Thanks

It’s not quite winter yet, but it surely how has felt like it, thanks to hurricane Sandy. The cold wind brings to mind these words.

"Blow, blow, thou winter wind,

Thou art not so unkind

As man's ingratitude."

They come from Amiens, a character in William Shakespeare’s, "As You Like It." While nature can be harsh and cold, it is nothing compared to human ingratitude.

Of nature, Amiens continues to sing, "That dost not bite so nigh as benefits forgot: Though thou waters warp, they sting is not so sharp as friend remember'd not."

Ingratitude, ungratefulness, a lack of saying "thanks," really does sting, doesn’t it? We all can recall, probably with a great deal of passion, when and where someone did not properly thanks us for something we did. It’s easy to get focused on those times. It’s the stuff of bitterness.

Let’s do the hard work and really examine our own lives, instead of pointing at others. Let’s look for pockets of unexpressed gratitude. It’s easy to overlook the help and kindness of others, isn’t it? Who do I need to thank? And for what?

Colossians 2:6,7 — So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Gentleness

John Wooden tells this story in "A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court."

We had a team of mules name Jack and Kate on our farm. Kate would often get stubborn and lie down on me when I was plowing. I couldn’t get her up no matter how roughly I treated her. Dad would see my predicament and walk across the field until he was close enough to say "Kate." Then she’d get up and start working again. He never touched her in anger.

Wooden adds:

It took me a long time to understand that even a stubborn mule responds to gentleness.

I guess I’m still trying to understand that! I need these reminders.

Philippians 4:5 — Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

1 Peter 3:15 — . . . In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect . . .

Colossians 3:12 — Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

I’m going to strive to be gentle today.

Who are you Following?

There is a tombstone somewhere, maybe in Indiana, that bears these engraved words:

Remember man as you pass me by

As you are now so once was I

As I am now so you will be

So prepare for death and follow me

Underneath those words an unknown passerby scratched this reply:

To follow you I'm not content

Until I know which way you went

That’s clever, funny, and right, isn’t it?

And it raises a good point on this Monday.

Just who or what are you and I following?

Jesus in Luke said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."

We know where he is, and that is where we want to be.

I’m going to do my best to live like him, following him this week, knowing there may be pain involved. Will you help me and join me?

Wishful Thinking

A despondent woman was walking along the beach and saw a bottle on the sand. Picking it up, she pulled out the cork. Whoosh! Through a big puff of smoke she saw a genie!

The genie said, "I grant you three wishes, but be aware that for each thing you wish, your mate will receive double."

"Why?" the woman asked. "That bum left me for another woman."

"This is just how it works," replied the genie.

The woman shrugged and then asked for a million dollars. A million dollars appeared at her feet! At the same instant, in a far-off place, her wayward husband received twice that amount at his feet.

"And your second wish?"

"Genie, I want the world’s most expensive diamond necklace." Instantly the woman was holding the precious treasure, and, in that distant place, her husband was looking for a gem broker to buy his diamond necklace.

"Genie, is it really true that my husband has two million dollars and more jewels than I do, and that he gets double of whatever I wish for?"

"Yes, it is absolutely true. He gets double of what you ask for."

The woman thought for a moment, smiled, and then said, "Okay, genie, I’m ready for my last wish."

"Proceed."

"Scare me half to death!"

I’m thinking along these lines: I’m glad we don’t have genies like that. And this is a pretty good thought also:

Proverbs 20:22 — Do not say, "I’ll pay you back for this wrong!" Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.

Have a great weekend and go to church for Heaven’s sake!

FEAR

 The famous advice columnist Ann Landers was once asked, "what’s the most common problem people ask you about?"

She said, "Without a doubt, it’s fear."

Many fear lots of things! Is being stuck one of the biggest fears? STUCK! "Things will never change; it’s hopeless." "I’m never going to get out of this." "I’ll never not grieve again." "I’ll never be happy again." "Everything is falling apart, and I’m beyond recovery." That’s fear.

And it is FEAR – False Evidence Appearing Real.

It’s a lie from the father of lies. If you think that your life is beyond repair/restoration, then you’re wrong. If you think that your best days are in the past, then think again. If you think it’s impossible for God to bring good out of bad, then you aren’t paying attention.

It’s often said there are 365 "fear nots" in the Bible, one for every day of the year. That’s probably right. God, if you are his, does not want you to be afraid.

Psalm 34:4 — I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

Psalm 27:1-3 — The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.

Bitter vs. Better

Maybe this belongs to Zig Ziglar? "Everything that happens to you in life has the potential of making you bitter or better."

We get to choose, and sometimes it is such a hard choice! There IS injustice. Some things ARE NOT right. It happens. It stings and stinks. Life is often not fair.

What are you going to do? Bitter or better?

It’s much easier to be bitter, because it’s hard work becoming better. It requires faith that God is working in the injustice to shape and conform you into something better, something closer to his pure image.

You know, there is only one letter’s difference between bitter and better. Bitter has an I in it, and that may just be the key point: there is a much greater chance of bitterness if I focus on that I, as in Me, Myself, and I.

I become better when I focus on what God is wanting me to become.

Perfectionism?

I’ve struggled with it over the years. It’s bad and can make you, and those around you, miserable. Unrealistic pressure and unresolved guilt accompany it. Do we pursue it because we fear the malaise of mediocrity?

Many wrap perfectionism in a desire to please a perfect God. Certainly we are not encouraged by God to lead sloppy, sinful lives. What are we to think? John Wooden said this.

"Perfection is what you are striving for, but perfection is an impossibility. However, striving for perfection is not an impossibility. Do the best you can under the conditions that exist. That is what counts."

The bottom line is that we rest securely in the forgiving grace of a loving God, striving to live a life that brings glory to him. Strive to be perfect, but please don’t be a perfectionist. There is a big difference.

Everyone has sinned. No one measures up to God’s glory. The free gift of God’s grace makes all of us right with him. Christ Jesus paid the price to set us free. (Romans 3:23,24)

Work hard all day (and all week) to do your best, and then rest well at night, resting in the grace of a God who loves you more than you can comprehend.

Psalm 103:13-18

As a father has compassion on his children,

so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

for he knows how we are formed,

he remembers that we are dust.

As for man, his days are like grass,

he flourishes like a flower of the field;

the wind blows over it and it is gone,

and its place remembers it no more.

But from everlasting to everlasting

the LORD'S love is with those who fear him,

and his righteousness with their children’s children—

with those who keep his covenant

and remember to obey his precepts.

Unavoidable Defects

Unavoidable Defects

That’s the term the FDA uses to refer to the amount of contamination allowed in our food.

For example, here are some of the allowances:

30 fly eggs per one hundred grams of pizza sauce.

60 insect fragments per 100 grams of chocolate and/or 1 rodent hair.

30 insect fragments and/or 1 rodent hair per 100 grams of peanut butter.

I’m not making this up! The FDA admits that our food will never be totally pure, so we allow a certain amount of defect.

There are all kinds of ways to apply this disturbing knowledge, but let’s do this.

Let’s make it personal and humbly confess we are all defective. Here’s the good news: God loves us anyway, and through a relationship with Jesus (who had no defects), redeems us, saves us, and sees us also as having no defects. Why? Because he loves us.

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. (1 Peter 1:18,19)

Do you believe that? Have you told God how much you love him?

Love

Love

is patient,

is kind.

does not envy,

does not boast,

is not proud.

is not rude,

is not self-seeking,

is not easily angered,

keeps no record of wrongs.

does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

never fails.

Love this week, deeply, carefully, and intentionally.

The Plop

A Canadian bird decides he doesn’t want to fly south for the winter. He thinks it nonsense to go down south, when he can just stay right where he is. After a while, of course, it gets cold, really cold. 

 

Finally, he can take no more and decides to fly south after all. As he is flying, ice begins to form on his wings. He is forced to land and crashes into a barnyard, right by a cow.

 

He is nearly frozen and can’t move. The cow, doing what cows often do, drops a “plop” on him. He is disgusted and dying. What a way to go! He waits for his life to end. After a short time, though, the ice begins to melt off of him. He starts to get warm under the “plop.”

 

“It’s getting warm. I’m going to live! I’m going to live!” He starts to sing.

 

A cat comes along and hears his singing from underneath the “plop.” The cat wipes the stuff off the bird. Then he eats him.

 

There are three morals to this story:

 

1. Not everyone who drops a “plop” on you is necessarily your enemy.

2. Not everyone who wipes it off of you is necessarily your friend.

3. And if someone does drop a “plop” on you, keep your mouth shut.

Human Doing?

Do you remember these words from an old Alabama song?

I’m in a hurry to get things done
Oh I rush and rush until life's no fun
All I really gotta do is live and die
But I'm in a hurry and don't know why
I could have written those words! You too? What’s wrong with us?

It is that "busyness" seems to be the cool thing? We like to preference our comments with, "I’m so busy. . ." or "I know you are busy, but. . ."

Sometimes I wonder if we are really as busy as we think we are. Some are, for sure, but I think it’s more a state of mind.

We have crossed over from being "human beings" to "human doings." I think God likes both, but your doing needs to come from your being (in a relationship with God).

Stop for a few minutes and go through this with me:

Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am
Be still and know that
Be still and know
Be still and
Be still
Be


Slow down, take a breath and BE today! Then Do. Intentionally, carefully, and not hurriedly.

(I’m talking to myself, as usual.)

Press On!

"The least important fact of life is the score at halftime."

I like that quote, and I think it was during the Super Bowl that I heard it. I wrote it down and then found it yesterday.

It speaks to a very important idea: as long as there is life, there is a chance to change, to come back, to keep growing, to start over.

Sometimes people get stuck, stuck in deep ruts and feel there is no hope for change. We feel like the present, greatly influenced by past mistakes and failures, keeps us from doing anything different. The game is over. Not true!

We have to deal with past failure, but we cannot dwell on it. There are many things that we need to forget, as we focus on the future and strive for a goal.

Paul, in Philippians 3, talking about moving toward a glorious future, says this.

. . . I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Press on! Press on.

Prayer

How about a few thoughts on prayer?

Prayer is. . .

. . .love’s tender dialogue between the soul and God. (John Richard Moreland)

. . .opening ourselves to God so that he can open us to others. (Louis Evely)

. . .the possibility to affect everything that affects us. (E.M. Bounds)

. . .putting ourselves in the hands of God. (Mother Teresa)

. . .the key of the morning and bolt at night (Unknown)

. . .the link that connects us with God. It is the bridge that spans every gulf and carries us safely over every chasm of danger or need. (A.B. Simpson)

. . .the first step to meeting any challenge. (Ron Hehl)

. . .the central avenue God uses to transform us. (Richard Foster)

Let us pray.

Anger Management

Is there an anger that is healthy? Aristotle said that healthy anger happens when it is expressed:

with the right person
to the right degree
at the right time
for the right purpose
in the right way

Think through those for a second. That’s really good advice!

We know anger happens. Hey, even Jesus got angry, really angry at times, and he didn’t sin with it or because of it. How about us? Well...

Let’s remind ourselves of a couple really important passages, one from James 1 and another from Ephesians 4.

"Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires."

But what if it happens?

"‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold."

Unreleased, unresolved anger really gives the Enemy an opportunity to destroy you. We need to deal with it, and old Aristotle lays out a pretty good plan.

Say What?

A man left his cat with his younger brother while he went on vacation. Arriving back, he called his brother to make arrangements to pick up the cat. The brother simply said, "The cat died while you were away."

The man was very upset and yelled, "You should’ve broken the news to me better than that! When I called today, you should’ve said the cat was on the roof and wouldn’t come down. Then when I called the next day, you could’ve said that he had fallen off and the vet was working on him. Then when I called the third day, you could’ve said he had passed away."

The brother thought about it and apologized. The older brother accepted his apology and then asked, "So how’s Mom?"

The younger brother hesitated and then said, "She’s on the roof and won’t come down?"

OK, I’m not sure what kind of application to make with that?

Maybe that what we say is important, but how we say things is also important?

Let’s just smile and head into the weekend! I hope you have a good one, and go to church for Heaven’s sake!

Joy in the Morning

"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning."

David said that in Psalm 30. We all have problems, struggles, and, at times, live with broken hearts.

It’s easy to allow these things to dominate and consume us. At some point, we must turn our focus away from ourselves and toward God’s love and faithfulness.

Old Jeremiah, not the bullfrog but the prophet (ha ha - sorry), sure had a hard time. He watched in horror as his countrymen and his city were destroyed.

Jeremiah had warned them to change their ways. They didn’t, and to make matters worse, they rejected, tormented, tortured, and silenced him.

Jeremiah was angry, angry with God and everyone else. In Lamentations 3, amidst some strong accusations and complaints against God, he turns his focus back toward God’s love.

Because of the LORD'S great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

There really is joy in the beginning of a new day, if we are aware of God’s loving presence, no matter what.

This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it!

The Face of a Broken Heart

Have you seen it? Maybe you saw it when you last looked into a mirror.

The face of a broken hearted person.

I see them a lot. I see them at the end of funerals, when a man says good-bye to his wife of 60+ years. I see them when parents bury a child, and I see them in the courtroom, where the painful past is relived in the present. I see faces of the brokenhearted a lot.

I saw one the other day at a public event. I watched a woman I barely know watch her ex-husband walk away holding hands with a new girlfriend. I can only imagine how broken her heart is. Her face said it was very broken.

We’ve all experienced a broken heart, and some live with them. It shows on their faces.

To them, to us, I share these wonderful reminders of God’s presence.

Psalm 34:18 — The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 147:3 — He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Thank you, Lord.

Sound of Silence

Why does it seem that God is so silent when we most want to hear from him?

C.S. Lewis, in Till We Have Faces, says this:

"I know now, Lord, why you utter no answer. You are yourself the answer. Before your face questions die away. What other answer would suffice?"

"You are yourself the answer." Do you believe that? Pretty hard isn’t it? God says nothing because his promised presence is enough. Faith says, "He is the answer. He is sufficient."

Silence does not mean absence.

On the cross, Jesus, quoting Psalm 22, cries out words that sometimes we feel and own, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

The silence of God is painful, and the referenced Psalm 22 appeals for God to be present in crisis.

And He is.

The same God who was silent on Friday was not absent. He was working a plan, and he raised Jesus from the dead on Sunday morning. If you follow Jesus, then he promises to raise you too.

Please don’t mistake silence for absence.

Be still and know. Find rest and peace.

God is Enough

"We don’t realize that God is all we need until God is all we’ve got."

Bad things happen to good people. All the time. Why?

I don’t know, but I believe the essence of faith is trusting God with all mystery and unanswered questions. I also believe that he is very interested in what happens to you, but I think he is even more interested in what you become as a result.

God is redemptive, working in the bad to make good, to make you better not bitter. That requires faith and a certain mind-set.

A long time ago, Paul said this (2 Cor. 1):

. . .We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.

As this week unfolds, no matter what’s going on or what happens, we have a God who loves us and wants us to rely on his resurrection power. Wow!

Stay focused and encouraged!