Are you a pessimist?

A pessimist feels bad when he feels good for fear that he will feel worse when he feels better.

George Bernard Shaw observed, “…that a pessimist is

the fellow who thinks that everyone is as nasty as

he is and he hates them for it.”

The pessimist makes difficulties of opportunities

instead of making opportunities of difficulties.

Pessimism is a constant threat for all of us.

TO OVERCOME PESSIMISM, REMEMBER:

God know your name.  You are not a number but a person created in His image.

You can do something to make your part of the world better.  It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.

You will find strength in God when YOU open your heart and your head to Him.  He will run to meet YOU!

You DO have a choice!

“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life: you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me…your love, O Lord, endures forever…”

(David, Psalm 138).

David was well acquainted with frustrations, dangers and failures.  He emerged triumphant by recognizing that he had a choice: to turn to God or to surrender to bitterness.

You and I have the same choice.  We can turn to God asking for wisdom to learn from troubles or failures.  Then knowing that He will help us, we can grow even in the worst of times.

Confession:

I can easily say the preceding words…not easy for me

to do them…but if I do observe them,

I will find new strength.

With God in my life,

I AM NOT GOING TO LOSE.

Do you know where you are going?

“If you don’t know where you are going…

                        you will be lost when you get there.”   Yoga Berra

GOD HAS A RELIABLE COMPASS FOR US:

NORTH:  Vision, the recognition of where I want to go.

EAST:  Knowledge, the recognition of what is required to get there.

SOUTH:  Responsibility, the work that must be completed along the way.

WEST:  Perseverance, the power to get up one more time than I fall down.

You and I have the assurance of the Lord Jesus Christ

that this compass will not mislead us. 

He will go with us each step of the way.

"Do you ever speak before you think?"

Remember:  LIFE IS A TERMINAL EXPERIENCE… So what on earth are YOU doing for heaven’s sake?

Before we complain about how expensive education is…

consider what ignorance costs.

FOR PARENTS:  The best home remedy is just being there.

An important discovery:  My problem is that I often say what I’m thinking before I THINK ABOUT WHAT I’M SAYING.

YOU ARE UNIQUE!

The happiest people are those who are producing something…the bored are those who are consuming much and producing little or nothing.

It is true that happiness is a by-product of what we share with others.  While it is not in the power of everyone to secure wealth, office or honors…it is within each person’s power to come to God with a spirit of obedient faith and to be generous in dealing with others.

Happiness and courage are inseparably linked.  Courage doesn't always “roar.”  Often courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “If God gives me tomorrow, I’m going to try again.”

NEVER FORGET THAT YOU ARE UNIQUE…A non-repeatable event...GOD CREATED YOU THAT WAY.

ARE YOU QUICK OR SLOW?

   “Everyone should be quick to hear, slow to speak

    and

        slow to become angry.”  James 1:29

QUICK TO LISTEN.  James is encouraging us to listen eagerly to

God’s word.  A good listener is wise between the ears.  You and I cannot afford to have “sound proof” heads to the instructions of our Creator.

SLOW TO SPEAK.  The tongue is in a wet place…it can slip so easily.  Trying to “unsay” a cutting remark or a bit of gossip is just about as easy as putting toothpaste back into a tube.

SLOW TO BECOME ANGRY.  Remember “anger” is just one letter short of “danger.”  Angry words can destroy love.  Angry actions can devastate life.  

TODAY - Is The Only Time We Have

Changing the mirror will not change a person’s reflection.  Only a change in the person will create a new reflection.  This is true of both a physical mirror and the mirror of the soul.

Improvement in the spiritual mirror begins with the recognition that one has been created in the image of God.

You can follow Christ who came into history to provide forgiveness and strength to anyone who accepts His invitation.  (If you are serious about doing this, read the New Testament book of Acts to find what people did in the first century following the victory of Christ over evil and death.  Christ has not changed over the centuries.  He extends the same invitation today.)

The time for both of us to create a proper reflection in the mirror of life is – TODAY! 

The past is gone and the future has not arrived…so TODAY is the only time we have.  

"WHAT IS THE COST?"

The cost of excellence is discipline.

The cost of being “just average” is disappointment.

It is better to master one mountain than to climb a

thousand foothills.

            You and I must decide:

                        WHETHER WE WILL BE ENGROSSED

                                      BY THE TRIVIAL

                                                OR

                                                 ENRICHED BY THE ETERNAL.

We must choose to fill our moments with faith in God to prevent our years being packed with fear.  Daily devotion to the Creator will prevent our lives being undermined by nagging doubts.

‘FEAR GOD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS, FOR THIS IS THE WHOLE DUTY OF MAN.” (Ecclesiastes 12:12)

DO WE HAVE "HOPE?"

It is just as important to ask the right questions

as it is to seek the right answers.

We are interested in the future since from this moment we are going to live in it.  We realize that we need HOPE to make the future worthwhile.

            However, the proper question is not:  “WHAT is our hope?”

            The proper question is:  “WHO is our hope?”

Examining the question, “What is our hope?” leads to political ideologies, technological theories, economic systems, etc.  All of these have merit but they are unstable and inadequate in the long haul of life.

Turning to the question, “Who is our hope?”  presents a firm foundation. CHRIST IS OUR HOPE.  He alone fully understands us. He alone has conquered death.  He alone offers eternal life. 

ARE YOU WILLING TO TRY?

ED BARRETT put on a spectacular performance when his Cedartown football team played Rome, Georgia on October 31, 1930.  In This game Barrett caught four passes and intercepted three.

ED BARRETT WAS A ONE-ARMED PLAYER!

All of us have limitations and obstacles to overcome.

Two choices are available.

I can keep on trying, using my heart and my head, to find a way to accomplish.  OR I CAN QUIT!

If I determine to keep on trying, I might not succeed.  However, by continuing to try, I do something for myself…something that no amount of money can buy…I discover a sense of self-respect that enables me to make my stay upon this earth fully a life rather than a shallow existence.

SUCCESS consists in GETTING UP one more TIME

than I FALL DOWN.

WHAT CAN WE KNOW ABOUT THE FUTURE?

We know that the future holds “getting older.”

There are choices as to how “getting older” is accepted.

William Butler Yeats said, “An aged man is but a paltry thing.  A tattered coat upon a stick.”  (UGH!)

I prefer Browning’s alternative,

            “Grow old along with me!  The best is yet to be.  The last of

            life for which the first was made.

            Our times are in His hands, Who saith ‘A whole I planned,

            youth shows but half; trust God, see all, nor be afraid.’”

-------------------------------------------------

   WE KNOW THAT APPEARING BEFORE GOD IS IN THE FUTURE!

Therefore, the awesome choice is whether meeting Him

will be a glad experience or a tragic judgment. 

Consider carefully this inevitable encounter!

HOW TO BE CONTENT!

“…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”

                                 (APOSTLE PAUL)

To Be Content (Instructions for both of us.)

            Diminish Grumbling…this destructive habit devastates.

Face Reality…hold on to dreams by accepting painful responsibilities. This is the way that God opens the door to fulfillment.

            Don’t Compare Yourself to Another…You are unique.

                 Develop yourself…God will help you.

Don’t brood over the past…put failures in the hands of God.

                                    He FORGIVES.

            Appreciate the past…learn from it.  Do not ruin today by

            lamenting what the aging process does.

Don’t fear tomorrow…GOD ALWAYS GET THERE

                                BEFORE WE DO!

GOD DESIRES TO HONOR YOU!

GOD DESIRES TO HONOR YOU! HE HAS DECLARED:

“This is the one I esteem:

he who is humble and contrite in spirit,

and trembles at my word.” (Isaiah 66:2)

            Three requirements from God:

            1. HUMILITY.  Not looking down on yourself. Rather it is that spirit of honest self-                examination that prevents your having a “sound proof” head.  Humility enables a person to continue growing and learning throughout life.

            2. CONTRITE IN SPIRIT. This is “repentance.”  Repentance involves the heart and the head…the emotions and the intellect.  Repentance is that choice of turning to God with the commitment to follow His way as THE WAY: “A LONG OBEDIENCE IN GOD’S DIRECTION.”

            3. RESPECT FOR GOD’S WORD.  We have the Bible because of the Holy Spirit’s preservation. We must study His word with the fervent desire to know what the Father is saying to us. 

THIS IS GOD'S WORLD

God is not baffled or bewildered because of the

muddle that we make of things…

So regardless of the critical hours of anxiety on a national

and international level…

                       

                        We must remember…

Our strength lies in a quiet confidence that God will not desert us…

SO WE MUST NOT TURN FROM HIM

This is God’s world…He has come into our history through Jesus…

upon this foundation of faith not even death can ultimately defeat us!

ARE YOUR FEARS MAKING YOU OLD?

“Fears not years, make us old.”

God offers a unique calmness to our hearts.

            This calmness is not detachment from duty and dreams.

            This calmness brings strength that enables us to be steady
             regardless.               

We have the opportunity to associate with the understanding Christ.

In Him there is forgiveness and daily renewal.

            In Christ, there is the power that comes from an enduring faith.

            This faith frees us from the TYRANNY OF DEATH.

Remember, it is not always the greatness of our troubles but often it is the littleness of our spirits that causes us to feel inadequate and weak.

                            Time invested in Bible study produces mental nourishment.

ARE YOU FEELING LOW...

“If you are feeling low, do not despair.

The sun has a sinking spell each night,

but it comes back up every morning.”

Ask yourself, “Have I ever had a day that I did not survive?”

In times of despair or frustration, Jesus advises:

ONE:  God know how you feel. He knows you by name.

TWO:  God cares.  He has created you in His image.

THREE:  God will compensate.  Defeat will not be the last word for the one who                          comes to Him with an obedient, trusting faith.

CRITICAL QUESTION:

Why believe that the preceding three statements are reliable and true?

POWERFUL ANSWER:

The presence of Jesus in our history.  He came at a certain time and at a certain place.  He died on a Roman cross. He arose from the dead.  He lives as the victor over death and evil.  He continues to invite each of us.  He says, “Come unto me…”

TODAY…

TODAY…

1. This day is happening whether I get up or not.

2. I must never lose sight of the fact that no amount of FINE FEELING can take the place of FAITHFUL DOING.

3. To have the necessary strength, I must remember that “unless there is within me that which is above me…I may be overwhelmed by the things around me.”  Jesus continues to offer “the above me” presence for TODAY.

4. Today will have a deeper meaning for me if I recognize that Jesus said, “He that would be great among you must be the servant of all.”

Growing older is mandatory. MATURITY IS AN OPTION.

Growing older is mandatory.  MATURITY IS AN OPTION.

Immaturity sees life as a cup to be drained. Maturity sees life as a measure to be filled.  Anyone can count the seeds in an apple.  It takes a wise person to count the apples in a seed.

Immaturity over emphasizes self.  Maturity is more concerned with personal duty than personal rights.  Our world needs more warm hearts and fewer hot heads.

Immaturity either idolizes money or seeks to escape the responsibility of wisely using the material.  Maturity regards money as stored up energy to be earned honorably and used carefully with respect to God and people.

Immaturity either minimizes God into an impersonal figurehead or loses Him in short-lived emotionalism.  Maturity joyfully accepts God’s word with the heart and the head.  

A FRIEND IS ONE WHO...

A Friend is one who

Strengthens you with prayers,

Blesses you with love, and

Encourages you with hope.

Technology has created an impersonal climate.  “The factory of the future will have two employees: a man and a dog.  The man is there to feed the dog and the dog is there to keep man from touching the equipment.”  In 1962 there was one commercial robot in the world. There were about 30 thousand in 1982 and there are probably about 50 million today!

However, the emotional needs of the individual have not changed.  Someone needs the inspiration and love you can give. So you are deeply needed!

Jesus goes before us as the Master Friend.  His encouragement and love are always extended to keep our dreams and hopes alive.  

FRIENDSHIP

“A Friend is:  a push when you’re stopped, a word when you’re lonely, a guide when you’re searching, a smile when you’re sad, and a song when you’re glad.”

FRIENDSHIP recognizes the unique nature of the other person.

FRIENDSHIP refuses superficial categories of age, race or vocation.

FRIENDSHIP involves putting oneself in the other’s place.

FRIENDSHIP is your pain in my heart.

FRIENDSHIP is sharing another’s burden’s in practical, tangible ways. 

 “If one falls down, his friend can help him up.”  (Ecclesiastes 4:10)

JESUS is extending the hand of friendship to you.  He know you by name.  He understands the complexity of your life.  He has dies on the cross in order that you might have fellowship with the Heavenly Father in both this world and the next. He will walk with you if you will accept His invitation. He does not coerce or manipulate.  He is calling…

DON’T LET THE “IMAGINARY” DESTROY YOU…

“To avoid sickness, eat less.  To prolong life, worry less.”

(Chinese Proverb)

“An imaginary illness is worse than a real disease.”

(Jewish Proverb)

“A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.
(Irish Proverb)

Eddie Rickenbacker, the top American fighter pilot of World War I, crashed in the Pacific on a military mission in World War II.  He spent 21 days on a raft before rescue. 

You and I can profit from his words:

“The biggest lesson I’ve learned from those 21 days is that if your have all the fresh water you want to drink and all the food you want to eat, you ought never to complain about anything.”

You and I can cancel many needless worries by counting our blessings!

GROW

We do not GROW old…we become OLD by not GROWING.

Remember:

Grow in KNOWLEDGE.  No one can afford to suffer from a “hardening of the categories.”

            Grow in SELF-CONTROL.  Being human is a privilege…not an excuse.

Grow in DETERMINATION TO KEEP ON LIVING. The real tragedy of life is not that we die but that we never get around to living.

            Grow in REVERENCE TO GOD.  A spirit of genuine respect for the     Creator enables us to have an enduring hope.

Grow in LOVE.  Regard love as a verb that implies caring, doing and sharing. Look to JESUS for the EXAMPLE!

TAKE TIME

TO LOOK is one thing.

TO SEE what you look at is another.

TO UNDERSTAND what you see is a third.

TO LEARN from what you understand is something else.

But TO ACT ON what you learn is all that really matters.

Most of us can do more than we think we can…but usually we do less work than we think we have done.

JESUS calls each of us to action.  He said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”  He also said, “No man having put his hand to the pough and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

So, for a better day for both of us:

take time to look…to really see…

to understand…to learn…to act

with both the heart and the head.

LAUGHTER

What causes a person to laugh identifies that person’s character.

A sense of humor is vital to victorious living in this chaotic world. So be sure to have a funny bone up your sleeve.

However, it is equally important to refuse to laugh at another’s embarrassing mistake or crushing disappointment.  I OUGHT TO LAUGH WITH YOU BUT NEVER AT YOU.

True humor creates a warmth of fellowship and understanding. Improper humor builds tensions in the home and the community.  Use your wit to AMUSE, not ABUSE.

The Apostle Paul’s words are timeless guides for peace:

Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep

with those who weep.”

Romans 12:15

TODAY

It seems easy to know the responsibilities of others. However, we have difficulty looking into our hearts wit the same critical eye that we use on others.

You and I need to take careful look into the depth of our souls

TODAY.

We OUGHT to ask God for the wisdom to see ourselves properly.

Careful self-examination reminds me that nothing can cook my goose as quickly as boiling, unchecked temper.

Careful self-examination teaches a lesson from the ordinary PIN.  The HEAD of a pin keeps it from going too far.

Wisdom from God teaches me that while I can’t always be a star, I can avoid becoming a perpetual storm cloud.

“A smile goes a long way, but you and I are the ones

that start it on the journey.”

TRUE FAITH

FAITH IN GOD DOES NOT MAKE THINGS EASY…

                                                            IT DOES MAKE THEM POSSIBLE.

The monumental fact of all history is that God

came into our history…in the flesh…as one of us

…dying on the cross…accepting the torments of hell

In our place…to make possible forgiveness and

eternal life for all who choose to follow Him.

TRUE FAITH IN GOD is not a casual statement that God exists.

TRUE FAITH is expressed in a life long journey in God’s direction.

When we have done what we can…God will do what we can’t.  

UNLOVED?

Some psychiatrists have concluded that the saddest word of all is

“UNLOVED.”

INEVITABLE PERSONAL QUESTION:

“Does anyone really care for me?”

“We love (God) because he first loved us” (I John 4:19).

“But God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  (Romans 5:8)

The Christian faith begins at the level of the person’s deepest needs and ascends to the mountain top of the individual’s moral, intellectual and social possibilities.

The motivating power of God’s love can provide stamina for the everyday challenges.  So recognize that love with your heart and head so that you can become THE PERSON THAT YOU ARE CAPABLE OF BEING. Recognition of God’s love is demonstrated with a trusting faith and a sincere spirit of obedience to His word. 

THE RESULT:

You may be lonely at times, but you will know that you are never

ALONE or UNLOVED!