DailyConnections.net

SATURDAY THOUGHT 1/31/09

A Positive Attitude Transforms Lives

I learned a strange thing down in the islands years ago.  When I wrote about an experience in my “Island Notes,” people reacted poorly if my tone was negative, even in truth.  On the other hand, when I took a positive or light tone, even when describing a tragedy (finding that silver lining), my readers enjoyed what I had to say.

This illustrated something even bigger that I have come to learn:  People flock to positive people.  It can be one of the most important things you bring to your business or career-building efforts. 

My point:  No, don’t be a mindless grinner, but do offer hope and positive ideas rather than negativity and woe.  It can dramatically change your image and your fortunes … almost overnight. — jri

“I can live for two months on a
good compliment.”
    –    Mark Twain

Want down-to-earth business ideas?  Check out www.TheFreestyleEntrepreneur.com

THURSDAY THOUGHT 1/29/09

Try Softer
 
I know people who flog themselves senseless over every weakness, setback and failure.  “Lord, I’ll try harder!  I promise!”  Now, I’m no theologian and I am prone to heresy, but I don’t think that self-flagellating guilt trips are what God has in mind for us.
 
In fact, I think that’s a kind of arrogance to assume we can do it alone.  (Oh, no, one more thing to feel guilty about!)  Seriously, I do believe that God loves us as we are: weak, proud, boastful, annoying, painfully self-defeating, forgiven beyond the right to ask forgiveness, warts and all. 
 
My point:  Let it go.  Don’t keep trying harder.  Instead, try softer.  Drop the rock-filled rucksack of guilt and enjoy this beautiful, burden-free day, this special gift form God.  Most of all, just let God in and let Him love us, forgive us, change us, cherish us.  Ahhhhh!  — jri
 
“After beginning with the spirit, are you
now trying to attain your goal by human
effort?”
        –    St. Paul
               (Galatians 3:3)

WEDNESDAY THOUGHT 1/28/09

Why me, Lord?
 
Life was a lot easier when I was this happy heathen loping across the landscape in search of my tongue-lolling pleasures.  I saw myself as a swell fellow — as good as any, better than many.  Very self-satisfied and pleased with myself.
 
Not that I was “bad,” but I just didn’t see any reason to be “good.”   Or, better yet, I was good enough.  But God went and messed that up for me.  And on most days, I will admit, “Yes, Lord, this is truly a better way.”  Still, on some days, I have been known to lament, “Why me, Lord?”  Far from self-satisfied and no longer feeling good enough or, on some days, even good. 
 
My point?  Not exactly sure, but I think it’s that turning to God certainly does not make life easier, but in some ways way more challenging.  Still, this I do know:  All the trouble is worth all the joy.  — jri
 
“That is why the Christian is in a different position
from other people who are trying to be good.   They
hope, by being good, to please God if there is one;
or — if they think there is not — at least they hope to
deserve approval from good men.  But the Christian
thinks any good he does comes from the Christ-life
inside him.  He does not think God will love us
because we are good, but that God will make us
good because He loves us.”
        –    C. S. Lewis
               (Mere Christianity)

MONDAY THOUGHT 1/26/09

When I’m Ready, Lord!
 
I admire those who hear the invitation from God and — immediately — drop everything and follow Him.  Jesus called Simon and friends and they joined Him “at once” and “without delay.”  Same with Paul — blinded by the light and changed in a flash from chief persecutor to prime proponent of these Christ followers. 
 
Not I.  I spent way too much time being a toe-dipping Christian, a reluctant man of faith.  Still, God kept asking me, kept inviting me.  Until one day I thought, “What if He gets tired of asking?”  After all, I don’t think God meant for this to be some stupid “Chase me!  Chase me!” game.  So, I quit playing hard to get, quit demanding from God and began to at least try to listen to what He had to say.  Nice change.  I’m not sure how God feels about it, but it sure works for me.
 
My point:  I believe that God calls us every day.  If you are a believer, why not give Him your all?  After all, in for a dime; in for a dollar.  If you’re not sure, why not at least check out the invitation and give it an honest listen-to.  You might like what you hear.  So, whenever you’re ready…. — jri
 
“‘Come follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will
make you fishers of men.’  At once they
left their nets and followed him.
“When he had gone a little farther, he saw
James son of Zebedee and his brother
John in a boat, preparing their nets. 
Without delay he called them, and they
left their father Zebedee in the boat with
the hired men and followed him.”
        –    Mark 1:17-20

WEDNESDAY THOUGHT 1/21/09

Go Ahead, Be Happy!
 
I think it is safe to say that worry and anxiety are endemic in our society and that most of us live in lifelong pursuit of ever-elusive happiness. 
 
Well, a friend of mine shared with me a story on that subject that just tickled me.  He wrote about another friend who “was delivered from serious emotional problems by the Lord. He was judged as a hopeless case, not curable. Anyway he relates this story where he had complained and moaned to God over and over again that all he wanted in life was just to be happy. Finally God spoke to him and said, ‘Well, go ahead, be happy’.”  And from that do on, he was.
 
My point:  Be joyful.  Easier said than done?  Maybe, but it’s still a choice, our choice.  So, why not choose to be happy?  — jri
 
“Sing to the Lord a new song.”
    –    Isaiah 42:10

Dear Friends:  I’m getting sick of cancer in the lives of my friends and loved ones.  So, between now and Valentine’s Day, I will donate $2 to the American Cancer Society for each copy purchased of my book, A Perfect Day: Thoughts on Faith & Forgiveness, either online or by writing to me directly at 204 Lakeview Drive, Algoma, WI 54201.  – jri

MONDAY THOUGHT 1/19/09

The Stumblers’ Club
 
I am a frustrated and frustrating combo of faith and fear.  Of course, I’m in good company, along with my favorite saint, the brash and rash Peter.  What I love best about Peter (Part I) is his stubborn inability to “get it,” even in the face of some amazing evidence. 
 
Though the first to proclaim Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior, God, and one who got to work with Jesus on a daily basis and witness some pretty amazing stuff, and (but, wait, there’s more!) one who even got to walk on water, albeit briefly, with Jesus (is that cool or what?), he was still the one who dropped the ball, denied the loudest, and ran for the hills time and time again.  But what I love best about Peter (Part II) is that when he finally, really, really did get it (touched by the Holy Spirit, not his own will power), Wow!  From stumbling faithful doubter to brave, steadfast leader of the church.
 
My point:  I suspect we’re all members of The Stumblers’ Club — filled with faith one moment, fears and doubts the next.  Just keep in mind that God does know where we are stumbling to, and if we let Him, He’ll guide us right to him … in our own sometimes bumbling, often stumbling way.  God bless and celebrate the blessings of our stumbling faith. — jri
 
“Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ,
the Son of the living God.”
        –    Matthew 16:16
 
Thank you for letting me slip into your e-mail box today.  If you awoke this morning and … well, if you awoke this morning, please remember in your prayers today all those who struggle and suffer with physical and emotional challenges.  I also ask that you pray for three who are dealing with cancer: Myron, Jan and Jan’s brother (whose name I forgot to ask).  Thank you and God bless. 
John R. Ingrisano
www.DailyConnections.net

THURSDAY THOUGHT 1/15/09

Prayer Works
 
I have had every prayer answered, rarely in the way I had expected, but always answered.  Some have been answered in a blunt and bodacious way, such as the time I was down to the last seven cents in my bank account and an unexpected check arrived for $2,800.  Others have been answered as subtly as a whisper, experienced, for example, in the healing and joyful restoration of a tattered relationship with a once-estranged child.  I have seen prayer melt away huge barriers, overcome insurmountable obstacles, and transform lives from horror to beauty.  Prayer works.     
 
Best of all, prayers work for others.  In one passage of the Bible, Jesus heals a cripple, not because of that man’s faith, but because of the faith of those who loved that person enough to carry him across town and take a portion of the roof off and lower him down before Jesus in a crowded house. 
 
My point:  Pray!  Ask God.  Talk to God.  Let Him know how you feel and what you want.  He will answer.  Maybe it will not be how you expected or when you expected it, but He will answer.  Celebrate the joyful blessings of this day. — jri
 
“Since they could not get him to Jesus because
of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof
above Jesus and, after digging through it,
lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying
on.  When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the
paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’”
        –    Mark 2:4-5

WEDNESDAY THOUGHT 1/14/09

Be joyful!
 
One of the things I admired about my mother was her exuberant joy and flat-out passion for life.  Though technically an invalid, with lifelong heart problems, and more than her fair share of life’s other usual challenges, her glass was never just half full, but always overflowing.
 
Even when she complained or found fault (and she was one not inclined to hold back her opinion), it was always with a laugh and a smile.  I don’t know whether she decided one day — or was born with the amazing realization — that joy or misery is a choice we make.  And pretty much every day, she chose joy.  And that simple decision made others joyful, too. 
 
My point:  Choose joy!  Life has its problems.  Big deal!  Rather than complain or state the obvious (gee whiz, life is hard), celebrate life and its many blessings.  — jri
 
“Be joyful always; pray continually;
give thanks in all circumstances, for
this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
        –    St. Paul
               (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

MONDAY THOUGHT 1/12/09

Circumstantial Evidence
 
Pick a hero.  I don’t care if it’s Justin Timberlake, Barack Obama or Ronald Reagan.  (Have I covered all bases?)  He impresses you, stirs your soul, is someone you honestly believe in.  And then he dies.  (Happens to all of us.)  Thirty, forty, fifty years later, imagine yourself still being out there, banging the drum, telling the story, living the principles of this guy!  Oh, and in the end — imagine this — you believe sooooooo strongly that you would rather be murdered brutally for your belief than say, “Nah, that’s okay, not worth dying for.”
 
That’s what I find so amazingly unbelievable about Jesus Christ that, well, I just have to believe.  Men and women listened to Him and followed Him during three short years.  And then — yeah, here’s the best part — they kept on following Him for the rest of their lives!  And many of them died (some say, cheerfully!), brutally murdered for this humble servant, this loving preacher.  I have to believe that Jesus was selling more than a neat philosophy or a way to make one million dollars in real estate in just three weeks!  
 
My point:  Something pretty amazing and awesomely powerful happened back in Israel roughly 2,000 years ago. It was much more than a philosophy or cause.  Maybe, just maybe, it was and continues simply to be true.  Enjoy, celebrate and revel in the legacy He gave us. — jri
 
“The beginning of the gospel about Jesus
Christ, the Son of God.”
    –    Mark (who likely knew Christ personally)
           (Mark 1:1)

WEDNESDAY THOUGHT 1/7/08

Do Whatever He Tells You
 
Water to wine.  Cool!  Impossible for us — couldn’t do it in a million years — but a cake walk for Jesus, at least if we believe the story of his first miracle.
 
Well, if He can do it to water, He can surely do it for us, transform us from something plain and common into something very special.  I think the trick is to ask … just ask.  That’s what his mother, did.  She just asked, sort of.  Actually, I like the rest of her comment better: “Do whatever he tells you,” she told the servants.  Good advice.  
 
My point:  Just ask!  And then celebrate and rejoice in the life-transforming miracle that follows. — jri
 
    “When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother
said to him, ‘They have no more wine.’
    “‘Dear woman, why do you involve me?’
Jesus replied.  ‘My time has not yet come.’
    “His mother said to the servants, ‘Do
whatever he tells you.’”
        –    John 2:3-5
 
Thank you for your prayers for my daughter.  They have been answered.  Miracles abound!  God bless you.
John R. Ingrisano

TUESDAY 1/6/09

The King of Stupid

Bernie Madoff is perhaps the stupidest man on earth.  I say this because — in spite of his ability to con numerous people out of billions of dollars — I don’t think he had a clue as to WHY he was doing it.  Mindless, blind ambition!  I wonder if he had friends or just an entourage he bought and paid for with cash.  Sad.  Stupid.  He has a true gift, and he has squandered it.

I suspect the psychiatrists would have a field day with this sad little man, who had to rob and cheat people — hmmm, not sure why — perhaps to feel good about himself.  I wonder if the eighth billion feels as good as the first billion … or if it’s like trying to get the same satisfaction stuffing  the eighth slice of pizza into our mouths we got from that first bite of the first slice.  It fills the belly but not the soul. 

My point:  I think we all have a hunger, a hole in our soul.  The stupid ones attempt to fill it with stuff and busy-ness.  The smart ones actually do fill it with friends and family and a positive purpose in life.  Take time today for the real things, the smart things.  — jri 
 
“Battle your way to the top, says the world,
and you are a man.  Why is it then that the
men who get there are often the emptiest,
most frightened, prideful posers around?
They are mercenaries, battling only to build
their own kingdoms….  The same holds true
of the adventure addicts; no matter how
much you spend, no matter how far you take
your hobby, it’s still merely that — a hobby.”
    –    John Eldredge
           (Wild at Heart)

MONDAY THOUGHT 1/5/09

God Facts (a.k.a. Faith)
 
“You cannot disprove the existence of God.”  I’ve been pondering those words since I heard them from a friend, who happens to be an atheist.  I know I do believe in God, and I see evidence of His presence (not just His existence) all around me.  However, I also think that people expect God to be a certain way that suits them (as in the Jews expecting the Christ to be a great warrior king), and, in the end, end up missing the boat.
 
What I believe about God:
 
1.    Though I doubt Him regularly (not quite on a daily schedule, but close), I have also been touched by His presence, also regularly.  I’ve learned that it is okay to be skeptical, as long as I am also honestly open. 
 
2.    He is not all that sweet, and He is never a pushover.  In fact, He’s tough, very tough.  That He created a world full of carnivores and violence can require a bit of head adjusting to comprehend.  I wonder at the juxtaposition of beautiful music and machete-wielding genocide, all made possible (or at least permitted) by this God in whom I believe.
 
3.    I get mad at God a lot, and I suspect He gets pretty PO’d at me, too.  I don’t know if it’s okay or not, but that is the way it is.
 
4.     I once thought that I couldn’t make God feel bad.  I’m no longer so sure about that.
 
5.    His purpose isn’t to make our lives all sweet and easy.  Ah, that it were.  (God, bring around the Bentley, please, and then take the rest of the day off.)
 
6.    I do not believe in God because I need to believe or because faith helps me get through difficult days.  (Alcohol, friends and a good book can all do that).  I believe because, when all is said and done, His love, presence, power and justice are all beyond denying. 
 
7.    I understand doubters (agnostics, open to possibilities), but I do not understand deniers (atheists, who have closed off further inquiry).
 
8.    There is much I do not understand.  Even when I apply hard science, there are gaps, leaps of faith.  Nonetheless, I also believe in science.
 
9.    I do know that faith is like the tide.  At least in me, it ebbs and flows, grows and recedes, but is nonetheless always present.
 
10.    Finally (because I have a need to make lists with ten items), I know that we’re not perfect and will never be, and that’s okay.  We waste a lot of our short lives trying to be and do more … often without ever asking why.  God loves us, warts and all. 
 
My point?  I believe!  Albeit imperfectly, but I believe.  — jri
 
“Stand on what is true and do not
let go. Period.”
    –    John Eldredge
           (Wild at Heart)