Happy Easter!!!

Happy Easter!!!

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

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

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

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

bad person

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

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

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

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

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

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

The front lines

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

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

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

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

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

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

How do you treat people in the service industry?

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

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

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

Quotes

These quotations were provided by my friend Irene P.

Gratitude is the sign of noble souls - Aesop

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

questions

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

Stop.  What???

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

God is not offended by our questions.

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

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

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

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

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

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

sharing your opinion

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See the good

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

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

So I go to Lowes and pick up the concrete.

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

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

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

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

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

The Thief

The thief on the cross...

He had no church.

He had no pastor.

At the time there was not even a Christian Church.

He gave no money to the church.

He did not read the bible.

He did not behave.

He did not repent.

He did not say the sinners prayer.

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

Yet he was welcomed into paradise by Jesus.

He made it.

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

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

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

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

The things that we are not good at.

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

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

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

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

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

purpose

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

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

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

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

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

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

Love and hugs to you.

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

struggling is ok

A friend wrote that they are struggling.  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

beware of simple solutions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What is heaven like

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

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

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

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

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

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

In my dream my grandmother spoke to me.  

Etc...

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

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

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

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

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

What color

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy St Patty's Day

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

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

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

This is a hint...




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

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

Rick O'Shay

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

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

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

I got a letter!

HOW EXCITING!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

prayers

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

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

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

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

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

Rubbish!!!

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

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

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

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

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

3.14

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

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

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

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

Because it just goes on forever.

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

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

Pi are round. Cake are square.

What did the students say about their Euclidean geometry test?

It was easy as pi.

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

"I don't want to repeat myself."

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

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

Pumpkin pi.

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

Why shouldn’t you eat too much pi?

You’ll end up with a big circumference.

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

Shepherd's pi.

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

Pi in the sky.

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

 

 Happy Pi Day!!!

 

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

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

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

I love this...

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

Choose to love.

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

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

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

Count Your Blessings

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

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

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

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

I am thankful for Joy Steincross.

I am thankful for a Wawa gift card.

I am thankful for a church home.

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

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

I am thankful...

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

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

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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

Tell them...

If you are glad to see someone, tell them.

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

If you think that someone is fantastic, tell them.

If they are one of your favorite humans tell them.

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

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

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

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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

Who gets in?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Not friends

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Drop the hatchet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

frustrated

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

learning

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

History

We need to learn the lessons from history.

Tyrants rule because good men do nothing...

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tyrants rule because good men do nothing.

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

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

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

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

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

Don't miss the parade

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

What parade you say?

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

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

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

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

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

remember these three words: tone, flower, car

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

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

Then she asked me what the three words were.

Do you remember the three words?

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

I hope that you remembered the three words.

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

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

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

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

givers and takers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I saw them coming

Last week I was in the Charlotte airport... 

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

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

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

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

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

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