Happy Birthday, AJ!

Yesterday my first-born grandson celebrated his 13th birthday!  Where has the time gone?

I can still so vividly remember that day I waited for the news that he had made his appearance in this world. What an exciting day that was!

And then, just a few days later, we met for the first time.

 

We spent some time together.

 

 

He was dedicated to the Lord.

 

 

Since then, time has just flown by!

There have been lots of adventures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's really hard to believe it's been 13 years since we welcomed this little guy into the world! 

 

Happy Birthday, AJ!  Nana and Opa love you so very much and are so proud of the young man you are becoming!

 

 

 "Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged."  (Proverbs 17:6 NLT)

Which Is Better?

We hear a lot these days about healthy eating, and everywhere we turn, there's someone or some company offering the "best" solution for our health or our weight or for the environment.....

Everybody seems to think their plan is best. The market is saturated with healthy shakes and smoothie mixes and low-fat this and gluten-free that.

But what about this? What if, instead of eating an imitation-carrot-flavored-veggie-stick, we just ate carrots? What if, instead of all these food-flavored products, we just ate real food?

Take that thought a step further. What if, instead of reading books about the Bible, or watching movies and TV shows about the Bible, we actually read the Bible? What if, instead of looking for easy-to-swallow substitutions, we just read the actual Book?

It's true for food. It's true of the Bible. It's also true of the way we think about the Savior. What if, instead of religion and religious activity, we just focused on Jesus Himself. What if, instead of religion, we had relationship.

Which is better? A carrot-flavored product or an actual carrot? (Or substitute some other fruit or vegetable if you don't like carrots!)

Which is better? A substitute, or the real thing?

Something to think about.

Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me."  (John 14:6)

So Many Reasons

It seemed like such a simple thing. A few days ago I decided to update my profile picture on Facebook. Even though it was such a simple thing, I was overwhelmed by the response. So many comments and "likes". It took my breath away.

As I looked at the names of those who had "liked" or commented, I began to think about each of those people and how our lives are connected. Some of those people have been part of my life for a very long time, and some for less time. Either way, as I began to think about how I knew this person or when I met that person, I was overwhelmed with thankfulness to our gracious Heavenly Father for bringing us together.

I thank God for each of these people. And as I thanked God for them, I also prayed for them. That God would meet their needs. That God would be very real and present in their lives.

These friends and acquaintances are just a few of the ways God has blessed me. Today, I am giving thanks for my friends. For my family. And I am overwhelmed as I think of all God's blessings in my life.

We all have so many reasons to be thankful. Why not take some time to think about that today, and then spend some time with the Lord, just saying thank you.

"O give thanks to the LORD."  (Psalm 106:1)

Prone to Complain

Come, thou Fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace;  

 Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.

  Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above.

Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it, mount of thy redeeming love.

(words-Robert Richardson, music- Wyeth's Repository of Sacred Music)

This is one of my favorite hymns. Perhaps it's one of your favorites as well. I was thinking about this hymn this morning, particularly a line in the third verse. That line says, "prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love."

The "prone to wander" line leads me to recall the time the Israelites spent wandering in the wilderness, after they had left Egypt and before they entered the Promised Land. We're often "prone to criticize" the Israelites for their wanderings, yet we often "wander" as well, don't we? We're not always prompt in our obedience to what the Lord tells us to do, which can leave us wandering pretty aimlessly through life.

But today as I have been thinking about that line from the hymn, I've been thinking we could rewrite the line as "prone to complain". The Israelites complained a lot on their journey through the wilderness. They complained about the food. Or more accurately, the lack of all the good food they had enjoyed in Egypt. (I guess they forgot the part about being slaves!) They complained about the dust. And about having no water. Complain, complain, complain.

It's the American way, isn't it?  Complain about everything! We are a complaining people. We complain about the weather. And the traffic. About politicians. About everything

But it isn't just "those people" who are complainers.  I know I find myself often doing the same thing. Particularly recently as I have been having some challenges with medications and insurance. But if it weren't that, it would probably be something else. Complaining instead of being grateful. Shame on me. Shame on us. We Americans are such whiners! Why is that? Why are we such complainers? Why are we never content, but always finding something else to complain about? It's too hot. It's too cold. It rains too much. It never rains. And on and on we go.

We aren't born with a "contentment gene". Contentment is a learned behavior. Paul didn't say "I am content." He said, " I have learned to be content." (Philippians 4:11 NASB)

How do we learn that kind of contentment? In the same way as we learn anything else. By practice.  By repetition. By focus.  Focusing on the reasons we have to be grateful, rather than on the reasons we have for complaining.

This morning my Bible reading led me to this verse: "For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace." (John 1:16). Today would be a very good day to stop our (my) whining and complaining, and to begin focusing on the grace we have received. Today would be a very good day to stop complaining and start being thankful. Today would be a good day to start learning to be content. 

It's a good way to "tune our hearts to sing His grace".  A good way to change focus away from complaining and toward contentment.

Why not begin learning today?

"I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content......In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.  I can do all things through him who strengthens me."  (Philippians 4:11-13 ESV)