How much happier we would be  if we took time to “Enjoy The Moments” that are so special in our lives. They are sometimes planned and anticipated but other special moments often show up unannounced. I think one of the greatest ways to battle stress and discouragement is to simply enjoy the special moments the Good Lord gives us each day. Our culture is obsessed with the success of getting “ things done” which is okay and necessary for a lot of things but not for everything. The problem is we can be in such a hurry to get the “next thing done” we can miss the blessing of a brief but encouraging conversation with someone, or a pretty sunset, time with friends and family, etc..It’s interesting that many of the life-changing encounters that Jesus had when He walked this earth, took place when He was on His way to somewhere else…He made the most of each day and wasn’t in such a hurry that He didn’t have time to notice someone or see something worth remembering. I like how Jack Cornfield describes the importance of not letting busyness rob us of our joy and peace… “When we get caught up in the busyness of this world, we loose connection with one another and ourselves.” Do you feel disconnected? Then, maybe it’s time to slow down your pace a little bit and enjoy the moments that are on the on your path through the day. 

E.T.M.’s…everybody has them, don’t be in such a hurry that you go rushing by yours and miss a blessing that God has sent your way today. 

 

Some friends and I went fishing one night on the Flat Creek section of nearby Douglas Lake. I asked them, what I needed to bring and they suggested I bring some food for the group. I went by the grocery store and got some big chicken drumsticks ( they look like something Fred Flintstone or some other cave man would like to eat).  We set out on our nocturnal adventure and found our fishing spot, put down the anchor and began to fish. After a while, the group decided it was time to eat the food I brought. I had my fishing pole set and the line in the water, my flashlight on and then began to distribute the chicken to the guys. All of sudden, my fishing pole bent over because I had hooked a fish, I had my flashlight and grabbed the fishing pole in one hand, and held the chicken in the other hand…I had to decide to let some thing go, I couldn’t hold on to all of it at the same time! So… I dropped the flashlight in the lake, handed off the chicken to one of my friends and grabbed the fishing pole with both hands and then caught the fish.The other guys were so impressed with my “multi-tasking-how-to-make-a-quick-decison-making-ability”and responded with lots of laughter and teasing me about letting go the flashlight…What we hold on to and let go of in our lives is so important. We need to let go of the burdens of bitterness, envy, and hatred, failures, guilt, disappointments, worry, etc… We need to hold on to our faith and become better instead of bitter. I am reminded of my favorite verse in the Bible, “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens” (Psalm 68:19). The phrase “daily bears our burdens” actually means that God can pick us up, like a parent will reach down and pick a little child when they stumble and falls and then holds them. When we let go of our burdens and look to the Lord and hold on to Him, we realize He is our source of strength, peace, and guidance for our daily lives. What are you holding on to today, that you need to let go? Are you looking to the Lord today to help you? Are you holding on to the right things in your life right now? I don’t know about you, but I have to look to the Lord every day!

  

Do you feel like you never quite measure up? Do you automatically feel guilty when something goes wrong, even when it may not be your fault?

Do you have trouble accepting God’s love, grace, and forgiveness?

If someone is sad, mad, or upset…you usually assume that you have done something to make them feel that way?
    Experts have termed this as living by a “shame based  identity”. In other words, it is as if our basic view of life is that  “It is always my fault and I’m guilty”. What causes you to feel that way? It could be several things that can contribute to this…Some suggest it may be due to your childhood, where you grew up in an environment of fear and shame due the overriding feeling you were never “ good enough.”  It can also be a result of other dysfunctional relationships and experiences.  Regardless of it’s origin, the good news you don’t have to be chained to the past emotionally.

    Through redefining our personal faith in what Christ did for us and realizing He loves us unconditionally we can expeirence the peace of God regardless of the pain of the past. The key is to focus more on what God thinks of you than feelings of shame:

1. You are forgiven. “No one whose hope in You will ever be put to shame.” (Psalm 25:3 NIV)

2. You are His regardless of your feelings of failure and guilt. “As far as the east is from the west,, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103: 12 NIV)

3. You don’t have to live in the past. ” Do not be afraid, you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth.” (Isaiah 54:4 NIV)

    As you and I continually think about God’s grace, we realize that God really loves us, and our personal relationship with Him becomes our true source of our self-esteem and identity. You and I are not a mistake but a reflection of God’s grace. 

 

The wit and wisdom of Pappy and Rush…Paul Galyon and Rush Parrott had several nicknames, Paul’s nicknames were “Slim” (because he was tall and slim) and “Pappy”. Rush’s nickname was “Tiny”(because he wasn’t tiny) but most people just called him Rush. The dictionary defines “wit” as a “form of intelligent humor, the ability to say things that are clever and fun”. Here’s a sampling of some of their favorite “witty” sayings…
“I’m only afraid of two kinds of snakes, dead ones and live ones.”
“Every road leads somewhere.”
“With the friends you’ve got, you don’t need any enemies.”
“I take after both of my grandfathers… One ate a lot and the other ate for a long time.”
“I ain’t ever done nothing to nobody.”
“I feel like a lost baseball in high weeds.”
“I treat everybody alike…I give everybody a hard time.”
“Good food won’t hurt you, if you are used to it.”
They worked together, laughed together, had fun together, served our church as deacons together and were in the local fire department together. They loved to tease each other; play jokes and pranks on each other and their “ friends”, although when asked about that, they would always each respond with …”I ain’t ever done nothing to nobody.” On the other hand, They were some of the most dedicated and caring individuals I have ever known. They were always there to support people in time of need. They were dependable and faithful. They were true to their word, if they promise you something, they would do it. 

They were big on commitment but at the same time enjoyed life and people. They loved their family and both lovingly cared for the wives through difficult illness before they passed away. They showed us that both whit and wisdom are important… how to laugh and how to live. That is a good combination. Wisdom is defined in the Bible as the practical knowledge and applying God’s truth in everyday life. They lived that way on a consistent daily basis and had some fun along the way. We could all use some wit and wisdom each day too. 

  

“ Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” – Winston Churchill
“The way we view our problem often times… is the problem.” – Wayne Cordeiro
“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.” – Mary Englebreit
It is so easy to have a bad attitude and get trapped in the valley of self-pity. It is important to remember that our thoughts often determine our actions.  When we have a bad attitude and let it linger and don’t deal with it, it can grow and can sour even our closest relationships. In addition to that, it’s gets more and more difficult to get people to attend our pity parties… At some point, we need to accept responsibility for our attitude. We may not be able to completely change our circumstances, but we can change our attitude. We are not responsible for every thought that enters our mind, but we are responsible for what we do with those thoughts. There is an old  saying..”You cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head but you can prevent then them from building a nest in your hair.” That is so true. 

It is very important to keep track of thought life. Distorted thinking can lead to wrong conclusions…which can lead to to unrealistic expectations, then we  can end up feeling frustrated and discouraged. 

Here are some things I have found to be very helpful in keeping my attitude in the right frame of mind. We can take control of our thoughts by filtering them through God’s Word…”Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that excellent and worthy of praise.” – Philippians 4:8. Ask yourself, is what I’m thinking about , Is it true? is it it honorable? Is it right? Is it pure? Is it lovely? Is it admirable? Is ti excellent  Is it worthy of praise? If not, then it’s time to think about other things. Make a conscious effort to change your thought patterns by thinking about something better, just like you would to change the channel on your TV by using the remote to watch something else.

One way to accomplish this is to start praying for someone else. Getting our focus off just ourselves and doing something for someone else can help bring about a positive change in our own attitude. We also need to let God guide our thoughts. We do this by committing ourselves and our attitude to God throughout the day… “You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind {both its inclination and its character} is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.” – Isaiah 26:3 

That is why, what is “on your mind”…is so important. 
  

I have always enjoyed the music of James Taylor. Here are some of  my favorites…YOU GOT A FRIEND.This has always been my most favorite James Taylor song for many reasons. The music and lyrics are simple yet very powerful. It describes the very best qualities of friendship that I value and treasure, such as “when you are down and troubled and need a helping hand, you just call out my name and I will be there.” That also describes how I feel about the Lord, when I call out His name, He is always there.

Other friendships too, I really feel are a gift that God gives us and it is also a gift that we can give to others. The very famous Bear, Winnie the Pooh described friendship this way: “A good friend will stick by you until you are unstuck.” That is so true. This is also the way, wise King Solomon describes it…“Friends love through all kinds of weather and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.” – Proverbs 17:17 (MSG)

CAROLINA IN MY MIND. Because I’m originally from North Carolina this song reminds me of some of the happy times growing up there. It is looking back that we realize how much our our childhood shapes us into we have become who we are now.

WALKING MAN. I like this song a lot. Maybe because I’m a “walking man” and I love to take walks in the mountains or by the sea shore. I also desire to be a person that walks with God. I like to be like the man Enoch described in Genesis 5…”Enoch walked with God.”  To walk with someone you spend time with them, you have to be going in the same direction, and you keep in step with them. Each day that is my goal to take time to talk with God in prayer and let Him guide me through whatever I am doing throughout the day.

SHOWER THE PEOPLE WITH LOVE. One of the most regretful comments I hear at funeral services is that “I wish I had told them I love them more, I wish I had spent more time with them, I wish I had told them how much they meant to me”… The lyrics to this song encourages us to do just that …”just shower the people you love with love, show them the way you feel.” Let people know that you love and appreciate them. Don’t wait until it is too late. Everybody needs to feel loved and appreciated. I like what Mark Twain said: ” I can live two months off a good compliment.” 

FIRE AND RAIN has a catchy tune and the words describe the extremes of life, the good and the bad. I often marvel how life can be happy and sad all at the same time. One of my heroes is Tiffany, she was a member of our church who valiantly fought serious illness but yet had the best attitude about life. She said “Enjoy life. Take it all in, the good and the bad. Don’t look back. Just live.” That is the attitude we all should have as we live life day by day.

YOUR SMILING FACE. This song is upbeat and cheerful. I smile a lot and I like to see others smile too. To cheer someone up and help them laugh a little and smile…I think that is so important. There is enough “gloom,despair, and agony” in this old world. Why not be a “You Got A Friend” kind of person? It will put a smile on your face and others today… 

 

People often say just “ get over it”…but sometimes that is easier said than done. It’s not that you don’t want to get over it, you just feel overwhelmed and frustrated trying to figure out “how to get over it”. Sometimes it requires more than trying to get over it…there are times when we need to change our thought process to “get through it’”. This especially true when it is something very traumatic or life changing. Getting over it implies a quick fix, but a lot situations in life require time to work through issues and possible solutions. Getting through it means you are working on it as you take of other responsibilities in your life.  God can use times like this to refine us and help us to become a better person. Perry Noble has said …“We always want God to change our circumstances, but God wants to change us through our circumstances.” That is so true, He can even use difficult times to encourage us and others as we seek Him to help us through problems we encounter.In our mind, we are often consumed with our problems, so it is crucial to realize God’s perspective is larger than ours. He is not limited to our circumstances.  It is so very important to stay focused on our daily personal relationship with God by talking with Him in prayer. It is also to important to stay close to Him by letting Him to guide us through studying the Bible and allowing His perspective to permeate our thoughts and actions. Seeking wisdom from other people who have been in similar situations can also be helpful in working through our process. Mary Angelou encourages us to “Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.” The important thing is not to get stuck and stopped in the process. Keep moving . 

One of my favorite writers is Max Lucado; who in his book “You’ll Get Through This”, wrote about all the difficulties Joseph in the Bible encountered in his life. He summed the main application from the life of Joseph this way…“You’ll get through this. It won’t be painless. It won’t be quick. But God will use this mess for good. Don’t be naive. But don’t despair either. With God’s help, you’ll get through this.” Another great example from the Bible is found in Isaiah 43:2…“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.When you cross rivers, you will not be hurt. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not hurt you.” 

A popular saying is that “time heals all wounds”. I have found that isn’t always true. Time by itself will not heal everything. It is what you do with that time that brings about healing and being able to “get through it.” What are you doing today, to help yourself and others to “get through it”?
  

Some of my past holiday experiences have included driving through snow storms, taking groups to sing Christmas Carols, driving the sound truck for my daughter’s majorette team in several Christmas parades, and one year I dressed up like Santa while driving my little Red VW “Bug” car…I told people that my sled was in the shop for repairs.  When I was 13 years old, I was a shepherd in a live nativity scene and got attacked by the goats who were strangely attracted to the Hi Karate brand cologne I was wearing, (The sheep were unavailable that night).The Christmas I got a bike was special too, I was so excited that I rode it through the house and hit the table where my brother’s new train set was located…there was a major train wreck and as a result… me and my new bike went into “Time Out” mode for a while.The holidays can be the season to be stressful..with so many things to do and people to see and other obligations. Unrealistic expectations have become the ideal, and that makes it difficult to accept the reality of our actual experience which doesn’t always measure up to that of a Hallmark TV Christmas movie where everything is perfect.

For  some who have experienced a loss recently or at this time of the year in the past, Christmas and the holidays can be a stinging reminder of who is not there. The emotions of grief, hurt, loneliness can be overwhelming. Instead of a season of joy, it can be a very difficult time emotionally.

It is okay to recognize these feelings, and to be proactive and to find your personal path to navigate through this crazy time of the year. You don’t need to let this be a time to withdraw completely from normal activities, but instead plan ahead and choose things that you can do within your limitations. Be flexible about your expectations when considering holiday get-togethers, and other activities. Don’t be afraid to change your schedule, surroundings, traditions to decrease your stress. If you, or someone you know that that this Christmas is difficult because of grief, please check out the practical ideas and helpful guidance at http://www.griefshare.org/holidays. 

The Holidays aren’t always “Happy” or perfect but they can be “Joyful” and there is a big difference. Happiness depends on happy experiences. Those experiences, though great, don’t always last long, but joy does….True joy comes from personally knowing God really loves you and is with you. That’s what the real message of Christmas is all about. Immanuel, one of the names of Jesus literally means… God is with us. He is working in our life regardless of our circumstances. Don’t be upside down during this holiday season… Let the Christ of Christmas be the focus of your joy for the holidays. 

 

I helped several years at Christmas time with the musical and drama production of Handel’s “The Messiah” at my home church in North Carolina. It became quite an event, that many people enjoyed attending through the years. One very cold December night, we had a full crowd and a lot of people outside the doors wanting to attend the performance. I was asked to “handle” the situation. Wow, how to you “handle”crowd control at “Handel’s” concert??? I went outside to see how many people were there; as I talked to them, I quickly realized none of them had ever attended this event before in the past. As I scanned the crowd… I  saw an elderly woman in a wheel chair. I thought to myself, there is no way I can tell her and the others that they could not come into the church that evening.I prayed one of most frequent prayers… “Lord, help me to know what to do in this situation.” Then, just like that…I had an idea. I went back into the church and got the microphone before the program began and asked how many people had attended this concert before to please raise their hands. I saw many hands raised. Then I explained to them, we had a large number of people outside that had not ever attended this event and asked would they be willing to give up their seat that night so the people outside could attend. They responded well and and we were able to seat everyone. 

After the concert that night, I saw a visiting Pastor from a church in another city. He told me that I “handled” that situation very well. He also said, that if his church ever needed a bouncer, he would contact me first…

The most famous part of the Messiah program is the “Hallelujah Chorus”. The lyrics are from the Bible in Isaiah 9:6, describing Jesus…”And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Our Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.” 

I was so thankful that Jesus was my Counselor that night and also countless times since then. He created us and knows more  about us than anyone else. Psalm 139:14 states that “I praise You because of the wonderful way You created me.” Who better to consult with than the One who made us and loves us? 

He also knows what we need regardless of our circumstances. Psalm 46:1 reminds us …”God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” By the way, He is available anytime and anywhere and no appointments are necessary. He knows you and cares for you and you can always talk to Him.

  

“Here, hold my hand”… a parent often says to a little child when crossing a busy street…I think God says that to us as His children when we are in a busy or difficult place in our lives. Also, when children are hurting or they are afraid, one of their first impulses is to reach their hands up for someone  to pick them up. God can and will pick us up too, if we will turn to Him.In fact, that is what the Bible says… “Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with My victorious right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10

Let’s think a few minutes about what this bible verse is teaching us. The first thing is Don’t be discouraged. Why should we not be discouraged? The answer is in the  next phrase is  “I am Your God”. That refers to your personal relationship with God. We need focus our thoughts upon God and all the many things He has done for us. God is with you and wants His best for your life. God is bigger than any problem we encounter in life.

The next part of that verse is “I will Strengthen You and help You.” The Lord is the ultimate and unending Source of our Strength. We have limits to our strength but God is an endless resource of strength for us. When we are weak, He is strong. We need to exchange our weakness for His strength. This is done by trusting Him making Him our focus rather than just our issues or difficult circumstances. Chuck Smith states that “God wants us to learn to trust in Him completely…even when we cannot see any possible solutions.”

“He will help you”…God doesn’t just wish He could help you or hope to maybe help you but He really will help you. Don’t limit your expectations to how God will help you, be open to options you may have never considered as you follow His direction for your life.

“He will hold you up with His Victorious Right Hand.” The Right Hand signifies His personal favor for you. Victorious means win, therefore He will give you personal victory. The key is for us to keep holding His hand and let lead us, step by step and day by day.