Do It Today!

One of my regular customers recently passed away after a brief battle with cancer. He also happened to be Connie Hopper's brother-in-law, and the other night at a concert she mentioned something he had said when he learned he was dying. If there's anything you need or want to do, he said, do it NOW. There are, of course, several applications of that observation, but here's what I want to bring out of it today: there is only one eternal thing in this world--people. We forget that sometimes and put things before people. We do and say hurtful things, we are selfish and destructive. And sometimes we simply ignore. But people are important--all of them--and life is short. You have no idea what lies ahead of you; your life could end today or tomorrow or 75 years from now. Don't let yourself put important things like people aside for later, because later may never come. If there's someone you need to get right with or apologize to or forgive, do it today. If you need to tell someone you love them, tell them today. If there's someone you just need to spend time with, don't put it off. Time won't last forever; don't waste it!

We Are So Blessed

In the continuing spirit of Thanksgiving, I just want to leave you these lyrics:
WE ARE SO BLESSED
Bill and Gloria Gaither and Greg Nelson
1. We are so blessed, by the gifts from Your hand
Just can't understand why You loved us so much.
We are so blessed, we just can't find a way
Or the words that can say
Thank You, Lord, for Your touch.

CHORUS:
When we're empty You fill us 'til we overflow
When we're hungry You feed us, and cause us to know
We are so blessed, take what we have to bring,
Take it all, everything,
Lord, we love you so much.

2. We are so blessed by the things You have done,
The vict'ries we've won and what You've brought us through.
We are so blessed, take what we have to bring,
Take it all everything,
Lord, we bring it to You.

Give Thanks

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and we'll all spend time with our friends and families stuffing ourselves with far more food than our bodies were ever meant to hold and watching not nearly enough football. And, perhaps, in the midst of it all, we'll take a moment to "be thankful" by mentioning one thing we're thankful for or by offering a prayer of thanks. I wonder though, how many of us will truly be thankful tomorrow for all the blessings we have. We are so blessed! We are the wealthiest people to ever walk the face of the planet. We have more amenities, we have more possessions, we have fewer needs...and yet even on the one day we set aside each year for "Thanksgiving," we often give very little thanks. Remember tomorrow to take at least a couple minutes by yourself to thank God for all He's done for you. Really we should do that every day--the awareness of our blessings would make us happier people--but at least on Thanksgiving, let us pause to speak our gratitude to the Giver of all.

Got Your Back

The other day a friend of mine, in the pre-holiday spirit, posted a bulletin on myspace listing things for which she was thankful, and one of them was: "the awesome knowledge that God has my back, y'all!" You know what? That IS true...and it IS awesome! The Bible tells us that He is "a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." Friends fail us. They forget and abandon us. Yet God--the almighty, omnipotent, holy, righteous God--is my friend, and He will always, ALWAYS have my back. What a great God is mine!

Fly Away

This morning I was sitting in my car in the parking lot watching a bunch of birds splashing and sipping in a little run of rainwater. After a few moments, a car came through, and all the birds flew off. All but one, that is. One little bird stood stubbornly in the middle of a puddle, staring at the car. Almost looked as if he (or she) were leaning foward, to protect his little pool.
If you're anything like me, you're thinking, "Stupid bird." And, of course, you'd be right. That bird is not going to stop that car. The bird is not going to protect it's puddle by dying. And the water wouldn' t mean a thing to him dead. But he stubbornly stood his ground. Stupid. Yet we do the same thing. Throughout life there are going to be a lot of things that we don't want to let go of, even though we must for our own good. They may not even be bad things. Birds need water. But sometimes we need to learn to let go now, so that we can enjoy later. In your life--spiritual, physical, emotional, social, professional--don't be foolishly stubborn; learn when it's time to let go and fly away.