Halloween

My mom was a pretty fundamental Christian. Everything was black and white. Lots of judgment. That was then, this is now. She is in heaven with Jesus now and I know that she is basking in his love and sharing it with others. She is whole.

So what does this have to do with Halloween? My mom, the fundamental Christian, loved Halloween. She set aside all of her dogmas and let the dogs out for Halloween. Demons that were feared and riled against during the rest of the year were amicably welcomed on Halloween. She had more Halloween decorations than Christmas ones.......

One of my favorites was a sign, which went up every year on the front door. The sign had an ugly witch on it and it said, "Welcome kiddies, put all your goodies in the box below... go quietly and no one will get hurt." Yes there was a box underneath the sign. No one ever left any candy, but I find the story to be so funny.

As a child we would run from house to house, covering many blocks.  When our pillow cases got full, we would go home and empty them out and go back for more.  Sometimes when we got home, we found that our Dad had raided our candy and pulled out the Hershey bars!!!

These days, things are different.  Children do not run unsupervised... they go out protected by parents.  It is a shame what our world has become.

But my family still loves Halloween.  Chili on the stove, scary movies on the TV.  Kids coming to the door... it is a great day that we look forward to each year.

Have a Happy Halloween. October 31 is the Lord's day too. This is our father's world.

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

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I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
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If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com  

What you said

Someone emailed me and said, "thank you for what you said."

I have noticed in life that I really appreciate it when someone calls it out, when someone tells it like it is, when I feel like I am getting a straight perspective.

Sometimes I read people and I think, "thank you for saying that!  That is exactly what I was thinking.  Someone finally said what I was thinking!"

I want this blog to be that.  I want it to be a place where the writing and the ideas are actually saying what we are all thinking.  I want to be brave enough to challenge the status quo if need be.

Keep pushing on me.  Please ask me to write about the hard things.  I grow by my interaction with all of you.

And by the way, I think that the people around you will benefit hugely- from you being candid with them.

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

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I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure
If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com

Old Friend

I ran into an old friend the other night.  We used to go to church together.  Times change, things change, marriages end, I moved to Florida.

This friend said to me, I have felt so bad about changing churches, about not staying up with you, about a few other things.

Hmmm.  Stop.

When you think of me, don't feel bad.  Ever.  You have not let me down.  I am not upset with you.  When you think of me - only feel good.  Let there be nothing between us except joy and happiness.  Let there be nothing between us except for kindness and peace.

Don't worry about anything, ever.  All is 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

Question 1

A few weeks ago I asked for questions to be submitted.  I have received about five of them.  I am going to start working on answering them.  Here is the first one, and it come from one of my very favorite humans.

"Why don't we have communion every Sunday in our Church?"

Answer... many different denominations and churches within denominations have different practices regarding the frequency of communion.

All Catholic churches have it every Sunday.  Some other churches have it once a quarter.  I grew up in a church that had it 2x a month.  When I was at Woods Chapel in Lees Summit, as a general rule, we had it once a month, except we had it every Sunday at the 8am service.

This is one of those church items that people and pastors have differing ideas and preferences about.

But in my experience, in most protestant churches, I think you will find communion once a month, usually on the first Sunday.  Some pastors want to do it every week, and others will do it less often.

It can be unsettling when a new pastor comes in and changes the frequency of Communion, but ultimately the decision is up to them and the worship committee if the church has one.

I would encourage you to make it meaningful, whether you get to receive it weekly or once a month.

I hope that helps.

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  

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.
click here for the brochure
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.
click here for the brochure
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.
click here for the brochure
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.
click here for the brochure
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.