October 26, 2011
We live lives mostly in a routine. We get up relatively close to the same time every day, eat meals at the same time every day, follow our weekly schedules year after year. There is comfort and security to be found in routine. There is also a danger lurking there in our routine – the danger of going on autopilot. Its the danger of becoming closed off from others, even from ourselves and ultimately from God. Our routines are pathways externally as well as internally – pathways of thought and emotion as well as behavior.
The usual reaction when our routine is disrupted is frustration, dismay, and resentment. The disruption is seen as inherently “bad” and label the cause of the disruption as such; whether it be a person or a situation. A fact of the matter, however, is that only when our routine is disrupted can we have new experiences. These new experiences have the potential to provide growth opportunities. People experience God in these sideline moments of their lives more often than at any other time. So my challenge to you is to set aside your frustration at the disruption and choose to remain open to life when things aren’t going your way. Its my challenge to myself. “Life is what happens while you are making plans.”
A mother told me an amazing God story today. She has a 7 year-old Down Syndrome son who functions at the level of a 1 yr-old. She was in a hospital waiting room with him when an older gentleman remarked to her “I don’t know why God allows kids like him to be born.” Nobody has ever said this to her before, though she knows many wonder the same thing. She said what happened next was something he…r son never does – her son crawled out of her lap, toddled over to the man and raised his arms to be picked up. The man picked him up. The boy laughed, looked in the man’s eyes, laid his head on the man’s shoulder, and continued to giggle. When her son’s name was called, she went over and picked him up off the man’s lap and replied to him “God allows kids like this to be born so we can experience His love.” The mother doesn’t know how this impacted the old man, but the story has impact.
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October 21, 2011
There is a special field of research in psychology called “positive psychology” that studies the “science of gratitude.” Positive psychology has been around for a while, but recently it has gained credibility under the scrutiny of science. Scientists have made important discoveries about thankfulness. Research has actually shown that practicing thankfulness decreases depression and anxiety! Its all explained in a book by Robert Emmons called “Thanks!: How the new science of gratitude can make you happier.” Continue
November 16, 2009
Think about the following questions, and take some time to come up with your answers. What’s most meaningful to you about the holidays? What would your Thanksgiving and Christmas be like if they were truly wonderful? What makes it all worth it? Many say that what makes it wonderful is time to enjoy relationships with family and friends, a time to refocus on what’s really important, celebrating Jesus’ birth, doing good for others, and so on. Continue
May 4, 2009
Mike and Lori (fictional names) are headed towards divorce. Lori came home from work and found the electricity was out. She decided she’d had enough after she learned that the electric bill wasn’t paid. In fact, it was one of many bills that haven’t been paid for the last three months. When she confronted Mike about this, he lashed out that he couldn’t pay the bills because she’s been spending all her paycheck rather than putting her half into the account for paying bills. Knowing that Mike’s salary alone could cover the monthly bills, she didn’t give up solving the mystery. Lori found out that Mike bought an expensive motorcycle and has been keeping it in rented storage. Because of these secret expenses, there’s been “too much month at the end of the money” for Mike and Lori. Lori is a forgiving person, but this is the third time Mike has put them through this mess with his secret spending. They’ve already declared bankruptcy three years earlier. Continue
