Monday, March 18, 2024

What color






You have been told your whole life that this is blue.  Your parents told you, your pastor told you, your friends told you.  It has been completely ingrained in your life that this is blue.

You fall in line and drink the koolaid.  Even though some of it doesn't add up to you, you don't ask questions.  Don't rock the boat.  Be a good Christian.  Read the bible, go to church, give 10% and say your prayers.  The world is this particular way.

Now the years have gone by and you are hearing new ideas.  Maybe this isn't blue.  Maybe my pastor was just trying to protect traditions from the past.  Maybe my parents did not want me to make waves.  Maybe no one had the guts to challenge the status quo.  Maybe there is more Hiratio, than was dreampt of in your philosophies.

Some of the things that we were taught as children are not true.  Green is not always blue.  Don't throw away a new idea simply because it causes you to swim upstream.  In fact, real learning never takes place until we take the plunge and go against the current.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure

If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Happy St Patty's Day

So on St. Patrick's Day, everyone is Irish. I have actually done the Ancestry.com testing and I am about 10% Irish.

My friend Dave will not do Ancestry.com because he does not want his children to be identified via his genetic profile in the chance that they commit a crime.

Back to St. Patrick's Day. Today is the day when I always remember that famous Irishman who invented outdoor tables and chairs. Do you remember his name???




This is a hint...




The name of the Irishman who invented outdoor tables and chairs? Paddy O Furniture.

And don't forget his brother in law, the bullet proof Irishman...

Rick O'Shay

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure

If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com

Saturday, March 16, 2024

I got a letter!




HOW EXCITING!!!

I received a letter in the mail.  It wasn't for my birthday.  It wasn't a Christmas Card.  I was trying to think of the occasion.  Guess what?  There was no special occasion.  Just a letter from a friend that told me that they loved me and missed me.

Made me feel like a million bucks!!!  Still smiling as I write this.

Moral of this story... the small acts of kindness can make a big difference.  Take a little time to reach out to someone.  You just might make their day.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure

If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com

Friday, March 15, 2024

prayers

At church, the adult Sunday School class was studying Adam Hamilton's book about doubts.  One of the chapters was entitled, "What happens when your prayers go unanswered?"  I did not go to the class and I have not read the chapter, but the question is interesting and I would like to comment on it.

Let me also explain that I usually don't go to Sunday School because I talk too much when I am there.  In seminary that told us that preachers were "death to small groups." [because they talk too much!!!]

So what happens when your prayers go unanswered?  Well, I guess that you don't get what you wanted.  I guess if your prayers are not answered in the way that you want them to, you have to learn to see the good even in circumstances that are not your favorite.

Yes there are scriptures that encourage us to pray and that indicate that God will answer as we wish.  But there are also scriptures that make it clear that prayer is not about getting what we want.  Personally, I think that the general church has done us a disservice by teaching us that prayer changes God.

Just get enough facebook likes on your prayer and God will be forced to change circumstance to your will.  If things don't go your way, according to this line of thinking, you didn't pray hard enough.  Somehow it is your fault.

Rubbish!!!

I would say to you, that prayer is a beautiful thing, and it is primarily about changing us and bringing us closer to the heart of God.  And the closer we get to the heart of God, the less we want to control things and the more we can trust in him.

Pray to be sweeter.  Pray to be kind.  Pray to see the Good.  God loves granting those requests.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure

If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com

Thursday, March 14, 2024

3.14


My friend Joyce introduced me to Pi day March 14th... 3/14  3.14

So I guess that you can blame what comes next on her...


What do you call a snake that is 3.14159 feet long?  A Pi-thon.

Why should you never start talking to pi at a party?

Because it just goes on forever.

What was Sir Isaac Newton’s favorite dessert?   Apple pi.

What’s wrong with the equation 'pi r squared?'

Pi are round. Cake are square.

What did the students say about their Euclidean geometry test?

It was easy as pi.

What did pi say when someone asked if it could explain what Pi Day was again?

"I don't want to repeat myself."

Did you know?  That 3.14% of sailors are Pi-rates? [my favorite]

What do you get when you divide a jack-o-lantern by its diameter?

Pumpkin pi.

How many bakers does it take to bake a pi?  3.14.

Why shouldn’t you eat too much pi?

You’ll end up with a big circumference.

What do you get when a bunch of sheep stand around in a circle?

Shepherd's pi.

What do you get when you take the sun and divide its circumference by its diameter?

Pi in the sky.

Why did pi fail its driving test?  Because it didn’t know when to stop.

 

 Happy Pi Day!!!

 

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure

If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

I love this...


If we as humans can choose to hate people that we do not know, then we can also choose to love people that we do not know as well.

Choose to love.


It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure

If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Count Your Blessings

Count your blessings... name them one by one... count your blessings see what God has done.

The last time I filled the pulpit for Pastor Tim... late January as I recall... I remember saying the prayer over the offering.  I mentioned how many blessings that God had/has given to us.  I thought about counting them, right then and there.  But I didn't, it would take too long.

So since then I have been thinking... what would happen if we stopped what we were doing and started naming our blessings.  How long would it take?  Friends, I think that it would go on for hours... or at least it should.

It could get infectious.  Imagine the joyful work of listing your blessings one after another.  Keep going!  Keep doing it!  Keep thinking about them!  Keep giving thanks!

I am thankful for Joy Steincross.

I am thankful for a Wawa gift card.

I am thankful for a church home.

I am thankful for a computer.  for the ability to read.  For the opportunity to visit other countries.  For friends.  For a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  For a car that runs.  For work.  

I am thankful for my niece Taylor.  I am thankful for being able to go on a cruise.  I am thankful for Dave Harris.  I am thankful that someone missed me when I was gone.

I am thankful...

Friends... count your blessings.  Take a moment and start now.  Keep going.  It is good medicine for the soul.  It will make your heart happy.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure

If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com




Monday, March 11, 2024

Tell them...

If you are glad to see someone, tell them.

If you think that someone is an incredible human, tell them.

If you think that someone is fantastic, tell them.

If they are one of your favorite humans tell them.

It does no good to have warm and gracious feelings about people and not tell them.  You might as well not have the feelings if you persist in keeping them to yourself.

If someone is special, tell them.  It will make their heart glad.  It will make your heart glad.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure

If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com

Sunday, March 10, 2024

Who gets in?

Who is in? Who gets to go to heaven? I have heard people say that the Jews are out. Yet Jesus refers to several of the Patriarchs as being in heaven. Mt. 8:11.

I have heard people say that this group is out because they don't believe the Bible correctly. That group is out because they did not get baptized correctly.

I have come to believe that God is probably much more gracious than we humans are.  That how ever many people I think are getting in, there will probably be more.  We will all likely be surprised by the presence in heaven of a certain person,  and surely there will be those who are surprised to see us there as well.

I have become quite comfortable with telling people that I am not in charge of who gets in.  Neither are they and neither are you.  God decides who is going to get in and who is not.   Let's let God be God and lets just enjoy the journey of being human along the road of this life.

As Billy Graham came to believe late in his life, "there is a wideness in God's mercy."

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure

If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com

Saturday, March 9, 2024

Not friends

Not friends.  Not friends anymore.  I witnessed this again the other day.  Someone said something that the other did not like.  Not friends anymore.  Someone let their leaves blow into the other persons yard.  No longer friends.

Someone did not like where the neighbor parked.  No longer friends.  You get the idea.

I think we throw each other away way too easily.  With just a little bit of grace, sins can be forgiven.  With just a little bit of love, transgressions can be over looked.

Some people spend their entire lives being offended and then wonder why they have no friends.

Blessed are those who can overlook the mistakes of another.  Life is short.  Friendship is valuable.  Let the thing go.  Keep the friend.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure

If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com

Friday, March 8, 2024

Drop the hatchet

There is an old saying about burying the hatchet.  And anytime it comes up, someone suggests that they could bury the hatchet in another person's head.

The cycles of retribution are so unnerving to watch, and so not Jesus like.

I witness this every week in some form or another.  The cycle of retribution.
One person hurts another. Intentionally or unintentionally. The hurt person sulks, then finds a way to retaliate. Sometimes the retaliation takes the form of outward aggression. Sometimes the retaliation is delivered through a smug self-righteousness. Sometimes the wound simmers just waiting for the opportunity to come to a head and burst open again.

Driving gets aggressive.  You cut me off, I cut you off.  At home, words are exchanged.  Relationships are fractured.  People are wounded.

It never ends until we decide to end it.  A hurts B.  B hurts A.  A hurts B.  B goes home and hurts his family.  B's family is wounded now and begins to hurt others.  On it goes. Until, someone decides to bury the hatchet,  to put the weapons down.

Jesus said, Father forgive them, for they know not what they are doing. He did not pick up the weapons of retaliation.

Look into your heart. Are you holding a grudge? Look into your hands. Are you holding weapons of retaliation?

Lay them down. Let it end. Here. Now. Today. In this moment. God can fill the gaping wound.  Free them, and in so doing, free yourself.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure

If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com

Thursday, March 7, 2024

frustrated

A friend called.  They were frustrated.  In a bad mood.  Not sure why.  Lots of little things.  I listened.  Sometimes people just want you to listen, they don't want you to try and solve their issues.

But in case you are reading this and you want help in a similar situation, here is my advice.

I know that problems/issues/challenges can come in like a flood.  They can get all clouded up together.  The emotions in such situations can be overwhelming.


1.  Make a list of the issues.  Be specific.

2.  Pick one of them to work on.  Work on it until it is resolved.  Don't worry about the rest, they will be waiting for you when you get back for the next task.

3.  Pick the next task and work on it until it is done.  Repeat.

Using this method, breaks the cloudy frustrated feeling, because now I have a plan.  Now I am taking action.  I have direction.

Using this method usually changes my attitude as well, because I can see results.  I can see the list go from 7 to 6.  Then to 5 and 4.

Pretty soon, things are better.  Wait a minute, it's stopped raining, guys are swimming, guys are sailing, playing baseball, gee that's better...

And so . . . It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure

If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

learning

When we hang around with people who see the world the way that we do, we only continue the preconceived ideas that we have about the world.  When we hang with people like us, we learn nothing.

When we want to grow, it is important that we expose ourselves to ideas that are different than what we currently hold.

It takes a brave person to set their ideas on a shelf and enter the world of another.  It is a courageous person who leaves the world of their thoughts in order to understand the thoughts of others.

There are always at least two sides to a situation.  We become much more rounded, much more healthy as a person when we actively work to understand how the other half lives and how the other half sees the world.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure

If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

History

We need to learn the lessons from history.

Tyrants rule because good men do nothing...

Americans have long had a bent towards isolationism.  Let Europe and the rest of the world solve their own problems.  Let's just take care of us.  That has been our attitude...

That sounds nice, but in the past, it has led to disastrous consequences.  

Our attitude of isolationism was a factor in Hitler's expanding of Nazi Germany.  He annexed Austria and we did nothing.  He took the Sudetenland and the world watched.  Then he took the rest of Czechoslovakia and we wished that things were different.  But we did nothing.

At some point, the world must stand up to tyrants.

If you have not guessed it yet, I am talking about Putin.

In 2008 Putin invaded the country of Georgia, taking their warm water ports on the Black Sea.  We did nothing.  In 2014 Russians invaded and took the Crimean peninsula.  We did nothing.  Was it any surprise that Putin invaded Ukraine?  Now there is talk of Russian troops going into Moldova.  Putin has killed scores of people who oppose him.

Tyrants rule because good men do nothing.

Years ago, I was out to dinner at a restaurant on Noland road with the Armadillo softball team.  One of our guys evidently had words with a very drunk fellow.  A bit later, the drunk fellow approached our table and pulled out a knife.  The entire table of 12 guys stood up in unison.  The fellow's friend grabbed him and pulled him away.

Things only change when people stand up to evil.  It is time for the world to stand up.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure

If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com




Monday, March 4, 2024

Don't miss the parade

Please take time to watch the parade today. Many people have gone to great lengths to prepare for this special event. Your boss will let you off work for it.

What parade you say?

Today is the day when all of the bands from the local high schools line up downtown and march fourth.  [March 4th]

[this was my grandmother's joke, passed on to my mother, then to me and now to you.]

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure

If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com

Sunday, March 3, 2024

remember these three words: tone, flower, car

I had my annual physical.  They sent a nurse practitioner to the house.  One of the things that she did was to give me a memory test.  She asked me to remember three words.  With all the issues with Alzheimer's floating around these days, I wonder from time to time.  Sometimes I will find myself in a room and wonder what I went in there for.  I like to say that I believe in the hereafter...  I have wandered into this room and now I don't know what I am here after.

After she asked me to remember the words, she did a number of things.  She took my blood pressure.  She asked me some health questions.  She made me draw the hands on a clock that said 3:30.  She was trying to distract me.

Then she asked me what the three words were.

Do you remember the three words?

I did.  But I repeated them to her backwards, on purpose.  Car, flower, tone.  She smiled and asked me if I was dyslexic.  Then I told her about the dyslexic atheist who kept saying, there is no such thing as a dog.  And then the dyslexic atheist sold his soul to Santa.

I hope that you remembered the three words.

May we all be blessed with sound minds and good memory.  If you have it, that is certainly something to be thankful for.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure

If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com

Saturday, March 2, 2024

givers and takers

Are you a giver or a taker? I got to thinking about this the other day.

All of us are takers.  All of us take.  We have certain expectations regarding life.  We expect certain benefits.  We want things to go our way.  It is human nature.

But some people take taking too far.  They spend their entire life taking, accumulating, and worrying about what they’re going to get. They want their fair share and more.  These are the folks that complain on social media and to anyone who will listen when they don’t think they’re what they deserve.  They can very quickly become mad at life because things are not going their way.

But then we know, as followers of Jesus that we are invited to give. In fact, as Jesus people we are invited to  give without the promise of recognition or reward.

How do we give?  How do we give back?  How do we learn to invest in the world?  For a person to just consider those questions is a huge step forward.  There is giving?  Yes.  I can participate?  Yes.

 Is more of my energy spent on accumulation or on giving back?  May we, as we think about this, engage ourselves as much as possible in pouring ourselves back into the world.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure

If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com

Friday, March 1, 2024

I saw them coming

Last week I was in the Charlotte airport... 


I saw them coming.  I noticed them.  I was going one way on the moving walkway.  They were going the other direction.  I didn’t know any of them.  I’ve never seen them before.  I’ll never see them again.  But for about five seconds,  I could’ve reached out and said hello or tried for a high five.  I thought "what if they’re all just the most delightful people?"  

How interesting that would be if every single one of those people in that line became my best friend. And then I thought - that’s probably how God thinks about  all of us...  I will bet that he is looking at us, reaching for us, and thinking good things. 

The people that we pass in this life matter.  Even if we only pass them briefly.  Treat them like your best friend.  Treat them as you would like to be treated [that's a Jesus thing].  They are not strangers, they are just friends that we have not yet met.




It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure

If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com

Thursday, February 29, 2024

An extra day...

It is leap year!  So, today is an extra day.  Consider it a day that you otherwise would not have had.  An extra, a freebie.

A day that is just a clear gift from God.

But then, anyone who has survived cancer or any other potentially terminal disease will understand when I say that every day is an extra day.

And those among us who are wise will clearly see that no day is ever promised, so that means that every day is a blessing and is to be highly valued. 

But today, February 29th should certainly remind us of the blessing of each day.  We are not promised the next, so let us make the most of this day that God has given us.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure

If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com


Wednesday, February 28, 2024

THAT'S IT!!!

My friend Beth sent this to me...

I replied:  THAT'S IT!!!


This is what she sent...

And to the extent that the church cannot get away from teaching correct beliefs, it will continue to die.  We are here to be people of love.  

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure

If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Fair

I was reminded the other day of this painful truth:  "sometimes in life, you get what you want, and sometimes in life, you get what you get."

Life is not fair.

The fair is in October.


Sometime days, the world just does not align itself to make me happy.

There must be something more to life than me getting what I want.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure

If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com

Monday, February 26, 2024

One less rib.

I hate to tell this story about myself.  It is dumb.  Just really really dumb.

I was a freshman in college at San Jose State.  I was in humanities class.  A talk ensued about the validity of the Bible.  I jumped to it's defense.  After all, I had some great ammunition from my pastor or youth leader.

When they asked what proof I had that the bible was true, I said, and I was totally serious... "don't you wonder why men have one less rib than women?"  You know the story, God made woman from the rib of the man... so men have one less rib.

I really believed it.  After all, I had been taught it.

The entire class laughed at me.  I felt stupid.  I was stupid.

Moral of this story... don't believe everything that your pastor or Sunday School teacher says.  There is a lot of really bad theology out there.

Stay grounded.  Stick with love.  And remember... neither God nor the bible need to be defended.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure

If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com




Sunday, February 25, 2024

Life Reset

Sometimes we are burdened by life.  Just the constant gnaw of things can wear us down.  That is when I love to spend time with a friend.  That is when I love to talk with a friend on the phone.

Talking with a friend is like getting a life reset.

We are reminded that we are ok.  We are not crazy.  We are valuable.  If life has you in the dumps, call a friend.  Not to dump on them, but just to enjoy the friendship.  Pretty soon the skies will part and the sun will come out again.

Friendship is a very valuable thing indeed.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure

If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com



Saturday, February 24, 2024

Forgiveness

I have been thinking about this lately. The steps to forgive someone. The need to stay with the program and keep working on it.

I found this in my old notes from a book by R.T. Kendall. The title of the book is total forgiveness...

When you have totally forgiven another,
  1. You don’t tell anyone what they did to you
  2. You can be pleasant if you are around them
  3. If the incident or event comes up in conversation, say that which would free them from guilt
  4. Allow them to, and help them to feel good about themselves
  5. Pray for them 
May we all keep at it. Forgiveness is too important to give up on. Progress can be made. Release and freedom from resentment can be achieved.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure

If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com

Friday, February 23, 2024

A Happy Heart

I was texting with an old friend. We were asking each other how we were doing. He said, "I have a happy heart." 

 I love that.

A happy heart is a very important thing. We collect a lot of bumps and bruises along the road.  It is easy to let them bring you down.  But if we work on it, we can still see the good.  And then, one day like today, we wake up and look back and consider our life, and it is all good.  To have a happy heart - that’s a blessing.

A happy heart makes the face cheerful.  Proverbs 15:13

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure

If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com

Thursday, February 22, 2024

On letting go...

Yesterday I mentioned looking for a story that I wanted to share with my sister. Here it is.


Once there lived a village of creatures along the bottom of a great crystal river. The current of the river swept silently over them all -- young and old, rich and poor, good and evil -- the current going its own way, knowing only its own crystal self.

Each creature in its own manner clung tightly to the twigs and rocks of the river bottom, for clinging was their way of life, and resisting the current was what each had learned from birth.

But one creature said at last, "I am tired of clinging. Though I cannot see it with my eyes, I trust that the current knows where it is going. I shall let go, and let it take me where it will. Clinging, I shall die of boredom."

The other creatures laughed and said, "Fool! Let go, and that current you worship will throw you tumbled and smashed against the rocks, and you will die quicker than boredom!"

But the one heeded them not, and taking a breath did let go, and at once was tumbled and smashed by the current across the rocks.

Yet in time, as the creature refused to cling again, the current lifted him free from the bottom, and he was bruised and hurt no more.

And the creatures downstream, to whom he was a stranger, cried, "See a miracle! A creature like ourselves, yet he flies! See the messiah, come to save us all!"

And the one carried in the current said, "I am no more messiah than you. The river delights to lift us free, if only we dare let go. Our true work is this voyage, this adventure."

But they cried the more, "Savior!" all the while clinging to the rocks, and when they looked again he was gone, and they were left alone making legends of a savior.

-- from the book "Illusions" by Richard Bach

Are you finding joy, or boredom in life?
Are you clinging, or letting go?
Are you stuck, or flying?

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Learn

I was looking for a story that I wanted to send to my sister and I ran into this post from Aug 6, 2015. Posted by my dear friend Dan Horn, just months before his passing...

“Don’t turn away from possible futures before you’re certain you don’t have anything to learn from them.”-Richard Bach

Is there anything that we can’t learn from? Even of the things that I know the most about, I still have plenty to learn.  And of course there is plenty to unlearn, as well.  To ignore these truths would be a travesty.  There is so much that I don’t know and understand.  I need to remind myself to pursue those things, even if I fall short, it will be worth the effort.

Peace,

Lions Den Man

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure

If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Dynasty - GOAT

Since the Chiefs won the Super bowl last week there has been a good deal of talk about whether this constitutes a dynasty and if Mahomes is the GOAT [Greatest of all time].

I recoil from these questions, and I hope that Chiefs players and coaches do as well.

To take such designations to one's self or one's team is an arrogant and dangerous step.  Never toot your own horn.  Never sing your own praise.  It just doesn't sound very good.

When a person or a team is on top, there is eventually only one way to go... and that is down.  On any given Sunday, any given team can win.

As a Chiefs fan, I wish the team and Patrick all the success in the world.  But may their hearts be filled with gratitude and joy... never arrogance or self-admiration.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure

If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com

Monday, February 19, 2024

pain

I love the Bill Withers song, "Lean on Me."

Sometimes in our lives, we all have pain, we all have sorrow.
But if we are wise, we know that there's always tomorrow.

click here to listen to the song on youtube

I think that everyone in this life will find some pain and trauma.  The question is, will we wallow in it?  Will we let it define us?  Or will me make the choice to move on to a better tomorrow.

I think that at our worst, we act out of our pain and trauma.  All this does is spread around the pain.  It shares our pain with others who do not need it and probably do not deserve it.  And it is very hard to live a life of kindness when we are acting out of our pain.

There is a better way.

What if we stopped ourselves.  Take a step back.  Gather yourself.  Pray.  Choose to not hurt back.  Remember who you are.  Then act.  Put your best foot forward.

It is never too late to begin a journey of love.  We can learn to live differently.  We can learn to act differently.  We don't have to be bitter.  We can choose to become better.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure

If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com


Sunday, February 18, 2024

Glorious Birds

 Ahh those glorious birds!!!





Some weeks ago I was on a cruise.  {Oh, poor me... had to go on a cruise.  What do I have to complain about it life?  Nothing.}  Anyway I was on this cruise and I was hanging over the railing watching the seagulls.  They were hanging close to the ship not just so I could take their picture.  They were in hopes that someone would throw a piece of bread or a cookie.  When they did, the birds gladly swooped in and snatched it out of the air.

Alfred Dreyfus was a French artillery officer.  In 1894 he was wrongly convicted of passing secrets to the Germans.   He was sent to the infamous prison on Devil’s Island. From his cell he would see birds in flight that he called the most glorious birds. Their flight caused him to wish to be free.  Many years later, after his release, he realized that the birds had only been seagulls.

In the 1971 movie Harold and Maude [one of my all time favorite movies], Maude is a concentration camp survivor. In a scene where sea gulls fly by, she tells the story of how Dreyfus got out of prison and was disappointed to see that the birds were only seagulls. Maude says, “to me, they will always be glorious birds.”

To me, they will always be glorious birds.  To me, they will always be glorious birds.

Those who love life and those who see God's handiwork in creation will find many things that they find quite glorious.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure

If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com