What is wrong with me???

I am on a job in Boca Raton for a couple of weeks.  We are working 7 days a week on the remodel of a store.  I have loaded dumpsters, disassembled old desks, fixed holes in walls and such.  We are working from 3pm until midnight.

And I love it.  When I got to the hotel after work, I was walking in and I thought, "oh, my how I love this."  And then I thought, "what is wrong with me?"

I guess it sounds funny, but I love to work.  I don't sit still very well.  I am so glad that at the age of 66 to be healthy enough to carry on such work.  I am glad to still be making a difference in the world.  I am glad to meet new people and be nice to them.

Work is important.  If a person can learn to work, then much of life becomes clear.  I used to tell my kids, "make yourself indispensable to the corporation."  I told them that because it is good advice, and it was told to me 1,000 times by my father.

Work is good.  I thank God for the ability to work.

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

Songs for Bible Characters

A dear friend shared this...

Songs For Bible Characters

Noah: "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head"

Adam and Eve: "Strangers in Paradise"

Lazarus: "The Second Time Around"

Esther: "I Feel Pretty"

Job: "I've Got a Right to Sing the Blues"

Moses: "The Wanderer"

Jezebel: "The Lady is a Tramp"

Samson: "Hair"

Salome: "I Could Have Danced All Night"

Daniel: "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"

Joshua: "Good Vibrations"

Peter: "I'm Sorry"

Esau: "Born To Be Wild"

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: "Great Balls of Fire!"

The Three Kings: "When You Wish Upon a Star"

Jonah: "Got a Whale of a Tale"

Elijah: "Up, Up, and Away"

Methuselah: "Stayin' Alive"

Nebuchadnezzar: "Crazy"

Hope that brought a smile to your heart. It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

A good man?

I was watching the movie "Equalizer 3."  In the movie a doctor asks Denzel Washington if he is a good man or a bad man.

He answered, "I don't know."

I find it interesting that this is the answer that the doctor was hoping for.  If Washington had said, "no I am not a good man, that would be trouble..."  If he said, "yes I am a good man," that would have been arrogant.

So are you a good person?  "I don't know" appears to be a nice humble response.

So let's keep working on it and doing the best that we can.  Let others decide if we are good people or not.

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

More on birds

My friend Mary went for a walk. as she walked, she asked God how He would speak to her today. Within minutes She saw these two cheery fellows and they joyfully sang and shared God's presence with her! She was reminded that she is not alone!

She wrote to me, "Friends, don’t despair. God is waiting for You to ask Him to speak. You will be surprised at how quickly He responds! He’s with you! You’re not alone!!


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

Hear the birds

My friend Bruce located and shared this story with me...

Many years ago, I needed serious surgery while working as an English teacher in China. I spent weeks recovering and I was alone except for one clergy member who left meals at my door. My mother, 87, called me each day from her retirement community. She always ended her call with one question: “Do you hear the birds?” At first, I softly laughed, and ignored her question. Finally, after one of our calls, I cracked the window open by my bed. And I was shocked to find—I could hear the birds singing brightly outside. I felt soothed and comforted by the sound. It even made me feel less alone. For those weeks of recovery, my mother and I ended our calls by affirming that we both heard the birds outside. Today, when my children are discouraged, I ask, “Do you hear the birds?” For our family, it has become a way of reminding ourselves that Nature’s healing presence is always just outside.
                                                              —Donnalee B.

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

nothing

And so as I write this post tonight, for tomorrow morning, I have nothing to say...  I hope that you will understand that sometimes, we humans have nothing to add, nothing to say.

We all feel that way from time to time.  And it is ok to feel that way.

But it is still a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Blessed are the flexible...

So it looks as if the Ireland trip has closed.  We got word from the tour company that the hotels were now full and there would not be room for additional travelers.  So if you were thinking about going but have not signed up, maybe we can go somewhere else next year.

Now speaking of trips... last year on the Holy Land trip, someone reminded me of the phrase "blessed are the flexible, for they will not be bent out of shape."

I love it.  Sometimes the world just does not line up to make me happy.  So be flexible.  Blessed are those who choose to be flexible... they won't be bent out of shape.

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

If you woke up it is a good day

When I first started the blog in 2007, I wrote a post every morning.  That was a good deal of pressure back then, to have to write every single day.  Some days, you just don't feel so thoughtful or spiritual, but back then, I wrote every morning.

Somewhere along the line, things changed and I realized that I could schedule the blog posts.  I can write a bit and it will post in a day or two.  I can stay ahead of the game.  But then there are days like the last few, when I am trying to go to bed and I realize that I have nothing posted. 

What will I write about?  Part of what is happening is that I am really busy.  66 years old and really busy.  But I want to put something out there for tomorrow morning.  Heck one of my favorite teachers is joining the blog tomorrow morning!!!

So what to say???  I am thankful for late night calls from friends.  I am thankful for teachers.  My teachers and everyone else's.  I am thankful for people that I have connected with in this life.

Life is good.  Life is short.  Life is amazing.  Enjoy your day.  If you woke up, it is a beautiful day.

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

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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

Love and Judgment

Love and judgment are mutually exclusive. The moment that we judge someone, we have stopped loving them.

Imagine that I am telling you about a friend of mine and about how wonderful they are. Your heart is warmed by my description. Then when you meet them, you see that they are covered with tattoos, with piercings, they are wearing a rainbow shirt and they are smoking.

Your brain might automatically recoil in judgment.

What happened to how your heart was warmed by my description of them?  Our propensity to judge others pushes love right out of the way.

Had our hearts been only filled with love, we would have met the person and not have been surprised or affected by their appearance.

The next time that you catch yourself judging someone, stop yourself and think- - -  instead of judging them, see them as a person. See them as God sees them.  The moment that we do that, judgment leaves.

Love and judgment are mutually exclusive. Which one do you want your life to be dominated by?

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

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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

Stew

A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy.

We all get stew. Toss the ingredients of your choice into a pot and cook it. After a few generations, your family's stew recipe may become famous. Everyone may clamor for the ingredients to old Grandma' Smith's stew.

But this is not the only stew, nor is it the only way to make it. One might insist that this is the only real stew, but then one would be wrong.

And so it is with Christianity. There are over 33,000 different denominations, each with their own stew recipe. They hand pick certain scriptures and traditions and cook them in a pot. Then they insist that their doctrine stew is the only right one.

Hogwash.

Just because your family, your pastor and your predecessors insisted that their particular doctrinal stew was correct does not mean that it is. In fact, people refusing to accept any other views is just plain silly.

So each of us must pick and choose what we will believe. Or we can join the rising ranks of those who choose "none of the above."

Personally, I only want one thing in the pot. Love.

I don't need a complicated stew. I am totally happy with consuming and giving love. I can do it every day. Let others fight over opinions of the second coming, spiritual gifts and social issues. I don't want to fight. I just want to love.

Nothing else matters.

What is in your pot of stew???

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

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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

a simple sermon

I once heard a story about a pastor who stood up to preach.  

His sermon was three words.  He stood up, paused, looked at the people and said, "love one another."

Then he sat down.

That was it.  That was all.  Love one another.  Nothing more will be said.  Nothing more needs to be said.  There is no new or better interpretation of the Christian faith.  

Love one another.  That is all that there is.

Saying Thank You

Last Friday I met with a great group of guys.  They meet every Friday morning.  I join them when I can.

We had a wonderful talk that morning about love, feeling love and giving it away.  We talked particularly about two really super guys:  Walt Barnes and Len Bennett.  I thought, "you know, I am going to send them a card."  After the meeting I went to the grocery store and bought two cards.  Words of thanks are on the way.  

Love isn't love til you give it away.

Who can you send a card to?  Who is one of the most fantastic people that you know?  Have you told them?

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

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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

Rogers and Hammerstein

For several years I got a Christmas card from a law firm this this inscription inside...

“A bell's not a bell 'til you ring it - A song's not a song 'til you sing it - Love in your heart wasn't put there to stay - Love isn't love 'til you give it away!”

I clipped the quote from the card and had it taped to my office door for years.

Do you have love in your heart?  It isn't really love until you give it away.  Love causes us to exercise the act of sharing it.  

Love isn't love 'til you give it away.

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

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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

The other half

The other day I was leaving a store that has a greeter at the front door.  I was struck by the disfiguration of this poor human.

We look in the mirror each day and worry about hair loss or wrinkles or being out of shape.  And then we run into someone who never had a chance.  They were disfigured, deformed from birth.

This person said to me, thanks for shopping, have a good day.  I said "you have a good day as well."

I didn't know what to think.  We have so many blessings and there are so many who do not.

As I was leaving the parking lot, I noticed a pop up camper parked in the lot of a vacant restaurant.  There was a pile of trash on one end of the camper and a BBQ grill at the other.  Obviously, someone was living in this camper in the vacant restaurant parking lot.

I felt bad.  It is so easy to get caught up in our lives and forget that there are so many out there that are in serious need.

I don't know how to help such problems, but I do believe this... paying attention and being aware of them is a huge step in the right direction.

Do you know how the other half lives?

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

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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

The value of showing up

One of the things that I have learned over the years is the simple value of showing up.  People show up through their pain, through cancer, through financial upsets, etc.  They show up for themselves, they show up for others.  Showing up says that we honor God even in difficult times.  Showing up says that there is a glimmer of hope in seeking God.  If you are having a bad day, a bad month or a bad moment, just stay with the program.

Get up, take a step in the right direction.  Show up.  It will be good for you, and good for someone else.

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

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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

Let's get small

By the way, we have had several more sign up for the Ireland trip recently.  If you are considering it, click the link below.  It is going to be a very fun group.

Today's post... Let's get small.

Steve Martin did a gig years ago called "let's get small."  I think the album was called let's get small.  Great funnies for the times... 

The other night I was sitting with some friends.  I got small.  I said some things that were small.  Like gossip I guess.  Opinions that were not that nice.

Friends let you be small.  I don't do it often, but it is nice to have a safe place to get small.  Friends let you say whatever you need to say.  Friends are not offended.  Friends may tell you when that is enough.

But it is wonderfully nice to be able to be human.

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

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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

I love my friend

I love my friend.

I was in his kitchen the other day.  We were talking and I was struck with this feeling... I love this guy.  Yes, he has his moments, yes he has his quirks, [don't we all...]  I know the moments and I know the quirks and I don't care... I don't see them.  They are not on my radar.  I just love this guy.

And then I thought... that must be how God loves us... He know that we did not follow the rules... he knows that we have our moments and our quirks... but he loves us.  He doesn't even see the "stuff."  

He just totally loves us.  

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

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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

accepting reality

My friend Bev sent this to me. It is a quote from the big blue book of AA. I have edited it just a bit for readability.

Accepting things as they are is the answer to all of my problems...

When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing or situation - some fact of my life - unacceptable to me, and I cannot find or will not find any serenity until I choose to accept that person, place, thing or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment.

Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God's world by mistake.  Until I accept myself, my situation and my life completely on life's terms, I cannot be happy.

I need to concentrate not so much on what happens in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes!

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

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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

Action vs intention

My friend Bruce sent me this quote...

"The smallest deed is better than the grandest intention."

And so it is true... an act, no matter how small, is always much better than the intentions of those who just can't quite seem to act on their beliefs.

Reminds me of another quote... it doesn't matter what you believe.  It matters what you believe enough to do.

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

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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

Favorite part of the service

Years ago, a survey was taken of church attenders.  They were asked "which part of the service is your favorite."  I loved the answer that got the most votes... "the silent prayer time."

Think of it... a moment of silence.  It is the only time in the service when someone isn't trying to get you to think something.  In a silent prayer it is just you and God.

Well, lately, I have noticed that I have another favorite time of the service.  The benediction.  Not because the service is ending, but because it is almost always a very positive word.

Go in peace.  Fear not.  Go in love.  Go with God.  

It sends us out on a good footing.  It leaves the congregation with a good vibe.  We go out on a positive note.

Bene=good  diction=word.  A good word.  I love it.

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

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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

Quote

Thomas a'Kempis was a 14th century German Catholic monk. He is best known for his book The Imitation of Christ which was one of John Wesley's favorite books.

I came across this quote by him the other day and I thought it was great:

"Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish yourself to be."
Thomas a'Kempis

In other words, why should we be upset with others, when we can't even straighten ourselves out?

A little more grace is always a good recipe.

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

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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

Let's talk

A friend asked me if they could talk to me about something.  I said "sure."  They said, no, it is about you.  I said, "ok, talk to me."  They were hesitant.  They did not want to hurt my feelings I guess.

I explained to them that friends should be able to talk about anything.  Go for it.  Talk to me.  They did.  I survived.  The friendship survived... it probably even got stronger.

When you have a friend, you trust them.  You let them in.  They help you be better.  Sometimes they may say things that aren't what you were expecting, or what you wanted to hear, but they are friends so you listen to them.

Sometimes the best advice actually comes in the form of things that we did not want to hear.

I hope that you have people in your life that can say anything to you.  I hope that you have people that will challenge you if they think that you are going off track.

Friends are there for each other.  Friends let each other in.

I hope you have many people like this in your life.

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

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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

I lost my phone

So last night I picked up Pizza's at Fun House Pizza.  I was about two blocks away from the store and I realized that I did not have my phone.  I must have left it at the Pizza Shop.  But, who knows, maybe it is in the truck somewhere.  Anyway, I need to get these warm Pizzas to my friends home.

I arrive at their home and have them call my phone.  It is not in the truck.  We call the Pizza place.  They say that they don't have it.

Now I start to worry.  What if someone has my phone.  I guess if you were technical enough, you could access a lot of passwords and personal information.  And I have a lot of music on that phone that I really enjoy.  What a pain to have to call ATT and get it shut down.

So we drive back to the pizza joint.  Again, they reiterate, they do not have it.  I retrace my steps.  No it is not in the bathroom.

We decide to try a trick.  My friend calls my phone, and I wander slowly past all the tables.  My phone's ring is a duck quacking, so we would hear it.  Around the restaurant we go... no ducks, no phone theives.

Ugh.  We go outside to leave.  My friend decides that maybe someone just took it and threw it.  So he calls it again.  And... I hear quacking... faint, but I hear it.  Now I follow the sound.

Low and behold, there it is.  Laying in the parking lot by where I had parked earlier.  I guess that it had fallen out of my pocket, hit the ground, and I did not notice.

The moral of this story is that we should pay more attention to every movement of life.  They all matter.

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

A report on Easter Sunday

I arrived at church about 20 minutes before service time. I was greeted by several friends who love me for some reason.  This is a very touching part of the day to me... I was greeted by several, who just seem to like me.  That always feels good.

They insisted that I sit down and share the breakfast which the men's group had prepared.  I did.  Then I wandered through the sanctuary and shook a few hands on my way to the comfortable spot on the south side where I normally sit. 

When the pastor stood for the call to worship, there was a ring in his voice. He is risen!  And for some reason, I began to cry.  Soon the tones of "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" we’re rolling off the Organ. Everyone stood and sang and I cried like a baby. 

The church was on display today in her full glory.  There was a big crowd with lots of great music. It reminded me of the old days, many years ago when on Easter Sunday we would stand and sing "Up from the Grave He Rose!"  

I thought about all the volunteers that worked so hard over the years to make Easter a wonderful day. I thought about all the staff that worked so hard to make Easter wonderful.  I thought about all the amazing music and how hard the musicians worked. What a blessing it was for me to be a part of that for all of those years.  

It was a wonderful morning and a wonderful day. I’m still a bit in tears. He has risen , be filled with joy!!!

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

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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

not seeing it

One of the sins of life is the sin of growing accustomed to a thing.  When a person first sees snow, it is amazing to them.  But after years, those who live with snow, find it annoying.

Another person moves to the beach.  Oh how they love the beach.  But after a while, they are no longer amazed by the beach.

This past weekend, my niece and her family were here.  As we pulled into the driveway after a dinner engagement, they noticed that a rocket had been fired from Cape Canaveral and was travelling through space, in our view.

I have seen enough of them that I was no longer interested.  But to them, it was huge.  They stood and watched it for 20 minutes.

I think that it is a sin for us to stop noticing the beauty of things.  We grow accustomed to amazing things and no longer consider their wonder.

Please take a moment and look at the things in your world and the people in your life.  Never lose the sense of awe and appreciation for them.  The world is a beautiful place to those who pause to pay attention.

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

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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

that is not what I meant

So last Friday I was trying to type a blog about purpose, and I got myself into some trouble.  I did not mean to provide misleading information, but rereading what I wrote, I see what some of you have been talking to me about.

Here is what I wrote...

Someone mentioned looking for their life purpose. Similar question... why am I here?

I used to raise kids... now they are gone. What is my purpose? I used to be married, now I am not. What is my purpose. I used to have this or that job. I used to be a Pastor. Now I don't have that job. Why am I here?

I did not mean to indicate that I was no longer married.  I was writing hypothetically about things that people face, things that people lose, that cause them to question their purpose.  I think that all of us can imagine things that people would deal with that would be very challenging to their sense of purpose.

I should have said, "I know a person" that lost their job, "I know a person whose marriage broke up,"  I know a person who...

and of course, the point of the entire blog was that we have a purpose, regardless of our circumstances.

Anyway, I am still married, and I am sorry for the confusion.

Happy April 1st.  No jokes from me today.  

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

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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

Happy Easter!!!

Happy Easter!!!

The resurrection is a message of hope.  God wins.  God is victorious.  Whatever the obstacle, whatever the challenge, whatever the issue, God is victorious.

Friend, whatever you are facing, you are not alone.  Jesus is risen.  God is the victor.

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

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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

bad person

I do believe that there are bad people in this world.  A few bad apples.  But we humans tend to demonize anyone who is mean to us or does not like us.  One spat of bad feelings and you go into the bad person category.

Just because someone did not like me, just because someone does not like you, that does not make them a bad person.  It could just be that the stars did not align for our relationship.  They may be a perfectly good parent and friend to others and it just didn't work with you or me.  Yes they were ugly, but their life is more, much more than their encounters with you and me.

Just because they did not like me does not make them a bad person.

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

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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

The front lines

I heard this said somewhere, or maybe I said it.  But I totally agree with it, and I am saying it now.

"The front line of battle in the Christian life is found in how we treat people in the service industry."

Servers, bartenders, repairmen, busboys, Uber drivers, house cleaners, and people that sit behind the hotel desk.  These are the folks in the service industry.

Sometimes, since we are paying them for a service, we think that we have a right to be rude to them.  Sometimes we blame them for things that are out of their control.  Bad food is not the server's fault.  

These people are people.  They should never be shamed or belittled.  They are God's children and should be treated as such.  Just because we are paying them does not give us the right to be ugly.

Christians should never be ugly to anyone.  How we treat the least of these is the first line of battle in the Christian faith.  It is the first measure of our character.

How do you treat people in the service industry?

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

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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

Quotes

These quotations were provided by my friend Irene P.

Gratitude is the sign of noble souls - Aesop

If you can't be thankful for what you receive, be thankful for what you escape.

If the only prayer that you ever say in your life is thank you, it will be enough. Meister Eckhart

The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost - GK Chesterton

When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people. Abraham Joshua Heschel

The greatest joy is appreciation. Once you have something in life and almost lose it and mange to get it back, you learn about appreciation. Sid Caesar

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. -Hazeldon

There are two kinds of gratitude: the sudden kind we feel for what we take; and the larger kind we feel for what we give. E. A. Robinson

One can never pay in gratitude; one can only pay “in kind” somewhere else in life. Anne Morrow Lindbergh

I had no shoes and complained, until I met a person who had no feet.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they can become your blessings. One can pay back the loan of gold, but one dies forever in debt to those who are kind. Malayan Proverb

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live them. John F. Kennedy

Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds. Theodore Roosevelt

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


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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

questions

I was having dinner with a friend.  He asked if he could ask me a question about God.  He apologized for having questions about God.

Stop.  What???

You don't have to apologize for having questions about God, about how the world works, or anything.  People asked Jesus questions all the time.

God is not offended by our questions.

Just keep in mind that very often, the questions don't have the answers that we hope for.  We humans prefer certainty, but there is much that we do not know about God and how the world works.  Maybe we will find the answers when we get to heaven.  Maybe the answers won't matter then.

It is fine, it is great to ask questions and to have questions.  Learn to live with ambiguity and unanswered questions.  Have faith.

And if you meet people... pastors or church people who have all the answers, RUN.  Run the other way.

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

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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

sharing your opinion

We all have opinions.  We share them in discussions.  Preachers often share them from the pulpit.

Here is a thought about sharing opinions.  There are two ways to do this.  You can alienate people or you can influence them.

You can be brash, hard, insistent, and sure of yourself and alienate people.  Or, You can listen to the other side, you can savor the opinions of others, you can speak graciously, and if this is the avenue that you take, you can possibly influence people.

Whether it is your children, your neighbors, your friends or random people on social media, are you alienating them or influencing them?

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

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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

See the good

It was a normal morning for me.  I have a list of things that I am supposed to do today.

Go to Lowes and pick up concrete.  Give blood.  Help a client move.  Put in a flagpole base.  Ahh... rest.

So I go to Lowes and pick up the concrete.

Here is the concrete, sitting in the back of the truck.  Another day of work!!!

As I am leaving Lowes, I look up and see this...

Keep your eyes open.  There are beautiful moments in every day.

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

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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

The Thief

The thief on the cross...

He had no church.

He had no pastor.

At the time there was not even a Christian Church.

He gave no money to the church.

He did not read the bible.

He did not behave.

He did not repent.

He did not say the sinners prayer.

He did none of the things that many modern churches say that you must do to get in.

Yet he was welcomed into paradise by Jesus.

He made it.

You probably will too.  And so will that kid that you are so worried about.

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

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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

The things that we are not good at.

Don't be a finished product.  None of us are finished products.

We all have strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes in situations, I have heard people say, "that is not my gift" or "that is not my strong suit." Well, I have come to believe in my life that in order to be successful, you have to learn to be good at things that don’t come naturally to you. Sometimes you have to resist and reject behaviors that come naturally to you and learn more effective leadership traits. Or whatever weaknesses that you have, you have to bring people onto the team that can fill in the gaps. What every your shortcomings, we all need to work on growing in those areas in order to be successful in the workplace and in relationships for that matter

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

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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

purpose

Someone mentioned looking for their life purpose.  Similar question... why am I here?

I used to raise kids... now they are gone.  What is my purpose?  I used to be married, now I am not.  What is my purpose.  I used to have this or that job.  I used to be a Pastor.  Now I don't have that job.  Why am I here?

People ask me from time to time [Back to the Future] how I handle the adjustment of not being a Pastor anymore.  After a bit of soul searching, here is where I have landed...

We are not put on this earth to be a construction worker, nurse, bus driver, teacher, pastor or engineer.  Those are things that we "do" while we are on the journey.  We are however, put on this earth to show love and kindness.  That is our purpose.  Every day, every where to every person.  To dogs and cats.  To the environment.  We are here for, our purpose is, to deliver love and kindness.

Interestingly, when we do that, we not only spread the joy, we are filled with joy ourselves.  If you feel like you are missing your purpose, go out and share more love and grace.

I may not be a pastor anymore, but I still have a purpose, and I know what it is, and just like you, I can exercise it every day.

Love and hugs to you.

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

struggling is ok

A friend wrote that they are struggling.  

It is ok.  Struggling is better than giving up.   And if we admit it, we all struggle from time to time.

Keep sharing a smile with others.  9 people may ignore you, but the 10th one's response will bless them and you.

Once you start down the path of seeing the good, there is no turning back.  We can't turn to the dark side.  I must fight off selfishness.

Share love.  Give a smile.  Speak a kind word.  You will be glad that you did, and it will eventually come back to you.

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

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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

beware of simple solutions

When you find yourself with religious people who are offering simple solutions to difficult problems, run the other way.

Life is complicated. Life is not easy.  There’s more ambiguity in life than certainty. If you find a pastor or a religion that gives you all the answers - - - run the other way.

Real spirituality is found when we accept the unknown and embrace the mystical. When we fall into the arms of a God, who is bigger than we are, a God that we cannot control, and who is completely beyond our understanding.

Don't fall for the cheap answers. Keep seeking. 

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

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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

What is heaven like

I had this discussion with some dear friends the other night.

I believe in heaven.  I believe that when we die, we go there immediately.  To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

However, I do not believe that heaven is about pearly gates or streets of gold.  In my opinion, these are the efforts of a limited human to explain the unexplainable.  In fact, much of spirituality is like that... limited human beings trying to grasp, trying to understand, trying to explain that which is beyond our ability to do so.

If you are a reader of this blog, you probably have had some spiritual experiences in your life.  Things that have happened that you cannot explain... Otherworldly experiences. 

I felt the presence of my Dad in the room, even though he died years ago.  

I feel connected to these people in ways that I cannot explain but it is a spiritual thing.  

In my dream my grandmother spoke to me.  

Etc...

Otherworldly experiences are common to us.  That is because, in my opinion, there is a sixth dimension... just beyond our reach.  Just over the river.  Just through the veil.

It is my opinion that when we die, we move through the veil.  We become a part of something bigger than us, and quite amazing.  We are drawn into something that is complete and total love.  We find completeness.  We find our friends and loved ones... We find the answers to our questions... It feels like coming home.  Truly, it is totally well with my soul.

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

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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

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.

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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

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.

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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

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.

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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

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.

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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

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.

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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

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.

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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

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

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

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.

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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

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.

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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

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.

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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

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.

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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

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.

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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

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.

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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

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.

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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

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.

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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

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.

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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

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.

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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

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.

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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

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

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