Laugh

Find something to laugh about. Nothing makes you feel better than having a good laugh. It lightens your load and brightens your heart. Proverbs says that a merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, and a merry heart does good, like medicine. Some of the best blessings in life come in the form of a laugh. Christ told his disciples, I have spoken these things so that your joy may be full. God wants you to be joyful. Keep joy in your heart and find something to laugh about.

Problems you can't solve. . .

Once in a while, you run up on a problem or a bunch of problems that you just can't solve. Think about the Red Sea, the children of Israel and Pharoah's army closing fast; it was a problem that they just couldn't solve. God saved them by parting the Red Sea, but not before they were nose to nose with a problem that they couldn't solve. Becoming a Christian does not now, nor has it ever meant, taking a pass on troubles. So, if we are going to have problems, let's figure out how to deal with them.

First, keep a smile on your face. You can still have joy in your heart, even if you have trials and tribulations. Second, don't bury your head in the sand. Think about it; you have a front row seat, to watch God work in your life, and you won't see much with your head in the sand. Finally, pay attention! Your trials and troubles and the way that you deal with them are what become your testimony. So, make it a good one. God is always there, and He is a constant source strength.

When you don't know what to do. . .

Have you ever felt like you were lacking direction? It happens to everybody at some point. So what do you do when you feel like you don't know what to do? We feel like we don't know what to do, but that isn't really true. I think it is fair to say that most people don't like math, but one thing that my many math classes taught me was how to deal with problems. You can either be overwhelmed by a problem and do nothing, and so the problem goes unsolved; or you can break the problem down to its smallest parts and then solve it. This may sound a little funny, but when you don't know what to do; do what you know to do. In other words, there are things that are always right to do. Reading your Bible, studying your Sunday School lesson, memorizing Scripture, spending time in prayer: I think you get the idea, you can make a pretty long list of things that you know are always the right thing to do. Here's the trick, doing those things will give you direction, so that you will know what you should be doing.

And when tomorrow comes. . .

When you wake up tomorrow, thank God for a brand new day. Think about your family and friends; and think about how blessed you are that God has given you more time with them. Love everyone better. Teach those who are younger than you, and learn from those who are older. Make the very most of this tomorrow, and let everything that you do praise Him.

His love. . .

God's love is amazing. When you consider how much He shows His love to us here, it doesn't compare to what is waiting for us. It hasn't even entered our hearts, the things that He has prepared for those who love Him. Paul said, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." In other words, the trials of this life aren't even going to be worth mentioning in comparison. So when you think you understand that God loves you; remember, His thoughts of love toward you are more wonderful than you have ever imagined.

Things change, get use to it.

If I had a nickle for everything that changed, that I thought would never change; well, I'd be sitting on a big pile of nickles. Certainty is not at all a normal thing, it turns out. Thankfully, there are some things that are certain; namely God and His love and care for me. You see, if it weren't for those certainties, I would never be able to make it through all of those uncertainties. Things change; but the one thing that can't change is the hold that God has on me. So eventhough, I go through hurts and things I don't always understand, I hold on to the things I know that won't change, and that is what sustains me.

A long walk. . .

Nothing fixes things like a long walk. No matter how many problems you have, a long walk just makes you feel better. Maybe it's the fact that you instantly accomplished something; maybe you just feel better because your active. When I got back home I had the same problems waiting on me that I had when I left, but things didn't seem so overwhelming when I returned.

Thoreau once wrote, "In the wilderness lies the preservation of the world." There is something about being out in God's handiwork, even if it is on parts of it that we have paved. The wind still blows through the trees of the city, just like it does in the woods. It reminds me that there are bigger things in the world than me. God is good, and I am greatful.

People need the Lord

I really enjoyed services this morning at church. Not one thing in particular, but the whole service was a blessing and an encouragement. It was exactly why we are supposed to go to church; so that we can be encouraged and be able to go out and tell others about Jesus. Most people think of church in an evangelistic sense; in other words, we are supposed to get people to come to church so that they can get to hear the gospel and get saved. The fact is we are supposed to go to church so that we can be encouraged and equipped to go out into the world and win the lost to Christ. You see, nothing works better than telling people about your own experience with something. That's why you check seller's ratings on Amazon and Ebay, because people relate their own experiences with the sellers and products. Inviting someone to church is always a good thing, but nothing works like telling people about your experience with Christ. So, go and tell somebody about what Christ has done for you.

Sometimes you don't have to do anything.

I don't know how it happened, but I developed a love for work. There is something so satisfying about putting your effort into a job and doing it well. So I'm an odd ball, but I am an advocate for work. Yet in all of this, there is the wonderful blessings that come through prayer alone. Blessings that come from what I cannot do. I'm still an advocate for work, but there is something so exciting about the things that God does for His children. I believe that God blesses effort made for His kingdom, but sometimes He just puts on a show that lets me know that He is my all in all. He also lets me know that everything doesn't depend on my efforts. At times like these, all I can be is thankful.

When the going gets tough. . .

I have noticed that some days are just out right harder than others. I find this particularly true on days when I am working on my relationship with God. Things seem to have already gone wrong before my feet hit the floor. It's not an accident. Anytime we start working on our relationship with God, Satan starts working to knock us off our perch. We don't wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers of darkness. Sounds scary doesn't it. This is when it is most important to stay close to God. This is what Paul was talking about when he said to put on the whole armor of God, it wasn't just for a parade. He is talking about putting on the implements of war. I hate to burst anyone's bubble, but being a Christian is not easy. It is a fight, ask Paul. So naturally, when we go to work for God, Satan and his army are going to fight us. So on days like this; put on your armor and get ready to fight.

Making decisions. . .

There are plenty of things that make sense from an earthly perspective, but when you weigh them against what you believe as a Christian you have to decide against them. Many of these decisions have a cost or reward attached to them. The problem many have with making these decisions, is that they only know how to compute cost and rewards in dollars and cents. What am I getting at? Working on Sundays, stay-at-home moms or homeschooling kids (just to name a few) are some of the big issues facing Christians today.

The prevalent thought is: if I don't work Sunday I don't make extra money to get ahead, or I won't get to work Monday through Saturday if I don't work Sunday. If you want me to be honest, you won't make extra money and you might not get to work Monday through Saturday. Fact is nobody wants to trade what we have for what we do not know about. The exceptionally neat thing is that God honors the faith it takes to make these choices. It takes a lot of courage to say I won't work on Sunday, or I'm going to stay home with my kids regardless of the financial fallout. The truth is it takes a leap of faith, and in Hebrews it says that it is impossible to please God without faith, and continues by saying we must believe that God is, and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him. So as I struggle to wrap this up and put a bow on it; Let God decide what is important, make your decision accordingly and trust God to reward you.

Early to bed, early to rise. . .

Nothing sets your day up like getting up early. I'm not talking about seven or eight o'clock, I mean early like five in the morning. It is the perfect time; because all of the distractions, that keep you from reading your Bible or praying, don't occur until later in the day. It is quiet, and you can spend time with God. On the other side of the coin, when you get up at seven or eight: the distractions are already waiting for you.

We all need time with God, and more often than we should we neglect it. Nothing I have found has made as big a difference as getting up early. So when tomorrow comes, get up at five in the morning, take your Bible and read it and then spend some time in prayer with God. Give God the first part of your day, and see what He does with the rest of it.

Haunting words . . .

I find the more I write, the more my words haunt me. It's not a bad thing; just a product of self-reflection. You put yourself, or what is important to you at the moment, on the page, and then you go back and examine it. It's a good way to see whether or not you are full of bologna. You see, I like to think that I am made of the finest stuff, but many times I prove that wrong.

When you put yourself (thoughts) on a page, you and everybody that knows you can easily see whether your life lives up to the ideals that you put on the page. So, now you can see why my words haunt me. I have to measure me against what I have written, and as always I want to be better and not worse. And one more thing, I have to make sure that my words are in agreements with God's word. So all in all, writing is a good exercise. It helps keep me where I need to be.

Providence. . .

God knows everything that we need, and He will supply all of our needs. Needs are not what God put us here to fulfill. He put us here to do His work; Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all the things that we need to do His work will be provided. Sometimes we think that if we put God first enough, that it will eventually translate to monetary gain. Here's the truth, you can follow God your whole life, and you may be poor your whole life. But if it is a life lived by faith, God will supply your needs.
Today is all that we are promised, and tomorrow might not come and eventually won't come; so we need to think in terms of today. Do what it is God wants today, and He will supply everything you need to do it.

How much?

How much is enough? I've been wondering that very thing for the longest time. Few things make you feel as good as paying all of your bills, and knowing that there is still money left over. It seems that we are all taught to pursue money, but how much should you have? Where is the point that enough goes into too much? Proverbs says don't let me have so much that I forget God, and don't let me have so little that I steal.
Money is not the problem; the problem is the love of money. Paul said having both food and clothing be therewith content. Not all of the someday items I would like to have, just food and clothing. If you think about the Lord's prayer or the model prayer, it says, "Give us this day our daily bread." There is a great distance between what most of us consider poor, and going hungry. In all of this, God simply wants us to ask for what it is we need today, and to be content with it.

The Story of My Life

I recently read Helen Keller's autobiography, "The Story of My Life." I never knew much about her other than that she was deaf and blind. So, how did I come to read her story, well I had to go out of town for work at the last minute, and found myself in Florence, AL. I always do a little web search, as I have found just about every town has a claim to fame; and lo and behold Helen Keller was born in Tuscumbia, AL about five miles away. So, I visited her birthplace, and I was taken enough with the things I heard to read her story.
She was funny, well educated and overcame great obstacles to make her mark on the world. Her story was filled with accounts of visits with new and old friends, and she talked about what they meant to her. When she finished her story, she made the most beautiful comment: "the story of my life has been written by my friends." So when I think about her story, I think about my story and my friends, and thank God for you all.

Thinking on good things. . .

No matter what I am faced with in a day, I like to think about things like people smiling, kids laughing and a nice shade tree to sit under and take it all in. Some days I don't get to think about those things much, and some days I do. I like to think about people doing what is right, because it is right; not because there is some other motivation. I like to think about people being thoughtful and considerate. I like to think about things that make me smile. I suppose those things make me think about what things will be like in heaven, where everyone is happy and glad to see you. When you get right down to it, I like to think about home; and this world is not my home.

God's blessing.

God blesses us with good things all of the time. Sometimes we don't respond like people who have been blessed, and sometimes we are indifferent to the blessings. Once in a while, you see one of these blessings, and you realize that God have given you more to rejoice over than to murmur about. God is good, and these little treasures remind me of it.

The sound of fireworks

Last night, it sounded like a war zone. I know that things are loud on the fourth, but last night it seemed like there were more fireworks than I have ever heard. I know everyone thinks that fireworks are for kids, but honestly, what man doesn't like to see something explode? Last night it struck me; it must have sounded like this when they were fighting for our independence. Rather than wishing that they would finish so I could go to sleep; I found my self welcoming the sounds and glad that I lived where people could stay up half the night blowing things up. I realized that it was because of the sounds of countless cannons and muzzle-loaders that we have the freedom that we have enjoyed for so long in this country. So, I thank everyone who gave so much to purchase our freedom, and I thank everyone, that has served in the past or is now serving in our military defending that freedom, from the bottom of my heart.

The Work is NEVER Done.

I don't know why, but most people think of work their whole lives as something they can get away from. News flash: that is not the way it works. Since the inception of mankind, God intend us to work; thats right, before Adam and Eve ever left the garden they were put here to work. And if you are reading this, so were you. Not just, punch a clock and get a paycheck work. There is work in everything. Do you want to be the best at something? Well, there is a lot of work in being the best at anything. Do you want to be in love? Guess what, there is work in loving someone. Do you want to do nothing? There is a ton of work in figuring out how you will be able to live and still do nothing. Get it yet? Work is a fact of life. You not only need to get use to it, you have to come to understand that any reward in life, is a product of the work that you do. Here is the secret, the work is the reward.
You are not here to have everybody pour their life out to please you; your job is to pour your life out taking care of the people you love. It is work, and it is rewarding work. You can't be a good father, mother, brother, sister, son or daughter with out working at it. Commit yourself to the well being of the people you love and you will love them better than you ever have before; and that is a life full of rewards.

New every morning. . .

God's mercies are new every morning. Beautiful thought to come from a book called Lamentations. The writer said that his soul sinks within him, until he recalls this to his mind, he says, "Therefore I have hope." We get the hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness" from this passage. No matter how bad things seem, when you wake up in the morning remember: it's a new day, and God's mercies toward those who love Him are brand new.

A cold drink of water.

Sometimes the going gets tough; when you find yourself pushing more and smiling less. Having spent some of my formative years in West Texas, the image that comes to my mind is walking through a dry and dusty land. You look as far off as you can, and all you see is more of the same dry land that you are walking through. It is in these times, the way God provides for you is especially apparent. You hear from a distant friend, you find a cheap CD with the music you grew up hearing and God reminds you that you aren't the only person in the world. Like when your hot and sweaty, your mouth is dry; then you get a cold drink of water, and suddenly things don't seem quite so bad.