opportunities and growth
even through these.
13. Read the Beatitudes often. (Matthew 5:3-12)
14. Let the joy of your faith shine out from your heart and hands to everyone
around you.
15. Sing out hymns boldly, joyfully, and with all the feeling your body can muster.
16. Be still at times and listen to the quiet of God's voice.
17. Trust God even when it is hard to do so.
18. Nurture a thankful, loving heart. Let the love of Christ dwell within you.
19. Express gratitude for all things big and small.
20. Tell others you love them. We all like and need to hear those wonderful words.
21. Let your life be a doxology: "Praise God from whom all blessings flow...."
22. Remember that forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door to love.
23. Accept that life is not always fair and there are no guarantees except for
God's grace and love.
24. Celebrate the great moments in your life and in the lives of others.
25. Pray for wisdom, courage, strength and guidance and not merely for "things."
26. Let music or art wash away the dust of everyday life from your soul.
27. Remember that there are no hopeless situations, only people who have grown
hopeless about them.
28. A good leader is concerned about others, not him/her self.
29. Happiness is found along the way and not at the end of the road.
30. When you are grounded in God, peace and contentment blossom and flourish.
31. Pray genuinely and sincerely for others. Sometimes it will change you more
than it will them.
32. Never let yesterday use up too much of today.
33. Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm.
34. Responsibility is taking care of all that you can for yourself and not expecting
God or others to give things to you or do it for you.
35. Own up to your mistakes and learn from them.
36. The measure of success are the degrees of peace, joy, love and gratitude you
have in your life.
37. Integrity is being true to the self God desires you to be. It is a life-long
work.
38. Life is partly what you make it and partly how you respond to its unfolding.
39. Read widely to expand your horizons and challenge your thinking.
40. Be willing to take a risk, but not foolishly. Listen to your inner spirit and
heed the prompting of God's Spirit at work in you.
41. Give credit where credit is due.
42. The short-cut is most often the long way around.
43. Be patient, not all things come about instantly. Things of worth take much time
to grow and be.
44. Make time to play or just watch for shapes in the clouds.
45. Be gentle with yourself and others.
46. Dream dreams and reach for the stars. You may not reach the stars but the view
from the mountaintop is breathtaking.
47. If you can ease the way for others or soften their burdens, do so.
48. Everyone is a child of God, whether they know it or not, you do.
49. Embrace the fullness, the freedom, the spaciousness of God's love for you.
50. My prayer for you: that God be with you wherever the days, the years, and the
future may take you.
St. Inuksuk 1999

In honor of all graduates, including my nephew who will be receiving his Masters. Congratulations and God's blessings.