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A Dream For Him And A Treat For Me

Owning this car has been a dream of his for ten years.  He finally got it last Thursday.  Kenny, my brother-in-law, is now the proud owner of a 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser.

At the risk of sounding like a car salesman, let me just say that this “dream” car is gorgeous and loaded with a ton of extras.  I had no idea that way back in ’57 there were cars that actually had “memory seats.”  (The power seats “remember” the previous settings.)  If you want to see all the great extras this model had, check out this web site:  LoveFords.org

Nice Timing

It looks like my wife and I picked the perfect time to visit.  We arrived just hours after the “Cruiser” was delivered to Kathy’s brother.  To say that Kenny was excited would be an understatement.

He told me how he has wanted this car for over ten years.  Fully restored Turnpike Cruisers are pretty rare, but he purchased his “dream cruiser” at a great price.

Don’t Give Up On Your Dreams

Dreams don’t happen over night; most often it takes some patient waiting.  But, sadly, a lot of people just give up on their dreams.  They allow situations and circumstances to talk them out of their dreams.

The Bible talks about God giving you the desires of your heart.  So, you can wait patiently, having confidence in God to do what He said He would do, or, you can get talked out of your dreams.

It Was A Treat

I was so happy to be there to share in Kenny’s excitement.  It was so much fun for me to see another one of his dreams come to pass.  And it was certainly a treat to go for a ride.  Not too many people can say that they got to go for a ride in a 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser.

Don’t give up on your dreams, whatever they may be.

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The Eastern Eye – He Washed Their Feet

[The Bible is an “Eastern” book.  It was written many years ago in the “East” which today we refer to as “The Middle East.”  As such, there are many customs and idioms that are not familiar to the “Western” mind.]

If you went to your friend’s house and you were greeted at the door by something like, “Hi!  I’m glad you’re here.  Come on in, take off your shoes, and I’ll wash your feet,” you would probably wonder what in the world was going on!

I went to a friend’s house once, right after they got new carpet, and for awhile, they insisted that all guests take their shoes off before walking on their new carpet.  However, they never once offered to wash my feet.

The Last Supper

A lot of people are familiar with a foot washing incident that occurred during what is commonly called, “the last supper.”  This event took place shortly before Jesus was arrested.  And, while some understand the lesson regarding service, many fail to see an even greater impact that the lesson can have.

In the lands and times of the Bible, people wore sandals and walked on dusty roads.  It was, therefore, very common to have your feet washed upon entering a friend’s house.

Who’s Job Was It?

The servant that would perform this lowly task was usually the lowest servant in the household.  However, an exception to that was if the guest was someone of great importance, someone with a very high rank in society.  On those occasions, it was the master of the house who would wash the feet.

In the Bible culture, if the master of the house washed your feet, it was his way of recognizing that you were a very important person. It was an extremely high compliment.

What A Lesson!

When Jesus washed the feet of his disciples that night, he was not only teaching them humility and service, but he was also teaching them about love.  They knew that their own social status did not deserve that kind of treatment. That is why Peter objected and refused to have Jesus wash his feet.

When you look at the Scriptures through an “eastern eye,” many details and truths become apparent.  And isn’t it just something that right before he was about to suffer and die for the whole world, Jesus Christ treated his disciples like they were royalty?

John 13:4-17
He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.

After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?

Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.

Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.

Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.

Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.

For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.

So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?

Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.

For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.

If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

It really is quite a lesson, isn’t it?

Mike Verdicchio

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For other posts just click “The Eastern Eye” tab above.

There are a number of books that you can read to get insight on customs, manners, idioms and meanings from the eastern culture in which the Bible was written.  The best I know of were written by by Bishop K. C. Pillai.  I have had the pleasure of listening to recorded teaching by him.

He wrote three books, and they are hard to find, and are usually over priced.  But, if you want to you can check this link to see what Amazon has to offer. Light Through an Eastern Window

Another great resource that I have used for years is a book called, “Manners and Customs of the Bible,” by James Freeman. Mine was printed in 1972 and I know they have newer additions. For the newest edition, just click the link and it will take you to Amazon. The New Manners and Customs of the Bible (Pure Gold Classics)

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Please Pass The Salt!

Some people profess the Bible says money is the root of all evil.  Saying money is the root of all evil is just as silly as saying salt is the root of all evil.

I brought my salt shaker to this video.

Leave a comment!

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How Big Is His Brain?

Everyone knows at least one or two facts about the human brain. In the movie, Jerry McGuire, I always remember when little Ray says, “Do you know that the human head weighs 8 pounds?”  He was right of course, and inside our eight pound head is an amazing brain that weighs only three pounds.  

Over the last few days I have heard a number of different things about our brains. A video playing in the chiropractor’s office said that to match the number of “bits” of information the brain holds, a computer would have to be about the size of Texas.

It is a proven fact that we humans have the most complex brain of any animal on earth.  Scientists estimate that 70,000 is the number of thoughts that the human brain produces on an average day.  What in the world are we all thinking about anyway?

100 Billion

Then as I was walking through the family room at my house, I overheard on the National Geographic channel my wife was watching that the human brain has something like 100 billion nerve cells, all of them tucked away neatly in a three pound package.

A couple of days later, I saw part of a program on the History Channel about the brain.  They were talking about what the brain does during REM sleep.  REM sleep is that period late in our sleep cycle in which the brain and body become active, increasing heart rate and blood pressure.

They speculate that the brain files all of the past day’s date during REM sleep. It puts things into permanent memory storage, throws out unnecessary things, etc.

There are still many things about the brain that they admit is just speculation at this point.  One thing that all scientists will agree on is that there is a lot that we just do not know about the human brain.

Why Am I Blogging About The Human Brain?

So what in the world does all this have to do with having confidence in God and living your life with joy?  Is this article on the wrong blog?    Well, hang on to your hat; or better yet, put your hat on your brain and read on.

After hearing different and interesting things about the human brain over a 6 or 7 day period I started thinking, which of course is what the brain does.  I first, for just a moment or two, thought about evolution.

Am I really to believe that this magnificent three pound computer just evolved from the mud and the monkeys?  Our personal computers have certainly evolved over the years, but not all by themselves!

And, as a side bar, I often wonder if those who really do honestly believe that we evolved from monkeys ever go to the zoo and sit compassionately in front of the monkeys and try to console them.  They could say things like, “Gee, I’m so sorry you haven’t made it yet.  I don’t know why we did, and you didn’t; I am so sorry for you.”

Okay, I digress.

How Big Is His Brain?

But what I really thought about was the brain of God.  You may remember that back in Genesis, after everything was ready, God formed, made and created human beings.  And so I thought, if our brain is so magnificent and so complex that we can’t even figure it all out, how big must the brain of God be?

What kind of intelligence did it take to design and make the human brain?  It would have to logically be an intelligence that far, far surpasses that which He has made.  That’s logical, isn’t it?

Perhaps that’s why the Bible says that the foolishness of God is wiser than man.  I always think of that as if God ever cracked a joke, we wouldn’t get it.

The Bible also talks about how the wisdom of man is foolishness to God.  I always think of that as if God were to look at a blackboard filled with computations by Albert Einstein He would say, “Gee that’s really nice, Albert.”  To God it would look like Albert just figured out two plus two equals four.

The Scriptures make it very clear when it says of God, that His thoughts are not our thoughts, and that as the heaven is high above the earth, so are His thoughts higher than our thoughts.

And Here’s The Really Cool Part!

God imparts His wisdom.  The Bible is full of His wisdom that we can apply in our everyday life situations.  The wisdom from the Bible is both practical and logical.  That is one of the big things that attracted me to the Bible in the first place.  Someone showed me that it was logical, and that I didn’t have to close my eyes and just take everything on faith.

And God can also impart His wisdom to us personally, because He is a personal God.  It was Jesus Christ who introduced the world to the concept of God being our Father.  A loving human father would certainly want to impart his wisdom to his children, right?  What about our Father God?

Since the wisdom from God far surpasses all of our wisdom, we can have confidence in looking to God for wisdom to help with our situations and circumstances.  We can look to the Scriptures for real practical answers.  And we can also ask Him for more wisdom, having confidence that He will do what He said He would do, and that is to work within us.  He will impart wisdom to you if you but ask Him.

Living your life based on His wisdom is indeed living with confidence and joy.

(And by the way, if you know a cool fact about the brain, share it with us in a comment below.)

Mike Verdicchio

Please Note: On the right hand column of this page, under, “From The Archives of Enriching Your Life Now,” I put a new PepCast, called, “It’s Your Choice.”  It has some information about what you can expect despite the economy.

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The Eastern Eye – Leaving Egypt With Silver, Gold And Rainment

[The Bible is an “Eastern” book.  It was written many years ago in the “East” which today we refer to as “The Middle East.”  As such, there are many customs and idioms that are not familiar to the “Western” mind.]

When the Children of Israel left Egypt, they did not leave empty handed.  The Bible says, in the book of Exodus, Chapter 12, verses 35 and 36,

And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment:

And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.

To the western mind this seems kind of ludicrous.  Why in the world would the Egyptians give these people their silver and gold and raiment?   Again, to our minds it seems odd because we are not familiar with the eastern culture in which the Bible was written.

In the Bible times it was very common to “borrow” jewels or raiment for a pilgrimage because a pilgrimage was understood to have God involved in it.  In that culture it was thought that if you helped someone who was going to a pilgrimage it was assisting or taking part in the things of God.

And here is something that is very interesting.  Even though they used the words “borrow” and “lent,” if you gave and never received it back, you didn’t worry about it because you knew you were giving to a good cause.

The Children of Israel were leaving to go and worship their God; that made it a pilgrimage.  God instructed Moses to tell the Children of Israel to “borrow” from the Egyptians for this pilgrimage.

Keep in mind that many, many years before, all the wealth of the world came into Egypt during the famine because a man named Joseph walked with God.  Now, that wealth is given back to God’s people as they leave Egypt.

————–

There are a number of books that you can read to get insight on customs, manners, idioms and meanings from the eastern culture in which the Bible was written.  The best I know of were written by by Bishop K. C. Pillai.  I have had the pleasure of listening to recorded teaching by him.

He wrote three books, and they are hard to find, and are usually over priced.  But, if you want to you can check this link to see what Amazon has to offer. Light Through an Eastern Window

Another great resource that I have used for years is a book called, “Manners and Customs of the Bible,” by James Freeman. Mine was printed in 1972 and I know they have newer additions. For the newest edition, just click the link and it will take you to Amazon. The New Manners and Customs of the Bible (Pure Gold Classics)

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He Got A Promotion And A Raise!

When is the last time someone you know got a promotion?  It seems these days that being promoted is pretty rare.  But here is a short interview with a friend of mine who not only got a promotion, but he got a raise, too!

Interview

As you listen to us talk, take note of some very important principles that everyone could apply at their workplace.  Just click on the player to hear the interview.
[audio:http://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/audio/ts-interview-2-09.mp3]

Prayer Is Important, But…

Yes, prayer is very important.  But we also need to continue to do our part.  Remember the record of Joseph in the Bible.  He was in a horrible situation.  He had been sold as a slave and found himself working for a man named Potiphar.

But Joseph continued to apply himself to the task at hand,  to the point that God continued to bless him, despite his current circumstances.  And, as you know, he eventually ended up second in charge in Egypt.

Nothing Puts God Out Of Business

There is nothing that puts God out of business.  We can have confidence in our God to bring us the solutions that we need.  We do our best, pray and ask Him for what we need, and then allow Him to bring the answer to us however He chooses.

What joy we have when we receive that answer.

Mike Verdicchio

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True Comfort In Times Of Sorrow

This is not an easy topic to write about.  But, since this is what I have been involved with the past few days, I thought I would share some insight with you.

My dear friend asked me to do the memorial service for his mother who passed away.  I agreed, and on Tuesday, we had the services for Nancy Mae Young.

I have performed many of these services over the years, and it is never easy.  You are standing in front of a group of very sad people, and rightfully so.

As I stood before family and friends, I reminded them that it really doesn’t matter what denomination you belong to, or what country you are from, or in what type of culture you were raised.  In fact, it doesn’t matter what your religious beliefs are. In these circumstances everyone has sorrow.

I went on to share that for Christians, the Scriptures teach that even though we do have sorrow over the loss of a loved one, we do not have sorrow like those who have no hope.

We Have Hope

Now I am very well aware that there are many different teachings regarding what happens to you when you die.  That fact becomes very apparent to me whenever I do a memorial service for someone.

But I wasn’t there to try and convince anyone of anything.  I was there to help and to love and to comfort all those who were grieving.  And since the Scriptures are pretty plain about what words will comfort those who are grieving, I chose to share what I knew and believed from the Scriptures in a very loving manner.

As I spoke to this sad gathering of people, some were just so overwhelmed with grief that they seemed to be oblivious to what I was sharing.  But then again, you never know.

Some were partially listening, but obviously distracted.  Others were pondering what I was saying, maybe hearing it for the first time.  And there were those to whom this was a familiar message and it was indeed comforting to them in their time of sorrow.

He Is Coming Back!

If you are a fan of the Bible then you know that God has promised to one day send His Son, Jesus Christ, back for us.  At that day, and not before, all those who are “born again,” including those who have died, and those who are still alive, will be gathered together and given a new body, similar to Jesus Christ’s resurrected body.

(Now this is very logical, right?  If we have been promised eternal life, the body that we are living in right now is simply not going to make it that long!  If we are truly going to live forever, we are certainly going to need a new body, a much better body than we have now.)

I pointed out that the Scriptures really cause us to stop and think when we read that if in this life only we hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.  And that is so true isn’t it?

If this life that we are living right now is all there is, then what’s the point of anything?  Even if you lived to be a hundred and fifty years old, if this is all there is, then what is the point?  There is no point.

They Are Asleep

I went on to tell them that many times in the Scriptures you read the word “sleep” referring to death.  Why?  Because for the believer, death is temporary.  There is a day coming when those who have died will be raised from the dead.

It really is comforting to know and understand what happens when you die, and, also, what is going to be happening in the future when Christ returns.  The Scriptures declare that God does not want us to be ignorant concerning this topic.  God does not want us to guess or believe something that came from the mind of man.  That means that the answers must be in the God inspired words of the Bible.

And while there is sorrow and grief, those that hear these words are comforted because they can readily see that there is a day coming; they can have real and true hope.

Waves

I did mention to everyone that grief is similar to the waves in the ocean.  At the onset of grief, those waves are big and those waves are frequent.  But as time goes by, the waves do get smaller and less frequent.

There will be times for all of us when we lose a loved one and find ourselves attending a memorial service.  It will never be pleasant.  But at those times we can take great comfort that one day, God will indeed send His Son.

We can have confidence that our God will fulfill what He has promised and that He will indeed send Jesus Christ back.  That day will be a day of incredible joy.

It is a day that I certainly anticipate with great expectation.

Until Then

But until then, until that day, as I told everyone at the service, we need to live the life that we have been given.  Life is a precious gift.  We should live it to the fullest the best that we can.  And, really, all we can do day by day is live our lives the best that we can for that day.

We can live our lives with confidence in our God to perform what He has promised in the Bible.  And as we continue to see His hand of blessing, our lives will be full of joy.

Mike Verdicchio

PS – If you think this article might bring some comfort and understanding to someone else, you can email them this link:  http://confidenceandjoy.com/true-comfort-in-times-of-sorrow/

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There Just Has To Be A Solution!

Neil Armstrong working at the Apollo Lunar Module

I was working in Chicago for Ozark Airlines on July 20, 1969.  A few of us were sitting in the break room and the radio was on.  We all listened as Neil Armstrong stepped out on the surface of the moon.  He looked up, and saw the earth.

I know, today we send space ships to Mars, but back then, in 1969, it was a very big deal. On that mission, two human beings, Neil Armstrong and “Buzz” Aldrin, actually spent time on the surface of the moon.

Today, flying in an airplane from one end of the country to the other is no great feat. Thousands do it every day.  But at one time, it seemed impossible for men to fly.

It’s Just Impossible!

There will always be those who view their problems as impossible to overcome, at least for them anyway.  But there are others who take the opposite point of view.  Their focus in life is on possibilities and solutions; they are problem solvers.  They live with an attitude of, “Well, there just has to be a way!”

Many times in our lives we are faced with challenges.  Those with a positive attitude address those challenges as great opportunities for success.  And when someone accomplishes what most everyone else thinks is impossible, it is very inspiring; at least it is to me.

I Couldn’t Believe This Story!

I remember a few years ago when I first heard about Erik Weihenmayer.  I was almost stunned.  It’s one of those stories that when you first hear it, your mouth almost falls to the floor.

Almost all of the seeing population on the planet would never even consider climbing Mt. Everest.  Yet, Erik Weihenmayer, a blind man, did just that.  He has also climbed the highest peaks on all of the other 6 continents as well.

Erik’s first book, Touch the top of the World, is really something to read.  When you read this, it starts at a really low point, but hang on!  It’s going to take you up high, really high.  Publishers Weekly said:  “In this moving and adventure-packed memoir, Weihenmayer begins with his gradual loss of sight as a very young child. By the time he became fully blind in high school, he had already developed the traits that would carry him to the summits of some of the world’s highest mountains.”

I put a link for the DVD, Farther Than The Eye Can See – Mount Everest (2003).  I have seen parts of this video documentary. It is an intimate look inside one of the most successful Mount Everest expeditions ever. It’s 75 minutes and it really captures the emotion, humor and drama of Erik’s historic ascent as well as four other remarkable ‘firsts’ on Mount Everest.

I recently found out that it has won 21 International Film Festival awards, was nominated for two Emmy’s, and was ranked by Men’s Journal as one of the top twenty adventure DVDs of all time.  So, if you’re interested at all, just use the links at the bottom.

Are You Planning To Climb Mt. Everest?

Now, you and I may never climb Mt. Everest and we may never walk on the moon.  Perhaps you will be inspired to remember these and other seemingly impossible tasks when you face challenges of your own.

I think that remembering seemingly impossible great accomplishments are not only inspiring but they tend to make our problems look a lot smaller, and more solvable.  What do you think?  Does hearing about those kinds of things inspire you?  Does it help you to look at your challenges and see them as solvable?

One of the reasons that I like to say, “There has to be a solution,” is because if you’ve read some of the Bible then you know that God is in the solution business. And He has provided some very miraculous, over-the-top solutions.  In fact, He is very good at it!   He can help you and He can direct your path.

There Just Has To Be A Solution!

Mike Verdicchio
(I mentioned Erik Weihenmayer climbing Mt. Everest.  There is a DVD movie about it called, Father Than The Eye Can See – Mount Everest. This movie brings truth and new meaning to the phrase “You can do anything if you put your mind to it.” Erik Weihenmayer is an inspiration to blind people and sighted people alike. Not only was this film inspiring, a great story, and a historic landmark, but it is beautiful to watch too.)

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Having Some Problems?

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to be happy and positive when things are going well?  When there are no interruptions, obstacles or problems around you, it’s easy to enjoy life.  You might even say, “I’m feeling pretty good and everything seems to be just fine; life is great!”

But what is your reaction when something unexpected interrupts your life?   What about when something unpleasant comes up? Suddenly, for many, it’s not so easy to remain positive; or is it?

No one welcomes problems with open arms, no matter how insignificant they seem.  I don’t know of anyone who anticipates having to deal with something unpleasant.  However, you and I both know that things are going to happen from time to time; that’s just how life is.  Tires wear out, drains get clogged, and people, at times, do stupid things.

When something unpleasant occurs, most people stop being happy and positive. Whatever it is that happens, it’s enough to change their attitude. And for some people even the slightest bump in the road and they change from happy to angry in a matter of seconds.

We really can choose what thoughts we are going to think. The thoughts that we choose to think have a direct effect on our feelings and our emotions.  We can’t always choose what happens, but we can always choose how to think about what happens.

I’m not trying to imply that we should live in a make-believe world where you just tell yourself, “Nothing is wrong; everything’s okay.”  When something comes up we most certainly need to assess the situation.  We need to find out what is going on before we issue a positive statement.

What?

A positive statement?  Yes, a positive statement: a solution-oriented statement.  I know some will say that certainly is not a proper reaction to a negative or unpleasant situation!  Or is it?

Suppose you come home from the grocery store and find that your bread is smashed like a pancake in the bottom of the bag because of the way your groceries were packed.  What would your reaction be to that situation?  Would you become completely livid? Some people would.

“I am so mad!  Now I’ve got to go all the way back to the store!  Why don’t they teach those young kids how to do it right?  I knew that kid packing up my groceries had a lousy attitude!  He probably piled those heavy cans on my bread on purpose.  I’m going to talk to the manager about this! ”

Hold on just a minute!  Chill out!

Now this may sound like a silly illustration to you, but as a teenager I worked at a grocery store, and saw far worse reactions than in this example!

Instead of having that kind of an attitude, why not have a positive attitude and make a positive statement? What?  Say something positive about your smashed bread?  A positive statement? Sure, why not?

“Okay, I’ll just take the bread back and exchange it.  I wonder if there is anything else I need that I forgot to pick up at the store.  I’m sure glad that they have more bread.  In fact, I’m glad that there is so much food available.”

Hey!  But what about the guy who smashed my bread?

Here’s the point: Our thoughts trigger our emotions and feelings. And our actions so many times follow our emotions and feelings.  In fact, the kind of mood you are in right now is not somebody else’s fault. It is because of your decision to think the way that you are thinking.

The next time something unpleasant comes up, take note of how you react.  Observe where your thoughts go.  What emotions are triggered?  Those emotions are directly tied to some information.

Now stop and think about it for a minute.  Do you really expect that everything is always going to go perfectly smooth without any hitches?  No one that you will ever deal with will ever make a mistake, right?  We all know that is never going to happen.  We do not live in a perfect world.

So then why are we so surprised when someone makes a mistake?  Why get angry over something that someone did that inconvenienced us?  It wasn’t the first time and it will not be the last time.

The real question you need to ask yourself is not, “Why did he smash my bread?” but rather, “Why am I so angry about this?”

Do you expect perfection in all that you do?  Do you beat yourself up when you make a mistake?   These are interesting questions, and it is important to find out just why you are angry.  You certainly don’t want to live with anger, do you?  You don’t want to see yourself as an angry person, do you?

Once you recognize the anger, and see how it is attached or tied into situations, for whatever reason, then choose to get rid of it.  Look that anger right in the eye, and say, “Anger, you need to go.  I don’t want to live with that emotion any longer.  I may have been angry in the past, but now, I choose to get rid of this anger.  And, in its place, I choose to put in patience, understanding, and, forgiveness.

Most people just keep looking at the incident.  As a result they stay angry.  Then, they just love to relate the incident to someone else.  As a result they stay angry.  How does that help you to live your life with confidence and joy?  It doesn’t.

You see, it really doesn’t matter if they smashed your bread on purpose or by accident.  What matters is do you want to control your own life, or, do you want to have your life controlled by circumstances and situations.  Do you really want other people’s actions to determine your own happiness?

Your own life is in your own control.

Thomas Edison’s workshop burned to the ground one day and he had no insurance.  They asked him, “What are you going to do now?”  He answered, “We’ll start rebuilding tomorrow.”

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I’m Happy!

I started my day “happy” this morning; did you?

Some people wake up and are not very happy to face the new day.  For them, each day is another struggle.  All their problems from yesterday are still there.  And, most of the time they have nothing to look forward to.

But I rolled out of bed “happy” this morning.  Why?  Because I have no problems, no challenges and no opportunities; my life is perfect and everything always goes according to plan!

I Am Being Facetious

Everyone has challenges; it’s part of life; we don’t live in a perfect world, at least not yet.  But I am happy first of all to be alive!  Life is a gift, a precious gift.  There are no guarantees.  I have been given another day to live.

I am also happy because I am expecting and anticipating a great day today.  Why not?  I am looking for and expecting His blessings throughout the day.  I am looking for and expecting open doors to help someone else too!

And Here’s The Best Part!

I am happy because I know that our God is a God of solutions.  He is an ever present help in time of need.  He is the One Who said to cast all our cares on Him!  He wants to help us.  Knowing that, I am not only happy, but I am really full of joy, having confidence in a loving God Who promised He would never leave or forsake.

Life was meant to be lived to the fullest!  Yes, there will set backs and obstacles at times, but no matter what happens, nothing is too big for our God, and His promises are still true!

Choose to have a great day!

Mike