Jesus and guns

Would Jesus own a gun?  I doubt it.  He said that he didn't have a place to lay his head.  So, no place to keep a gun.  After all, what would he do with it?  Shoot someone?

Now I am not anti-gun.  We own 2.  But I am not a fan of assault rifles.  I only see them used for one thing. 

And so I saw this lovely car in the parking lot of the Orthopedic doctor.  It had two, in my opinion, mutually exclusive stickers...

So I love Jesus, but I also have an assault weapon.  If you want it, try to come and take it because I will kill you.  Is this the message that Christians want to send?

We need to be a little more careful when sticking labels on our cars.  I don't think that these two go together.

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

New Hymn

A new hymn

Last Sunday in church we sang a new hymn. I loved it! I thought that the message of the words was fantastic...

Pastor Tim told me after service that we did not know it because it came from the Baptists. When I looked it up, Google said that it was a Mormon hymn.

At any rate, the words were great!!!

Because I Have Been Given Much
Because I have been given much,
I too must give;
Because of thy great bounty Lord,
Each day I live;
I shall divide my gifts from thee
With every brother that I see
Who has the need of help from me.

Because I have been sheltered, fed
By thy good care;
I cannot see another’s lack and I not share;
My glowing fire, my loaf of bread,
my roof's safe shelter overhead
That he too may be comforted.

Because I have been blessed by
thy great love dear Lord;
I’ll share thy love again
According to thy word;
I shall give love to those in need,
I’ll show that love by word and deed;
Thus shall my thanks be thanks in deed.

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

compassion fatigue

I feel it sometimes.  It is this feeling that I just can't take any more bad news.  So I turn the TV off.  I don't read that article on the internet.  My heart just cannot take anymore.

Sometimes I think that this is ok.  I would rather see my friends and hug them.  I would rather hang with people that I can just enjoy life with.  Sometimes I can't take any more.

The problem with this is that such an attitude can empower the very evil that we are against.  Evil triumphs when good men do nothing.

So, take a break if you must.  But after your heart has some time to heal, reengage the world.  Work for good.  Use the power that God has given you to be the Good Samaritan.

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

70,000 posts

I saw a commercial on TV the other morning.  The commercial was against hate.  I don't know if it is true, but the commercial indicated that the following quote was posted online 70,000 times last year.  Here is the quote:  "Hitler was right."

WHAT??? Are you kidding me?  What is wrong with people?  He produced a killing machine that killed 6 million Jews.  Who in the world could think that this is a good thing.  Well, I actually went online into some of these websites and read some of the hatred.  It made me sick to my stomach.  What is wrong with people?

I guess that it is easier for some to hate, than it is to love.  I don't know why.  Personally I find that loving is much easier than hating.

They say that when you get old, you get bitter or you get better.  May we all, as we age, think harder, be more reflective, show compassion and follow the way of love.   Please 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.
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If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com

religious or decent

If given the choice between being a religious person or a decent person, which would you choose?

My friend Arlene sent me an article about Americans losing their religion. There was this quote that I found to be interesting. One person that was interviewed said,

click here to read the entire article

"I'm not involved in any kind of religious group whatsoever," he said. "I'm involved in being a decent human being to the people I meet."

When I was a kid, I was taught that being good or decent did not get you into heaven. You had to follow the formulas of the church.

These days, I am more convinced that being a person of love is the only thing that matters and that the formulas of the church were largely developed to maintain power over followers.

Probably the best example that supports this way of thinking is the story of the Good Samaritan. In that story that Jesus tells, the religious people pass by on the other side. The hero of the story is the broken, hated, outcast Samaritan who stops to help.

No wonder that so many people are leaving organized religion.

Having said this... there are some examples of churches that I know of that are worth joining and worth supporting. One of them is Ft. Pierce First UMC, the other is Woods Chapel UMC. I am sure there are others, but if you are looking for a church, look for one that is missional. Missional churches focus on sharing God's love, and that is what it is all 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.
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If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com

The Bad Boy File

So I have been cleaning out boxes in the garage.  When I left Woods Chapel, I probably had 30 boxes of books and sermons.  By the time I left Cape Coral, I had ten boxes.  When I was done with the interim work at Ft. Pierce First UMC, I was down to 4 boxes.

The other day I got it down to two boxes.  One of the things that I came across in the purge was the "bad boy file" and the "good boy file."

The good boy file is a file, actually a series of files in which I saved hundreds of nice notes received over the years.

The bad boy file is a very small file, but it is filled with the most painful, hurtful notes that I received in 30 years as a pastor.  As I read thru the bad boy file, I remembered every single incident and every single person who delivered the pain.  It was really nice that I could just see them and read them and remember, and not feel the pain.  Because at the time that they were delivered, they were very painful.

Anyway, I am keeping the good boy file.  The bad boy file is going away.  As an interesting point of irony, as I take the file into the garage for disposal, I have a choice of where to put it... in the recycle bin [it is after all only paper] or I can put it in the trash.  I chose the trash.  As some point in our lives, we need to release ourselves and move on from the memories of hurt and disappointment from the past.

No more bad boy file!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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 mills of the Gods

There is an old saying, "the mills of the gods grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly fine."  My Dad said it all the time, and when he said it, he would laugh.  Ugh!

So mills grind grain.  They break it down to make it useful.

According to the saying, the most powerful mills belong to God, to the gods or to the powers that be.  They take their time in grinding us.  But they grind well, and they grind fine.  They eventually break us down so that we "get it."

This is another approach to the concept of Karma.  All in good time.  What goes around comes around.

So I thought of this saying after visiting my daughter and her family in Chicago.  Now with a couple of children, the mills of the Gods are catching up with my daughter.  Life has a way of breaking us down and helping us realize that maybe our parents were not as dumb as we thought.

I remember a family at church that left us in a very hateful, scathing manner.  We were not promoting the values that they thought we should.  Some years later, their children grew up and chose values that they did not agree with.  And the pain comes home.  The mills of the gods break us down slowly.

The moral of this story is that we need to show as much grace as we can to everyone.  The mills just may be working on us.

The mills of the gods grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly fine.

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

kind and gracious

Overheard somewhere, read somewhere, not original to me....

If your religion isn't making you more kind, more sweet and more gracious, it is time to change.

If you are Hindu, Baptist, Moslem, Presbyterian, Methodist, Buddhist, Assembly of God or whatever flavor you may wave the flag for... if it is not making you sweeter, more kind and more gracious, then it is time to change to a flavor that does.

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

Faith part 2

I posted last Sunday about faith.  One of the things that I said was that "God does not exist to solve our problems."

One of my readers wanted clarification.... if God is not in the business of solving our problems, then why do we pray?

Great question.  Here is how I would answer:  God might solve our problem, might intervene to fix a situation, but lets face reality.  People with lots of prayers going on, still lose loved ones.  Just because prayer is not a guarantee of an outcome does not mean that we should not pray.  We can certainly pray for what we want, but we should always include the phrase, "not my will but thine be done."

The other comment that I would make is a thought about the purpose of prayer.  In my opinion, prayer does not exist for us to change God's mind or control him.  Prayer is there to make us sweeter.  Prayer should make us more kind.  Prayer should help us to find peace as we fall into the workings of God in this world.

So, no, God does not exist to solve our problems.  He cares about our problems, but our primary engagement with God should not be to insist that he play Santa Claus, but rather our primary engagement with God should be for us to get lost in his 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

The Doors

So I’m driving to the job site.  The sun is not up - it is a dark drive to work. Then, on the radio comes the Doors song "Light My Fire."  My brain is transported back in time, to another day when I was driving to work in the dark. It was 1975 and I was 18 years old. I was the “maintenance man" at McDonald’s.  That shift started at 5am. Back then I made $2.05 an hour. On the way to work that morning I ran out of gas. Well, I was always running on empty, so I kept a gallon of gas in the back of the car. 

That morning in the dark in 1975 as I was pouring gas into my '73 Chevy Vega, the song playing on the radio was The Doors "light my fire."

I don’t know why I remember that morning, that experience.  Our brains are amazing for what they remember and what they forget.  But now, every time the Doors, light, my fire comes on, I remember that day running out of gas in 1975. 

 Maybe in the future I’ll remember driving to that store in Rochester, New York as well.

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

making room for others

Manager parks by front door.

So I’ve been working out of town all week at this retail store. We have 1/4 of the parking lot completely blocked off and another quarter impaired. I guess you could park there but it’s not as easy. 

And I’ve noticed every day that the staff has come to work at the store and they all park in the very best places closest to the front door. It’s like they have no regard at all for their customers, many of whom are elderly. 

This reminds me of a story the bishop once told, he said that he could tell everything about a church simply by where the pastor parked. 

What do you take for yourself? Do you take the best for yourself? Even if other people would need it? What do I take to myself? I should think about this more.

Over the years, I had to ask people to change service times, go to a different service, scoot into the middle of the pew, and park further away, all to accommodate others. Some pushed back and complained, but most got it. Most people understood the principal of displacing myself so that others can be included.

The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12 "Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves."

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

Rude

I remember some years ago I was eating at the First Watch on 40 highway - the one across from Lowe’s. Todd was telling me, Todd the server was telling me about one of the members of our 50-50 group being rude to him. 

I knew exactly who it was. I was absolutely mortified.  I was so upset that members of our church would go out to eat with the church group and be rude to one of the servers. 

The following Sunday I brought it up.  I didn’t name the group and I didn’t name the people, but I did name the restaurant and the server.

I can only hope that the couple that was rude got the message.  I hope that many people heard the message:  We have no right to be rude to anyone.

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

Faith

Faith is not magic.  Faith does not promise the desired outcome.  You can stand on all the promises that you want and still sometimes not get what you want.  God does not exist to solve our problems.

What faith does though, is this, it gives us the gumption to get up and go.  And if we get up and go, maybe something good will come.

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

Why?

Russia invades Ukraine.

Someone, Russia?  Blows up one of Finland's gas supply lines at the beginning of winter.

Hamas does what it did.

I am sick of it.  I am heart sick of it.  Why can't we just get along?  Where in the world is basic kindness?  What ever happened to do unto others as you would have them do unto you?  Why can't we just get along?

Unfortunately, at the end of the day, the only person that I can control is me.  And so may we all do that.  May we fill the world with charity and kindness every day in every way.  May we go overboard with kindness.

Here are some specific ideas:

• Ask the server their name.
• Tip. Tip big.
• Be generous. Live a generous life.
• Speak kindly, even to mean people.
• Drive with compassion for the other drivers.
• Say thank you.

And on it goes.  I can't do anything about Putin or Hamas, but I can do something about me, and you can do something about 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

More on Israel

Let me begin with an update on our tour guide Avi Ben Joseph.  Several who have travelled with me to Israel have asked how he is doing.  He is ok.  He is heartbroken, but he is ok.  He is posting on Facebook and you can keep up with him there.

As more information about the attack on Israel comes out, I am shocked and angered by the behavior of Hamas.  I watched some videos about the rapes that took place.  And the murder of innocent civilians, including babies.

I am crying as I write this.  To me, this is not an issue to take sides on.  Democrats, Republicans and Independents should unite as human beings just as we did after 9-11.

There comes a time in life when we have to stop making excuses for evil.  We have to stop bargaining with it.   The mask is off of the Hamas terrorists.   They have to be dealt with.  Evil has to be eradicated, no matter what that means.  It is unfortunate that more civilians will suffer in Gaza because of Israel's response but this group can no longer be harbored.   Events like this cannot be allowed to happen again.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.  Pray that hearts that hate can learn to forgive and love.

 

questions

I listened to three sermons the other day from my Pastor friends at Woods Chapel Church. Evidently they had solicited questions from the congregation and answered them on Sunday morning during the sermon.It was spontaneous and funny.  It was great.

I got to thinking... maybe my blog readers would want to submit questions for me to answer?  If you do, please just send them by email to jsbrink57@gmail.com

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

Tailgating

Tailgating or, thoughts on following too close.

One of the things that annoys me the most in life is riding in a car with a driver who follows too closely.  I used to do this until I ran into the back of a jeep.  That was 1997.  My kids think that I drive like a grandpa, but I don't care.  I am not going to run into another car again.

I am not sure why people tailgate.  It is after all, against the law.  It is also dangerous.  I just assume that everyone was taught the "one car length rule."  The one car length rule teaches us that for every 10 miles per hour, you leave one car length between you and the car in front of you.  But you might say, then someone will jump in front of me... yes, they might, but then you back off to the correct and safe following distance.  Just because someone else is driving like a maniac, does not mean that you should.

When I was learning to drive, my father told me, "son, you have the basics down, now you just need to work on driving so that others in the car are comfortable."

Please have mercy on those who are travelling with you.  Don't go more than 5mph over the speed limit and keep a safe and legal following distance.

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

Israel

My heart goes out to Israel.  Ugg - there is a gut punch in my stomach.  Imagine how they must feel.  

When the planes struck on 9-11 I called my dad and asked him if this was like Pearl Harbor.  He told me that it was worse.  I asked him why.  He told me, "On December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor, a military installation was attacked.  Military property and soldiers were targeted."

On 9-11, civilians were attacked.  That is why it is worse than Pearl Harbor.

Now we have civilians targeted, murdered, and over 100 taken hostage.  I cannot imagine.  I cannot imagine what the response of our government would be if Canada launched 5,000 missiles into our country, attacked 20 towns and took civilians hostage.

There must be a terrible outrage in Israel.

My heart is sick.

I pray for Israel, I pray for my friend and tour guide Avi Ben Joseph.

Not sure where any of this is going, but the door to a very dark time may have just opened.

It is hard to say that it is a beautiful day.  But I will continue to believe that this is our Father's world.  

How they think

Why did they do this? Why don't they do that? I don't understand their actions. I don't understand their behavior.

Ever feel that way?

Remember: Everyone's behavior makes sense if you have enough information.

I don't/you don't understand how they think because they don’t think how you think. I know you think the way that you think is right. I think the way that I think it’s right. But they don’t think the way you think and they don’t think the way that I think They have a right to think the way that they think. So leave them alone, give them some grace and understand that not everybody thinks the way that Jeff does.

Whatever they are doing, it makes sense to them. I cannot control the world. They have a right to their actions and choices whether I understand them or not.
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

how much time

Let's say that you are only going to live for the next hour.  How much of that hour do you want to devote to feeling guilty or bad about yourself?  How many minutes will you allocate to anxiety and worry.

None.  Because I only have one hour left to live.

What if I have 24 hours.  Same question:  How much time will I allocate to worry, guilt and anxiety?

Answer is the same.  None.  Because I only have 24 hours.

What about a year.  Let's say that you have a year?  You will spent a certain amount of that year eating, sleeping, going to the bathroom, etc.  How much of this coming up year [your last one] do you want to spend engaged in worry, guilt and anxiety?

NONE!!!  I only have one year left.  I want to fill it with good.  With love, joy, peace and kindness!!!

Ok, so friends.  We do not know how much time we actually have left.  Why in the world would you allow worry or anxiety or guilt to flood your heart and mind?  Every moment that you spend feeling bad, is a moment gone forever.  It is a moment wasted.

Friend......... God loves you... YOU!  He does not want your life to be filled with guilt, anxiety or worry.  Accept the love.  Accept the grace.  Don't waste another moment of another day of another year on the bad stuff.

We just don't know how much time we have left.  Use every minute for good.

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

save someone else

So you see something that is not right.  You can say, "not my problem."  You can leave the broken thing for the next person to find.

Or, you can take the time and make the effort to help the next person down the line.

I was working at my daughter's house in Chicago.  I noticed this nail in the driveway.  I pick it up so that it does not end up in one of their tires.  I did not do this because it was my daughter's house, I do this all the time.  I have had enough nails and screws in my tires over the years, that if I ever see one in a parking lot or such, I pick it up.  Save the next person the headache.

There have to be many such ways that this can apply to the rest of life:  pick up the banana peel, remove the poison ivy, let someone know that your rental car has a tire with a slow leak... take the trash out so the next person does not have to... and on and on it can go.

Don't leave a problem for the next person.  If you can fix it, go for 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

Glad to see you

Recently I have run into some people who are glad to see me.  How shocking!!! Glad to see me???

Well, every encounter that we have with another human has the potential to be a cold prickly or a warm fuzzy.  We all much more prefer the meetings that are filled with warmth.

When you meet someone with joy, when you light up when you see them, when you rush in to give them a warm hug, you are making their day.

You may not think of your actions as powerful, but simply being glad to see someone can brighten up their insides.

Be glad to see someone.  It just may make them glad to see 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

Veto Power

I have started giving other people veto power.  I have an idea, but I want to make sure that you know that you have veto power.

I think this is important when you are introducing an idea into the equation that might be challenging to the other person.  I want them to be at ease.  I want them to be able to consider the idea that I am presenting without worry or pressure.

I have an idea to share with you, but I want you to know that you have full veto power.

It is kind of a fun thing to inject into a conversation.  It is a nice reminder to me and to them that this is not about me.  Yes, I have an idea, but you have veto power.

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

We are in our 60's

Ok folks.  It's time for a reality check.

We are in our 60's.  We are in the 4th quarter of the game.  We are nearing the two minute warning.

It is time to focus our life, our time, our minds, and our energy on good things.

No more time for guilt.  No more time for resentment.  No more time for hurt feelings.  No more time for blaming others.  No more time for smallness.

We have the experience and the wisdom to live better lives.  Apologize if you need to.  Get over hurt feelings.  Let go of resentment.  Flee from guilt and remorse.

We are nearing the end of the journey.  Let's fill our lives with good.

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

First of all, Happy Birthday to my Dad. Paul Brinkman died in 2002 at the age of 75. If he were still alive today he would be turning 96 today. I miss him still.

My friend Bruce sent in this quote...

"Perhaps the most important thing we bring to another person is the silence in us, not the sort of silence that is filled with unspoken criticism or hard withdrawal. The sort of silence that is a place of refuge, of rest, of acceptance of someone as they are. We are all hungry for this other silence."
                                      RACHEL NAOMI REMEN

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

My job

I remembered this story from when I was working in the church fulltime.

Sometimes it feels like you have to do everything. Well, this certain thing was my job. It was my responsibility. I have always done this thing. Hundreds of times I have done this. Now, without so much as saying anything to me, someone else wants to take it over. Wait, you can't do it, I am supposed to do it.

I didn't get anywhere. I tried again. I started feeling tension with that person.  Only I can do this!!!  Then I made a strategic decision.

Even though this is my job and I have always done it, and I am supposed to do it now, I am going to step back and watch. I am going to let this other person do it. I am just going to go with the flow. What is the worst that could happen?

And, I learned something. They did it. They did it well. Maybe even a better job than I would have done. I was worrying for nothing and I learned much about the capabilities of another.

What are you worried about today? Are there others that can help and would help if you would give them a chance?  How big of a deal is this task really?  The world can continue to exist without me having to do everything that I think that I need to do.

Sometimes I think we miss enjoying life because we are way too busy.  Jesus said, don't worry. Seek the kingdom. Maybe if I relax a little more and let go of some things, I will find the peace of the kingdom a little more often.

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 don't read your blog

A friend wrote to me and told me that they had stopped reading my blog.  Then they told me that they had been feeling guilty about not reading the blog.

Now that is the last thing that I want anybody to do... to feel guilty about anything related to me.  Read it or not, that is up to you.  Live your life and be filled with joy!!!

Anyway, they said that when they started reading it again, they came across a post that suggested that we should not feel guilty for anything.  So they stopped reading.

I love that!  We accomplished something!

The world needs fewer worriers and more people who just live and love.  Please be freed to live.

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

Rules for life

Not sure what the source is on this, but someone sent it to me the other day and it continues to be good, common sense advice.

Bill Gates rules for life-
RULE 1-Life is not fair - get used to it.

RULE 2-The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

RULE 3-You will NOT make $50,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice president with a car and phone, until you earn all three.

RULE 4-If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

RULE 5-Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a
different word for burger flipping - they called it opportunity.

RULE 6-If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your
mistakes, learn from them.

RULE 7-Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you are.

RULE 8-Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as many times you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

RULE 9-Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.

RULE 10-Television and video gaming is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to work.

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

Inner Voice

I have to tell you about last Thursday morning.

I woke up late at 8:20 AM. I slept for over 10 hours. I didn’t even set an alarm because my first appointment wasn't until 9 AM. I never sleep that long. Cathy had to wake me up. What a great start it was to get that much sleep!

So breakfast with my sister and her husband was the first order of the day. We had a lovely time catching up. My sister is recovering from lung surgery and it was great to see them.

As I drove around that morning, I was listening to a podcast about how we think, and they were talking about intuition, about listening to your inner voice. The podcaster said that the correct inner voice is the one that’s always positive, always loving and is always expansive. I love that thought. We don't have to listen to negative internal voices.

So I took a good look inside my heart and asked myself what I should do... I stopped by the dollar tree to buy some chocolate for my plane flight next week. I always give it to the flight attendants - but you know that. I was near the Veterans thrift store. The inner voice suggested I go there, so I did. I have a friend that volunteers there. Well, she wasn’t there, but I had a wonderful look about the thrift store. I live in Vero Beach where a lot of retired folks go and pass on into eternity. Consequently a lot of their very nice stuff is ending up in thrift stores. If you are ever in Florida where a lot of well-to-do retired people live [I’m not one of them] Be sure to visit the thrift stores. I saw some really cool stuff there.

Then I listened to the inner voice and it suggested that I go by to visit Bob Tuttle. Bob was a seminary professor of mine. He is now experiencing some dementia. I had stopped by on Sunday and no one was there. I thought, "oh I could see him another time." But the truth is, we never know if you’re gonna be able to see that person another time or not. So I was determined to stop and see him. He was home and his sister was visiting. There was a caretaker there and the four of us had an absolutely marvelous visit. I walked away from that visit so happy and so filled.

Then I called my friend Bruce. I needed some advice on buying a Mustang from my sister in California. I have to figure out how to get it from California to Florida. I priced the transport trucks and they were much more expensive than I thought. I talked to Bruce about maybe flying out with me and driving it back. I was in a quandary about what to do. He told me that he was looking forward to, and excited about spending the time together those days. So now I have a cross country trip planned and it’s giving me something to look forward to.

This is a random story about a random day. I don’t know if these stories means anything to anyone but I would say this... listen to your inner voice. You may not always get another chance to visit that old friend. Listen for the love, listen for the kindness, listen for the positivity in the true inner voice.

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

civil

I watched the movie "The Mule" with Clint Eastwood.  I watched it for probably the third time the other day.  I caught a quote that I had not grasped before.

Regarding his estranged former wife, he said, "we had ten good years together, at least we could be civil."

Actually I think that this is a good point.  Sometimes people need to throw other people away when they get hurt.  Sometimes people need to hurt back when they get hurt.

Let me say this about that...  It is usually not necessary to throw another person away.  It is never necessary to hurt back.  

Resist the urge to hurt others.  It is not necessary.  Get ahold of yourself and bring your best self to the table.  You will be glad that you did.

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

anxiety

I hear from many people who experience anxiety, fear and anger.  

Someone pulled out in front of me in traffic.  Someone brought more than 10 things to the express line.  I need to pray to be a better person.  I am worried about _____.  [fill in the blank]

We all know and we all feel anxiety.  What if every time we felt anxiety we recognized it instead as a moment that we could show grace? 

Instead of wanting to correct or punch that person, I could consider their situation in life.  I could offer them grace.  I could relax and make room for others.  I could expand my heart.  I could find some more joy.

I think that when we respond to anxiety with anxiety, well then things just get worse.  But when we can bring grace to the party, things always get better.

Do unto others as you would have them to do unto 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

Identity Collapse

I was listening to a podcast the other day and the author used the phrase "identity collapse."  They were using it in reference to leaving a cult.  Once you are out of the group, you no longer know who you are.  You have an identity collapse and must remake yourself.

I think that this also happens when we lose a job that is important to us.  Or if we lose a relationship that is important to us.  Or if we change our beliefs.  Sometimes, we have to face the fear of identity collapse and figure out how to remake ourselves.  This can be a dark time when a person feels very alone.  Who am I now?  What is my life about?

Stay with it.  Keep plugging along.

Whatever change you are facing, there is life on the other side.

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

Stealth

The F-35 went missing.  Last week, a fighter pilot bailed out of his F-35.  There was some sort of issue, obviously.  The pilot parachuted to safety.  The plane continued to fly.  The plane was an F-35, America's most stealthy new fighter.  They say that it's radar signal is about the size of a golf ball.

Guess what?  They lost track of the plane.  Military radar, which is much better than most, could not find the plane.  The Military asked civilians to be on the look out and help them find the plane.

Now that is stealth.

This reminds me of another story, a true story indeed.  I am not very connected, but I do know a few people.  I have a friend who was talking to someone very high up in the Navy.  The story trickles down to me that our submarines have never been detected.  Not even once.

Now that is stealth.

I guess I am writing this to offer thanks to God for living in a country where I don't have to fear the Russians, the Chinese or whoever the "other" country may be.  I give thanks to live in such a blessed place.  

May we Americans always appreciate our blessings and always use them for good.

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

The Doxology

One of my favorite parts of worship is to stand and sing the doxology.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav'nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.

Some years ago, I stumbled onto what I call the doxology for pastors.  If you are a pastor, I hope this gets stuck in your head as it got stuck into mine.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all preachers here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav'nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.

This old preacher loves to sing the doxology.  I hope that there is at least one piece of something at church that you love, that you connect to, that makes it feel like home.  Next time you are at church, stand and sing and feel the joy of... "Praise God from whom all blessings flow..."

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

Levity

Recently I have had a couple of readers suggest that my blog needs a little more levity.  A little more humor.  A little more joy.

Ok, I am going to work on that, at least for today's post.

Let's laugh at me today...

True story:  I was out of town for 3 weeks.  I missed 3 or 4 Sundays of church.  Last Sunday, my first Sunday back, a new person was sitting in my seat.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I felt the angst that so many people  have described over the years.  

That particular seat is on the end, it is the correct distance back, it is right by that post, and it is next to my favorite stained glass window.   The one of Jesus loving the sheep.  It is two rows back of Coach and his wife.  It is just down from Essie and Lisa.  This is why this is my favorite seat.  I have sat in it for years.  But evidently not today.

I realize the humor of this moment.  For 30 plus years of ministry I asked people to make room for others and get over themselves.  But today, I have to ask myself to do the same.

I remember the first Sunday that we were at Cape Coral First UMC and my wife unknowingly sat in someone's regular seat.  When they arrived, they made it clear that she was in their spot.  How embarrassed they were later when the new preacher, me, introduced his wife!

Anyway, it was a great Sunday and I got a new perspective on things from a different seat.  I survived.  And honestly, I hope our visitor comes back!


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

Loving Self

I am a big fan of Richard Rohr and I read his devotionals religiously. [ha ha!]

The other day he wrote something about self care/self love. I am quoting here:

While many Christians understand compassion, mercy, and kindness to be essential in our interactions with others, we don’t always see these as core values for our relationship with ourselves. We neglect our self-care, directly and indirectly contributing to our pain and suffering. We judge ourselves for our own suffering, listening to the voice of our inner critic as it rehearses our shortcomings, our errors, and our deficiencies. As James teaches us, it doesn’t have to be this way (James 3:10).

Friends, we need to be kind to ourselves. Our parents may have taught us to be perfect. The church may have insisted on certain behaviors. We will never measure up. Go easy on yourself. Give yourself the same grace that you would give to someone who came to you for advice.

Kindness is good. Not just for others, but for yourself as well.

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

Sorrows

I have a friend that is struggling with sorrows.

Sick relatives.  Broken relationships.  Feeling lost.  Life is just bringing too many lemons it seems.  And they are coming all at once.

To this person, and to anyone who gets discouraged, I say this.... it is too easy, much too easy, to get sucked into the doldrums.  Actively work to fight them off.

• Cry and get it out of your system.
• Get active.  Get up and do something.
• Don't focus on the past... make new friends.
• Engage in life.
• Make a conscious decision to live above the lemons.

Keep your mind busy so that it does not get stuck in the bad news.  There is still alot of good out there, but it sometimes is found only by those who actively and purposely look for it.

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

Is God a god of guilt

I used to believe that God was all about making sure that we behaved.  That is what the church taught me.  Be good and then you are good.  Do bad things and God is mad.  He may even send you to hell.  What a terrible picture of God this is.

This is a terrible picture of God because we can never be good enough.  Even when I was trying hard to be good, I worried about everything.  I would stop one thing, only to feel badly that I missed it.  I would study harder and pray more, only to wish that I was out playing softball.

Once we buy into the God of guilt, there is no end to it.

But there is another way to live.

About 17 years ago, in 2006, I began a journey away from the God of my upbringing, the God of guilt, and I allowed my brain and heart to be introduced to the God of love.  This is the God who loved Paul, even though he was a murderer.  He loved David even though he had hundreds of wives and concubines.  This illustration can go on and on through all of the Biblical heroes.

The point is this... God loves us.  It is not about who the good ones and the bad ones are.  He wants us to live our lives and make our choices.  He wants us to be filled with his love and show it.  But if we don't, he doesn't shame us or want to punish us.

More flies are won with honey than with vinegar.

I invite you to move away from the God of guilt.

• Oh, I slept too long.
• Oh, I didn't give 100% to that endeavor
• Oh, I skipped church
• Oh, I let that person down.
• Oh, I drank too much.
• Oh, I don't give 10%
• Oh, I didn't send a card.
• Oh, I thought bad thoughts...
• Oh, I didn't call my daughter.
• Oh, I called her too much...

Do you see where this goes?
I invite you to move away from the God of guilt.

I invite you instead to meet and fall in love with the God who loves you and wants you to be happy.  Would you want your children to live lives full of guilt?  Neither does our Father.

God loves you.

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

Holiday!

Yes here we are again at that little known holiday. No it's not Cinco De Mayo! Today is national "Talk like a pirate day!"

Here are some terms to help you make it through today as a joyful participant.

Avast ye=Pay attention
Hornswoggle =To cheat
Shiver me timbers=An expression used to show shock or disbelief
Head=Toilet on board the ship
Poop deck=Deck that is the highest and farthest back
Landlubber=A person who is not incredibly skilled at sea
Davy Jones' Locker=Refers to death
Ahoy, matey=Hello, friend
Batten down the hatches=A signal to prepare the ship for an upcoming storm
Blimey!=Something said when one is in a state of surprise
Booty=Treasure
Crow's nest=The place on the ship where the lookout stand is built
Heave ho=Instruction to put some strength into whatever one is doing
Old salt=A sailor that has a great deal of experience on the seas
Scallywag=A name that is used as an insult to someone
Seadog=An old sailor or pirate
Thar she blows!=An expression used when a whale is spotted from the ship
Three sheets to the wind=Someone who is quite drunk
Walk the plank=A punishment which entails someone who walks over the side of the ship off of the plank. Their hands are often tied so that they cannot swim and they drowned.
Yo Ho Ho=There is often used to express some sort of cheer but also can be used to call attention to the speaker.

Be sure to tell a joke or two.
Where do pirates buy their music?
Aye - tunes
Why are pirates cool?
They just rrrrrrrrrrrr.

Rrrrrrr. It's a beautiful day in God's world, be surrrrrre to sea the good.

God doesn't care

I was talking to a friend the other day.  They were worried that a loved one had not been baptized.  Oh my, we worry about so many things.

I used to worry about all sorts of theological things.  I wanted to make sure I had it right.  I wanted to make sure that everyone else had it right too.

Now, those days are gone.

God doesn't care if you believe in the trinity or not.  He doesn't care what you believe about baptism, speaking in tongues or the second coming.  He doesn't care if you like traditional or contemporary worship.  He doesn't care about tons of things that we humans argue over.  Churches have split over many of these dumb issues that God doesn't even care about.

What God does care about is that we are people of love.  Love God, love others.  That is all there is to it.  Be filled with his love and share it.

No worries.

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

thinking

A few years ago, someone shared this quote with me:

 "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." Aristotle

I love it. It is a reminder that we do not have to be threatened just because an idea is different than what we may hold to.   The world is full of angry retorts to ideas that people don't agree with.  What would the world look like if we were all able to think and let others think?  What would the world look like if we could actually entertain a thought without being threatened by it?

Personally, I learn more from people who think differently than I do.

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

old saying

There are old sayings like, "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."

One that I think of from time to time is a little different.  I don't know who first wrote it.  Some philosopher.... maybe Anthony DeMello.

Anyway, it goes like this: "you can be in pain and suffer, or you can be in pain and not suffer."

Most people hate this saying.  I had a staff person years ago that ridiculed me when I said it in a sermon.  People hate this saying because it invites us to make friends with pain.  That is never an easy thing.

If you are like me, life is not always unicorns and rainbows.  If you are like me, you have pain from time to time.  Sore joints, dreams deferred, children away, and general loss.  Seems like the older we get, the more we collect.

In our lifetimes, we have met people that complained about everything.  Even the smallest hangnail was a disaster to them.  The sky was always falling.  Then we have also me those who faced real life challenges:  illness, death, loneliness, heart sorrow.... and they kept their chin up.  Yes we have met those heroic few who somehow still see the good.

That is what I want to be like.

And I am going to keep saying to myself:  you don't have to suffer.  I don't have to suffer.  I don't have to focus on the pain.  I can keep working to see the good in life.

It is not easy, but I think that it is true.,.. you can be in pain and suffer, or you can be in pain and not suffer.  I continue to work on this.  Chin up.  You don't have to suffer.

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

forgiveness

For some reason, I thought of this story the other day.

Mercer First UMC

It was sometime in June 1991.  It was to be my first Sunday as the new pastor in Princeton and Mercer, Mo.  We had spent Saturday night in Olathe and had planned to drive up in the morning.

Well, I guess that I misjudged the distance and the time to get there.  This is long before GPS.  This is before cell phones even.  Anyway, the horse and wagon took a while to get there.

Church service at Mercer was to start at 9:30.  I guess it did start at 9:30.  It started without the new preacher.  Well at 9:45, we pulled in and I opened the church door.

Now you have to get this picture.... Mercer is one of those churches where you open the door, and you are in the sanctuary.  There is no buffer.  Open the door and there they are, God and everyone!!

When that back door opened, the wind, the leaves, and an
embarrassed preacher are there for all to see.

I was so embarrassed, and everyone could tell.  But you know, those lovely people turned and smiled at me.  They welcomed me.  I walked right up to the front and started the sermon.  That was day one of three beautiful years.

Forgiveness and grace are beautiful things.  Give them out whenever you can.

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

I miss church

One of the things that I miss while being on the road is being at my church.  I miss my friends at the Ft. Pierce First UMC.  I miss our fantastic pastor.  I miss singing the hymns.

Most of the best people that I know, I have met at church.

If you miss church, get back soon.  It feels good to be there.  You will find great people there.  I hope to be back in mine this Sunday, but I may still be on the road.  Who knows?

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

Laying awake

Let me preface this story by telling you that I have been on a job in Paso Robles, Calif for three weeks.  I am tired of being away from home.  I am currently staying in an airstream trailer.

This is where I am staying.  Atascadero, Calif.

I was laying in bed, looking out this window.  At 3am!

Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night and just lay there?

That was me yesterday.  It's 3am and I am wide awake.  You start to think about everything.  Too much to think about.  Maybe that is why I can't sleep.

Thank God, it is a comfy bed.  Maybe I will just lay here for a while.

And the brain rant goes on.  Thinking, thinking, worrying.  Gosh, I should be sleeping, not worrying.

And then I notice out the window of the Airstream:  there he is, Orion, the hunter.

The constellation Orion

I stepped out of the camper and took this picture.

So, Orion the hunter, so what?  Well, when I was in Jr. Hi. I was in the astronomy club.  Super nerdy I know.  For some reason, this has been my favorite constellation.  I have posted blogs about it five times in the past.  [If you are a super nerd, you can go to the blog website and search in the upper left corner to find them.]

Anyway, Orion has been a long time friend in my life, always reminding me that God is with me.

So, it is 3am and I have too much to think about.... and yet there is Orion.  Hello my old friend!  Thank you for the visit.

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

I've got nothing

Well, if you opened this blog today, hoping for inspiration or wit... I've got nothing.  I am feeling blah.

I guess that the best thing that I can say about that is that sometimes we all feel that way.  I have no thoughts of import... I have nothing to say... I am not depressed, I am just blah...

Feelings are fickle... so when you feel blah, you have to get up in the morning and get after life, whether you feel it or not.

This I know... I may feel empty, but life is not empty.  There is something, something yet today that I will find, that I will encounter that will make me sense the goodness of it all.

If you are feeling blah... join the club.  We all feel that way from time to time.  And yet there is something bigger than I am, inviting me to hope for a bigger, and a better story.

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

It is only a football game after all

For all of my Kansas City friends, and any other interested readers...

Yes the Chiefs had an embarrassing loss on Thursday night. Yes Kadarius Toney dropped a number of passes. He probably lost the game for us.

My friend Kim shared the following with me. It was posted on Facebook by a Stephan Morris... not sure if that is the same Stephan Morris that grew up in our church, but how many can there be in KC?

"Imagine if the worst day you ever had in your professional life was in front of millions of people worldwide. Imagine if that day happened at 24 years old when you were 2 years out of college. Imagine if seven months prior to that day you did something so incredible that you helped your organization become recognized as the best in the world- and everyone forgot about that and told you how terrible you are. Kadarius Toney had a terrible game on Thursday night, there’s no question, but in my eyes now is the time to rally behind him and lift him up. Without the longest punt return in Super Bowl history I don’t think the Chiefs hoist the Lombardi trophy last season. He will play better, the Chiefs will play better, and this game will be a “remember when” moment. I have faith in these guys. 16 regular season games left to make up for this loss". - Stephan Morris

So again, it is all about perspective...

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

A drive in the hills

I am working for three weeks in Paso Robles, California.  It is like central coast wine country.  It is beautiful here.  One day, I had a short day of work so I took a drive to see the ocean.  I saw Morro Rock.  It is a famous rock.  It sounds funny to me that a rock can be famous, but it is.

Morro Rock

Morro bay

The coastal hills of California are beautiful.  I love being in them.

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

Grief

I was talking with a friend about grief...

A friend lost an adult child.
Someone's spouse died.
A young man was injured on the job.
Lung cancer.

Moving away from friends.
Heartache.
Loss.

Let's just face it, grief is no fun. It hurts and we hate it. Personally, when grief shows up, I don't know what to do but to keep on with life. Sometimes we think we are fine, and then the pain returns. Even pains from years ago can come back.

I don't think that we will totally escape grief in this life. Grief is a collection of scars, old and new, that fade with time and then reappear.

Keep loving life. Keep engaging new people. Keep your head above water.

One day at a time.

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

contentment

Some years ago, a survey was done regarding contentment.  The question was posed, what would it take to make you happy?  How much more would it take for you to be satisfied?

The most common answer, the median response was "about 20% more."

So no matter your state in life, people in the survey thought that 20% more would make them happy.

So I read this somewhere the other day... if you are not content with what you have now, how could you possibly think that you would be content with 20% more?

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.  1 Timothy 6:6-10

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

sometimes you have to let go

Sometimes you have to let a thing go.  Sometimes you have to let a person go.  This can be very difficult when you love a friend, or especially a child.

We invest a good deal of time on relationships, and then they change.  Dogon it, that kid graduated from college and moved to Chicago.  Dogon it, that person that was my bestie has drifted away and I don't hear from him/her anymore.

Yes, you will feel the loss, but you cannot take that out on them.  You cannot guilt a friend to come back.  You cannot guilt an adult child into living their life the way that you want them to.  All that does is push the person farther away.

After all, it is their life.  We cannot control everything and we shouldn't try to control people.  Everything will not be to our liking in this life.  The world is not going to align itself to make me happy.

Sometimes you have to let them go.

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

Jimmy Buffet

Jimmy Buffet passed.  I find that to be sad.

His music:  Margaritaville, Brown Eyed Girl, Come Monday, Cheeseburger in Paradise... and many more... they provided us with a wonderful feeling.

His music gave us a picture of vacation.  Life on the beach.  Happy, fun, sunny.  Margarita in hand.

In a world filled with guilt and worry, his music gave us an escape to a place of peace and happiness.  This world needs a lot less guilt and worry and much more peace and happiness.

May you release yourself from guilt and worry.  May you find a margarita and a happy place.  The world is beautiful.  Life is meant to be lived.

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

March 1, 1966

So I was looking through some old memorabilia and I found this paper from my school work.  March 1, 1966.  South City View Elementary, 10500 Holmes Rd, Kansas City, MO.

I was 8 years old.

Now if you ever wonder why I struggle with some things, maybe this would help.  This is the world that I was raised in.  Not just that it was ok for a teacher to write this on my paper, but that my mother would make the point to save it.

And so, pain and heartache comes to all of us.  We must make choices along the journey whether we will allow the pain to keep us down, or if we will get up and make the world a better place.

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

Stop

Part of waking up to life, part of waking up in this world is learning the ability to stop.

Stop running so hard.
Stop thinking the same way.
Stop hurting others.
Stop ignoring other's ideas.
Stop thinking that I know it all.
Stop and see the good.

Appreciate it, be thankful for it, let the joy fill your heart.

And so I was driving to work [I am working in Paso Robles, CA] and I saw this sight.  It was amazing.  This picture does not do it justice.  I had to pull over.  I stopped.  I got out of the truck, walked across the street and took the pictures.

Sometimes we need to stop and appreciate the beauty of life, the beauty of a moment, the beauty of God's world.

Just stop the wheels from turning and see the good.

Sleeping in

It’s 4:30 in the morning and I’m lying in bed. The bed at the place I’m staying in Paso Robles California is very comfortable. I feel like I could lay here for a long time. I don’t have to get up for another hour... But I don’t lay still very well.

So I think I’ll get up and do some computer work. But, the feeling that I have laying in this bed reminds me of the first family vacation we ever took- I was eight years old and we drove in a Ford Fairlane to the Yellowstone park. It was a great trip. I got to see some bears!!! I remember the last day when we were packing up to go home, I didn’t want to get out of the sleeping bag. It felt so good to just lay there. Dad asked me to get up a couple of times and then finally he just picked up one end of the sleeping bag and I came dumping out.

Anyway, sleep and rest are needful, and a true gift from God. Sometimes it feels good just to lay there. Maybe I should forget about the computer work and just lay in bed a little longer.

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

childhood blessings

In previous blogs that I have written I have commented on the challenges of my upbringing.  It occurred to me as I was writing yesterday's post, that there are some things from my childhood that I should be thankful for.  So here goes:

Things that I am thankful for from my childhood.

1. My Dad was a hard worker. He worked hard to provide for our family.
2. Mom didn't have to work, except for when we were in college and during the year that Dad lost his job.
3. They took us to church.
4. We had three meals a day.
5. We had shoes on our feet.
6. We had a roof over our heads.
7. Dad paid for us to go to college.

As I write this, I want to qualify some of what was done for us... I want to explain more about items 1-7.   But I am not going to do that.  For today, let it be enough that there were things in my life to be thankful for.

We so often forget our blessings.

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

A tale of two young ladies

Since my knee surgery, I have been to the doctor's office, physical therapy and other places.  I have met a lot of young people.

I noted a striking difference between two particular young ladies.

Let's call the first "Cagney" not her real name.  Cagney is 25 years old.  She was raised by two parents who were both cafeteria workers in the school district.  Growing up, they never owned a home.  They always did, and still do, rent a small three bedroom home.  She is a nice young lady who has had to work for every thing that has ever come her way.  She lives with her parents... Her backyard is a small fenced area that is full of weeds.   Her life has not been easy.

Let's call the second young lady, "Lacey."  Not her real name.

Did you get the reference?  Cagney and Lacey?

Anyway, back to Lacey.  Lacey is also 25 years old.   She lives with her parents.  She was born into money.  Her parents live in the most exclusive area of the most exclusive town nearby.  When Lacey walks out the back door, she literally steps onto the sand of the beach.  She has had anything that she wanted handed to her.  Her life has been a dream.

Do these two young ladies ask why they were born into either financial struggle or financial bliss?  Do they ask why?  Do they compare themselves with others?

We need to be very mindful of our blessings.  Not everyone has the same starting place.  Not everyone has the same gifts given to them.  People are born into all kinds of states.  Whether rich or poor, we have much to be thankful for.

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