Posts Tagged ‘Life’

Little Teachers

Posted: April 14, 2010 in Family, Life
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Have you ever experienced this?  You are in the middle of a conversation.  And honestly, you are not really listening.  Then, something is said that pulls you back into the moment, grabs your attention, and impacts your life.

I’ve had those conversations.  In fact, I had one just the other day.  I was talking to two people about their schooling.  They were sharing the good and bad of their educational experiences.  One of them shared about a day that was particularly memorable. The other person listened intently, and then she said something that took me from being a casual listener to being fully engaged in the conversation.  She said, “Aww…Kindergarten, that was the best year of my life.”

I laughed as I looked at my sincere little second grade daughter talking to her little brother about the “good old days”.

Admittedly, I learn a lot from listening to my children.  My seven year old daughter looking at kindergarten as the good old days spoke to me…after I quit laughing.  She made me think about what really matters.  She caused me to take personal inventory of my priorities.  And she made me want to be a kid again.

Sometimes, we as adults can take ourselves too seriously. 

Jesus said,

Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in. Mark 10:15

God help us to look at life as little children lest we miss the best He has for us.

Chocolate Broccoli

Posted: April 6, 2010 in Life, Uncategorized
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You know… I love God.  And I appreciate the world He has made and all He has done for me. But, sometimes I wonder why God does things the way He does. Am I the only one?

I get to thinking about what I would do differently if I was Him.  Now please…don’t get me wrong.  I do not want His job.  I’m just daydreaming; thinking out loud.

So, what would I do differently? Well, the first thing I would do is make everything taste like chocolate.  Now wouldn’t that be something?!  Broccoli would taste like chocolate. Brussel sprouts would taste like chocolate; liver would taste like chocolate. Everything would taste like chocolate!

But, if everything tasted like chocolate, then what would chocolate taste like?  Well, of course it would taste like chocolate.  The problem being, I would not really know what chocolate tasted like, because everything tasted the same.  Chocolate would no longer be the sweet treat for which I and so many others crave.  It would no longer be a child’s reward for finishing his dinner; or the special treat given on holidays and special occasions.  Chocolate would no longer be known as chocolate because everything was chocolate.

You know, sometimes I wonder why there is evil in the world?  Why do bad things happen?  It’s kind of like me as a kid asking, “Why in the world is there brussel sprouts and broccoli?”  (Now, you may like brussel sprouts and broccoli, but I’m not a big fan.)

As much as I do not like pain, suffering, disease, hard times, hate, meanness, and evil – the reality is: if these things did not exist, I would not know what love, healing, kindness, compassion, and good were. 

Without darkness, I would never see the light. 

That’s why I don’t think there’s any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what’s coming next. Romans 8:18-19

I think I’ll just let God keep being who He is and I’ll just keep eating my broccoli; because nothing else makes me appreciate a good piece of chocolate like enduring a plate full of the green stuff.

Easter…What’s the Big Deal?

Posted: April 1, 2010 in Seasonal
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Easter.  “What’s the big deal?” you may ask. “Beyond bunnies, eggs, and chocolate – is there something deeper that would really impact my life?  There is the whole thing about Jesus.  He died on a cross; he was buried for three days; he came back to life.  But what does that have to do with me?”

 Have you ever experienced the loss of something you loved: A relationship gone bad; loss of a job; the death of a dream; or maybe…the loss of someone you cared for more than anything else? 

 Loss in any form is painful.  Even for God.  That may seem bold for me to declare, but I believe it’s true.  Why else would God sacrifice his own Son, unless the relationship He desires with us meant everything to Him?

 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

 The celebration of Easter is no big deal without the recognition of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Why?  Because the process of the death, burial and Resurrection of Jesus was God’s way of restoring what was most important to Him; namely…you and me.

Easter may just be a holiday for many.  But the Resurrection…that was the final act of a three part play in which God said, “I made you, I love you, and I want you back.”

 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16-17

Unwritten

Posted: March 30, 2010 in Life
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Have you ever thought about what it is that makes life worth living?  It seems that everyone has a different idea of how to answer that question.  However, one thing is for sure: we all have the same 24 hours a day to give towards what we think is worth our time.

There’s a passage in the Bible in the Book of Ephesians that says

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time 

I often wonder…if my life was a book, what would I want to edit? What would I want to rewrite? And what is it that has yet to be written?

Realistically, there is no way for me to change the past, or remove the consequences of decisions I have already made.  However, I do have the ability to make right choices now.  A new chapter can begin today. I can take the time to tell people I love them; to forgive those who have wronged me; to take a step towards a dream yet unfullfilled.

If my life was a book, the greatest tradgedy would be if the best chapters were never read because they were never even written.

Life is worth living.  Live like you believe that and don’t leave any days, moments or heartfelt feelings out of the book you were meant to live.  Do not let your life be UnWritten.

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