Life is finally settling down a bit. I have recently begun developing my YouTube channel, Let’s Karen-ize! , and thought I would post my Wednesday vlogs dealing with spiritual health here also and resurrect this site:) I also post Friday crafting videos, shorts with my crazy dog Yuki and various random posts also. Here is the latest Wednesday vlog. Enjoy!
We’ve been talking lately about loneliness and ways to get out of that swampland that leads to depression. Lest you think I am minimizing those steps and implying that they are easy, let me talk today about what grounds me and enabled me to take those steps. Whether you are dealing with loneliness or not, having a firm foundation is so vital to surviving all that life throws at us!
Just as with a building, our ability to stand against the stresses of life depends in large part on what grounds us, what our foundation is. I have found through personal experience that I need help dealing with life. For those of you acquainted with the Bible, this will sound very familiar, but my help comes from the Lord! Here is one of my favorite songs to cling to during hard times:
Over and over I have found that during tough times if I will stop and get myself centered with the Lord, I feel refreshed, encouraged and with strength to go on. Do the trials of life go away or change? Not usually, but I have strength beyond my own capabilities as He walks through them with me. If you feel overwhelmed during the day and can’t seem to find the time to stop and be still in His presence, try playing worship songs when you go to bed. They will permeate your sleep hours and give you a much needed refreshing. If you wake in the middle of the night, just talk to Him about what is on your heart or mind, listen to more worship music and relax into His presence. Create a playlist of uplifting worship music and play it while you get ready in the morning, while you are traveling, when you have a break. Let Him build you up- you are so precious to Him, let Him show you this. Next week we will talk about what He says about you- it will likely be very different from what the world says!
If you don’t know Him yet, I would highly encourage you to seek Him- I’d love to help you on that journey, just message me at cellebratelife@gmail.com
Have a blessed day!
Today this is the post I submitted on a Facebook page I manage for teens in our area. This page is designed as a place where they can vent and air their ‘dirty laundry’ rather than putting it out on their Facebook pages for all to see. Many youth are very wounded by things and people in their lives and are slowly, but surely learning of God’s love for them. Its taken months of experiencing His word and love through our youth ministry leaders for them to get their heads around the fact that He really does love them and will never stop loving them! They tend to define themselves by their pasts and that is not how He sees them at all! Our goal is to help them stop stumbling over the events of their pasts and live in His future for them!
I think many of us struggle with this. As life’s troubles bombard us, we wonder how a loving God can let this happen. There are no easy answers to this question. Yes, He sees the big picture and knows things that we don’t know- how this can be used for good in our lives and/or the lives of others. I’ve seen that happen over and over in my own life and wouldn’t undo any of those trials because they’ve caused me to grow so incredibly much. Don’t get me wrong, tho- I wouldn’t want to live them over again! But knowing all of this doesn’t really help when we are in the midst of the trial. All we can do then is lean on Him, let Him hold us up, and persevere through the trial. When the storm is over, we can then emerge strengthened and with a new depth of character.
Paul had a key to this in Philippians 3:13-14 when he said this:
But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
That may not be exactly the context of the text at that point, but those verses have given me comfort in bad times, reminding me that this life is a race of sorts- I’m outrunning Satan and the things he puts in my life to keep me away from God! Nothing he throws at me can separate me from God unless I let it. When God allows these things in my life, I can rest assured that He has a purpose even when I can’t see it.
Events in our past can surely shape us, but they don’t need to define us! Look for the silver lining- it may be a journey to find it, but it is always there. Some we may not even find until we get to Heaven, but they are always there, for we are told in Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Go in His peace today!
10 Rules for a Happy Day- Author Unknown
I hope you enjoy these 10 rules for a happy day. What a great philosophy of life. If we all lived by these rules, what a different world this would be! (Today I am going to break the format I usually use with this blog. Rather than add my thoughts at the end of the unknown author’s entry, I am going to interject Bible verses that came to my mind while reading the rules.)
10 RULES FOR A HAPPY DAY- Author Unknown
1. TODAY I WILL NOT STRIKE BACK:
If someone is rude, if someone is impatient, if someone is unkind… I will not respond in a like manner. (Matthew 5:39 But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.)
2. TODAY I WILL ASK GOD TO BLESS MY “ENEMY:”
If I come across someone who treats me harshly or unfairly, I will quietly ask GOD to bless that individual. I understand the “enemy” could be a family member, neighbor, co-worker or stranger. (Matthew 5:44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you)
3. TODAY I WILL BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT I SAY:
I will carefully choose and guard my words being certain that I do not spread gossip. (Ephesians 4:29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear.)
4. TODAY I WILL GO THE EXTRA MILE:
I will find ways to help share the burden of another person. (Galatians 6:2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.)
5. TODAY I WILL FORGIVE:
I will forgive any hurts or injuries that come my way. (Forgiveness can be very hard, but here is the verse that helps me when it is the hardest: Romans 12:20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Maybe it is the thought of the burning coals on his head that helps the most, even if they are burning coals of kindness:)
6. TODAY I WILL DO SOMETHING NICE FOR SOMEONE, BUT I WILL DO IT SECRETLY:
I will reach out anonymously and bless the life of another. (Matthew 6:3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing)
7. TODAY I WILL TREAT OTHERS THE WAY I WISH TO BE TREATED:
I will practice the golden rule – “Do unto others as I would have them do unto me” – with everyone I encounter. (Matthew 7:12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.)
8. TODAY I WILL RAISE THE SPIRITS OF SOMEONE WHO IS DISCOURAGED:
My smile, my words, my expression of support, can make the difference to someone who is wrestling with life. (I Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.)
9. TODAY I WILL NURTURE MY BODY:
I will eat less; I will eat only healthy foods. I will thank GOD for my body. (I Corinthians 6:19-20 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.)
10. TODAY I WILL GROW SPIRITUALLY:
I will spend a little more time in prayer today: I will begin reading something spiritual or inspirational today; I will find a quiet place (at some point during this day) and listen to GOD’s voice!!! (Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God)
“But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and hope of salvation as a helmet.”
1 Thessalonians 5:8
Have a blessed day!
The Gift of Forgiveness by John William Smith
The Christmas of 1949 we didn’t have a tree. dad had as much pride as anybody, I suppose, so he wouldn’t just say that we couldn’t afford one.When I mentioned it, my mother said that we weren’t going to have one this year, that we couldn’t afford one, and even if we could – it was stupid to clutter up your house with a dead tree.I wanted a tree badly though, and I thought – in my naïve way – that if we had one, everybody would feel better.Taking Matters into my Own Hands
About three days before Christmas, I was out collecting for my paper route. It was fairly late – long after dark – it was snowing and very cold. I went to the apartment building to try to catch a customer who hadn’t paid me for nearly two months – she owed me seven dollars. Much to my surprise, she was home.
She invited me in and not only did she pay me, she gave me a dollar tip! It was a windfall for me – I now had eight whole dollars. What happened next was totally unplanned.
On the way home, I walked past a Christmas tree lot and the idea hit me. The selection wasn’t very good because it was so close to the holiday, but there was this one real nice tree. It had been a very expensive tree and no one had bought it; now it was so close to Christmas that the man was afraid no one would.
He wanted ten dollars for it, but when I – in my gullible innocence – told him I only had eight, he said he might sell it for that. I really didn’t want to spend the whole eight dollars on the tree, but it was so pretty that I finally agreed.
I dragged it all the way home – about a mile, I think – and I tried hard not to damage it or break off any limbs. The snow helped to cushion it, and it was still in pretty good shape when I got home. You can’t imagine how proud and excited I was. I propped it up against the railing on our front porch and went in. My heart was bursting as I announced that I had a surprise.
I got Mom and Dad to come to the front door and then I switched on the porch light. “Surprise!!”
“Where did you get that tree?” my mother exclaimed. But it wasn’t the kind of exclamation that indicates pleasure.
“I bought it up on Main Street. Isn’t it just the most perfect tree you ever saw?” I said, trying to maintain my enthusiasm.
“Where did you get the money?” Her tone was accusing and it began to dawn on me that this wasn’t going to turn out as I had planned.
“From my paper route.” I explained about the customer who had paid me.
“And you spent the whole eight dollars on this tree?” she exclaimed.
She went into a tirade about how stupid it was to spend my money on a dumb tree that would be thrown out and burned in a few days.
She told me how irresponsible I was and how I was just like my dad with all those foolish, romantic, noble notions about fairy tales and happy endings and that it was about time I grew up and learned some sense about the realities of life and how to take care of money and spend it on things that were needed and not on silly things.
She said that I was going to end up in the poorhouse because I believe in stupid things like Christmas trees, things that didn’t amount to anything.
I just stood there. My mother had never talked to me like that before and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I felt awful and I began to cry.
Finally, she reached out and snapped off the porch light.
“Leave it there,” she said. “Leave that tree there till it rots, so every time we see it, we’ll all be reminded of how stupid the men in this family are.”
Then she stormed up the stairs to her bedroom and we didn’t see her until the next day.
Dad and I brought the tree in and we made a stand for it. He got out the box of ornaments and we decorated it as best as we could; but men aren’t too good at things like that, and besides, it wasn’t the same without mom. There were a few presents under it by Christmas day – although I can’t remember a single one of them – but Mom wouldn’t have anything to do with it.
It was the worst Christmas I ever had.
Fast Forward to Today
Judi and I married in August of 1963, and dad died on October 10 of that year. Over the next eight years, we lived in many places. Mom sort of divided up the year – either living with my sister Jary or with us.
In 1971 we were living in Wichita, Kansas – Lincoln was about seven, Brendan was three and Kristen was a baby. Mom was staying with us during the holidays. On Christmas Eve I stayed up very late. I was totally alone with my thoughts, alternating between joy and melancholy, and I got to thinking about my paper route, that tree, what my mother had said to me and how Dad had tried to make things better.
I heard a noise in the kitchen and discovered that it was mom. She couldn’t sleep either and had gotten up to make herself a cup of hot tea – which was her remedy for just about everything. As she waited for the water to boil, she walked into the living room and discovered me there. She saw my open Bible and asked me what I was reading. When I told her, she asked if I would read it to her and I did.
The Truth Comes Out
When the kettle began to whistle, she went and made her tea. She came back, and we started to visit. I told her how happy I was that she was with us for Christmas and how I wished that Dad could have lived to see his grandchildren and to enjoy this time because he always loved Christmas so. It got very quiet for a moment and then she said, “Do you remember that time on Twelve Mile Road when you bought that tree with your paper route money?”
“Yes,” I said, “I’ve just been thinking about it you know.”
She hesitated for a long moment, as though she were on the verge of something that was bottled up so deeply inside her soul that it might take surgery to get it out. Finally, great tears started down her face and she cried, “Oh, son, please forgive me.”
“That time and that Christmas have been a burden on my heart for twenty-five years. I wish your dad were here so I could tell him how sorry I am for what I said. Your dad was a good man and it hurts me to know that he went to his grave without ever hearing me say that I was sorry for that night. Nothing will ever make what I said right, but you need to know that your dad never did have any money sense (which was all too true).
We were fighting all the time – though not in front of you – we were two months behind in our house payments, we had no money for groceries, your dad was talking about going back to Arkansas and that tree was the last straw. I took it all out on you. It doesn’t make what I did right, but I hoped that someday, when you were older, you would understand. I’ve wanted to say something for ever so long and I’m so glad it’s finally out.”
Well, we both cried a little and held each other and I forgave her – it wasn’t hard, you know.
Then we talked for a long time, and I did understand; I saw what I had never seen and the bitterness and sadness that had gathered up in me for all those years gradually washed away.
It was marvelously simple.
The great gifts of this season – or any season – can’t be put under the tree; you can’t wear them or eat them or drive them or play with them. We spend so much time on the lesser gifts – toys, sweaters, jewelry, the mint, anise and dill of Christmas – and so little on the great gifts – understanding, grace, peace and forgiveness. It’s no wonder that the holiday leaves us empty, because when it’s over, the only reminders we have are the dirty dishes and the January bills.
The Great Gift
The great gifts are like the one gift – the gift that began it all back there in Bethlehem of Judea. You can’t buy them, and they’re not on anybody’s shopping list. They come as He came – quietly, freely, unexpectedly – and if you’re not careful, you’ll miss them entirely.
***********************************************************************************************
So often I hear stories of families torn apart by events that have destroyed relationships. What a burden to bear that resentment, bitterness and even hate. The Bible speaks so often about the importance of forgiveness. Unforgiveness has so many ramifications, including depression and even physical illnesses. God’s commands for us to forgive are in large part because He knows how destructive the alternative is.
Ephesians 4:32 tells us, ” Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” When I think of all that God has forgiven me for, I know that I have no right to hold anything against anyone else. Besides the negative side effects of holding onto that anger or resentment, no matter how well deserved it is, I think it would be very presumptuous of me to say I won’t forgive someone, knowing the forgiveness He has extended to me. So, out of respect and love for Him, I choose to forgive anyone who has, or ever will do me wrong.
As we prepare to begin a new year, let’s begin by thinking about forgiveness. With unforgiveness in our hearts, we are limiting ourselves from true abundant life, the life Jesus promised us in Him! More on that later:)
Have a blessed day!
At the Christmas Eve church service, I sat with my two boisterous grandchildren, ages three and five. Their parents sat in front of the church to present a nativity reading titled “Silent Night.” They had warned the children to behave. I had warned the children to behave. With scrubbed angelic faces and Christmas wonder in their eyes, they looked like model children posing for a magazine holiday spread. I indulged myself in a few moments of pride.
Alec pinched Aubrey. I was grateful that the organ thundered into the first hymn just then, drowning out her yelp. I grabbed her hand before she could return the pinch. During the Lord’s Prayer, Aubrey shredded the program I had given her to color on. The crayons had already rolled under the pew. I watched bits of paper fall on the carpet like snow. I would help her pick it up later, but for now the naughtiness I was allowing kept her occupied and her brother quietly admiring.
We were enjoying an uneasy truce when their parents stood to deliver the reading.
“Mommy!” Alec yelled.
She frowned, and he sat back in his seat.
“Silence,” my son said to the congregation. “Think for a moment what that word means to you.”
My daughter-in-law signed his words. Earlier that year, she began to use her new signing skills for the benefit of the few hearing-impaired members of our church.
Alec said a naughty word, thankfully too low for many to hear. I scowled at him, shaking my finger and my head. Aubrey grinned. Then she proclaimed, every syllable enunciated perfectly, in a clear voice that carried to far corners of the sanctuary, “Alec is a potty mouth!”
Everyone stared. I was too stunned to speak. My son and his wife looked at each other. But instead of anger, I saw surprise.
My son set aside his script and told another story. He told about their daughter being born profoundly deaf. He talked about four years of hearing aids and speech therapy with no guarantee she would ever learn to speak plainly. He talked about the rugged faith that kept the family praying she would have a normal life.
He said Aubrey’s outburst was an answer to prayer: the first perfectly enunciated sentence she had ever spoken.
From the back of the room, a lone voice sang the last line of a beloved Christmas Carol: Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn king.
While the congregation sang four verses of the unscheduled hymn, my two little angels wiggled in their parents’ arms, adding laughter and giggles to the joyful Christmas noise.
*****************************************************************************************************
This story made me think of Christ’s attitude towards children. He wasn’t put off by boisterous behavior or wiggly little bodies. His disciples were, though, weren’t they. They basically told a group of parents not to bother Jesus with their children. Jesus rebuked them, as only He can, by saying in Matthew 19:14, “Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” He knew, of course, that children are seldom sweet little angels for long, but He knew the blessing they are in our lives.
I love pictures of Jesus with children. Whenever I hear of the untimely death of a child, I immediately picture them in heaven, playing ring-around-the-rosy with Him!
Have a blessed day!
The Three Trees
Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up.
The first little tree looked up at the stars and said: “I want to hold treasure. I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I’ll be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!”
The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on it’s way to the ocean. “I want to be traveling mighty waters and carrying powerful kings. I’ll be the strongest ship in the world!”
The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and women worked in a busy town. “I don’t want to leave the mountain top at all. I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me, they’ll raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world.”
Years passed. The rain came, the sun shone, and the little trees grew tall. One day three woodcutters climbed the mountain. The first woodcutter looked at the first tree and said, “This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me.” With a swoop of his ax, the first tree fell. “Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest, I shall hold wonderful treasure!” The first tree said.
The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, “This tree is strong. It is perfect for me.” With a swoop of his ax, the second tree fell. “Now I shall sail mighty waters!” thought the second tree. “I shall be a strong ship for mighty kings!”
The third tree felt her heart sink when the last woodcutter looked her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven. But the woodcutter never even looked up. “Any kind of tree will do for me,” he muttered. With a swoop of his ax, the third tree fell.
The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brought her to a carpenter’s shop. But the carpenter fashioned the tree into a feedbox for animals. The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, nor with treasure. She was coated with saw dust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals.
The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing ship was made that day. Instead the once strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail to an ocean, or even a river. Instead she was taken to a little lake.
The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong beams and left her in a lumberyard. “What happened?” The once tall tree wondered. “All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountain top and point to God…”
Many, many days and night passed. The three trees nearly forgot their dreams. But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feedbox. “I wish I could make a cradle for him.” her husband whispered.
The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and the sturdy wood. “This manger is beautiful.” she said. And suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest treasure in the world.
One evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake. Soon a thundering and thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. She knew she did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through with the wind and the rain.
The tired man awakened. He stood up, stretched out his hand, and said, “Peace.” The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun. And suddenly the second tree knew she was carrying the king of heaven and earth.
One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams were yanked from the forgotten woodpile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man’s hands to her. She felt ugly and harsh and cruel. But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God’s love had changed everything.
It had made the third tree strong. And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God. That was better than being the tallest tree in the world. The next time you feel down because you didn’t get what you want, sit tight and be happy because God is thinking of something better to give you.
******************************************************************************************
In the eyes of our Heavenly Father, we all have equal value. In the eyes of the world, we have to earn our value. The ways in which we earn this value usually have very little to do with things that matter in the big scheme of time. Have you ever noticed that? Money, fame, sports ability, acting ability…..all those ‘things’ that bring fame, value and recognition in this world really have no lasting value when our time here on earth is done.
In the eyes of the world shown in today’s story, the third tree, cut down just because it was there, had little value. But in the eyes of God, that tree was precious because it would be used to hold up the most valuable gift ever given in history- the gift of salvation through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
If you ever begin to think of yourself as worthless, remember that little tree. You never know how God is going to be able to use you. But use you He will, if you make yourself available!
Have a blessed day!
The Gold Wrapping Paper – Author Unknown
Once upon a time, there was a man who worked very hard just to keep food on the table for his family. This particular year a few days before Christmas, he punished his little five-year-old daughter after learning that she had used up the family’s only roll of expensive gold wrapping paper.
As money was tight, he became even more upset when on Christmas Eve he saw that the child had used all of the expensive gold paper to decorate one shoebox she had put under the Christmas tree. He also was concerned about where she had gotten money to buy what was in the shoebox.
Nevertheless, the next morning the little girl, filled with excitement, brought the gift box to her father and said, “This is for you, Daddy!”
As he opened the box, the father was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, now regretting how he had punished her.
But when he opened the shoebox, he found it was empty and again his anger flared. “Don’t you know, young lady,” he said harshly, “when you give someone a present, there’s supposed to be something inside the package!”
The little girl looked up at him with sad tears rolling from her eyes and whispered: “Daddy, it’s not empty. I blew kisses into it until it was all full.”
The father was crushed. He fell on his knees and put his arms around his precious little girl. He begged her to forgive him for his unnecessary anger.
An accident took the life of the child only a short time later. It is told that the father kept this little gold box by his bed for all the years of his life. Whenever he was discouraged or faced difficult problems, he would open the box, take out an imaginary kiss, and remember the love of this beautiful child who had put it there.
In a very real sense, each of us has been given an invisible golden box filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family, friends and God. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.
*******************************************************************************************
Romans 8:35 talks about God’s unconditional love. It says, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” Although this love doesn’t come in a box covered with beautiful gold paper, and it can often be as intangible as the little girl’s kisses, it is more real and more reliable than anything else in our lives. It does come wrapped in the covers of any Bible you pick up as you can’t read more than a few paragraphs or pages before you encounter evidence of this love.
During this Christmas season, may we be ever aware of those around us who need to feel His love in a tangible way. Let us be His arms, His voice and His actions in spreading His love to others.
Have a blessed day!
Today’s story may not be a traditional story about the Thanksgiving holiday, but it is definitely a story about Thanksgiving. Enjoy!
A Thanksgiving Story- author unknown
A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: “I am blind, please help.”
There were only a few coins in the hat.
A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.
Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were.
The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, “Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?”
The man said, “I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way.” I wrote: “Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it.”
Both signs told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people that they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?
Moral of the Story: Be thankful for what you have. Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively. When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile. Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear. Keep the faith and drop the fear.
**************************************************************************************************************
The Bible has so much to say about the topic of thanksgiving -not the holiday, of course, but the habit of giving thanks in all our circumstances. I am reminded again of my student who was talking with me about the concept of people either seeing a glass as half full or as half empty. He was confused about the meaning behind it, that of an optimistic or pessimistic viewpoint. He thought the whole concept was ridiculous, both literally and figuratively, because his philosophy was that if the glass (or life) was half empty, you just drank it and filled it back up. I thought that was a marvelous life philosophy!
I think that is also the concept behind one of the most well-known Scriptures about giving thanks. We find it in James 1:2-4. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” The words ‘give thanks’ are not directly used, but I think the implication is there. It reminds me also of the popular saying: ‘When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.’ Definitely a rewrite of the moral of today’s story, isn’t it?
So this season of thanksgiving, look for the reasons to smile even in the midst of reasons to cry.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
I AM THANKFUL- Author Unknown
I AM THANKFUL FOR THE WIFE
WHO SAYS IT’S HOTDOGS TONIGHT,
BECAUSE SHE IS HOME WITH ME
AND NOT OUT WITH SOMEONE ELSE.
I AM THANKFUL FOR THE HUSBAND
WHO IS ON THE SOFA BEING A COUCH POTATO,
BECAUSE HE IS HOME WITH ME
AND NOT OUT AT THE BARS.
I AM THANKFUL FOR THE TEENAGER
WHO IS COMPLAINING ABOUT DOING THE DISHES
BECAUSE THAT MEANS SHE IS AT HOME
AND NOT ON THE STREETS.
I AM THANKFUL FOR THE TAXES
THAT I PAY
BECAUSE IT MEANS
THAT I AM EMPLOYED.
I AM THANKFUL FOR THE MESS
TO CLEAN AFTER A PARTY
BECAUSE IT MEANS
THAT I HAVE BEEN SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS.
I AM THANKFUL FOR THE CLOTHES
THAT FIT A LITTLE TOO SNUG
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT.
I AM THANKFUL FOR MY SHADOW
THAT WATCHES ME WORK
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I AM OUT IN THE SUNSHINE.
I AM THANKFUL FOR A LAWN
THAT NEEDS MOWING,
WINDOWS THAT NEED CLEANING,
AND GUTTERS THAT NEED FIXING,
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I HAVE A HOME.
I AM THANKFUL FOR ALL THE COMPLAINING
I HEAR ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT
BECAUSE IT MEANS
THAT WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH.
I AM THANKFUL FOR THE PARKING SPOT
I FIND AT THE FAR END OF THE PARKING LOT
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I AM CAPABLE OF WALKING
AND THAT I HAVE BEEN
BLESSED WITH TRANSPORTATION.
I AM THANKFUL FOR MY HUGE HEATING BILL
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I AM WARM.
I AM THANKFUL FOR THE LADY
BEHIND ME IN CHURCH
THAT SINGS OFF KEY
BECAUSE IT MEANS
THAT I CAN HEAR.
I AM THANKFUL FOR THE PILE
OF LAUNDRY AND IRONING
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I HAVE CLOTHES TO WEAR.
I AM THANKFUL FOR WEARINESS AND ACHING MUSCLES
AT THE END OF THE DAY
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I HAVE BEEN CAPABLE OF WORKING HARD.
AND…
I AM THANKFUL FOR THE ALARM
THAT GOES OFF IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS
BECAUSE IT MEANS
THAT I AM ALIVE.
The Bible has a lot to say about thankfulness. One of the most well-known passages is “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Today’s poem is a good example of this in that it looks at situations that might invite complaints and finds a reason to be thankful for that very situation. I love that way of looking at life. We’ve all heard about two people who look at a glass filled halfway with liquid: one person sees it as half empty and the other as half full. I think I may have mentioned in a previous post a student of mine who said that both viewpoints were wrong. His philosophy is, if the glass is half full, drink it and fill it back up again! I thought that was very profound, especially for a 13-year-old ‘country boy!’
Colossians 3:15-20 says, “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” If we would all adopt that passage as our life’s motto, think of what a wonderful world we would have!
This week, continue to look for the positive in every situation. Drink those half full glasses, and pour yourself a new glass of crystal clear, sparkling life!
Have a blessed day!
Cellebrate Life 