Anxiety is everywhere.   Are we overburdened or under powered? Perhaps a little of both.

Just watching the latest news is reason for anxiety.  People rioting in the streets; shots being fired; people ramming their cars into pedestrians! People being kidnapped.
Even though we might not be involved, we are fearful and anxious for our country and ourselves.  We lock our doors at night; we don’t take walks after dark; our credit cards were just hacked! Has the world gone mad?

Where can we get the power to cope? Worry and anxiety seem to be part of our life.  But does it help?  Perhaps the very thing we worry about didn’t happen!!  But in the meantime, you and I are miserable.                

Life is 10% what really happens and 90% of our reaction to it. 

There is a wonderful prayer which asks God for His help in choosing the best response to events and circumstance.  We know it as the Serenity Prayer. It’s worth repeating.
     “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
                          Courage to change the things I can,
                         And the wisdom to know the difference.”

There are three days in the week about which you and I can never worry.
One is yesterday.  Yesterday with all its problems was ours, now it’s Gods.
 The second day is tomorrow.  Tomorrow with all its possible blunders, dangers, and promises, is as far removed from us as yesterday.  Tomorrow is also God’s, because it is still in His keeping. There is one day left for us  in the week.  Today!
Today is what I make of it. Can you and I make this one day special by doing something worthy?  Can we make someone happy?  Can we help someone who needs us?

It might be just a phone call, writing an email, saying hello to a stranger, making small happy talk with a neighbor or just anyone. 

That’s what we can do today………. today is ours but also God’s.  He knows and He cares.  Now it’s up to us.

                                         This is our day

                                                   Today!
 

It isn’t easy to love the unlovable.  The neighbor whose dog insists on barking late at night. When you say good morning to someone and there is no response or a smile. So just how far can you go to be friendly as well as an encourager?

Many things we do in life require a combination of emotion and action. Sometimes we simply do and say things because we know that we must! Helping someone in need without sympathy on our part might even make us resentful. Praying just by mouthing the words seems like a meaningless exercise.
Feelings do not come automatically.  We cannot just turn on the happiness switch towards another person.
So, what do we do when we do not feel happiness or empathy, or when we feel totally uninspired and disinterested? 

                                                Heart follows Action.

We might gain some understanding when reading the Gospels.  When Jesus sent out his disciples to preach that he was the promised Messiah, they knew this wasn’t an easy assignment.   They might have feared for their own lives as well.  They did this because the Master told them.  But also, they were motivated because Jesus taught them love, even toward those who might have killed them.  Their heart followed their actions.   Mistrust and hatred turned to love and understanding.

If you hear of someone in need but feel apathetic, force yourself to ask how you can help.

Actions with effort create strong feelings.  Do a good act and the heart will follow.

                                    Actions speak louder than your heart!

Have you ever worked hard at something you really enjoyed doing?  It might have been difficult work, but you did it with gladness because it was what you desired to do and determined to finish it.

Psalm 100 is a psalm of thanksgiving.  It begins by telling us to “make a joyful noise unto the lord.” And then it says that we should “Serve the Lord with gladness.”
 The Hebrew word for gladness comes from a verb that means “to be glad, or cheerful or merry,” such as we experience at a banquet or party.    

The psalmist is saying that when a person is truly thankful to the Lord, there is a desire to serve Him.  It is what you really want to do, and when you get the opportunity, it makes you glad.  You have a sense of privilege and excitement.  The opportunity to serve the Lord brightens your day.

In Mark Twain’s novel, The Adventure of Tom Sawyer, Tom was whitewashing a fence. It was hard work. But he convinced old Ben that whitewashing the fence was really a privilege.  He got Ben so excited about it that Ben took up the job and did it with gladness.  Tom got to be lazy, but he gave Ben a good feeling!  Meanwhile Tom felt he did a good deed by making Ben feel good.

In like fashion, the Psalmist challenges us to “Serve the Lord with gladness.”  That is a privilege for us.

Do you consider serving the Lord a privilege? If not, what would it take to convince you that serving the Lord really is a privilege?

So how do we serve the Lord?

Be strong and of good courage! We stand in the world to make this a better place and to serve the Lord with gladness. To make our fellow humans happy to be with us.  To make their life easier and more fulfilling.  To share with them how God loves them and wants the best for them. 

It’s not easy.  Life is difficult and fragile.  But the serving others with a gladness of heart makes it all worthwhile!

                                Therefore……serve with gladness! It makes you happy. 

Your phone just rang……….Oh no, it’s her/him again.  Now what?  Always a crisis in their life.  Or perhaps to complain.

You are tempted not to answer.  But your conscience won’t let you.  It is what you need to do but you dread the same old tried complaining.

Honestly, life with other people can be messy.  People annoy us sometimes.  Many times.  We are tempted to snap back.  We might feel justified.  However, God calls us to be gracious, even when we are annoyed. Do we feel justified in our annoyance? Just think of what God puts up with us and our mistakes.  Does He get annoyed? We can’t speak for God. But we know this.  God is love and, in His love, He forgives us.

We love our kids, our family, our spouses, our friends, but they still annoy us.
Why can’t they see things our way?  Why can’t they better themselves?  Why don’t they reciprocate when I do good things for them. They never even say thank you.

Peter encourages us with these words: (1Peter 4:8) “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins” The words “covers” in this verse is an excellent way to describe how God’s grace works in these situations.  When people make annoying mistakes, they’re only human. Humanity has been making mistakes since the Adam and Eve.

  We often can justify what we do ourselves, but we can’t justify what others do. Either to us or just being themselves! .   Here are some helpful hints for those who annoy us.

1.Take a moment to offer a quick prayer for them.  Who knows what lies behind their behavior.  Are they stressed? Are they in pain? Are they simply tired? What lies behind their actions?

2. Choose what they might need from you.  The complaining friend on the phone, just might need a listening ear.  The guy who took your place in line might need to get home quickly; The man on the freeway who cut in front of you got urgent call.  There are many reasons why their actions display a real underlying problem.  Or they might be just rude!

3. They have never felt loved or wanted or needed.  They have no grace in their lives. 
It can be challenging for you to choose grace when you feel annoyed. But the more you do, the easier it becomes, because you know that God will help you and extend a more forgiving spirit through you. So be gracious.

                                                              Annoyed?         No More!   

Aesop was a famed Greek storyteller. No one really knows much about his life.  Was he a slave or an aristocrat? Regardless of his status, many of his stories have been passed down through the ages.   

Many of his tales were political but they also had moral teachings.  Behind Aesop’s caustic moralism lay a genuine concern for people and their predicaments.  Thanks to some of his admirers, we now have written versions of many of his stories, which could still change our perspective on the world and maybe improve our lives.

Perhaps my favorite is the story of the Tortoise and the Hare.  Confident of an easy win, the hare decides to rest before running.  The tortoise doesn’t delay; the tortoise takes off immediately.  But when the hare finally arrives at the finish line, he discovers the race is already over and the tortoise has won!

Thus, Aesop nudges us to contemplate ourselves, assess our behaviors and ponder their consequences.

When Jesus told parables He also was telling His listeners that their lives must be built on activities.  Jesus’ parables revolved around doing for others. He encouraged His disciples to always strive to better themselves.  To be prepared to give an answer for those who doubted that He was the promised Messiah.  How He fulfilled all the prophecies of the Old Testament. 

Rabbi Paul wrote “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5: 15)

Stories teach lessons.  Stories transmit ideas in a form that is most easily understood and that touches us in a way that philosophies fail.

Yet stories are philosophies wrapped up in humor or couched in an easily understood form. As in the story of the Good Samaritan. Doing good to those who might not deserve it or are not thankful for what you have done for them.  But God knows!

All through the Gospels, Jesus tells stories to illuminate how we must do unto others. 

                           Now each of us has our own story to tell. 

                                   What will your story tell about you?

Lining in Memphis, we have been experiencing lots of snow, and then more snow.  I enjoy the beautiful white drifts and seeing the sun glistening and making my yard into a fairy land.

However, snowflakes are getting bad press.  They are people who melt under pressure and simply don’t stand for anything worthy. Perhaps, there is another side to being a snowflake.

God created snowflakes.  Just like so many things in His creation, each one is different.  God has made you like a snowflake.  There isn’t another one just like you. 

Snowflakes form for a simple reason.  When the temperature in the clouds is below 32 degrees (water’s freezing point) the water droplets in the clouds freeze and pack together.  The molecular structure of the water dictates the way the droplets bind together into hexagonal snowflakes. 

We can see that each snowflake is its own beautiful creation, not just a frozen bit of ice but a structure which is arranged in a particular shape.

Snowflakes usually are hexagonal, yet each shape is different.

Just like snowflakes, each of us has been given our own special body and mind which is not like anyone else.

So, when you see those first flakes of snow, remind yourself that also are unique and special.  You are as individual as the snowflakes.  Just as God has planned it.

                                                Enjoy the snow!

A glamorous party in the movie where everyone is rich, good-looking and successful; Glitzy social media posts where everyone seems to be having the time of their life; Idyllic shots of a far-off paradise where all the colors are more vibrant than the colors outside my window on a dreary day.

Everyone there must be so happy and content.  No problems or worries. 

                         Is that what you visualize as contentment?

These kinds of images confront us in entertainment and advertising almost nonstop.  They tap into and intensify a current of thought that we all want that exciting life.

If God wants the best for me, then why am I not content.  If only I could take a long vacation; get into a larger home; get a new wardrobe; my kids don’t visit me often; I have a new ache in my back! 

The current thought goes like this: Real life is going on somewhere else.  True, exciting, fulfilling, enchanting lives are being lived by other people. While all that I have is my ordinary self and my boring old normality. Are we all chasing an illusionary idea of what makes us content and happy? 

Are you and I rushing from goal to goal thinking that we will find contentment at the end of our rainbow?  We believe that we lead just mediocre lives.  Nothing exciting.   Surely, we will be content if only——–(fill in the blank.)

Reality is rough, imperfect.   It is what makes up our life here.
When in fact, the imperfections, sorrow, hardships, and sloppiness of “ordinary life” are the shadows that accompany real depth of life. 

We all possess a special strength that we really didn’t know we had unless it is tried.

God has given us the ability to make lemonade from the lemons of life.
These imperfections of our lives are the shadows that accompany us, the grit of life, the real authenticity as opposed to the shiny smooth and the unreality of the movie screen,

You and I will find our contentment in the realization that God has given us this life for a purpose.  We will find contentment when we find our purpose.

                                                    That’s contentment.

The mind is the gateway to the heart.  We are subjected to the very thoughts and actions of the world around us.  How then can we stay on course?  How then can we keep the faith?  Is it possible to be the type of person that God wants for us? 

The Apostle Paul foretold that the time is coming …..the “end of Days” would be perilous and full of unrelenting human depravity and lawlessness.
 (2 Tim. 3:1-5). Jesus also warned of spiritual warfare, not only in His day, but predicting the future. 

We are to be of “sound” mind.  That means being grounded in what is truly real; it means understanding your identity as a child of God. 

The Greek word for “sound mind” comes from the verb meaning “to be made safe” in the sense of being under the influence of the Spirit of God.  Keeping your thoughts and actions inline with being Believers. 

We must be mindful to discern between good and evil.  We must love the truth and abhor the lie. 

Tolerating sin in a world ripe for judgement is a tacit form of “collaboration” with the enemy.  And yet, our churches are full of people who prefer not getting involved.  Preachers who refuse to face the problems of our society.  Christians who do not stand up for their faith, both politically and in their own communities. 

I have been watching a Documentary on the Nuremburg trials after WW2.  Did not the German people know what was happening to the Jews?  I believe they will be judged on being tacit in the face of these atrocities.  

 As Believers, have we failed to live up to our commitments? Have we   failed in our discipleship?  

 Jesus was a politician, and He was crucified for not accepting the evils of His day.   He was mindful of the sinfulness of those who proclaimed themselves as  arborators of good and evil. 

Let us follow in His way.  Let us be mindful of the ills of our society and how we can make a difference in our world.

                                                     Let us always be Mindful!

As Believers we do not fear death.  The Lord did not make death a point in most of His teaching.  His teaching was of this world.  Making all things new and living generously, courageously and without fear.  Making the world a better place.  Making disciples. Since we can’t save ourselves, what counts is what we do with life.

Our sphere of influence might not extend beyond a small group of friends; a neighbor; book club; church community.   We may not see family for months, or perhaps years, yet funerals bring us together.

If you want to know what people think about life, watch them when death sticks out his calling card.

Death does us apart——and brings us together like nothing else can.  When else does everyone drop everything to get “there’ in time, or at least for the funeral?

 Into a hospital room often crowded with illness and always with sorrow, we want to assure the dying one that we care for them.   There are also words, glances, exchanges that often remain for a lifetime with sons and daughters, faithful friends.  

Death however is a window to a world of the soul.   It is a window to the dying that binds us with truth.  Why else do we honor a dying wish?

Death is the ultimate divide, leaving us abandoned from those crossing over, but that also brings us together.  Perhaps for the first time, all the family can unite in sorrow.  

Death is the moment of truth.  We see it as the ultimate separation but hold memories that will sustain us.

The face of death brings out the real person. It’s here that the life we have led will be remembered.  It’s here that the truth of our life will be revealed.

It’s not the death of the soul, but the death of departure that might be the most painful for those we love and leave behind.

How do you want to be remembered?

                        “Therefore, love one another as I have loved you! “

Every car has a rearview mirror. This mirror allows you to see if there are cars around you so you can change lanes safely. The purpose of the mirror is for you to glance at it quickly, observe, and determine when it is safe to change lanes. The rearview mirror is small, and the windshield is large because your primary focus must be on the road ahead. You were never meant to drive forward while constantly looking in the rearview mirror. Doing that will inevitably lead you to crash. At best, you’ll swerve off course; at worst, you’ll cause a collision that affects not only you but those around you.

Life is very much the same way. It is easy to get stuck looking at your past to the point where you end up crashing your future. We all have things in our past that we seem unable to forget. Maybe it’s a poor decision you made, something you should have done and failed; the conversation of what you should not have said; that missed opportunity; or that careless moment, can play on our memory loop.   Sometimes it is not even a mistake you made but something that was done to you. Yet, it can have the same devastating effect. Regardless of what happened, there is something you must understand.

 It is in your rearview mirror. No matter how much you lament over it, there is nothing you can do to change the situation.  Perhaps God is reminding you of something you said or did, but now, you have a chance to learn!  Perhaps to right a wrong!

          So that leaves you with two choices. You can lament, or you can learn.

                                  Are you a lamenter or a learner?

Lamenters look at their past and hold on to it because they either can’t or don’t know how to let it go. Learners take the lessons from their past and use them to make better and wiser decisions for their future. One of these choices moves you forward while the other keeps you stuck.

Friends/ Counselors……..  Friends can walk with you through these seasons of lament and be a significant source of support, prayer, and accountability. They are available to you and you in turn must be the same for them. 

Repentance……..  You really do feel sorry for things you have done or said.  Down deep you know that you have somehow failed in living up to what God asks of you.  You have learned from your past mistakes.  Now it’s time to move on. It’s never too late to say,  “I’m sorry.”

                   Now that’s looking through the windshield!