Sunday, February 28, 2016

Can't survive on junk food alone

We are all guilty, to one degree or another, of eating too much junk food.  Here's the thing about that junk food;  we think it's good, we know that it really isn't good for us, and yet we consume it anyway.  I think we would all agree that if junk food were our only source of nutrition we would end up in less than top shape and it would have a negative impact on our well being.  What we all really need is a regular and balanced diet. 

There's a great Combo Meal that's the furthest thing from junk food and provides us with that eerily balanced diet.  And, the great thing about this Combo Meal is that you can have as much as you want and snacking is fully encouraged.  I suppose you must think I'm talking about food here....you know, the kind you buy at Mac's or BK or the like.  No, I'm speaking about how we feed our spiritual selves.  The successful spiritual selves are regularly fed the Combo Meal which consists of:

The Entrée:  The meat for a Christian is the Word.  If we're not into the Word, we're not getting the real meat we need for healthy and lasting spiritual growth.  This meat needs to be carefully and regularly eaten, and thoroughly digested.  As we acquire a taste for the entrée, we will find that we want more and more, and we will find that it is never, ever, cooked the wrong way.  It is perfect!  And, you can eat all you want with absolutely no side or harmful effects.

The Side:  Prayer completes the meal.  Prayer makes the meal balanced, and it contains everything that is necessary for life and that which isn't found in the entrée.  It is the part of the meal which brings all the nutrition to our spiritual body and prepares us and allows us to live our days in a godly manner.

The Drink:  The drink is the Holy Spirit.  If we have the Combo Meal without the drink, we are hurting ourselves, because it is the Holy Spirit that refreshes our lives through the presence of God, and nourishes our souls.  We need water and fluids to keep our bodies functioning smoothly, and we need the Holy Spirit to keep our spiritual lives running smoothly.

I mentioned snacking.  With this Combo Meal, not only is snacking completely encouraged, but you are free to snack all you want, when you want to.  This healthy snacking includes:
  • being actively involved in a small group
  • serving others
  • mentoring
  • volunteering
  • witnessing
  • embracing humble servitude
  • active involvement with your church
  • being a role model
  • being the best Christian man, husband, and father that you can be.
The junk food I talked about at the beginning, the harmful junk food.....yep, we all eat it, and sometimes we like it, and we know it's not good for us.  That junk food is all of the hurts, hang-ups, and habits we hang on to.  We'll never survive on that junk food alone.

Bottom Line Thought:  Do you need a change of diet?  Are you eating too much junk food?







Saturday, February 27, 2016

Potholes

A pothole in the road on the way to work the other day.  "Repaired" with a sense of humor.

Potholes become common in the northern areas this time of year.  It's almost a rite of winter for our roads to develop potholes.  They occur because of a combination of poor road maintenance, changing temperatures, weakened bases, and neglect of the early signs of damage.  If left alone, they get bigger and bigger, more dangerous, more capable of doing greater damage, and harder to fix right.

Our spiritual lives are also susceptible to potholes.  In fact, Satan likes nothing more than creating potholes in our hearts and minds.  He teases us into becoming apathetic and complacent about our spiritual health if we are not careful.  He helps our spiritual temperature go from hot to warm to cold, and can do so in the most seemingly innocuous ways.  When that happens, our spiritual foundation becomes weaker.  Often, we neglect the early signs of the damage to our spiritual being, or put it off as "a phase" that "I'll get over."  That may not happen, and, like the roadway potholes, if left unattended, the potholes of our heart, mind, and spirit will become bigger.  The pothole spiral begins...and it leads only downward. 

Some of the best ways to avoid that kind of pothole is involvement:
  • with a church which you attend on a regular basis
  • with daily scripture reading
  • with prayers, both regularly planned and spontaneous
  • with involvement in a small group
  • in mentoring a "baby" Christian
  • and through serving others.
Bottom Line Thought:  Are you pothole free?  Is there anyone you can help to repair their potholes?

Friday, February 26, 2016

The goat

Years ago kids sports were just that...kids sports.  Sure, to a degree it was also frustrated adults sports--for those adults who weren't in sports and decided to live sports through their kids.  But things were different then, and usually those parents settled down and let their kids play their game.

Nowadays, kids sports is a whole new ballgame (no pun intended).  Some examples:

  • There is a whole lot of "feel good" taking place in kids sports.  Participation trophies for everyone who plays, win or lose.  Do you think the kids themselves don't know who won and who lost and that the losers feel bad about it?  The parents sugarcoat losing with a participation trophy.
  • A girls high school basketball game recently ended with the score of 102-1.  One can still hear the howls of angst over how bad a person the winning coach must be to allow the girls of that team to run up a score like that.
  • The emergence of traveling teams (which are nothing more than money makers for the folks that set them up) has created a whole new look on kids sports.  Fancy uniforms, top level equipment (at a huge cost to the parents), and the fact that it's a necessity for a kid to play on a traveling team if he/she is going to participate in sports in the public schools (at least that is how it is in our area).  That's collusion and behind the scenes favoritism, as well as an unwritten, though well understood rule.  The terrible part is--what if a family has a kid that is a sports natural, but not the 2-3 thousand dollars it takes to get that kid on a traveling team, thus negating the kids chance to play that sport in the public school?

As adults, and most hopefully as Christian adults, we should have learned one thing about life:

It isn't always fair, and it isn't always nice.

We don't get participation or feel good trophies for doing life.  We win some and we lose some, or as a good friend put it, "sometimes we get the goat, and sometimes the goat gets us."  There is no traveling team in real life.  We all have the same long dirt road to travel as we wade through our lives. And, sometimes, like the girls basketball team, we are simply going to get trounced.  But, when that happens, we have the opportunity to learn some things about life, often under the category of harsh reality.  So the question is...Why do so many of us, Christians included, go to such extremes to shield our kids from the harsh realities of life and expend so much energy on painting a false picture of how life really is?


Thursday, February 25, 2016

Do you have the guts?

This post could be particularly meaningful for:
  1. Someone who is at the crossroads of changing their life, one who recognizes that "hole" in their guts, the one that tells them something is lacking--a relationship with God and Jesus.
  2. Someone who is yielding to apathy or complacency in their walk with Christ.
  3. or, someone who is feeling like a punching bag, sensing that God has abandoned them.
There are several schools of thought about reviewing our pasts.  One discourages it out of the fear that such a review will open old wounds.  Another encourages it based on the thought that to do so allows one to see how much better a person they are now as compared to their past.  A healthy look back can serve either to beat yourself up or to build yourself up.  Obviously, any opportunity to build oneself up is never a bad thing.  Case in point:

He had realized that his days on the other side of the river of life were over, that where he had been traveling led him further and further away from an eternity with God in Heaven.  He found a church that became a church home.  But he still had his horrible past that he carried around in his mind, and the guilt that came from it.  In time he shared some of that past with a godly man and was surprised to find that he wasn't rejected, but rather embraced.  Over time he shared some more, and still wasn't rejected.  Rather, that friend encouraged him.  He encouraged him to take his time and as he remembered stuff, as things came to mind, to write it down.  Twenty two pages and several months later he felt that his journey to the past was over, that it was all there in black and white.  He shared that with his wise and godly friend.  And when he did so, all he got was a question.  "Don't you see how God's Hand was all over your life...even when you didn't see it, or know it, or want it?  Can you see how He protected others from you, and you from yourself through all of this?"  And, it was true---there in black and white were multiple instances where God's Hand had indeed been always present in the life of a deeply flawed sinner.

Once we see the hard cold evidence of God's Hand in the totality of our lives it becomes really difficult to doubt His love for us, just as it becomes difficult to not want to trust Him as we move forward with our lives.  There is something enormously cathartic in having the guts to expose oneself for the purpose of not beating yourself up but for the purpose of seeing how God worked in your life in your darkest times--those times when you rejected him.

He created all of us.  His Hand is always there.

Bottom Line Thought:  If you haven't done so, do you have the guts to show all of yourself so that you can see, and fully appreciate, the Hand of God in your life?




Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Little things

Some folks make mountains out of mole hills.

Little rudders steer big ships.

Tiny sparks can start huge forest fires.

A small amount of gasoline vapor powers strong engines.

Little babies can make a heart melt.

A small acorn produces a large oak tree.

A single word can destroy a relationship.

Our tongue is one of the smaller parts of our body, and yet it is that tongue that can create more damage than we can imagine.  That small part also defines us by what comes out of it.  Our tongue is a reflection of who and what we are.  And, it's just a little thing. 

Bottom Line Thought:  It's a tiny chapter in a big book.  Read James 3 to learn about our tongue.

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

The little guy in the red tights

"I did it again !"

"I wish I didn't say things like that."

"Why did I just swear that way in front of the kids?"

"I'm trying so hard, but I keep doing those things."

"Where do those thoughts keep coming from?"

"Am I going to act like this all my life?"

"How can God love me when I am like this?"

How many times have you said to yourself, or thought them, the above thoughts?


Some of us are convinced that there are voices in our head that  tell us these things:

"Go ahead, no one will ever know."

"Aw, go on.  It'll be fun and it won't hurt anyone."

There's a culprit in our lives.  He likes to disrupt them, and he loves to make us think those things and say those things.....and he loves to tell us the last two encouraging statements.  He's the little guy in the red tights.  He resides in our minds, and he rides on our shoulders whispering into our ears...."go ahead."  He's the one who helps us "do it again."    And, he loves playing with his best audience....we who are Christians.  Our only hope against the little guy in the red tights is to keep on fighting him with large doses of continued spiritual growth and all that that entails.




Monday, February 22, 2016

Come on Cupcake !

God closed the mouths of the lions for Daniel.

He parted the Red Sea for Moses.

He made the sun stand still for Joshua.

He opened the prison for Peter.

He put a baby into the arms of Sarah.

He raised Lazarus from the dead.

And you think what you're facing today is too hard for Him to handle?

Come on Cupcake....get a grip.



Sunday, February 21, 2016

The edge of nowhere

The edge of nowhere

Sometimes you just have to go
to that special magical place
where you're all alone
in the quiet and stillness
with only yourself for a companion.
The edge of nowhere.

It's where your struggle begins
as you try to be still and calm.
It's where you set it all aside....
the busyness that is your life
the problems, the pain, the hurts.
You lose them at the edge of nowhere.

It's the place where you'll meet God
if you'll only take the time.
You'll hear his calming voice
when you just stop and share with Him.
Sometimes you just have to dangle your feet
on the edge of nowhere.


"Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is,
rather than as you think it should be."

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Running out

Running out happens.  We try to prepare for those times when we could run out, but life happens and we find ourselves running out.  There are so many instances where we running out can define our character:



Running out of patience is a real character builder....or it tells the truth about us.



Sometimes we think we are running out of room, and we end up over-extending ourselves.
Actually, we may well just be not satisfied with what we have.


Whose fault is it really when we run out of gas, and how do we react?


Do we remain calm, or do we get frazzled and react inappropriately when we run out of ideas?


Some poor souls are hungry, they've run out of food.  What do we do?


We ALL run out of time.  We die.  Have you prepared your heart and mind for that day
when your time is up--when it's judgement day?  Have you served God well?






Friday, February 19, 2016

Living Garbage Free





Recently I hopped into a taxi and we took off for the Airport.  We were driving along in the right lane when suddenly a black car pulled right out in front of us.  My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed that car by just inches!  The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling profanities at the taxi driver.

The taxi driver just smiled and waved nicely at the guy.  He was friendly, not angry, toward the guy.  Shortly after, I asked him, "Why did you just do that?  That guy almost ruined your cab, your means of living, plus we could have been injured."

His response has become what I now call "The Law of the Garbage Truck."  He explained that many people we come across are like garbage trucks.  They run around full of garbage....like frustration, anger, hurts, disappointment, hatred, and the like.  As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you.  He said, "Don't take it personally."

Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on!  Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets. The bottom line is that stress-free people do not let garbage trucks take over their day.

Life is too short to wake up in the morning, or go to bed at night with regrets, so love on the people you run across....regardless. 

Bottom Line Thought:  Pray for the ones who don't treat you right.  Learn to have garbage free days, and try to never drive the garbage truck.


Thursday, February 18, 2016

Man, that stinks

In the previous article, we learned that perhaps we don't always have to "get it".  In fact, many times we won't "get it", at least at first, if we simply yield to God's plan for our lives.  That's particularly hard to do when we are faced with a major upheaval in our lives, only to be exacerbated by what normally involves waiting to see just what that plan is.  Man, that waiting stinks!

Unfortunately for us, or so we feel, God's clock isn't on the same time as the one we are so used to.  Our clock says such things as "right now", "not later", "hurry up", "I don't want to wait",  and the like.  God's clock says only one thing..."in my timing".  Man, that waiting stinks.

Why are we like that?  Do we like the stink?  What is it that stops us from just yielding and waiting for His will for our lives to play out?  We call ourselves Christians, and yet just how much disrespect, disobedience,  and lack of trust are we showing our God when we don't wait?  Now you want to talk about something that stinks!  Yes, we do....we're the stinkers.


Sometimes we just have to wait, it seems, for the proverbial "when the pigs fly" to see how it all plays out, just exactly what His will is for us.  One thing's for sure....He can make those pigs fly.


Bottom Line Thought:  Which clock do you look at the most....your clock or Gods?

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Tim Tebow didn't get it

I enjoyed listening to a KLOVE interview with Tim Tebow last week.  He was on the show mainly to talk about an international project he started last year through his foundation.  It's called Night to Shine.  This project provides the opportunity for special needs folks to attend a prom, and it is held in multiple cities throughout the world.  It's really a big deal, and a wonderful event.  Feel free to Google his foundation for more information.

During the course of the interview, he was asked what his thoughts were when he was dropped from the several NFL teams he played with, and since it was "his life" (being a football player) how it's affecting him now.  Tebow was candid, and made a couple of statements we can all possibly relate to.  He said, "when it happened, I told God 'I don't get it',  and 'I don't understand'."  Then that line of thinking stopped rather quickly when he realized that he didn't have to "get it", nor did he "have to understand."  He realized that if he was truly putting the rubber to the road, that all he needed to do was yield to whatever God's plan is for him, and run with it.  He didn't have to understand, just obey and see where it all leads him.

That's good stuff or Joe Averages like us isn't it?  We, who so tightly cling onto our own ability to control our own lives and destinies, would .prefer to "get it" and "understand it" wouldn't we?  We would rather try to cherry pick our own paths than let someone like God pick them for us, right?  Why else do we have such a difficult time yielding to His will for us?  We do it because we want control, and, in our guts, we are afraid of where He might lead us.

Bottom Line Thought:  If you were to be completely honest with yourself, would you say "I don't get it", but follow His will anyway, or would you engineer your own path so that you do "get it?"

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Sundays

I'm not naïve, nor do I live in a box unable to see the world around me.  I realize that many, if not most, folks look at the weekends as R & R times.  I get that.  I really do.  So, maybe I'm just weird.  You see, I love Sundays.  Not for the football or other sports.  Not for the sleeping in.  Not for the leisurely brunch's with the wife.  Nor for the fact that at home I will be getting a major overdose of butt time just hanging out.  On Sundays I generally get up at my normal get up time...4 AM.  Why?  Because that's what I do...without the alarm.

You see, I love Sundays because I know I am going to church and I look forward to it. I'm going because I want to.  Not because I have to, or because it's something I think I should do, or because it's what one is supposed to do on Sunday.  I simply want to, and therefore I look forward to it.

Sure, I'll see friends there and enjoy talking with them, but I love going because I know I will be worshiping to some awesome music which reaches deep within me and tweaks my feeling and passion.  I will be hearing great messages that somehow always seem to target me and my inner thoughts and needs, and are something that I need to hear at that particular time.  And, I will be taking communion to remind me of the unfathomable love of God, who because of that love sent His Son to die on the cross for my sins so that I might be saved.

My heart hurts for folks who either just go through the motions because it seems the "right thing" to do, and for those who just don't bother at all. 

Bottom Line Thought:  What do you feel about Sundays?  Are they special for you?  In what way?



Monday, February 15, 2016

Elusiveness of Love

Because Valentine's Day just passed, perhaps a brief commentary on love is in order.  But first, what is love?  There are probably as many descriptions of what love is as there are people.  There's perhaps hundreds of words that can be used to describe it.  And, most likely, the elusiveness of having a short, clearly descriptive statement of what love is, is likely cause for arguments and discussions for years to come.  Perhaps what love is,  is simply one of those known unknowns we run into every once in a while,  Maybe the description of love is just one of those elusive butterflies of life.  In fact, maybe love itself is elusive....particularly if we've got it all wrong.

In spite of all of the above, what if you found out love could be summed up in one, yes one, word....and that that one word would leave no doubt at all about what true, real love is?  Do you say that's impossible?  Peanuts had it right:


Bottom Line Thought:  If we lived our lives following the example of Jesus Christ, we would never have to stumble for words to describe love.  Our actions would show the true meaning of it.


Sunday, February 14, 2016

God's Sense of Humor

It's about that time of the year when I get the urge to go back in the archive to re-post an article that I was particularly fond of because of it's life lesson for me as I was writing it.  Enjoy !


We have always had a dog as part of our family. Whenever one went to “The Rainbow Bridge”, we have been able to “rescue” another pooch and welcome him into our home. Dog lovers fully understand how a dog can steal your heart. We have always had a special bond with our dogs.

It is that special bond between man and dog that makes me believe that they really are man’s best friend. There are certain characteristics about a dog that makes that bond as strong as it is:

·        They love us unconditionally.

·        They are extremely loyal and faithful to us.

·        They always protect us.

·        They are very patient with us.

·        They are constant companions.

·        They are happy when we are connected with them.

·        Our faults don’t diminish their love for us.

·        They aren’t biased or prejudiced.

·        They are very forgiving.

·        They give us their all.

In going through that list, I don’t see any characteristic that I shouldn’t have as a man. In fact, they are the same characteristics that God has, ones He has shown me over and over throughout my life. He has shown them through His word and His son Jesus. They are the traits I should have as a child of God. I, unlike my dog, fall short of them far too many times in my life. What a lesson my dog can teach me.

So what does this have to do with God having a sense of humor? Is it possible that God, in His infinite wisdom, planned for dogs to be man’s best friend all along so that we would always have those God like characteristics right under our noses? And isn’t it ironic that man’s best friend is God spelled backwards?

Bottom Line Thought: Are the characteristics you have as a man in sync with the lesson we can learn from dogs?

Saturday, February 13, 2016

Fleas or Elephants ?

Something is wrong with you car, so you take it to the mechanic who has serviced your cars for a long time.  You trust him.  He has a good track record and has never, to your knowledge, done you wrong.  He's the bearer of bad news.  He'll need $1,600 to fix your car, money you really don't have at the moment.  Elephant.

You're putting together a piece of furniture you bought at Ikea, and having a difficult time understanding the instructions they supplied you with.  By mistake, you use the wrong screw with the embedded receiving nut and end up ruining the nut.  Flea

Your young son falls and breaks his arm.  When you take him to the emergency room, you are told it is worse than a normal broken arm, and he will require surgery and follow up physical therapy for a while.  You and he had scheduled a father son fishing trip for the next week.  Elephant.

You had a rough day at work.  It's been a trying week.  Today you are just tired.  When you get home, all you want to do is kick your shoes off, sit in the easy chair, and chill out a bit.  When you get home, however, your wife "reminds" you that the lawn needs mowing, wonders when you will get to finishing up painting the bathroom, and "oh yes, you're on your own for dinner tonight, I'm going out with the girls."  Flea

So, what's with this flea and elephant stuff?  An old friend once shared the following with me:

"Joe, it's not the elephants that get you....it's those darn fleas."

Aren't we much more apt to get all bent out of shape over the fleas?  When the elephant steps in, sure we get upset, and perhaps even perplexed....but seldom do we get really angry, nor do we act inappropriately.  Isn't it the fleas that just  drive us nuts to the point where we say things that would have been better left unsaid or do things that we regret later on?  Isn't it the fleas that we react to in such a way that we embarrass ourselves?

Bottom Line Thought:  It's our reactions to the fleas of our lives that tell others more about our lives as Christian men than anything else.  Our reactions to life's fleas tend to be far more spontaneous and volatile than life's elephants.....even though the elephants are much bigger.

Thursday, February 11, 2016

A bunch of bad apples

The old saying "there's a bad apple in every bunch" could well apply to todays churches, at least according to some folks at some churches.  That reminds me of a news story I saw a while back about a church.  When the parishioners arrived at church that day they had to walk around "a bum" who had planted himself right by the front doors of the church that Sunday.  He looked awful, he was filthy, and he stunk.  And the folks ignored him completely as they walked around him to get into the church.  No one offered a kind word or any help.  Few even acknowledged his presence there.  But things were different inside, where hushed and hurried discussions were held to determine what to do about "that bum outside."  The consensus was that he'd go away once the service started.

At a certain point of the service, the minister, who had previously given notice about his retirement, announced that today he was going to introduce the new minister to the congregation.  When he called the new ministers name and asked him to come forward the congregation was shocked to see "the bum" who had been outside by the front doors walking down the aisle toward the front, smiling.  You see, it was a set up.  "The bum" was the new minister, and his introduction was a learning lesson for the congregation.

In every church there are, most likely, those who are offended by those whom they consider bad apples.  Those few are, most likely, judgmental, legalistic, and narrow.  They are also most likely not very tolerant, and certainly they lack in compassion.  They are the ones that will whisper about those they see grabbing a last smoke outside the door before entering the church.  In my opinion, the "bad apples" are being judged by the real bad apples.  Here's how it should be in a real church, a church that exists for a bunch of bad apples:


Bottom Line Thought:  Are you a bad apple because you raise your nose at the bad apples?  Or do you welcome them with open arms, knowing that Jesus surrounded Himself with bad apples?

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Creationism--the answer is in 4 words

For years and years the debate has been carried on.  It's a debate with no answer.  It's a debate over a known unknown where each side of the debate knows (and is debating) an unknown.  It's the debate over Creationism (the Christian view of the world's beginning) and Evolution (sciences view of the beginning).  It's a debate with no hard and irrefutable proof on either side.  It's the classic known unknown.

Here's why folks hold the Christian view of Creationism;  it comes in 4 simple words--actually, the first 4 words of the Bible:

"In the beginning God........."

There's millions of "yea buts" that can arise out of having that line of thought.  Like, but where did God come from?  What did He start with?  Those are just more known unknowns.  Here's why Christians believe in those first 4 words:

Hebrews 11: 1 (NIV)

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for
and certain of what we do not see."

The Evolutionists, after all, are faced with the same dilemma, are they not.  Who's to say that God Himself didn't "order" that evolution take place.  In light of that, they too are putting their faith in what they hope for and are certain of what they don't see (remember, it's a known unknown).

Bottom Line Thought:  Wouldn't you rather put your faith behind a known unknown that shows a pathway to eternal life?  Does the evolution theory do that?


Tuesday, February 9, 2016

The Original Firefighter

We, here in America, really love our firemen as a rule.  They're the first responders that man the ambulance that arrives when we get sick or injured at home, in an accident, or at the work place.  They are the brave souls who do their utmost to put out the fires that may destroy our homes or businesses.  When it's time, they are "all in", with no exceptions, regardless of the weather or conditions.  Yes, here in America, we really love our firemen.

There are many folks who are unaware, or don't care to know about the original firefighter. That's pretty sad.


Bottom Line Thought:  As a Christian, are you sharing the good news about the Original Firefighter?

Monday, February 8, 2016

The Silent Language

Longshoremen, construction guys, and football players all have one thing in common.  Obviously not all from each group do it, but in this rough and tumble world we live in these groups are recognized as speaking a common language--trash talking.  The language they use isn't silent at all.  Nor is the language we Christians use as go about our daily lives trying to live up to biblical standards and allow the light within us shine, that others may see. 

There is, however, a language that is silent.  It is unspoken, and yet it is very obvious and telling of the person "speaking" it.  That would be body language.  As Christians we need to be aware of this.  We need to be vigilant of the body language of others as we cross paths with them during the course of our days.  It is their body language that will indicate, more than anything, what is really going on in their hearts, souls, and minds.  If we realize that many others, ourselves included at times, put on masks to hide what is really going on in their lives, we can also realize that body language is not really "maskable" and we can tune in to whether that person may be hurting, lonely or lost.  Body language's most visible tell is another persons face.

Dr. E. Stanley Jones shared a gem about body language:

"The face you have from birth to age 25 is the face you were born with;
the face you have from 25 to age 50 is the face you earn;
and, the face you have from 50 on is the face you deserve."

There's a lot of difference between a consistently happy face, and a face that is trying to hide the struggles behind it.  There's a lot of difference between a face showing contentment and a face showing resentment, between a face showing love and compassion and a face showing bitterness.

Bottom Line Thought:  Faces speak the silent language.  How good are you at hearing that language?  As a Christian, are you tuned in and willing to help those others who may need those few encouraging words of kindness you can offer?






Sunday, February 7, 2016

Did you know?

Did you know that in case you have crossed paths with this Blog, that if you have liked what you have seen you can subscribe to it and receive a new, fresh post in your E-mail in-box each morning?

All you need to do is put your e-mail address in the blank just above what you are reading now and hit the submit button right next to it on the right.  It's that simple.

And for those who might worry about someone else using your e-mail address for other purposes--it absolutely doesn't happen here.  Your information is fully safe and secure.

Pastors lie--sometimes

I would sometimes find myself wondering, back in the days when I was living in the dark, what my funeral service would be like should I die.  Would it be a done and gone thing with little fanfare or would the family struggle to go through the whole procedure putting up the false front that I was an ok guy, at heart.  And I wondered, if they could even find a minister that would participate, what could he possibly say that was true.....other than I had lived and I had died.  I'm pretty sure that if he were to have said nice things about me at the service, there would have been some lying going on--either actively or by omission.

You see, there's folks out there in this world who are living in such a way as they really leave no choice but for the pastor to lie at their funerals.  And, granted, while we are carrying on those lives we really don't think too much about the awkward predicament we, through our lives, are putting them in.  About the best the family could hope for would be that the pastor would minimize his comments about the deceased and focus on helping the family through with some soothing words.

There's a solution for this issue:


Bottom Line Thought:  How much better for the family would it be if their only concern would be that the pastor wouldn't shut up....because there was just too much truth and nice things to say about you and how you led your life as a Christian?

Saturday, February 6, 2016

Marriage isn't beautiful !

Marriage is ugly, you see the absolute worst in someone.  You see them when they're mad, sad, being stubborn, when they're so unlovable they make you scream.  But you also get to see them when they're laughing so hard that tears run down their face, and they can't help but let out those weird gargling noises.

You see them at 3 AM when the world is fast asleep around you--but you're not.  You're eating in the middle of the kitchen floor, giggling.  You get to see the side of them that no one else does, and it's not always pretty.  It's snorting while laughing, it's the tears when it feels like it's all crashing down, it's the farting, it's the bedhead and bad breath, it's the random dances, it's the anger and the joy.  Marriage isn't a beautiful thing, but it is amazing.

It's knowing that someone loves you so much, and won't leave you even though you said something nasty.  It's having someone have your back no matter what.  It's fights over stupid stuff, like someone not doing the dishes or picking up after themselves.  And it's those nights you fall asleep in each others arms, feeling like there will never be enough time with them.  It's cleaning up their throw-up, or just rubbing their back when they're sick.  It's the dirtiest, hardest, most rewarding job there is.  Because, at the end of the day you get to crawl in the bed with your best friend, the weirdest, most annoying, loving, goofy, perfect person that you know. 

Marriage is not beautiful, but it's one Heaven of a ride.


Friday, February 5, 2016

I don't understand God

           Is it a bad thing not to understand God?  Some would say no, others would perhaps say an emphatic yes.  The young man in THIS VIDEO answers the question well I think.

Thursday, February 4, 2016

When you thought I wasn't looking


When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you hang my first painting on the fridge, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed a stray dog and I learned it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little things in life can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always talk to and I learned to trust in Him.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you though I wasn't looking I saw you take care of our house and every one in it, and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw how you handled your responsibilities even when you didn't feel good, and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw tears come from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw that you cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking I looked at you and wanted to say "Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking."

           Children are always looking at all we do, and they learn so much from what they see.  Perhaps even more than from what they hear.  Little eyes see a lot.

Bottom Line Thought:  How can what you do today touch the life of a young one? 

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Only one way to apologize




The best apology

is changed behavior.

Bottom Line Thought:  Aren't most apologies kind of like limp wristed handshakes...empty, and not much there?  How do you apologize?

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

How do you respond?

Life has knocked me down a few times.
It has shown me things I never wanted to see.
I have experienced sadness and failures.
But one thing for sure...I always get up!

           It's just a matter of degrees isn't it...how much we've been knocked around, seen things we never wanted to see, experienced sadness and failures?  Some of us get a plate full, others just some scraps--but none of us are immune.  That's life, unless we live in a bubble.  Getting up and moving on is the only healthy (emotionally, physically, and spiritually) response to life's road bumps.  Those road bumps are all life lessons, teaching experiences, character builders, and Christian life tests.  How we respond to them tells those around us a lot about us.




Monday, February 1, 2016

Life-ism's

Live beneath your means.
Return everything you borrow.
Stop blaming other people.
Admit it when you make a mistake.
Give clothes not worn to charity.
Do something nice and try not to get caught.
Listen more, talk less.
Every day, take a 30 minute walk.
Strive for excellence--not perfection.
Be on time.
Don't make excuses.
Don't argue.
Get organized.
Be kind to people.
Be kind to unkind people.
Let someone cut ahead of you in line.
Take time to be alone.
Cultivate good manners.
Be humble.
Realize and accept that life isn't fair.
Know when to keep your mouth shut.
Go an entire day without criticizing anyone.
Learn from the past.
Plan for the future.
Live in the present.
Don't sweat the small stuff.
It's all small stuff.

Bottom Line Thought:  One would almost think that these should be called Jesus-ism's, eh?