Karma

Some Christians are averse to the term "karma."  I think that most folks know that it is a Buddhist term that sort of means, what goes around comes around.

Although some Christians think Buddhism is bad, I would suggest to you that Jesus, being an educated person, knew all about the great religions of his day.  He would have studied them, and since the middle east is on one of the main trade routes, he would have met folks of every variety of faith.  The fact that kings of the East visited him at his birth is an interesting part of Jesus' story.

We may or may not be comfortable with the word karma, but we are definitely understanding of it's meaning, and it comes straight from the Bible.

You reap what you sow. Gal 6:7
Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind. Hosea 8:7

My point here is two fold...

• There are many crossover points/truths between Christianity and other religions.
• Jesus was very familiar with other religions.
• Karma or reaping and sowing is a real thing. Sow good, sow kindness, reap it. Put your best foot forward and see what happens. Make the effort to see the good and see what happens.

I guess that was three points.

Anyway, what goes around comes around.  Plant good seeds.

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

Jesus or Paul

I have talked about this before... but it came up yesterday in a conversation with one of my clients.  Are we following Jesus or Paul?  Is our faith about the teachings of Jesus or the teachings of Paul.

They are not the same thing.

Does your version of Christianity have a lot of Paul quotes in it?  Are your favorite scriptures from the writings of Paul?  Or do you quote Jesus?  If you argue with others, you are probably quoting Paul.  If you are quoting Jesus there is not much to argue about.

Jesus taught us to love one another.  He taught us to turn the other cheek.  He taught us to offer grace.  If we are doing anything different than that, then we are probably following Paul instead of Jesus.

Friends, Paul was always supposed to be second string.  Let's get back to following Jesus.  Love one another.

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

turn the other cheek

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you: Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also.
                                   Jesus in Mt 5:38-42

Have you forgiven them? Have I forgiven them?

Will I be able to do so? Will you?

If we don't forgive them, we will want to hurt them back.  Or we will hurt someone else.

The big question for me is this... can we be committed to continue at least working on forgiving them. Sometimes we can forgive easily. Other times, it takes more work. Sometimes, we have to stay after the process of forgiving.

It is never helpful to hurt back. But if we are holding a resentment because someone hurt us, it is going to come out and spill into our lives in some way or another.  We will end up barfing on someone.

Keep working on forgiveness.

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

don't worry

I think that we all worry too much.  Sometimes things are so outrageous that we know not to worry.  

I recently rented a car for a 24 hour period for a job in NY state.  When the bill came, it was $6,200.  That was impossible.  It was so outrageous that I knew it could not, would not stand.  I spent some time and figured out what happened, and the rental company fixed it.  No worries.  I didn't worry about it.  I knew that we would get to the other side.

There are many things that we worry about that we shouldn't.  Small things that we make into big things.  A week from now, we won't even remember what we were worried about.

Take a deep breath and find your confidence.  Whatever is coming at you, it can almost surely be resolved.  Worry less.  Live more.  It will all work out.

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

The Chosen

I have started watching "The Chosen" on Netflix. I am enjoying it. I will say more about it in later posts.

There is a quote from Jesus in episode 3 where he is talking to a bunch of children... "Everyone has a much larger job than just their trade. And you are more than just students... you’re at school to show love to one another."

I loved this. We all have a purpose, a job that is more than our trade or vocation. We are here to love one another. Period. End of story. Love one another.

Better to be a trash man who loves others than a doctor or millionaire that is self absorbed.  

"A new commandment I give you... love one another."  Jesus in John 13

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

Give me the words

I was on the way to do a baptism.  The groom wanted to be baptized before the wedding.  It has been years since I have done a baptism.  Although I have done many, many in my lifetime, I am a bit nervous because it has been so long.

I say a prayer, "Lord, give me the words."  I realized that I sounded a bit like Sampson, "Oh, Lord, just one more time..."  But, unlike Sampson, I am not dying today.  I just wanted the right words for the people gathered for the baptism.

It all went fine.  I was pleased with it.  I think that they were as well.

Words are important.  Words can hurt, words can heal, words can be soothing, or they can be weird.  We should all choose our words carefully.  How the world might change if we saw every moment as a holy moment and said a prayer for the right words.

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

Merry Christmas

Good Morning.

Merry Christmas!!!

I am often asked what I miss about being a pastor, and what I don't miss.  One of the things that I do not miss, is the incredible amount of work and pressure that is associated with the holidays.  At our height, we had six services on Christmas Eve that worshipped over 2500 people.  The amount of organization and determination that was put in by staff and volunteers was amazing.  And all of this, at a time when many people wanted to be "off."

I don't miss all of that work.  These days, on Christmas and Easter, and for that matter, Mother's Day and other big church days, I can just relax.  I can sit down and ponder the meaning of the day, as we all should.

So from one retired pastor who is sitting around doing nothing today, have a very Merry Christmas.  May your day find time to just sit and reflect on life's blessings and the deep love that God has for you.

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

A time to reflect

The Christmas season, for me, is a time to reflect.  Not just on Jesus' birth, but on life in general.  It is a time to remember what is really important.

It is a time when loved ones come from near and far and we look at each other and say, "I love you!!!"

As I write this, I am thinking of so many of you.  Friends in Cape Coral, friends in KC, friends in Ft. Pierce, friends...........  From my oldest friend, Jean Fisher, to my youngest friend, Aria Carrier.  From near to far, from oldest to youngest.  

I love you all.

I am so thankful to have shared this lovely journey of life with you.

May your days be merry and light, and may all of your Christmases be bright!!!

I love my church

On March 28th of this year, I made some New Years resolutions.  One of them was that if I was in town,  I was going to be in church.  I have kept to that commitment pretty religiously.  😀 I love a good pun.

In fact, some years ago, I submitted 10 entries for a pun contest.  The prize was $100.  I so hoped that one would win, but unfortunately, no pun in ten did.   To quote Peggy McBee, "Ugh!"  Back to the point of this blog post...

I have loved every church that I have been assigned to as a pastor.  And so for me to say that I love the people at Ft. Pierce First United Methodist Church, is not a slight against other people that I have know, for I love you all.

It is great at this age, to have found a place where I can go and sit and take it all in.  On Sunday, December 11th we had a service of Christmas music.  It was so wonderful.

The front of the sanctuary.  The choir broke out their robes!  The church is so beautiful!

The music was awesome!!!

At the far right, playing the piano, is the unassuming figure of Dick Lystra.  I love Dick and will miss him.  He is moving to his hometown in Michigan.  He is a fantastic musician and a great friend.

I loved it that Pastor Tim sang with the choir.  I loved the music.  I love Christmas music.  I pray that in this season of Christmas, you find some beautiful moments in your church.  I pray that you find some peaceful moments of oneness with God through the great songs of Christmas.

Silent Night, Holy Night...

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

We don't need to know

The cloud of unknowing is an anonymous medieval book that invites us to turn our minds away from a knowledge based faith, and towards a faith based on love.  One of the quotes from the book is, "Love is the only way to reach God, knowledge does not assist us."

A quote from Richard Rohr...

The major heresy of the Western churches is that they have largely turned the very meaning of faith into its exact opposite. True faith involves not knowing and even not needing to know, but we made faith demanding to know and insisting that we do know!         Richard Rohr

Let me say what Father Rohr said in my own way... Some have lost the faith of love and substituted a religion of knowing. One of the silly beliefs taught by many churches is that we have to "know." Many pastors and churches have taught that we need to know and believe the right things. For some, it is a requirement to be "in."  And if we are in, then others can be designated as out.  We can judge them on religious grounds... Faith on the other hand, is the opposite of knowing. If we choose to have faith in God, we are no longer required to have all of the answers. We are no longer required to be right.

How and when did religion become about being right or wrong?  If God is love, what is everyone fighting about?

Let it go.  Let go the need to know.  Fall into the mystery of who God is.

Oh, what a relief! I can, we can just live and love. We don't have to figure it all out. We don't have to argue with others about who is right and who is wrong. We can focus on the simple things. Oh, what peace and joy come to our lives when we can stop worrying and fighting about everything and instead just trust God, and live lives of love.

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

What we know

My friend Susan sent me this meme.  It got me thinking...

What do we really know about people?  How might our patience with them change if we knew more about them?  About why they act the way that they do?

A little more grace is always in order...

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

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

Love must come first

 

The way of Jesus isn't hateful.  Ever.

Think about it.

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

Mid year Appointments/love on your pastor

Pastoral appointments are usually made in June.  A list came out last week of mid year appointment changes.  Mid year changes come because someone died or quit, or more commonly, they were exhausted and could not continue.

Over the years, I used to watch the appointment list and feel bad for those who left mid year.  I felt badly for those who did not make it until retirement.

In January of 2016, I became one of those statistics.  Exhausted.  Burned out.  Befuddled.  Done.  Out... It was a very painful time, the most painful time of my life.  The dreams of a lifetime, the years of successful ministry, all stopped suddenly and crumpled into a ball of pain.

And so now, I see the list of mid year appointments and I have different feelings.  Sad that they did not make it until retirement, but also a sense of deep compassion for the dark places that a person can find themselves in after years of ministry.

I want to tell them... "Keep your chin up!  You are ok!  You will bounce back!  Life goes on.  I am here for you."  But when you take a leave of absence or quit, you don't feel like life will go on.  You feel like a failure.  You feel like you gave your all to a calling that just ate your lunch.

The point of this blog post is this.  Please be good to your pastor.  They may smile on Sunday morning, but the pressure on them is enormous.  Pressure from the conference to keep the church growing.  Pressure to raise money.  Struggles at home.  Theological issues in the denomination can turn normal members into very hateful hornets.  All of this stings.  All of this is on top of the normal challenges of growing up in this world.  And all of this is coming to a man or woman who felt/feels called to share good news.

Please love on your pastor.  If their theology is different than yours, love on your pastor.  If they grow a beard, love on your pastor.  If they missed shaking your hand on Sunday, love on your pastor.  The pain of leaving any job is tough.  The pain of leaving the ministry is incalculable.

Love on your pastor.

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

The fountain: determination and perseverance

When we bought the house on Oaks Ridge Lane in Lees Summit in 2004, it came with a very nice fountain.  After having that fountain for all of those years, we were hooked on a fountain by the front door.  So when we bought the Vero Beach house in 2015, we put in a fountain.  Over the years, the sandy Florida ground shifted and everything needed to be redone.  It was a big project.

Sometimes in life, we have big projects.  This was not as big as moving or adding on to the church, but it was a big job for a 65 year young man.  When I was younger, I took on big projects with glee.  These days, big projects take a little more time and perseverance.

And I guess that is what this blog is about.  Determination, hard work and perseverance.

Old fountain area.  The circle of pavers had settled.  The concrete base in the center which I poured in 2015 had to be removed.  Sometimes, in life, getting started is the hardest part.

Pavers are gone, old base is removed, notice fountain parts in pic.

New tub for the base.  This will allow the fountain to run longer without being refilled with water.

Framing and steel for the slab.  The concrete tools in the foreground belonged to my grandfather.  Paul Brinkman Sr who died in 1960.

11 bags of concrete later, the slab is poured.  Having a good foundation makes a big difference in life.

On a side note, working the math on this project was fun.  The circumference of a circle and the area of a circle all had to be figured and applied.  Someone asked if I was going to put my initials in the concrete.  The answer is no.  If my kids don't remember me for who I was, initials in a fountain are not going to help.

The new tub on the slab.  retaining wall stones have returned, now sitting on concrete.

Tile saw in the back of my [God's] 2006 Ford Pickup.  The cap stones had to be cut at an angle for the top.  A good tile saw can make someone look better than they are.  I don't use it very often, but when I need it, I am glad that it is there.

                                            Wall cap in process.

Done.  Well, I am going to reroute the cord over the tub but under the cap stones, but the job is basically done.

I have to tell you, I am proud of the work.  I find it so rewarding to see a thing that needs to be done, and do it.  Like Nike said, just do it.  It is nice to do something that I know will live on past me.

If you have a big project on the horizon, make your plans and then jump in. Stay with it until you are finished.  Determination and perseverance are gifts from God.

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

Why we are kind

In my older age, I am trying to be more kind.  There are a number of reasons for this:

1.  I believe that it is the core of the Christian faith.  Without kindness, without love, there is no Christianity.

2.  Kindness makes other people feel good.  I like that.  I want to make others happy.

3.  Kindness makes me feel good.

When I am kind, I do not expect a benefit or reward.  Kindness is it's own reward.  But sometimes, when we are kind, good things come back to us.

Case in point...

When ever I fly, I take chocolate onto the plane for the flight attendants.  These 6 packs of snack size bars are $1.25 at Walmart or Dollar Tree.

Usually the flight attendants are thankful, but not always.  Many times they try to do something nice to me in return.  I have been offered a lot of free drinks.  [I turn them down because I don't drink on planes anymore.]

Last week, one of the flight attendants asked me if there was something that they could do for me.  I told them that I would love one more of those Kate's brand, lemon/coconut granola bars.   Mmm they are very tasty.

When they came back, I was presented with this...

I am never kind to get something back, but sometimes, people's generosity is overwhelming.  Sometimes, they are so pleasantly surprised by your kindness, that they have to do something in return.

Keep being kind, whether you get something in return or not.  And, if you are hungry or hangry, let me know and I will send you one of my lemon/coconut bars.

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

quote

Yesterday I used this quote...

People won't always remember what you said, they won't always remember what you did, but they will always remember how you made them feel.

I want to say a few more words aobut it.

How we do a thing is very important. If you do something kind, but try to attract attention to yourself in the midst of it, then there is a bad residue. If you say kind words, but are not sincere, people can tell.

True right actions leave people with an amazing feeling. Your kind smile, your kind words, your kind actions, coupled with a kind attitude will change the world.

People won't always remember what you said, they won't always remember what you did, but they will always remember how you made them feel.  Reach for them.

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

Significant people

I think that we all want to have a sense of significance.  A feeling that we matter.  We don't want to just live and die, we want to make a difference.

If you are like me, you tend to measure yourself by the big stories, the famous stories...  and when I do that, I don't measure up.  I am not Adam Hamilton, I was not George Brett, not Bob Villa or Robin Williams.  

Sure, there are all kinds of famous people.  They seem significant to us.  My Dad used to say, "son, there will always be those ahead of you, and those behind you, those with more than you and those with less."

I want to remind you and me that significance is really measured one person at a time.  One person, one moment, one act of kindness.  You can, I can, be very significant to others, simply by being kind.  

People won't always remember what you said, they won't always remember what you did, but they will always remember how you made them feel.

Who are you reaching for in this life?  Go create a moment of significance.

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

Old Shovels

I love tools and I love shovels.  Recently I have picked up two old shovels that had been left outside, probably for years.  They were covered with rust and the wooden handles were extremely weathered.

I decided to resurrect them.  After all, Christians like resurrections.  I watched YouTube videos on restoring old shovels.  Isn't it amazing that there are YouTube videos for everything?  Many times in my work, I am faced with a product or situation, a repair that I have not done before.  A YouTube video can make anyone smarter.

Anyway, I sanded the rust off, most of it.  I ground off the stuck on concrete with my grinder.  I oiled the metal.  I sanded the handles and treated them with linseed oil.

I decided to clean up all of my shovels.
Note the pitch fork is still a work in progress.

I was so proud of how they turned out.  I thought, "you know Jeff, you should have taken a before and after" picture.  But then I thought about life, about how we all have a past that isn't pretty.  Sometimes, a picture of the present is all that is needed.

Old things can come back to life.

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

why am I here?

My neighbor has a brain tumor. It’s in operable. She has months to live. She’s lost some vision and she has pain. She wants God to take her. She prays and she tells God that she is ready to go. Her kids are raised and she is ready to go. Why won't God take her?

She had a dream one night, and in the dream she was walking in a meadow with her deceased father. He told her you can’t come up here now, there’s a young person that needs you.

So she realizes now that she’s here for someone else. She is still on earth because there is someone here who needs her. And so she is actively looking for people to help.

She told me, "Jeff, that is why I am still here. To help someone else." I told her, that is why you were always here. She said, I did not know that before, but I do know it now. I am here for someone else.

Friends, we are all here for someone else. If we would just pay attention and look for others, life would make more sense and we would be much happier creatures.

Who will you find today?

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

I hate snakes

I don't know why, but I hate snakes.  There is this innate revulsion that I have towards them.  Big, small, poisonous or not, I do not like snakes.

For some reason, unknown to me, they scare the you know what out of me.  They just seem to show up in places that are startling.

And so I am working on my clients down spout.  I remove the angled corner piece and move the splash block.  I thought for a moment that I caught it out of the corner of my eye.  I think maybe I saw something under the splash block when it popped up for a moment.

Or was I dreaming it all up?

I step back, get a broom and flip the splash block over.

OMG!!!  It is a big one.  Every bit of 4' or more!!!

And to make matters worse, it is a cold morning and he/she can barely move because he/she is cold blooded.  I have to sweep it off of the patio and away from my work space.

Ooooooooooooooo I still have the heebie geebies now a week later as I type this.  Why don't I like snakes?

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good, not the snake.

2 Rockers

A client gave me these two rockers to work on.  One needed a new seat.  The other one was in 20 pieces when I got it.

I cleaned up the parts and glued the brown one together.  In the morning I took the clamps off of it. I realized then that I should’ve taken a "before and after" picture to show what had been accomplished. 

Then it occurred to me that this happens to us all the time.  We work on things, we try to do the good, and the process is often unseen. 

We are rarely praised and hailed for the work that we do along the way. But thoughtful people can look back and remember what was, and now see what has become. 

I know that little by little, by plodding along, by working toward a goal, we can achieve all kinds of fantastic things whether our work is recognized or not. 

Keep working, keep loving, keep striving.

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

Rome

Rome wasn't built in a day.

If you want to make the world a better place, it is going to take some time.  We can't fix everything.  But just because we can't fix everything does not mean that we should ignore what we can do.

Our efforts make an enormous difference, one person at a time.  Without your efforts at kindness, and without mine, the world would be worse off.  Do what you can.  Every day, every time, one person at a time.

I thank my friend Bruce for that meme.  Make your opportunities, big or small count.  They are the only ones that we will ever have.

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

How did you get to be so kind

Years ago I asked a friend how they got to be so kind.  They said, "there was never a day in my life that I did not know that I was loved, and I had some really good mentors."   That told me that she was raised in an exceptionally loving home, and that she didn't just have good mentors, she listened to them.

A few weeks ago I asked another friend how they got to be so kind. This is part of their reply...

I've been thinking for a day trying to figure out an answer to your question about kindness. Here's what I came up with. My childhood was crappy too. In retrospect, I now believe my stepfather was a Narcicist and my mother was eventually beaten down and became reclusive. Our household was not kind and loving. Smiles did not abound. I learned by observation the power that words and attitudes have to hurt. A word spoken in haste and anger can never be retrieved. So early on, I learned to do differently than my parents did. That, coupled with a ready smile that was a gift from the Lord mixed with a little "do unto others" and the fact that I just genuinely love people, makes kindness come easy. Maybe when we consider the gifts of the spirit, I was just blessed with a lot of kindness, I don't know. Anyway, it's not something I dwell on or have to work at. It's just me. Sorry I'm not more profound. My brother in law was an evangelist and turned everyone off with his constant preaching. I decided I never wanted to be that kind of Christian. I truly believe that our eyes are the windows to our souls and when people make eye contact with me, I just want them to know that I really see them and I want them to see God's love in my eyes. I want them to think, wow, if that's being a Christian, whatever she has, I want some of that.

I loved it.

I hope that we can all find ways to be kind.  Whether we follow our parents example or not, there is a world where kindness reigns and we can enlarge it.

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

The sacred desk

Granddaughter Bella is visiting from Chicago!

The pulpit has been referred to as the sacred desk.  It is the place where imperfect men and women stand to try to deliver a helpful message to the congregation.

It had been almost two years since I last preached.  I thank Pastor Tim Barton for the opportunity to speak on Sunday December 4.  It was a great privilege.  

I had not worn a tie in almost 2 years!  It felt good to put on what I call, "the holy clothes."

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

Our image of God

Our image of God is flawed and it needs to change.

I don't think God cares if you are rich or poor.  His mission is not to make us wealthy.

I don't think God cares what you believe about the "trinity" or the second coming.

"God does not hate the same people that we do."  Molly Baskette

A healthy image of God includes a dose of reality...

All children are God's children.

We are expected to love our neighbors, even those with whom we disagree.

We are invited to understand that "our stuff" is really God's stuff, on loan to us in this life, not for us to consume, but for us to do good.

What is your image of God?  How much of it is based in self-comfort?  How much of it drives you towards giving yourself away for the sake of Jesus?

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

Happy Birthday

Joan Cherner in front, Cathy is holding the basket
date is approximately 2000

Happy Birthday to my wife of 35+ years!!!

Oh, we were young!  Well, she was young at least.  I wish Cathy a great day and a great year!

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

They are going to be surprised when they get to heaven...

Who are the good ones?  Who are the bad ones?

Some Christians love to make lists of who the good ones are, and who the bad ones are.  The good ones, of course, are always the people like them.  The bad ones are people that have the wrong beliefs, the wrong relationships, the wrong politics, and the wrong version of Christianity.  Just about anything that the group deems to be "wrong."

I would like to point out here that the only groups/people that Jesus singled out as being "wrong" were the Pharisees.  And ironically, they were the ones who were telling everyone else who was in and who was out.

In our world, who are the folks that are drawing lines between who is in and who is out?  Stay away from them.  They are going to be surprised when they get to heaven.  They are going to be surprised when they find in heaven: a Roman Centurion, a thief from the cross, a woman who had six husbands, a tax collector and so on.

Please do not spend your life focused on who is in and who is out.  Jesus brought everyone into the circle.  He was loved because he opened his arms to the broken and needy.  All nations will stream to God's mountain.

The banquet table in heaven is really big.  Jesus put his arms around everyone.  We that call ourselves his followers, should follow that example.

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

I got junk

Junk hauling has become quite the business.  If you have ever hired one of the "professional" junk hauling services, you know they can be very expensive.  VERY!!!

I have added junk hauling to my handyman business card.  I charge $35/hour plus dump fees.  Let me tell you, that is cheap!

I love hauling off junk.  It is fun.  I get to see some old crummy stuff.  Sometimes I haul off things that I get to keep or sell.  

Things that people have had me haul off:

bicycles
wheel barrows
ladders... lots of rusted ladders
shelving
rugs
plants
dishes
old boards

attic stuff

garage junk
old equipment
on and on it goes...

If you ever see a truck driving down the road that looks like this, it just might be me.  

One man's trash is another man's treasure.

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

$1, $5, $20, ?

It is the time of the year to start carrying $1 bills.  Actually I always try to carry them, because there is always some good cause to donate to.

The red kettles are coming out.  The Salvation Army is starting it's annual red kettle fund raiser.  Personally, I always put in $1.  I don't put in a $5 bill because I always put in a $1.  I never walk by the kettle without putting in.  Never.  It is just something that I do.  One of my life principles.

Putting in $1 does a number of things:

• needy people are helped
• I am/you are, stopped in your tracks and required to think about something besides where you are going
• we get to look in the eyes of the person ringing the bell.
• we get to say thank you

it is a lovely, simple, affordable, moment of generosity.  In the KC area today, there is a match on $20 donations.  So, get out there and give.

Giving makes us happy.  Release yourself from the attachment to money and things.  Give some of it away to a very deserving cause.

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

a plea to stop the torturing of introverts

Part of me is an introvert. I am good with being alone. In fact, sometimes, I crave solitude. I am rejuvenated by quiet time alone. Consequently, I am an expert on what introverts like and don't like.

Put an introvert on an airplane and they will be uncomfortable. It is a two hour experience that they will bear for a greater cause.  Force an introvert to walk through a crowded airport and they will long for that quiet hotel room at the end of the day.

The age of cell phones has ushered in terror for the introverts of the world. Especially when I travel I find myself in places and situations where I am around very loud people.  People whose mom never taught them what an inside voice was all about.  People that just have to use their phone the minute that it is possible.  Evidently they are the president of a small country and must be in touch with national security matters.  

They don’t even have to be sitting next to me on the plane- they can be five seats away in the terminal or on the plane, but talking so loudly that you would think they’re the only one around. 

Maybe they are deaf, but I doubt it.   I want to get in their face and say, "didn’t your mom ever teach you about an inside voice?"  Please remember when you’re on the phone or when you’re talking in general to be courteous to those around you. Everyone appreciates a soft voice and a quiet conversation.

Be a blessing to the shy and introverted of the world.  

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

make sure that they know

I was talking to a friend about how we say things to each other and it sounds rote.

Hi! Hi!
How are you? Good. How are you?
Thank you. You are welcome.

These are all things that we can say in a way that they go in one ear and out the other. What if we learned to say such things in ways that would stick.

This can be accomplished by some of the following…
1. Look someone in the eye when you say thank you
2. If it is in an email, expand beyond thank you and include emphasis like caps. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT!!!
3. Refuse to say thank you in a cursory way. Instead, stop and change the pace of the moment. Turn your head, catch their eye, then say the words, “Thank you”

Find a way to make sure that you know that they know that you are/were totally sincere about your thanks. You will be glad that you did.

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