Cuckoo, Love, and Hope.

Have you ever felt like a cuckoo clock with rusty gears? You're 50, 60, 70+ ... your hair doesn't respond the way it used to, you don't always remember what day it's supposed to be, your feet and knees really hurt at the end of the day... and you realize you never became the person you thought you were born to be.

There's good news: there is still time!
....You're still here.
The sun came up today, there is 24 hours in the day, there are people out there, and, then, there is little o' YOU.

Emily Dickensen wrote, "... hope inspires the good to reveal itself."

Mother Teresa said, "None of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love."

Need HOPE?
Need LOVE?
They pretty much go hand-in-hand.
Hope allows us to love.
Love allows us to hope.
Gather them both and get out there and become that person God created you to be....

 

Love God

Love your fellow man

... and, yes, it's okay to love yourself.

After all, He created you out of love and hope.

Want A Good Deal?

Sears has a sign in their window: 40% off everything in the store. I check out the grocery coupons-- Payless has 5 Betty Crocker cake mixes for $4; Bananas (with the coupon) are 39 cents a pound. I start my grocery list.... At a recent Treasure Fest shopping venture in our small town, I bargained with the seller of a birdhouse to get a better deal.

All of this is okay or perhaps good.
However, when it comes to God, we should never think-- How little can I give to get the most?

Although, "By grace are you saved through faith and not by works..." God wants us to live beyond the ordinary. He wants nothing less than 100%, because it's possible that the closer we get to God, the more He gives-- 

Let us not be caught saying, "At least I'm saved."

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

Want a good deal?

Give Him everything.

Expect everything in return.

Difficult People

Difficult people in your life? Amazon.com sells books which may be helpful: How to Work With Just About Anyone, Coping With Your Difficult Older Parent, A Teenaged Rebellion... 

Perhaps, we have even asked God to remove these difficult people from our lives... or change them into someone more tolerable?

Is there another way to think about this? Perhaps they are supposed to be in our lives. Perhaps having them in our life is to allow us to change into the person of character God created us to be.


Moses complained to God about the people in his life-- the Israelites on their way to the Promised Land. Noah was in the midst of difficult people. Elijah disappeared into a cave to get away from his mess (difficult people). And, surely you remember Joseph whose brothers stuffed him in a well. Talk about difficult people. We are not Moses, or Noah, or Elijah...however, we each have difficult people in our lives. This person may live in our house, across the street, or show up at our work place every day.

We each have a ministry within the boundaries of our lives. Let God set the setting; the work is ours. Work? One can not do ministry without people, especially the difficult ones. Part of your calling is all wrapped up in the relationships/connections we have. Love God. Love your fellow man.

My friend forwarded this to me...

To live daily with people, that on occasion are extremely different requires great effort. It requires diplomacy and tolerance, to adapt and accept (give in or let go), knowing when to speak and when to be quiet, what to say and what not to say.

It appears to be a lot of work, however, these are the forces that transform us into spiritual beings, polished and refined. In this way we learn to truly love.

Impossible? Nothing is with God!

Give us, O Lord,
a steadfast heart,
which no unworthy affection
may drag downwards...
   Thomas Aquinas  

Chat it up...

Chat rooms are online spaces where users communicate with one another through text-based messages. It's like a virtual cocktail party, where people gather, argue about politics and sports, ask for advice, talk about shared hobbies and interests, or simply hang out. Chat rooms play an important role in the evolution of interpersonal communication over computer networks. {from google question: what are chat rooms?}

If you want to improve your interpersonal communication skills with God: why not try chatting. You don't need a computer or a smart phone. In fact, you don't need any thing. He's already there; you're already there.

In Psalm 38:9, David, the psalmist, writes.. All my longings lie before you, O Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you. So, let him know how you feel. He knows you very well.

The fewer the words the better prayer. Martin Luther..A lot of fancy words are not necessary.

Prayer is not monologue, but dialogue. God's voice in response to mine is its most essential part. ~ Andrew Murray...Listen. Be Still. He wants to talk back.

 

Don’t pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it. A man is powerful on his knees. ~ Corrie Ten Boom ...Pray when you feel like it. Pray when you don't feel like it. In fact, pray without ceasing. 1Thessalonians 5:17

 

Prayer – secret, fervent, believing prayer – lies at the root of all personal godliness.  ~ William Carey

 Get personal with God. A nice chat might be just what you need. He really loves you.

Raindrops on Roses...

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things....

Whether you've seen "The Sound of Music" once, umpteen times, or not at all, most of us know some of the words to this song.. It goes on to speak of cream colored ponies, crisp apple streudels, wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings, girls in white dresses, and snowflakes...

 What are your favorite things and how do they make you feel?

 

Isn't it true that on your worst days that one of your favorite things (is it a particular child's laughter, a rainbow, a favorite song, a lover's kiss) makes you feel better? Have you ever thought that when you truly laugh, when your heart bursts with affection... that these are glimpses of heaven, a foretaste of the eternity?

Wow!
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done...
We can't begin to imagine what He has planned....

What Makes You Unique?

Take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life. Deuteronomy 4:9

Remember when you were little--that special friend? ... Your parents, the person who hired you for your first important job, a forever love, the individual who hurt you with a forever-hurt, that someone you meant on the plane who left a lasting impression, each child born into your family--each leaves an imprint on your soul.

As we grow and mature, we seem to become a little bit of a whole lot of people who come in and out of our lives. It is what makes us unique from all others in the world.

When you look at creation, one "gets" it. Our God was CREATIVE. Study the various clouds, the changing seasons, the waves on a shoreline. Each so different. Why wouldn't man be so? As nature becomes a little bit of a whole lot that is going on in the world, we, too, are all affected by those who come into our lives.

The cool thing is that in God's world everything is all so connected. One of the most significant ideas to emerge in the 20th century shows that all reality--from the atom to the universe (that includes you and me) can be understood in terms of relationships.

So, let's take care, watch ourselves closely as we love God, love our fellow man, and take care of the Earth God has created for us. Surely, something big is going on. We each need to do the thing He has given us to do until little o' me and little o' you will have done something great for the Kingdom of God.

All things were destined to be joined in our Lord and Savior.

When You Meet Someone....

I am often intrigued, inspired, and even amused by the persons who appear in my life and the circumstances that surround our meetings. We each have social and professional relationships or connections. We also have those persons who we feel we have a spiritual connection with--a heart to heart thing. Sometimes, this connection develops over a period of time; sometimes, it is almost instantaneous.

Therefore encourage one another

and build each other up

as you are already doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:11

 

For example...

 

I first met Ann at a discussion based on my book, Thou Shalt Not. She introduced herself and thanked me for writing the book. An email came the following morning from Ann with an offer to take the book to Luther College. She would be attending a class reunion there. "Call the bookstore," she said. "See if they will sell it for you."

 

I called the bookstore and talked to someone who had no idea who I was; they said yes.

 

As the days passed, I learned that Ann lived and taught in another country. Recently retired, she was working on her own family history. This encounter is just one example of the many that have occurred in my life. Serendipity? ... little miracles?

 

Whatever the reason, they encourage me to slow down and listen to the person God has put before me. Think of the missed opportunities if I don't? On the flip side, maybe next time, I will be the giver of whatever needs to be delivered. Is it encouragement? A helping hand? Or, simply a listening ear?

 

 ..so in Christ we who are many form one body,

and each member belongs to all the others.

Romans 12:5

...consider this when you meet someone today...

and reflect the love He gave you.

A single word or phrase, spoken kindly,

may turn one away from error

or cause one to feel loved and cared for....