Category Archives: Attitudes & Behavior

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February 15, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, God's Grace & Love, Joy

Let’s Go Fly a Kite

2014-2-15Jerusalem, sing and be happy! Israel, shout for joy! Jerusalem, be happy and have fun! [Zephaniah 3:14 (ERV)]

We sometimes take ourselves way too seriously. Our reading is often for the sole purpose of learning or spiritual enlightenment, not simply pleasure. Our walks or runs aren’t for enjoyment but to burn calories and get fit. We feel the need to be intentional about every moment of our lives, but must everything we do have a serious objective? When was the last time you enjoyed your old photos without feeling guilty about not having them sorted or put in albums? When was the last time you took a run and didn’t check your pace or pulse? When was the last time you relished the beauty of your garden without thinking about the weeds that needed to be pulled? Christians, especially, can be a serious, if not a somber, group. “Fun-loving” or “light-hearted” are usually not the first adjectives that come to mind when one hears the word “Christian.”

This has been a brutal winter for many. Some have endured terrible weather, others have suffered from health issues, and yet others have been troubled with financial or family problems. Whether we call it relaxation, enjoyment, or amusement, God’s gift of fun replenishes us. So, today, let’s have some fun. Why not play a silly game, build a snowman or a sandcastle, watch a sunset, have a snowball fight or walk in a nature preserve? Watch an Abbott and Costello movie, read Dr. Seuss, sit in front of a fire and enjoy a cup of cocoa with whipped cream and marshmallows, have a picnic (inside or out), or go to the zoo. Fly a kite, do jigsaw puzzles, go to the dog park and play with your pooch, curl up by the fire with Agatha Christie or Stephen King, or look through old photos, remembering the good times and laughing at the outfits and hair. Whatever you do, enjoy yourself and don’t feel guilty about not being productive. We’re told to “make a joyful noise,” and while having fun won’t bring us joy, I’m not sure we can ever be truly joyful without having a little fun! Fun, like every other good and perfect thing is a gift from God; let’s not forget to have it!

Thank you. Lord, for the gift of fun; never let me forget how to smile and relax. Help me understand the difference between wasting time and having a good time!

But God was always there doing the good things that prove he is real. He gives you rain from heaven and good harvests at the right times. He gives you plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy. [Acts 14:17 (ERV)]

The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time. (Bertrand Russell)

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February 13, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Joy, Today: Make it Count

Our Days Are Numbered

Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure. [Psalm 39:4-5 (NIV)]

Within a few days’ time, I met one woman who recently lost her husband to cancer and another who would soon lose her husband to cancer, not because he is ill but because of her terminal illness. Both women were fully aware of the fragility of life and how quickly one’s life can change. Rather than complain about the unfairness, sorrow and pain of their circumstances, both women said they count their blessings daily and thank God for every one of them. People of faith, these women have come to terms with God’s plan and a sense of peace radiated from them both.

Lord, our time here is brief. Guide us so we make the most of every day. Don’t let us squander time and energy on petty complaints, in self-pity, anger or resentment. Show us how to savor each minute and squeeze every moment of joy out of life that is humanly possible. Help us to find your love in all circumstances and enable us to see and appreciate each day’s blessings.

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. [Psalm 90:12 (NIV)]

It’s only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth – and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up – that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had. [Elizabeth Kübler Ross]

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February 11, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Love & Works, Prayer

All the World is Not a Stage

Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding. [Matthew 6:1 (MSG)]

Guide us, Lord, so that our actions speak louder than our words; let our hearts speak loudest of all. Keep us humble and our motives pure so that neither words nor actions are ever used to impress you or other people. May we be more faithful, loving and generous in private than we ever are in public.

And when you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat? [Matthew 6:5 (MSG)]

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February 9, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Challenges & Difficulty, Thanks & Praise

Gratitude is Possible

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. [1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT)]

I just viewed a commercial that showed an amazing family. They lost their son in the shootings at Columbine and, since that tragedy, the mother has suffered a heart attack and the father has been on dialysis. The mother spoke about taking what has been given, learning from it and becoming a better person because of it. She ended by saying, “That’s why I feel we’re blessed.” Talk about gratitude! I have no idea what was being advertised, but that ad certainly put my petty complaints into perspective. If that family can still experience gratitude, we, too, can be “thankful in all circumstances”!

Father, it’s so easy to see you in the beauty and joys of life: rainbows and flowers, healing and birth, love and laughter. Open our eyes to your presence in all aspects of life, even the ugly and sad: storms and destruction, illness and heartbreak, tears and even death. Give us the ability to see the good that can come from heartbreak and tragedy; help us count our blessings and not our pain.

Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. [Colossians 2:7 (NLT)]

 

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February 4, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, God's Word: The Bible, Love & Works

Be an Example

Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. [1 Timothy 4:12 (NLT)]

One of my Bible translations is called The Living Bible. The real living Bibles, however, are you and I. After all, we may be the only Bible some people ever read! When we’re opened up, what do they see? How does our faith translate in our daily actions? Lord, fill us with your Holy Spirit so that we always live in such a way that people will be able to see Christ within us.

Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words. [St. Francis of Assisi]