March 26, 2006

Today when I awoke, I suddenly realized that this is the best day of my life, ever. 

There were times when I wondered if I would make it to today; but I did!
 
And because I did I'm going to celebrate!

Today, I'm going to celebrate what an unbelievable life I have had so far: the accomplishments, the many blessings, and, yes, even the hardships because they have served to make me stronger.

     I will go through this day with my head held high and a happy heart. 

I will marvel at God's seemingly simple gifts:

Today, none of these miraculous creations will escape my notice

Today, I will share my excitement for life with other people.   I'll make someone smile.
I'll go out of my way to perform an unexpected act of kindness for someone I don't even know.

Today, I'll give a sincere compliment to someone who seems down.  I'll tell a child how special he is, and I'll tell someone I love just how deeply I care for them and how much they mean to me.

     Today is the day I quit worrying about what I don't have and start being grateful for all the wonderful things God has already given me.  I'll remember that to worry is just a waste of time because my faith in God and his Divine Plan ensures everything will be just fine.

     And tonight, before I go to bed, I'll go outside and raise my eyes to the heavens. I will stand in awe at the beauty of the stars and the moon, and I will praise God for these magnificent treasures.

     As the day ends and I lay my head down on my pillow,
I will thank the Almighty for the best day of my life.
And I will sleep the sleep of a contented child, excited with expectation because
I know tomorrow is going to be the best day of my life, ever!

March 19, 2006

Here is a soldier stationed in Iraq, stationed in a big sand box.  He asked his wife to send him dirt (U.S. soil), fertilizer and some grass seed.  When the men of the squadron have a mission they are going on, they take turns walking through the grass and the American soil to bring them good luck.  If you notice, he is even cutting the grass with a pair of a scissors.  Sometimes we are in such a hurry that we don't stop and think about the little things that we take for granted.

This is an absolutely incredible short interview with Rick Warren , "Purpose Driven Life " author and pastor of Saddleback Church in California .

People ask me, What is the purpose of life?  And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity.  We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.

One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.  I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity.  This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal.

God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.  We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.  The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort.  God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.   We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life.  The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.  I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.  Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.

No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.

And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.  

You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.  If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, "which is my problem, my issues, my pain."  But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her.  It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people. 

You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life. Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.

It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before.  I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.

So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence.  He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.

First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.  Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.   Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.  Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism?  Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better .

God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list.  He's more interested in what I am than what I do. That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.

Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.

Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.

Painful moments, TRUST GOD.

Every moment, THANK GOD.

Get along with each other, and forgive each other.

If someone does wrong to you, forgive that person because the Lord forgave you.

March 12, 2006

Thank You God For My Best Friend!

Why, Why, Why ?

Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting weak?

Why do banks charge a fee on "insufficient funds" when they know there is not enough?

Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?

Why doesn't glue stick to the bottle?

Why do they use sterilized needles for death by lethal injection?

Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?

Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?

Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

Whose idea was it to put an "S" in the word "lisp"?

If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes?

Why is it that no matter what color bubble bath you use the bubbles are always white?

Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?

Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized?

Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?

Why is it that no plastic bag will open from the end on your first try?

How do those dead bugs get into those enclosed light fixtures?

When we are in the supermarket and someone rams our ankle with a shopping cart then apologizes for doing so, why do we say, "It's all right?" Well, it isn't all right, so why don't we say, "That hurt, you stupid idiot?"

Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?

In winter why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?

How come you never hear father-in-law jokes?

And my FAVORITE......
The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four persons is suffering from some sort of mental illness. Think of your three best friends -- if they're okay, then it's you

 

March 3, 2006

February 26, 2006

I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone,
From the beginning...to the end.
He noted that first came her date of birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years.
(1934 - 1998)

For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth...

And now only those who loved her,
Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own;
The cars...the house...the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.
So think about this long and hard...
Are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left,
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what's true and real,
And always try to understand
The way other people feel
And be less quick to anger,
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we've never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect,
And more often wear a smile.
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.
So, when your eulogy's being read
With your life's actions to rehash...
Would you be proud of
the things they say
About how you spent your dash?

 Don't forget to say I love you...

February 19, 2006

To: YOU
Date: TODAY
From: GOD
Subject: YOURSELF
Reference: LIFE

I am God. Today I will be handling all of your problems. Please remember that I do not need your help. If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it. Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. All situations will be resolved, but in My time, not yours. Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it by worrying about it. Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life now.

- If you find yourself stuck in traffic; Don't despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.

- Should you have a bad day at work; Think of the man who has been out of work for years.

- Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; Think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return.

- Should you grieve the passing of another weekend; Think of the woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed her children.

- Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance; Think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.

- Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; Think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.

- Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking what is my purpose? Be thankful. There are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity.

- Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; Remember, things could be worse. You could be one of them!

- Should you decide to send this to a friend; Thank you, you may have touched their life in ways you will never know!

February 12, 2006

If Tomorrow Starts Without Me

A few weeks ago a woman was killed in an auto accident. 

She was very well liked, so the office shut down for her funeral and it was on the news and so on. On the day the workers came back to work, they found this poem in their e-mail that the deceased woman had sent on Friday before she left for home.
 

"If tomorrow starts without me, and I'm not there to see.  If the sun should rise and find y our eyes all filled with tears for me. 

I wish so much you wouldn't cry, the way you did today.  While thinking of the many things, we didn't get to say.

I know how much you love me, as much as I love you.  And each time that you think of me, I know you'll miss me too.

But when tomorrow starts without me, please try to understand. That an angel came and called my name, and took me by the hand. 

And said my place was ready, in heaven far above. And that I'd have to leave behind, all those I dearly love.

But as I turned to walk away, a tear fell from my eye. For all my life I'd always thought, I didn't want to die. 

I had so much to live for, so much left yet to do. It seemed almost impossible, that I was leaving you. 

I thought of all the yesterdays, the good ones and the bad. I thought of all that we shared, and all the fun we had.

If I could relive yesterday, just even for a while.  I'd say good-bye and kiss you, and maybe see you smile.

But then I fully realized, that this could never be.  For emptiness and memories, would take the place of me.

And when I thought of worldly things, I might miss come tomorrow.  I thought of you and when I did, my heart was filled with sorrow.

But when I walked through heaven's gates, I felt so much at home. When God looked down and smiled at me, from His great golden throne.

He said, "This is eternity and all I've promised you.  Today your life on earth is past, but here life starts anew. 

I promise no tomorrow, but today will always last.  And since each day's the same way, there's no longing for the past."

You have been so faithful, so trusting and so true.  Though there were times you did some things, you knew you shouldn't do. 

But you have been forgiven, and now at last you're free.  So won't you come and take my hand, and share my life with me?"

So when tomorrow starts without me, don't think we're far apart.  For every time you think of me, I'm right here in your heart."

Send this to all those you care about... because you never know what's going to happen tomorrow... Show them how you care, before it's too late... May God watch over you and your family now and always. There is no right time to do the wrong thing.....there is no wrong time to tell someone you care.

February 5, 2006

Can you see heaven in tomorrow?

 

 

Daddy, put me on your shoulders and let me touch Grandma's hand!" the little girl said.

Daddy bent down, turned her around, and lifted her high above his head until she was safely positioned on his shoulders.

"I can see tomorrow up here, Daddy," she said.
"You can?" he asked. "What does it look like?" he questioned her.
"Just like today, but more pretty!" she giggled.
"Now hold on, Jenny. I'm going up on top of this hill. When I tell you to, stretch your arms way up and you can touch her hand."

He carefully walked up on top of the small hill just behind the bench I was sitting on.
The softball fans sit there each evening during the spring and summer watching the local players compete. But today this hill served a higher purpose.

For this is a spot where memories are made.
This is a moment between parent and child that gets filed away in memories for tomorrow’s yet to come.
Perhaps when this young girl will hold her babe high upon her shoulders and together they will reach for Grandpa's hand, just like when she was a child.

He came down to where I was seated.
His daughter played nearby. Her Daddy told me afterwards that Jenny was very close to his Mom.
She died a few months ago.

"Jenny said she wanted to hold hands with Grandma like she always did. I told her Grandma was in heaven, out of reach," he said.

"Jenny told me that heaven is in tomorrow. If she climbed way up high she could see it and touch Grandma's hand."

"Why did she say that Heaven was in tomorrow?" I asked.

"Well, the last time she saw Grandma, she told Jenny that one day soon she would go to heaven.
Of course Jenny wanted to know when. Mom said 'Maybe tomorrow, Jenny.
She died two days later."

"So heaven is in tomorrow, then," I added. "So does she feel Grandma's hand?"

"Yes, very much so. In fact..." he paused when his daughter came running up to him.

"I'll be right there, Jenny."

Jenny is such a beautiful child. You look at her and think "buttons and bows" like a little girl in a story book.

Her Daddy continued. "One day when we did this, she stretched out her arms and said, "Daddy, I can feel her hand!"

Of course I played along and asked if it were soft like I remember."

He stopped for a moment. Shook his head and looked down.
I guess the memory of Mom was still very much alive in him.

"She then said, 'Yes, Daddy. She has a ring with four colors on it."

I couldn't believe what she said.
I asked her to tell me again.
She described it as best she could for a young child."

"Did she remember a ring that Grandma always wore?" I asked.

"No. That's what amazed me.
You see that ring was her Mother's ring that we gave her.
Each colored stone represented one of her children. She couldn't wear it for year's because of her arthritis."

Once again he stopped to gain some composure.

"We placed it on her finger when she died.
We had it cut to fit her."

"Could Jenny have seen it then?" I asked.

"No. We decided not to permit Jenny at the funeral viewing.
She was much too young to understand."

"So, Jenny never saw the ring?" I asked.

"No, not until that day. When she saw Heaven in tomorrow."

Jenny came rushing over and Dad and I said our good byes.

I thought a lot about this today.
I asked myself a hundred times.
So I'll ask you.

Based on who you are.
Knowing more about you than anyone else.
Having whatever faith you may have in yourself, your God.

Can you see "Heaven in tomorrow?" If you believe just reach up right now and touch it.

Jenny did.

"I believe in you!"