Month: November 2018

Thoreau said, Our lives are frittered away by detail…simplify, simplify.

As soon as the calendar flips to December and the Advent season arrives, our thoughts turn to Christmas gifts, gatherings, and celebrations. I wonder how many of us are already making things complicated.  Christmas has become so stressful as we try to entertain, buy gifts, cook, etc., that it makes me wonder why we don’t just keep it simple.

My mind goes back to the Christmas story.  It all took place in a simple time, in a simple stable, with a simple carpenter and his wife, simple shepherds, simple animals, a simple inn keeper, beautiful angels, three wise men, three gifts, and the Christ child.

The word “road” can mean the same as the word,”way”.  The road Joseph and Mary took to Bethlehem was the simple road which shows the simple way to the Christmas miracle.

During this Christmas season, I am trying not to miss the simple ways to celebrate Christ’s birth.  Wouldn’t it be a wonderful gift to all humanity if Jesus became a word that was used all through our society not only during Christmas but everyday?  If we could make Jesus the ordinary word on the street what a difference we would see!

We can make that happen if we concentrate on hearing the simple ways God would have us to hear the news of Jesus’ birth.  Take time to listen to the words of the Christmas hymns, the words of the carols, the Christmas story, and the words of joy around you.  Jesus speaks when we listen.

We can make it happen if we see the simple ways that we can help others by giving, not only monetarily,  but with our hearts.  Put God’s will first.

We can make it happen if we keep these simple ways sacred.  Try to take 5 minutes a day to be silent and pray for peace, hope, joy and love.  Follow Him and live a simple life in confidence.

The simple way isn’t complicated.  Love came down at Christmas.  It’s that simple.

There is plenitude in God.  That great fact must never be lost or obscured.  We must not exchange this immense graciousness for a few scraps of human morality or a few shopworn proverbs.  God is a vast reservoir of blessing who supplies us abundantly.  Eugene H. Peterson

In the little brown Cokesbury hymnal, there is a song entitled Count Your Blessings.  We sang this hymn often on Sunday nights in my hometown church, and I always loved it!  The chorus goes like this: Count your blessings, name them one by one, count your blessings see what God has done,  Count your blessings, name them one by one, count your many blessings, see what God hath done.

Years ago in a small group meeting, someone suggested the idea of keeping a daily journal as part of your morning devotion time.  I took that suggestion and began to write in one every day in the form of a prayer.  After the perfunctory thank yous, calls for forgiveness, and prayers for family, friends, and those in need, I began to make personal requests for guidance, grace, church, and many other needs which would arise. As the journals were filled, the year was recorded on the front of each one, and put away.

Some time later as I happened upon the journals, I began to read over the prayers I had made during different years, now long forgotten.  It was amazing to me that each of the requests I had made had been answered in some way – some no, some yes, some not now.  I began to write “answered” by each one, and before I knew it, almost every request had “answered” written by it.  Looking back over all the “answered” marks,  made me realize just how blessed I am and how faithful God is through our lives.

A lot has happened to many of us during this past year; some exciting, some happy, much of it has been sad, even heartbreaking, but through it all, God’s gratitude to us has shown through.  Everything we have is a gift from God.  Our response to His gift should be our gratitude.

Count your blessings, and Happy Thanksgiving.

Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.  James 1:19

Lately, I’ve become aware of the way people participate in conversations.  It seems that we are taking our cues from the interviews we see on television news and talk shows because it has become more about the interviewer than the interviewee.  The interviewer is quick to interrupt while interjecting their own opinions thus turning the whole thing into an argument rather than an interview.

I have a friend who says that when he is confronted with people who question him on his authority or ability or continually interrupt, he begins the conversation by stating the ground rules.  The rules are, “You talk first, and I will listen, then I will talk, and you listen.  No interrupting when it’s not your turn.”  That sounds like kindergarten rules, but it is the only way some people can communicate without imposing their opinions on others.

It’s been interesting to watch and listen to our conversations in small groups or social situations.  There are some who lose interest in the conversation unless they are the ones doing all the talking.  Others, listen with their ears, but are already presuming to know where the person speaking’s thoughts are headed, so their attention is divided as they mentally  prepare their answers or their disagreement.  The best listeners thoughtfully ponder what’s being said, process it, and then ask meaningful questions or make courteous comments.

While watching the hearings of the last month, it occurred to me, that we would all benefit by thoughtful listening rather than presumptive hearing.  What you live and what you say need to tie into each other when you speak.  There needs to be a connection there.  When we listen, we should do so with not only our ears, but our mind, our senses, and our heart.

As Larry King said, I never learned anything while I was talking.

A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.  Proverbs 18-2

Greater love has no man than this; to lay down one’s life for his friends.            John 15:13

Lottery fever has been sweeping the country with almost a billion dollar jack pot awaiting a winner who ends up with the lucky numbers on a ticket.  It’s thrilling for many, and people waited anxiously to see if they were the lucky winners.

On Dec. 1, 1969, there was another kind of lottery.  The difference here was the players had no choice in the numbers they had been given, and the end result was not money, but rather service to their  country.  This lottery was sponsored by the Selective Service of the United States of America, and its purpose was to draft young men for service in the war in Vietnam.

I remember vividly being in the lobby of my dorm at UGA while anxious young college boys sat glued to the television set awaiting the result of the lottery.  The 366 numbers randomly picked by officials corresponded to the birthdays of the guys, and it would be the order in which they were drafted.  September 14 was the first date pulled, and the lottery continued until the last date of September 24 was called.

There were many emotions that night as many of our close friends had low numbers and knew that they would be reporting for duty soon.  Others breathed sighs of relief as their numbers were high. The war or conflict as it is sometimes called, was laden with differences of opinion, political unrest, confusion, and lack of support for  these soldiers in all branches of service.

We lost several friends during this conflict, and many of those who returned home although physically alive and well had many mental and emotional scars that have remained with them long after their return.  Some were prisoners of war, some were privy to terrible battles, many endured the death of their friends, effects of agent orange, and unfathomable grief and sacrifice.

Still they served, fought and died for this country.  Many came home to a country who shunned them rather than welcomed them with honor.  To these soldiers and all the veterans of this country, we owe a great debt of gratitude for doing the job they pledged to do and ensuring the freedoms that we enjoy.

These are lottery winners whose sacrifice can never be repaid.  As we approach Veteran’s Day, it is incumbent upon all Americans to remember that sacrifice.  A grateful nation should give our thanks, appreciation and respect to all veterans of all wars which defended the United States of America.