Today is Monday and I will be happy. I choose the happiness of a Monday, consciously and actively. I will not complain about my health today because I am alive to appreciate the health that I do have. I will not gloat over the small of things, because the smallest of things try men’s souls so we may appreciate every breath. I will choose happiness of time even though I might run out of time in a day, because some people will not see the end of today.
I will choose happiness on a Monday and here are 21 reasons why:
I have a family who loves me and I love them.
I can share moments with my children before they grow up to fast.
I have a home to call my own to shield me from the elements.
I can walk around the neighborhood with my family this evening.
I have bills that I can pay, which means I have a career to enjoy.
I can pray and know that God hears me.
I have a yard to mow, because I have something of my own.
I can call someone to let them know we care.
I have more than one Bible to read how God would have me to live today.
I can relax in my rocking chair in the morning while the dew is on the ground.
I have the ability to see the sun rise in the morning and set in the evening. (Lord willing)
I can tell someone how richly blessed they can be in Christ.
I have food on my table instead of being hungry.
I can bless someone else with what God has given me.
I have the ability to live in a free country.
I can hear the music of my MP3 player.
I have eyes that can read and I can read.
I can smell the rain coming to Gadsden/Southside.
I have Christ.
I can speak, even when no one listens.
I have been blessed more than I deserve.
Today is Monday and I choose to be happy. I will let the blessing in my life fill my cup because of the One who always blesses.
Sunday is usually a big day for many Christians because they will gather together with those of like mind and spending time worshipping the One how blesses us every day. The spiritual family we call the church is bigger than ourselves and allows us shoulders to cry on, people to rejoice with and burdens to share.
I am little biased to church because I grew up knowing that I could not make it on my own and there is a large support network (worldwide even) that is there for me whenever I need them. I was simply blessed from the beginning. Are you part of a spiritual family?
This Sunday, I hope a few things happen in all of our congregations. Here are my hopes…
I hope that every member considers one another this morning. There will be someone at services who has had a horrible week and will not tell anyone. They will put on a face of joy, but deep down their heart breaks. I wonder if they will ask their spiritual family to prayer for them.
I hope each member welcomes visitors into our assemblies. It is hard enough visiting, but it can be made harder when no one speaks to you. May our brethren stretch forth their hands to welcome those who visit.
I hope each member understands the brief sermon is presented after countless hours of thoughts, prayers and study. Even though it is over in 30 minutes, the knowledge it contains will reach to eternity.
I hope every minister knows they are loved. Whether it be the outpouring from the brethren or the encouraging words of a visitor, I hope each minister knows God cares for them and will always watch over them.
I hope to see my brethren in services, but if not, I hope they reach out to the ones who are absent; a card, note or call is an uplifting message to those who cannot make it to services.
Summertime is upon us and summertime brings a vacation challenge.
As you know, before moving to Gadsden, we lived on the coast of South Carolina. When you live near the beach, every summer brings an increase of attendance due to vacationers to South Carolina’s beautiful coast. On any given Sunday, the congregation where we were located saw an increase of 10% in attendance once the vacation season begins. It was a blessing to see church members from across the country join our congregation during our time of assembled worship and our Bible classes.
I always appreciate the faith and the spirit of those who take time away from their vacation to spend with brothers and sisters in Christ. Their faith is shown in their desire to meet with their extended spiritual family as they are away from home.
When people visited the congregation, about half of them go away with some connection to our church family. The congregation was made up of people from across the United States and eventually half of the visitors and members find a person or a congregation to be a common bond. Of course, the greatest common bond is God. Remember, our citizenship is in heaven, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…” (Philippians 3.20; ESV)
Vacations provide a luxury to many people even in a troubled economy while allowing us to leave our troubles behind; at least for a couple days and relax. When you take a vacation, do you continue to worship with the saints? I have found some people taking a vacation from physical work, also take a vacation from their spiritual work. Let this not be the case in your life; stay strong in your faith and strong to your spiritual family. Enjoy the riches God provides for you, even in a strange town.
“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15.58; ESV)
Allow your vacation to be an opportunity to strengthen your faith as you meet to worship with extended spiritual family. Let them be a blessing to you as you are a blessing to them.
Let us not take a vacation from church lest one day, we take a vacation from Heaven.
The headlines have been scrolling on my Facebook feed over the recent choice of the Girl Scouts to allow boys who dress as girls to attend their meetings and become part of the program. (Link) Even before this, the Girls Scouts have had a connection with Planned Parenthood, the organization murdering thousands of innocent children every week. The politics of the world, along with the world’s absence of morals have entered one of the strongest (at least for now) organizations to assist young women in developing skills and become confident during their maturity.
The Girl Scouts are not the only organization with a focus on young people who have had their share of issues. The Boy Scouts have bowed to the hand of political correctness over the past few years. (Link) Their behavior is consistent with an organization founded by mere men and now being run by a leadership who would rather be liked than be right.
As hundreds of people become angered by the recent decisions of the Girl Scouts and the decisions of the Boy Scouts, maybe it is time the church focus on the opportunity before them.
As Christians, we believe the Bible provides us all things pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1.3). This Holy Book gives us the guidelines we need to stay transformed by the power of God and to avoid being conformed to the world (Romans 12.1-2). If we will open the sacred text, we will see there is a better way to teach our children than depending on human organizations seeking political gain. Searching the pages, you will find Paul’s instructions to Titus,
“Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.” (Titus 2.3-6; ESV)
It is time our older men and older women rise up and become teachers to our young people in the aspects Paul’s gives to Titus. It is not the world’s responsibility to teach our children; it is their parents, their grandparents and the men and women of our congregations. We need the men and women of the church to rise up and get to teaching. Complaining about the world does no one any good.
Remember, our young people will learn from somewhere. If the church refuses to teach them, the world will.
Start today and get your young people together with those older and let the teaching of experience begin. Here are some easy ways to start:
Take the young people to the homes of those married over 50 years and let them hear of the commitment it takes and the blessings that a couple can have each year.
Let the young women sit at the feet of the older women and let them share with them that changes that have taken place in homes over the past 60 years. (We need to be reminded of the history.)
Let the young men sit at the feet of the older men and hear what responsibility is and how each one of them has a responsibility to fulfill.
Have the young people serve the older people at an appreciation banquet.
Have your young people sit with the older people during services.
Begin today and leave our young people with the teaching they truly need.
Studies have shown for years that our attitudes determine our outlook. Put another way, some say, “It’s your attitude that determines your altitude.” As you go throughout your daily activities, people can tell much about your life by your attitude. You attitude is viewed in your voice tone, your facial expressions and even in the way you walk.
Below is an article I wrote over five years ago in an online Leadership Development Group I was facilitating. The lesson is still practical today and I encourage you to take a look and see how you can avoid certain attitudes.
The Rotten Fish Face
I can see them as plain as day. You know the ones. They are in every meeting, every conference and every crowd. They are the ones with their arms crossed and their frowning faces put on tight. Their looks tell you that they could care less. The scow of their face makes you wonder what thoughts are going through their minds. From the first words you spoke, they did not want to listen to you. Their rotten fish face makes everyone around them move farther away.
The Rotten Fish Face have a tendency to have an attitude that matches their scowl. Their mind is always son the negative, very seldom focusing on the positive.
The Sleeper
It took me a while to figure out why many conferences, church buildings and meeting rooms have carpet on the floor. It is for sleepers. Whenever someone falls asleep they will not injure themselves when they hit the floor. I am convinced this is the same reason that many church buildings have padded pews. Sleepers are in every audience. They just linger back and try to avoid being seen. They will hide behind people and any other obstacle that keeps them from being seen. Typically, they do not care about the lesson. They are just there to pay their dues and then get back to work or go home.
Sleepers have a tendency to sway between (1) knowing it all or (2) thinking nothing matters to them. In both cases, they put learning on the back burner to their personal comfort.
The Opinionated Man
Wiggling in their seats and ready to go is their main duty. Their secondary duty is to take notes to give you their opinion. No matter if it is right or wrong, they will give you their opinion. When they approach you, their ego bumps into you before they do. It would not be so bad, but the way they approach you is not to help, it is to show you how much they know.
Many of the “opinionaters” (my new word) never listened to your lesson or read your book because they have listened or heard them all. Their quest for knowledge has stopped, because their ego is too big. The “opinionator” is also known by another name, “Captain Know-it-All.” He knows everything about everything. He will share his wide variety of knowledge with you before you even begin to explain exactly what you need. Many times, he will volunteer his knowledge without you having to ask.
The Complainer
The complainer is one of my favorite categories of people with bad attitudes. Complainers want a pity party for themselves to show everyone how bad they have it. Do not give it to them! It does them no good. When you give a complainer a pity party, it is the same as pouring gasoline on an already lit fire. The flames will get bigger and there is a great chance you will get burned.
Complainers will find everything wrong with everything. You could give them a $100 bill and they would complain because it has a wrinkle in it. If you share a great strategy with them they will find some excuse to not do it and complain. When I think of the excuses of complainers, I think of a quote from a preacher named Marshall Keeble. Mr. Keeble said that “an excuse if nothing more than I lie with a suit on.” Complainers make up lies with a suit on.
The Proper Attitude
Remember to avoid the three attitudes listed above throughout your life. There are many attitudes that I could continue to list, but those three specific attitudes cover those which will be your greatest hindrance. The attitudes to avoid are most prevalent when you are speaking to them, but they still apply to reading a book. Those attitudes to avoid apply in every facet of life. I am sure that you know people who fit those characteristics at work, family members or neighbors. Do not gain those attitudes, avoid them. (Be sure to provide a self-check on your life to avoid these attitudes.)
I am sure you have seen how these attitudes can destroy a work, congregation, lesson and career.
The proper attitude to have is one of “W.O.R.K.” I know I just said a horrible word in the English language, but I am going to say it again “W.O.R.K.!” I am asking you to take on an attitude of “W.O.R.K.”
“W.O.R.K” is a simple word for you to remember. It stands for:
The sign said, “Estate Sale.” As Carrie and I followed the signs, we pulled in the driveway of an early 1940’s white house. The house was small and people were walking about it looking for what treasures they could find. As I entered the houst was clear that the owner had passed away a while ago and the house had not been updated since the 50’s. Everything held a masking tape price tag. I walked through the house and did not seen anything I could not live without. As I walked through the living room, a small book on the coffee table captured my eye. Amid all the other books, this one stood out.
Picking up the book, I wipe the dust form the front cover and read the title,” New Testament: Protestant Version.” With that title, I knew the Bible would be mine.
“Do you have any cash?” I asked Carrie. She nodded she did.
I made my way to the garage where two ladies sat eating their lunch. “Will you take $2 for this Bible?” They quickly agreed.
I thought it was a fair offer for a 74 year old Bible with a rich heritage in our nation’s history.
These Bibles were printed by the United States Government Printing Office and given to service men and women fighting for our country in World War II.
Opening up the first page, you read some powerful words from May 6, 1941 from President Franklin D, Roosevelt,
“As Commander-in-Chief I take pleasure in commending the reading of the Bible to all who serve in the armed forces of the United States. Throughout the centuries men of many faiths and diverse origin have found in the Sacred Book words of wisdom, counsel and inspiration. It is a fountain of strength and now, as always, an aid in attaining the highest aspirations of the human soul.”
What a powerful statement from the President of our country. I am not sure that we have a President or a Congress who will give Bibles to our military today. This is a vital part of our nation’s history.
Here are a few more pictures with some words to consider:
