Iguana

My friends Lou and Donna were in south Florida.  Donna would sit out on the patio and read while Lou attended his meetings.  While doing so, she made a friend.  Boy or girl we do not know.  Donna would roll him/her grapes and pineapple.  Guess what?  He came around more often!

Finally, in an act of appreciation, he left Donna a present.  I have a picture of the present, but it is kind of gross, you can use your imagination.  Let's just say that he returned the grapes and pineapple in another form.

I share this story for a number of reasons.  First, look how big this guy is!  In many countries, iguana are cooked for dinner.  When we were travelling in Nicaragua on our mission trips, it was not unusual to see children holding them up on the side of the road, wanting someone to buy them for dinner.

Secondly, this is an invasive species.  Like the big snakes, they are taking over south Florida and moving up north.  I hear that there is no restriction on hunting them.

Finally, the moral of the story... sometimes you give people good things... pineapple and grapes... and they return something else.  Don't be surprised if your kindness is returned with poo.  Just keep sharing the kindness.  Do all the good you can, to all the iguanas that you can, in all the ways that you can, for as long as you can.

Kindness is not about the response that you get.  Being kind is a reward in itself.

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

For a cookie???

So I was staying at a cheap hotel in Niagara Falls. Out on a job with the contracting company. No breakfast at this hotel, and no coffee for that matter, so I go to Dunkin Donuts across the street to get a cup of coffee.

While I am waiting for my coffee, I notice that there are some cookies for sale here next to the register.





 WHAT???

Why is Dunkin’ Donuts selling cookies? Do people eat cookies in the morning? And why in the world would a cookie cost $3.49???  Heck for $3.49 I expect a dozen cookies.  And look, they have covered the original price on the box. Evidently there’s been some inflation - I wonder what they used to cost? And do people actually buy them?  How long have they been on the counter for sale?  What is their half-life?

That reminds me of a joke.

When I was a kid you could get air for your tires at the gas station for free. Now when you go to get air at the gas station, it cost a dollar. Do you know why?

Inflation!

Yes I know that inflation is real now.  $3.49 for a cookie?  When my dad was a kid, he asked his dad, my grandpa, about the cost of things and what we would do if bread got to a dollar a loaf.  As the story goes, grandpa said, if bread gets to $1 a loaf, we will still buy bread.

What does this story from my father mean? It means that sometimes, times are tough. Sometimes gas is up. Sometimes food prices are up.

We can cry and moan and blame this politician or that one. But during our life time, prices are going to be going up. It is a fact.

I encourage people to fight inflation by working a side job. Finding a side gig. Cutting expenses. Going out to eat less.  Finding ways to be more frugal.  Those who want to figure it out, will figure it out. We will still buy bread.

The story also means, don't worry... we will still  have bread.

Wow that blog went from fun to serious real quick.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.  And stay out of debt and look for ways to save.  And give all you can to bless others while we are at it.

Recover

I recently heard and listened to a song entitled "Recover." It is by a person named Forest Clay. Here are the lyrics...

VERSE 1
Deconstructed these walls and I found a business
Where the company line was the only way to get paid
We built a church on certainty that fears everything against it
Where the refugee suffers and the white man has it made

CHORUS
I won’t do it anymore - it’s taken me too long to recover
I’ll go feed the sick and poor and try to help the world to recover

VERSE 2
I sat myself in your pews every single week
And I gave you my money so that you would tell mе what to think
And I learned from a book that you had taken thе heart out of
And that’s how I learned to make exclusion look like love

CHORUS
I won’t do it anymore it’s taken me too long to recover
I’ll go feed the sick and poor and try to help the world to recover

Here is a link to the song on youtube

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

How we die

We are all going to die.

Sometimes I think about friends who have passed. One who died after a long battle with cancer.  One dear friend had a heart attack and died suddenly.  I have one friend who was mowing the grass, had a heart attack and died and they revived him saved him! He is still with us!  

I think about my parents and how they passed. My mom had cancer for six months and then died.  My dad died suddenly. In the parking lot of his favorite restaurant.

I know we don’t get a choice on how or when we go.  But personally, I’d like to have a few months advance warning.  I’d like to have a few months to see my kids and tell them thank you and tell them I love them.  I’d like to be able to see some of my friends and talk with them about the things that we did and the fun that we had and how much I loved them.  I would also want the chance to make sure everyone knew that I wasn’t afraid.  I would want them to know that I felt like I’d lived a good life and a very fortunate life compared to most.

My mom had six months to do this, but would not say goodbye.  She said that she would be healed and there was nothing to talk through.  Very sad...

And as I contemplate this topic, it occurs to me that I can tell my kids and my friends now how much I enjoy them and how much I love them.  I can tell you now how much I enjoy spending time with you.  We can reminisce now about the great times we’ve had.  I can tell them I love them.  I can say it to you!!!

I’m gonna do that.

Don't wait til the end.  It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

The Eternal Bliss of Heaven

You can make the Bible say whatever you wish it to say... are you looking for a loving God that saves people, you can find that. Are you looking for a God of judgment that will send you to hell? You can find that as well.

What would heaven be like if we could look down and see our loved ones burning forever in hell? Who could even enjoy that for a moment???  How does that even make sense?  What kind of bliss is that?

Instead, I invite you to believe:

“This is good and acceptable in the sight of our God our savior; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus: Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (1 Tim. 2:3-6, KJV)

Jesus “is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” (1 John 2:2)

The Gospel is “good tidings of great joy will be to all people.” (Luke 2:10)

“And I, [Jesus] if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw (literally “drag” in the Greek, helkuo) all mankind unto Myself.” (John 12:32)

Jesus “was the true light which gives light to every man who come into the world.” (John 1:9)

“Just as the result of one trespass was condemnation of all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.” (Rom. 5:18)

All men.  All women.  All people.  And there are many more passages than these...  I simply have chosen to believe the scriptures filled with love and grace.  For me, life makes more sense, and God makes more sense.

And for those who believe in a loving God, it is for sure a beautiful day in God's world.  See the good.

Hell pt. 3

Do we seriously believe in hell?  If we really believe in hell, then we must change our lives immediately.  There is no time for vacations, no time for movies and no time to waste.  Pickleball is definitely out.

Every step of our life, every waking moment must be spent trying to save people from an eternal torture.

That is how people who are serious about believing in hell would act.  They also would be deathly afraid to have any children.  What if one of the children did not believe it right?  Then I brought a child into the world, and though I loved them, they may now be doomed to eternal torture.

But personally, me, I, Jeff, I don't believe this anymore.  I am done believing that God wants to torture people for eternity who just barely missed it.  

And so for me, it is a beautiful day in a world in which God loves all of us and we have a chance in this life to see and celebrate the good.

It seemed...

A break from my thoughts about hell today...

There is a good deal of insistence these days by some Christians about what is the right belief.  They seem to think that they have heard from God and that they have a non-negotiable handle on truth.

In Acts 15 the early church council is debating what guidance should be give to those who are going out to win new Christians... for example, should the new converts be circumcised?

In Acts 15 we find this statement from the council... 15:28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements...

It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us...

What a lovely and humble way they spoke about the leading of God. In my life I have heard Christians say, "God told me," "The bible says," "God said it, I believe it, and that settles it for me."

Yet the early church leaders, after prayer said, it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us. What a wonderful example of humility they showed. I wish we saw more of it in today's Christians.

You and I can be different.

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

Hell Pt 2

So God loves us and wants to give us good things in this life.  But be careful, because if you do it wrong, you will tortured for eternity down below.

That is like this...

You are raised by parents that love you and always work for the good for you.  They care for you in your needs and guide you.  You have amazing parents.  Then one day you go to college and you learn that your parents also have a torture chamber in the basement where they have tortured kids who didn't do it right.

What would you think of those loving parents now?   Would you want to spend thanksgiving with them?

Maybe it is time to truly believe in a God of love.

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

Hell

Hold on to your hat.  Don't hang up yet.  Something that we were taught isn't as we were told.  

The words that the King James translators translated as hell were misinterpreted.  Sheol, the old testament word, hades and Gehenna, the new testament words were never intended to imply that God wanted to torture people forever in fire.

The concept of hell that most of us grew up on were made popular by Dante in his book "the inferno."  It was a very popular book at the time and it gave rise to lots of sandlot theology which was quickly seized upon by the fundamentalist denominations.

Church leaders, through out history, have loved to hold onto doctrines that kept people living in fear.  How Christian is that?  Why would God want his children to live in fear???

Consider this about the idea of hell as a place where you burn forever...  If you believe in this, maybe you are more gracious than God himself.  How so?  Well, you can think of many good people that you would let slide or give a pass to:  Ghandi, My Grandmother, some Mormon friend.  I know you can think of someone that was not a bad person, but they just didn't follow the church's rules.  You can think of many people that you would want to save from hell.  But God the father, according to fundamentalist doctrine, sends them all to hell if they have the wrong belief in the slightest manner.

So that makes you more gracious than God.  You would give people an out, but God [in fundamentalist theology] cannot.  Maybe it is time to change our way of thinking because we are not more gracious than God.

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

Faith Hope and Love Part 2

By the way, more room has been found for the Ireland trip in October.  We have a fun group going.  If you are interested, just send me an email at jsbrink57@gmail.com

Now for today's blog... and I am very excited about this blog post...

Paul ends the chapter of 1 Cor 13 with these words...  "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

Love is better than faith?  Love is better than hope?  How so???

Faith... if I have faith in myself, or faith that God will bring a thing to pass, there is something lacking.  Something lacking, something needed, and I have faith that it will be resolved.

Hope... if I have hope in the future or hope that God will do this or that, there is something lacking.  I have this situation, but I have hope that things will change.

Love... if I have love, nothing is lacking.  If I can focus on, if I can bask in, if I can dive into the pool of love, there is nothing else needed.  When I feel love, I am whole.  When I sense the love that God has placed in our hearts, I am complete.  All is well.

Faith and Hope helps us pursue a better day.  Love is the better day.  When we find it, all is well.

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

Faith, Hope and Love

Probably my favorite chapter of the bible is 1 Cor. 13.  I used to say that this should be posted on everyone's refrigerator. One year, maybe 2006? we made several hundred small copies of the chapter and glued magnets on the back and gave them out.  I suspect that there are still some refrigerators hosting that memoir.

I read the chapter at every wedding.   I always say, "sometimes people think that they have heard this enough."  And I reply... Do you have it all down?  Until we get the love down, I suggest we read it again and again and again.

13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

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

creativity

From my friend Georgia via Pastor Brian...

ways that we can be creative... or yes you do have power to create good...

I can work to create peace in my home.
I can create space to develop and maintain relationships.
I can create a welcoming environment in our home, in spaces where I volunteer and meet with others.
I can create space (time) for God and others.
I can create a more forgiving heart.
I can create a more open mind and willingness to listen and love others.

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

contentment

Last week I made it to church.  In the coffee area there were some of these keychains in a basket.  Evidently they were made some years ago under the leadership of another pastor.  I loved the message.

Lord, help me to be grateful for what I have, to remember that I don't need most of what I want, and that joy is found in simplicity and generosity.  

I would add that in many cases, we don't even really need much of what we actually do have.

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

The paralyzed man

I was eating breakfast at the hotel and I saw a man, probably 45 years old, in a motorized wheelchair.  I noted that he was friendly and pleasant to a number of people.  I wondered, how long have you been in the chair?  Do you have an illness?  What does a brain have to do to come to grips with such a lack of mobility?

You and I, we take walking for granted don't we???

So his pleasant demeanor reminded me of the story of the paralyzed man... Once upon a time, a man was paralyzed in a car accident.  He was laying in bed, completely bed ridden.  His friends were terrified to visit him because they did not know what to say.  They had in the past spent so many days working together, so many nights playing softball and having a beer at the bar and grill.  They just had no paradigm for how to relate to his new situation.  Finally one friend decided to overcome his fears and visit the paralyzed man.

When he got to the bedside of his friend, he was shocked to see that the friend, even though paralyzed for life, had a smile on his face.  The paralyzed man said, "Oh, Jim, I am so glad that you have stopped by.  I know that you all worry about me, but since the accident, I am alive like never before.  Beautiful things that were invisible to me in the past are now quite clear.  I have come to enjoy the breeze that blows through the open window.  I am paying attention to the calls of the birds.  I have learned to tell which bird makes what sound.  I can tell if they are happy or distressed.  At night I see the stars.  I am learning the constellations.  And when you come to visit me, you have my full attention, I am not distracted by other things, I am only thinking of you.  So you see, although everyone is worried about me, I am alive now in ways that I never was before."

End of story.

May we all wake up to the beauty and amazingness of the world around us.

What people care about

My friend Dee sent me a note card.  I was slow to reply and I am sorry.  She should receive a note in the mail from me in the next few days.  I am so bad at the old school hand written notes.  My handwriting is terrible.  And just to think, when I was a kid, my mother forbade us doing anything with gifts until the thank you notes were written.

Anyway, my friend Dee reminded me of this old saying...

People don't care what you know, they want to know that you care.

Simple but true.  Powerful when put into practice.

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

I got nothing from your blog

I received a note recently from a long time reader who said, "I read your blog today and I got nothing from it."

Well, I was not offended.  I think that we humans all have that feeling from time to time.  I was hoping for this, but instead I got that.  I was hoping to be inspired, but instead I got jokes about Star Wars.

Well friends, life is full of disappointments.  In fact, some of the people that we love the most are those whose disappointments we take in stride.

I write every day about what is going on.  I hope it helps you or blesses you from time to time, but I know for sure that sometimes you might read it and get nothing.

Such is life.

I am not offended.  I am doing the best that I can.  Hacking away at the keyboard, trying to explain life as I see it.

Disappointment comes to us all.  I hope that the blog tomorrow is particularly touching to you.

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

Do you see what I see

So I was staying at the hotel in Boca Raton.  Took a break in the early afternoon to swim.  I didn't have to report for work until 3pm.

So I am hopping back and forth from the pool to the hot tub and I notice something on this palm tree.  By the way, this is a story about paying attention.  About seeing incredible things that are around us that often go unnoticed.  It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.  So I looked at the palm tree and I saw this...

Can you see it???

Now let me zoom in.  A pretty big iguana.  

Probably 3' long...

As a common young man from Missouri, seeing an iguana seems like a big deal.  It was kind of exciting to see it.  I think that they are an invasive species.  I know that in Nicaragua, when we went there on mission trips, people would catch them and eat them.

Anyway, the moral of this story is to keep looking at what is around you.  The beauty and amazingness of God's world is there if we just open our eyes.

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

A Tale of Two Maids

So I was working in Boca Raton for three weeks.  I stayed at the same hotel.  I got to know many members of the staff on a first name basis.

I was struck by the difference in the attitudes of two of the maids or members of the housekeeping staff.  One, always had a negative look on her face.  She rarely spoke, but would gesture with her hands for you to move out of the way.  She looked like she was unhappy with the world.  I wondered if it felt beneath her to work at such a job.

The housekeeper #2 was a bubbly happy bundle of joy.  She spoke to me, and I am sure to others.  She had a wonderful smile.  She was happy at her place of work.

Two human beings.  Similar situations.  One a joy and one a pill.  The effect that each of them have on their surroundings was evident.  One brought things down, and one lifted things up.

We have the opportunity each day to grouse or to see the good.  What is your choice?

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

Longing for a holiday

Sometimes we long for holidays.  When we were kids we longed for Christmas.  It just could not get there fast enough.  As adults I think we long for Thanksgiving or any holiday when the kids can come home.

I have been watching a pirate show on Netflix called "Black Sails."  I like pirates.  I like talk like a pirate day which is September 19th.  I started thinking about how much I enjoy pirate jokes and pirate lore and I started longing for talk like a pirate day.  I looked online for pirate hats.

When I saw some of the pictures I started to laugh and laugh.

Laughter is good medicine. I hope you learn to yearn for and enjoy talk like a pirate day.

Rrrr Matie!!!

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

soldiers on my mind

Of late, for some reason, I have been thinking a lot about soldiers in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Russian soldiers who are out their, mostly who had no choice, forced to fight.  Shot by their own officers if they retreat.  Fodder for the meat grinder.

And then I think of the Ukrainian soldiers... fighting to save their country from an invader.  Hoping that the world will help.  Knowing that the odds are against them.

And I think of soldiers on both sides who may be opening up some ration for lunch.  The enemy is far away, but no... there is a drone, and it drops a grenade on you.  A totally new aspect of war that pretty much makes no place safe.

The fear must be terrifying.

War is never good.  Let's pray for the young men and women on both sides.

What me worry?

When I was a kid I read Mad Magazine. That may be where my strange sense of humor came from.

Alfred E. Neuman used to say, "What, me worry?"

I realize that after all of these years of trying to live, and trying to live in mentally healthy ways, I still find myself worrying. What if my boss isn't happy. Maybe my kids don't really like me. Maybe I am annoying. What if there isn't enough?  Maybe this. Maybe that.

And so I stop and I give myself today, the same advice that I would give you. Release yourself from your worries. Let it go. Relax. Take a deep breath and enjoy the moment. Don't let your days be colored by needless and fruitless worry.

Release yourself.

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

The worst of losses

I worked in the house of a Vietnam vet.  Hanging pictures in their new house.  Later that night I watched a show about a family who lost a son in Vietnam. 

I can’t imagine.  And I think about my worst heart aches.  Failed church appointments, broken relationships. Disappointing people. 

None of them compare to losing a child.  If you’re out there and you’re reading this and you’ve lost a child I want you to know that my heart goes out to you.  I hug you from a far.  You’ve experienced as far as I’m concerned one of the worst griefs life has to offer.  I love you and I’m so sorry.

I encourage you to keep looking for the joy.  God is bigger than we can ever imagine.  And, he lost a child once too.

Buying Books

I buy all of my books used from dealoz.com

Sometimes someone mentions a book and I buy it.  Cheap.

Some months ago I was watching a show and they quoted Marcus Aurelius "Meditations."  I bought the book.  Unfortunately, the language was so very difficult.  I didn't get much out of it.

Last week I was watching a show and they quoted his book again.  The quote got my attention.

No no shame.  I said what?  Ahh.  Know no shame.

In this life, reject shame, accept no shame.  Know no shame.

I am happy to have gleaned a bit of wisdom from a Roman philosopher.

Know no shame in this life.

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

TOTALLY STRESSED!!!

A couple of days ago I was totally stressed.  I needed 200 pieces of a certain product for the job that I was working on.  I placed orders at three different Lowes.  I drove to them in the terrible south Florida traffic.  One store said they had 145 pieces but when I got there, they only had three.  I want to get this material.  I do not want to let my boss down.

Then, 20 minutes down the road, I get a message thanking me for picking up my order.  Someone clicked the wrong button and my credit card was charged $1,200 for items that they did not even have.  Are you feeling my pain?  And on top of this I was hangry.

This went on for an hour.  I was making myself sick.  Then I decided to take action.  I put on one of my podcasts from the Demello Spirituality Center.  I listened to the soothing tone of his voice.  I took in his thoughts.  I realized that I was worrying about things that I could do nothing about.  He said that I should not let it touch me.  I should not let the concerns stick to me.

He talked about how if you throw black paint up into the air, it doesn't make the air black.  We are the same way.  Things only have the power to effect us when we let them.

My breathing slowed.  Peace returned.  Later that day, the issue was resolved.  No wonder Jesus told us not to worry.

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

Moved to pray

Sometimes prayer is a chore.  Sometimes I am moved to pray.  Today, I am moved to pray.

"Dear Father, you told us to ask, but sometimes I feel that I have no business asking anything of you.  You and I have had our moments over the years... but my heart is touched to reach out to you with prayers.  Prayers for Debra who has lung cancer.  And prayers for a young woman named Bella who is in the hospital with pneumonia and low blood pressure.  If you are waiting for a prayer to release your power and touch these two people, then let this be that prayer.  Please touch them and please bless them.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

I invite you to join me in the above prayer.

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

She is gone

She emailed me or Facebook messaged me 2x a week.  She worried about a lot of things.  She was always interested in how I was doing.  She missed me.  She made great soup. She had a great laugh.  She told me that she loved me.  I know that she did.

And she is gone.

She died suddenly.  Well, if you are in your 90's it may not fit the deffinition of suddenly.  But she passed, and she is gone.  And I miss her messages.

She was a lovely, kind, gracious friend.  I know I will see her again.  Appreciate every moment that you have with the ones that you love... nothing lasts forever.

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

When is Cinco de Mayo

I have told the same jokes over and over again for most of my life. Please laugh with me and enjoy.

Today is Cinco de Mayo. Cinco = five. Mayo = May. The fifth of May.

I love to ask people, "when is Cinco de Mayo this year?" Many people recognize it as a holiday but do not understand that it is date specific. Much like someone from another culture might hear that we celebrate a holiday called July 4th. If the words July and fourth don't translate well into their language, they might not know it was a specific day.

Did you know that Cinco de Mayo is not celebrated very much in Mexico? Cinco de Mayo is actually a fabricated holiday for Americans to drink margaritas and have a party.

It is also not the Mexican day of Independence. That is September 16th. Cinco de Mayo celebrates a Mexican victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla, May 5th 1862.

Anyway, today is Cinco de Mayo. When is it next year?

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

Star Wars Day!!!

My friend Shawn Fransensengens turned me on to this nice little joke.

Today is Star Wars day.

May the 4th be with you.
ha. ha.

I was in California for Jr and Sr highschool and my first year of college. I moved away in 1976. I missed my friends, imagine that. So I drove back for a visit it 1977. I was visiting my friend Dan Denevue in San Jose California in 1977. The Star Wars movie came out in May, I was there in June or July. There were still long lines to watch the first Star Wars film. I was visiting Dan for 10 days. During that time we saw the movie 7 times. I loved it. Still do.

Happy Star Wars day.
May the 4th be with you.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

things to be thankful for

I was watching a war movie the other night.  It struck me how terrible it must be to aim a rifle and put another human being in your sights.

I am thankful that I have never had to do that.  I am thankful that I never wanted to do that.

I am also for ten other random things...

I am not sick, nor have I been for a while.

I have clothes on my back.

My son is doing better.

In my recent physical exams, I have been given memory evaluations, and have passed with flying colors.

I am thankful for healthy children.

I am thankful for cars that start.

I am thankful for the gift of work, of labor.

I am thankful that I woke up this morning.

Surely there is something in each person's life that they can be thankful for.

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

A meaningful May

My friend John sent this in... well worth the reading... 

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

Trust vs worry

Jesus said, do not worry.  How can it benefit you?  Can you add a moment to your life? Can you make yourself taller?

We all worry.  And, we all trust.  We just wish that we trusted God more often than we worried.  I have noticed something: when trust arrives, worry leaves.  When we take the time to really think that God is trustworthy, worry leaves.

You can't think about two things at the same time. It is impossible to do so.  Think about how big a problem is and God shrinks away. Think about trusting God, and worry gets smaller.  When trust arrives, worry leaves.

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