Sticks Like Glue

While attempting to remove the residue of an "incredibly strong" glue from my fingers, my thoughts ran to a lack of preparation of the gluing project. Taking time to prepare would have been prudent and carefully reading the instructions would have been excellent preparation. The "incredibly strong" glue had stuck to my fingers in what appeared to be a semi-permanent film that made the tips of my fingers sticky and frankly somewhat annoying. Presumably this "incredibly strong" glue tackles the "toughest jobs on earth" so this thin layer of glue would be a constant reminder of my gluing project for a day or so.
Contemplating the now slick surface of the tips of my fingers was the inspiration for a thought process far from the just completed gluing of a broken chair. The worrisome residue from the glue made me think of the way hurtful remarks seem to "stick" to a person's psyche. Hoping that those remarks will eventually slough off is often an unrealistic dream. Depending on where in one's soul those remarks happened to stick, they may become semi-permanent reminders. Peeling away the residue of the glue began to be an obsession and the rough feel of partially removed glue urged a continued effort to scratch it off, leaving a "raw" feeling to the fingertip. Still the urge persists and the mind wanders to inventive ways to remove it. Thoughts of hot,soapy water, sharp objects and chemical solvents began to emerge. Maybe alcohol would do it... Funny how the mind offers all kinds of solutions to the little annoyances of life to avoid an eventual all-encompassing malady. Our society is all about good feelings and self images, there's no place for blemishes or insensitivity. We desperately seek ways to get the "residue" of hurtful remarks and damaged psyche, of less than perfect self-image out of our lives. For example, chewing unthinkingly on one fingertip while typing with the other is definitely hampering this process of blogging. So it goes with life, something "glues" itself to us and we spend our lives trying to remove the annoying reminder from our consciousness. What are we to do with these "sticky" situations? How do we make ourselves impervious to the "glue" that sticks these annoyances to us? Why won't they simply slough off?
A forgiving heart becomes the solvent for these "sticky" annoyances. In Luke 6:27, Jesus said, "But I say to all of you who will listen to me: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who treat you badly." Jesus implores us to simply listen to him. Forgiveness is essential to your own forgiveness for we all know our capabilities to dish out all the same things we condemn. We can spew the "sticky" remarks that become annoyances for others. We must redouble our efforts to avoid making the miseries we experience. Read the the Bible, our "instruction manual". Prepare your heart for life's sticky stuff. Have a grateful heart, love God, and make a special effort to love one another.

Breaking News

Have you noticed that we are assaulted with the most negative news during the first few minutes of our local news and all in the name of "breaking news". Human tragedy has become breaking news and the more salacious the crime the more coverage allotted.Crimes against our neighbors captures our attention and we are drug into an emotional tie with the victims. The more tears and wails of anguish that the videographer captures, the more we are drawn into the story. The public seems to salivate over the woes of others, as murder and mayhem grabs our attention. We no longer treat this news as tragic; our conversation seems complacent as we ridiculously discuss motives and abhorrence with impunity. Tragedy no longer leaves us aghast as we stare into the lives of victims. The conceptual, "You Are There" approach to the news is a bit over the top! Headline news drones on and on... on and on... exploring every cruelty of the story as we sit fixated on coverage of a white SUV traveling the streets of Los Angeles or the remnants of the space shuttle falling from the sky or the smoke and debris of twin skyscrapers and their occupants as they tumble to the ground, lest we ever forget... How many pieces of ourselves can we give up before imagination and reality become so blurred we cannot differentiate? What emotional price must we pay before we say,"ENOUGH!"?
Perhaps for some of us the change to digital television is blessing in disguise. If you have not subscribed to the madness of cable/satellite and you don't own a digital TV, you may have been blessed by the upcoming national conversion. Perhaps your blessing comes in the form of a red alert on your screen soon to be followed by a "snowy" bliss. Perhaps now is your chance to stop this vicious cycle of negativism that invades your life. Perhaps you will turn off your "snowy" picture and turn to a far more beautiful media with positive news. Perhaps God's world will become your consciousness and good news will abound. Perhaps you will pick up your Bible and find this good news:

Psalm 91
Safe in the Lord

1 Those who go to God Most High for safety
will be protected by the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, "You are my place of safety and protection.
You are my God and I trust you."

3 God will save you from hidden traps
and from deadly diseases.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you can hide.
His truth will be your shield and protection.
5 You will not fear any danger by night
or an arrow during the day.
6 You will not be afraid of diseases that come in the dark
or sickness that strikes at noon.
7 At your side one thousand people may die,
or even ten thousand right beside you,
but you will not be hurt.
8 You will only watch
and see the wicked punished.

9 The Lord is your protection;
you have made God Most High your place of safety.
10 Nothing bad will happen to you;
no disaster will come to your home.
11 He has put his angels in charge of you
to watch over you wherever you go.
12 They will catch you in their hands
so that you will not hit your foot on a rock.
13 You will walk on lions and cobras;
you will step on strong lions and snakes.

14 The Lord says, "Whoever loves me, I will save.
I will protect those who know me.
15 They will call to me, and I will answer them.
I will be with them in trouble;
I will rescue them and honor them.
16 I will give them a long, full life,
and they will see how I can save."

Perhaps the beauty that surrounds us in "living color" will supplant the artificial representation on a 20" screen. Have a grateful heart, experience the real beauty of our world. Be a part of YOUR life. Love one another. Love God. Make your "breaking news" the good news of God's Love.

Old Life and New Life

Over the past few days I have had the distinct honor of witnessing a new life, my grandson. What a marvel God has given us in new life! It is indeed the greatest wonder of our world. There is a certain perfection in the tiny faces, the tiny fingers, the tiny toes, all fresh and new. We usually find a crowd around the nursery viewing window with a chorus of "He's so cute!" or "She's beautiful and so petite!" or "Look how tiny he is" remarks. We often take for granted the introduction of new life into our world. We see it as the natural progression of love and marriage to reproduce offspring that looks like one of us. It is indeed the preservation of the species but it is a marvelous event that eclipses what we may consider as "way cool" things in our lives. When you first hold that squirming tiny person in your arms you MUST be awestruck. The fresh innocence of a newborn is incredibly emotional. Seeing the ultimate results of love and marriage that we call a baby is a precious gift from God that warms the heart. In the midst of turmoil and tribulation a baby brings new hope and a renewal of the spirit. As that tiny face looks up at you seeking a fulfillment of his needs you see why the adage, "it takes a village", has a significance that perhaps you haven't considered. Those little eyes can't focus on who it is providing his needs so you must be prepared to do whatever it takes to satisfy him. When he cries out for sustenance he has little regard from whence it comes. When he is uncomfortable, he has little regard for whose arms hold him just that his expectations of relief are met. The urgency of his needs are accompanied by a tiny voice expressed as a whimper or a bellow but always audible and heart wrenching. We cannot choose to ignore it as he will persist until his needs are met. His facial features can go from angelic to downright mad in an instant. The attitude of "perhaps you didn't hear me" couldn't be plainer. Now comes the delicate balance that precludes all knowledge, what exactly is his need, it becomes a perplexing dilemma for new parents. Thousand of clean diapers and half empty bottles are thrown out. No matter how adept we are at satisfying the needs of those in the workplace or society at large, we are reduced to ineptitude by the cry of a baby. Suddenly our relative self importance becomes secondary to the needs of the baby. That cry for help becomes primary and all important. Suddenly the person who can handle anything becomes putty in a baby's hands. A tiny voice, a pitiful cry, your world has changed, a new purpose for your life is mirrored in that tiny face.

At the same time we were witnessing new life we were simultaneously addressing the needs of an old life. An elderly parent recovering from surgery that left her a bit helpless had needs that must be met as well. The old life has many years of communication so that the helplessness is not so pronounced in terms of defining the need but it is often just as urgent. It is usually not punctuated with loud crying but the look of responsibility and the air of need is certainly not diminished. There is a sharp focus on the face that seemingly MUST address the need and there is usually no mistake to whom the need is addressed. Food and creature comforts are much the same in the old life as it is in the new life but with a defined preference. Fortunately, with reasonableness, the urgency can be abated for a short time. The urgency of the needs of the new life isn't negotiable. Interestingly, there seems to be pacifiers for both and to date neither new nor old has refused.

We wish to see the first smile in the new life and wish to see a smile again in the old life. The new life has a peaceful countenance when satisfied, the face of the old life has a face of discontent that has become somewhat permanent. Take time to notice old faces, where has their joy gone? At the same time make an effort to observe as many new faces as you can. There is a joy for you in this observation in case you have forgotten. New faces make old faces smile. Be grateful for old faces and new faces. Find joy in them both. Know that God has provided this joy for you and have a grateful heart. Love old and new faces. Most of all, Love God.

The Cross in My Pocket- A Children's Sermon

Some of us are given a rare privilege in life of presenting a Children's Sermon during the worship service. This experience is seldom eclipsed and becomes etched in one's memory. Lots of folks who don't have the first hand experience enjoy those short vignettes as they watch the faces and hear the remarks from the smallest in our congregations. Inspirations for these short lessons come from a myriad of places and often are predicated on the availablity of some tangible reminder of the lesson. "The Cross in My Pocket" provides inspiration for this lesson. Perhaps you have seen the small 2-inch Crosses inscribed with the words "Jesus Christ is Lord" or "God Loves You" and with an accompanying poem that reads;

THE CROSS IN MY POCKET

I carry a Cross in my pocket
A simple reminder to me
Of the fact that I am a Christian
No matter where I may be

The little Cross is not magic
Nor is it a good luck charm
It isn't meant to protect me
From every physical harm

It's not for identification
For all the world to see
It simply is an understanding
Between my Savior and me

When I put my hand in my pocket
To bring out a coin or key
The Cross is there to remind me
Of the price He paid for me

It reminds me too, to be thankful
For my blessings day by day
And to strive to serve Him better
In all I do and say

Its also a daily reminder
Of the peace and comfort I share
With all who know my Master
And give themselves to His care

So I carry a Cross in my pocket
Reminding me, no none but me
That Jesus Christ is Lord of my life
If only I'll let Him be...

by Mrs Verna Mae Thomas, from McGehee, Arkansas

There are probably millions of Crosses in pockets all around the world and the verse by itself is an inspired message, beyond the obvious, other factors make the small Cross a viable tool to teach the meaning of the Cross and its importance to the religions of the world. There's also a simplicity in the Cross that we often overlook that relates directly to children and condenses the lesson to a viable Children's Sermon.

Reach into your pocket and pull out the small Cross. "Have you ever seen one of these?"; Who can tell me what this is?...; Look around, do you see any more Crosses in the Santuary?... Sure, there are many Crosses around the church. See, there's a big one on the wall, here's one on the altar, one on top of the flag pole, there's one outside on the steeple. Now, take a look at the Cross, "What letter of the alphabet does it bring to mind?... That's right, "T". To me it's a reminder to "trust" in God. Trust that God will tell you what's right and wrong. Trust that God is always with you. Trust that God will protect you and comfort you in times of trouble.

Is there another letter that you notice on the Cross?... What about "L"?... Yes, there's lots of "L's" on a Cross. Actually if you turn it anyway you will see an "L" (Use the cross to demonstrate) . The "L" is the best reminder of all! The "L" is visible in so many ways on the Cross to remind you that God Loves You! The Cross is surrounded by Love! Today I'm going to give each of you a Cross to carry in your pocket to remind you that God Loves You and that He gave us Jesus! Let's pray together and thank God for His Love and for His Son, Jesus.

Have a grateful heart and love God as He loves you!!

Jots and Tittles

As the new President restated his oath of office, a thought occurred to me, it is about our need to dot our "i"s and cross our "t"s to insure that we would concur with the strictest letter of the law in order not to suffer repercussions. In light of all the many things that are wrong in our world, we choose to concern ourselves with the tiniest of details for fear of retribution. We must look very foolish to the world. We seek to make magnanimous gestures to improve our image so as to convince the world that our way is the right way. We tell the world it should live to our standards and practices because it is the right thing to do. We take action to erase what could be misconceived to be selfish in our intent. We allow our actions to dictate the very substance of the global picture we present and if we object to those actions, WE condemn them for the world to see. Our media seems to concentrate on the negative aspects of life and government in the name of full and transparent disclosure. Are we so naive as to think that the world is not looking? We see our weaknesses as "breaking news", we delight in the fact that someone has broken the law. We splash the headlines with evil, corruption, degradation, and murder; then we seek to change the world to our way. We spend billions of dollars and effort attempting to change the hearts and minds of the world population to see that our relative wealth is achievable within the bounds of "our way". The woes of our economy are portrayed as disastrous and akin to the Depression of the 30's. There are more than a few people who would gladly trade our Depression of the 30's for their reality of today. Yet we wring our hands at the failure of our banking systems as the world starves. We are hopelessly "wrapped around the axle". We are bogged down by our very effort to save the world. We are focused on what's wrong to the extent that we can't do what's right.

Sadly, it is a trickle down effect to the individual. We align ourselves directly with the media and the bad news of the day. My observations are that we face such negativity in our world that we actually cry when a common act of kindness occurs. Doesn't it seem strange that we have become so calloused that we cry out for a little kindness. Jesus faced much of the same frustration as He preached the Sermon on the Mount. He found a people so wrapped around the particulars of the Law (Torah) that they failed to see the true basis of Scriptures. He found it necessary to point out to them the good things around them. The insistence on the complete compliance with the Law had made the people calloused to the soft side of life. He blessed the meek, the poor, the peaceful, gentle, the hungry, the poor spirited and sorrowful people to show them it was OK to be everyday people with everyday problems. He turned to the interpreters of the Law and said they were wrong in their strict interpretation. He began to write the love of God and their fellow man on their hearts and minds not only in a book of Laws. He describes them as the salt of the earth and the light of the world so they could see their worthiness for the love of God. In Matthew 5: 17-20, Jesus explains, "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled" The authorities were afraid this new religion was going to usurp their authority and make the people see them in an unfavorable light. Jesus was telling the people of His intent not to sweep away that established religion but to fulfill its prophecies. Jesus wants the commandments of Love written in the hearts and minds of all men. Love God and love one another is the simple truths that we must live everyday moment of everyday. Have a grateful heart filled with love.

Negatives

As we watched the weather tonight we were astonished by the number of negative temperature readings we saw. The forecast is not much better, perhaps worse, lots more negatives as we are assaulted by an Arctic blast of cold. As we watch the news each night we see negative reaction of the stock market to negative news of the day. Negative news? Do we have negative news? The job market is teeming with people who are a part of the negative jobs figures we have experienced. Job cuts lead the negative news of the day. We are bombarded by negative news associated with persons of high office, persons seeking high office, and the current President's negative approval rating. Negative statistics concerning our real estate markets, foreclosures, and the economy. There's the huge negative reports of the looming recession or depression that must be softened to allay the fears that fuel negative responses to the banking and securities markets. There's negative news about the mismanagement of banks, the mismanagement of companies, the mismanagement of investment funds, the mismanagement of wars, the mismanagement of $750b in bailout money, our mismanagement of our health that somehow has caused the mismanagement of our health care system and the news of mismanagement goes on resulting in more and more negative news. There is negative news about the heroes of victimization, the Israelis, the people of God, as they seek retribution for the endangerment of its citizens by Hamas or whoever they're currently fighting. We have mismanaged our environment resulting in a negative look at the future of our Earth. There seems to be more than enough of us to blame for all these negatives. In the scheme of things there seems to be an inordinate amount of negative news of late. No wonder we are depressed and fearful, we're all weighed down by the negatives of the world. A precious few fleeting moments of positive news is squeezed in between the negative news stories.

There is a piece of positive news that can't be denied, God so loved the world He gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in Him should not be lost, but should have eternal life. That news should bring a smile to your face. Even with all the negatives we face we must be grateful that those pale in comparison to the knowledge that eternal life awaits us who simply believe. Trust in God. Love God. Love one another. Have a grateful heart!

Laughter is the best medicine

The simplicity and innocence of childhood is best exhibited in a child's laughter. Here's a short video of how giggling is very special in children. This is a YouTube video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P6UU6m3cqk, to copy and paste. As you can see giggling is contagious and makes us feel good. Nothing complicated and certainly not limited. Just a word or an action seems to be sufficient to tickle the giggle mechanism. Perhaps it's a response to the attention that we shower on babies. Funny faces, noises, or hand movements begin a repetitive action of giggles that go on and on. Is it a learned behavior? Does the baby realize that happiness is derived from their giggles? Does the baby equate enhanced attention to his giggles? Attention getting behavior seems to transcend age, whatever it takes to get a little attention becomes an essential part of our being. Laughter or giggling actually reverses its role as we age, the laughter we get will manifest itself in attention getting behavior. For example, comedians or class clowns search for ways to make people laugh. Why? Is it an unselfish act to bring joy and happiness or does it satisfy an inner longing for the same attention we sought as a child?

As we grow older that lack of attention seems to rob us of our sense of humor, steals our laughter and smiles. A pat on the back that is not forthcoming makes us unhappy and we know happiness is a prerequisite to smiles and laughter. When mom can no longer provide those delectable dishes that she is famous for and the compliments wane, the smiles and laughter also wane. What was a joy becomes a task. Tasks don't lend themselves to smiles and laughter. Laughs aren't so easy to come by and frowns supplant smiles. Sadness overcomes joy and health becomes poor. It almost seems characteristic of the elderly, an inability to smile or laugh easily. An old proverb says, what soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul. In Chapter 15 of Genesis, God made Abraham laugh at age 99 when He told him that his wife, Sarah, age 90, would have a child. Of course, it came to pass as did Abraham's lineage.

As we "lol" at jokes sent on the Internet we wonder why that conveyance of communication has become so popular. No small talk, no howyadoin?, just a joke in hopes that you would "lol". We are truly in need of smiles and laughs. So keep them coming, smiles and laughter, make it a point to do it everyday. Display your love for one another by making someone laugh or at least smile. Be grateful that you still have the ability and the desire. Laughter IS the best medicine!