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TUESDAY THOUGHT 7/8/08

Love & Money
 
I hate to confess it but when I went through a divorce 13 years ago, I woke up one morning not just alone, but truly ALONE.  Over the course of the last decade or so, I had focused almost maniacally on building a kick-butt business and not just providing for my family, but securing them against all perils.  Not bad goals in moderation, but I got a bit excessive, just a bit too driven.  I neglected friendships and, ironically, the very family I had convinced myself I was doing all this for.  If I had died, only my children, brother a few bill collectors would have showed up at my funeral.   
 
I know I am not alone.  It’s a common problem, especially for men, who too often define themselves by what they do, not how much they care.  Fortunately, these days, thank God, I have balance in my life.  Yes, I work hard, but family and friends come first, always first.  So, I may not die rich, but I suspect at least a few folks will mourn my passing and sniffle a bit at my funeral … which I hope, by the way, is a few long decades down the road.
 
My Point:  Money, fame and fortune are totally meaningless without love, friendship and caring relationships.  So, slow it down a bit and take the time today to give some time to the people you love, and to enjoy their company as well.  — jri
 
“There is something very wrong with the
single-minded pursuit of wealth and power
in a way which shuts us off from other
people.”
        –    Harold Kushner

THURSDAY THOUGHT 7/3/08

 I met a woman this spring at a diocesan Cursillo gathering (kind of like a religious retreat).  I spoke perhaps a dozen words to her the whole weekend, but something struck me powerfully about her.  She has a slight speech impediment; I guess you’d call it a stutter.  Either way, it was obvious.However, that was not what struck me.  What caught my attention and my admiration was that she was not the least bit shy or embarrassed by it.  A stranger to most of us, she never hesitated when it came time to stand up in front of the group and share something.  It may have taken her a bit longer than some of us to express them, but she made her points well and with confidence, and she was a joy to listen to.  She made me think twice and thrice about how many others (including myself) might be self-silenced into oblivion with such a characteristic (I will not call it an impediment, because she certainly didn’t seem to see it as one) or another, such as a bad hair day, or being too fat, too short, too inexperienced, too much of something, too little of something else. 

My point:  We are all imperfect in some way (some of us in many), but we are also unique and in fact beautifully perfect in how the Good Lord made us.  Celebrate the unique, special, wondrous self that God created.  God bless.  — jri

“Your Father knows your gifts,

your hindrances, and the condition

you’re in at every moment.”

        –    Bruce Wilkinson

               (The Prayer of Jabez)

MONDAY THOUGHT 6/30/08

Have you ever looked into the eyes of a person who had no hope? I think there’s nothing more frightening.
 
One encounter that still haunts me more than two years later was a 30-second meeting one bitter cold winter morning in Minneapolis with a beautiful young lady who approached me for money. Her eyes had a dull and vague emptiness, beyond terror or caring, as if certain that it (pick your own “it”) was never going to get better or go away. I gave her $5, told her to go home and told her God loved her. I wonder if she’s alive today.
 
My point:  I don’t know how to save the world, and there are days I can barely save myself.  But I believe that we are here for a purpose, and maybe, just maybe, the brief moment we share hope, offer encouragement or just take the time to care may be that brief moment that makes a difference in someone’s life.  God bless and enjoy the opportunities God gives us every day to serve Him. — jri
 
“[Y]ou can spend your life any way you
want, but you can spend it only once.”
        –    John C. Maxwell
               (Thinking for a Change)

FRIDAY THOUGHT 6/27/08

Christian Lite?
 
Every organization has members that join just because it looks good on their resumes.  I call them phantom members.  I think it’s the same with church, people who say they believe in God (how comforting for God) and can name their church after a little thought. I call them Christians Lite. 
 
No, I’m no Jesus Freak, but I get the impression that God wanted more from us than just a membership card to His club.  I think He wanted us to get involved, make Him the center of our lives, not just a Sunday morning obligatory visit to the rich uncle (the one we’d better be nice to, because we just might get his estate someday).
 
My point?  It’s not to walk the streets carrying a “Repent Now!” sign, but to maybe to get involved, give a little back and maybe, just maybe, take a little time to get to know — and maybe, just maybe, even enjoy — the company of that rich uncle, as well as some of the other cousins that show up to feast at His table this Sunday. — jri
 
“Whatever our gifts, education, or vocation
might be, our calling is to do God’s work
on earth.”
        –    Bruce Wilkinson
               (The Prayer of Jabez)   

THURSDAY THOUGHT 6/26/08

Tough Enough
 
Sometimes it’s not good enough just to be good enough, or even to have a good plan.  I’ve known people — including myself — who have been hammered on and hammered down at times by everything from financial setbacks to relationship upsets, to debilitating physical health problems to their own creepingly painful and dark mental battles.
 
In the end, sometimes one thing is all they have: stubborn determination and toughness, coupled with a belief that as the tide climbs ever higher, it must and will eventually recede again … eventually. 
 
My point:  Sheer, pure stubbornness does have its place.  If you’re going through tough times, by all means, plan, think, pray and map you way out.  But at the same time, just hanging tough and toughing it out is sometimes the only strategy you may have.  Good luck.  — jri
 
“If you are going through hell, keep
going.”
        –    Winston Churchill

MONDAY THOUGHT 6/23/08

MegaMiracles
 
I get a kick out of the pretty little miracles — flowers blooming, moonlight flowing across Lake Michigan, the turning of a few jugs of water into some fine wine for a friend’s wedding — you know, the routine stuff.  And I confess my favorites are the whisper miracles — the gentle voice of our Lord as he reminds us He’s there and watching over us.
 
But I also get a true hoot — a Fourth of July fireworks blast — out of those just-in-time MegaMiracles, the against-all-odds cliffhangers: the parting of the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s army in hot pursuit; the deal that comes out of nowhere to save the business or keep the mortgage from defaulting with two minutes on the clock; the sudden appearance of the well when Hagar and Ishmael are absolutely sure to die of thirst; the conquest of the Promised Land in spite of reports that it is peopled with tough giants living in well-fortified cities; the flying in of fresh meat on the wing each and every morning to go along with the crop of manna (yeah, but no butter or barbecue sauce).
 
My point?  I sometimes think we forget that God is an AWESOME God, just a tad bigger than life, who (and this is only my thought) seems to get a kick out of sitting back and watching as life piles up impossible, cannot-win odds and then saying, “Hey, watch this, you unbelievers.”  So, if you really want to trust in God, don’t bet that the sun will rise in the east in the morning or that your petunias will bloom, but that when He says He will take care of you — without excuse or exception — He will do just that, and He will do it in His inimitable, just-in-time style.  Enjoy the day and a world filled with God’s miracles. — jri
 
“Then God opened her eyes and
she saw a well of water.  So she
went and filled the skin with water
and gave the boy a drink.”
        –    Genesis 21:19

The Silent Bells of Lawler, Iowa

I wish that I could blame my buddy, George Timlin, who had a knack for getting me into trouble when we were kids. A year older than me, he always created ideas or endeavors that were fun but all too often led to a bad ending.

Truth be told, however, this one was on me.

The custodian at Mt. Carmel Catholic Church of Lawler, Iowa in 1955 was Billy Cutsforth. George and I liked Billy because he would allow us to ring the church bells at noon if we were around. The small bell had a skinny rope and was to be pulled nine times for something called the ‘Angelus.’ This was immediately followed by the big bell which was to be rung twelve times and had a rope that was strong enough to lift an eleven-year-old up in the air a few feet. It was great fun to pull those ropes and announce to the little town of five hundred souls that lunch time had arrived. We didn’t understand that it was actually one bell tied to some type of clapper system. Had we known, the following disaster might have been averted.

On this particular day it was my turn to pull the small rope. As twelve-year-old George waited his turn for the big one, I began to wonder what would happen if we pulled them both at the same time but said nothing to him.

“…six…seven…eight…nine.” I was finished.

My friend began his portion of the gig by dutifully tugging on his rope when I began to say aloud, “I wonder what would happen if…”

But for some reason, I didn’t finish my sentence. Instead, in the middle of George’s sixth ring, I simultaneously pulled on the skinny rope.

Bad move on my part.

Suddenly there was silence. Sickly deadly silence. Deafening silence. Painful silence. Ear piecing silence.

I looked at George.

George looked at me.

We both looked to make sure that Billy Cutsforth was not around and did the most logical thing we could think of—run for home as fast as our little legs could carry us! I’m not sure what George did when he got to his house, but I hid under my bed and prayed for a miracle.

It has been fifty-two years since the unfortunate incident so I can’t recall all the sordid details of crime and punishment. I mostly remember that the Mt. Carmel Church bells in Lawler, Iowa did not ring for at least two weeks, my nick-name for the rest of the summer was “Dinger,” and we were never asked to perform that coveted chore again. Most importantly, I know that if I had not impulsively pulled that rope when I did, I would have missed out on a wonderful adventure to share with my grandsons.

What does that tale have to do with you?

Simply this: I’ve never gotten over being curious about people, new ways of doing things, technology, and just plain STUFF. And, frankly, I hope that you never do either.

You may break a church bell or two with your curiosity, but you will never be bored and may just come up with a way to do something better, more fun, for less money or easier.

The contributions you can make by being bold and adventuresome in your daily tasks will be well worth the risks. Pull on that rope. Take a chance and don’t be dissuaded by an occasional failure. You can always run home and hide under the bed.

In the meantime, I’ve gotta figure out a way to blame Timlin for those busted bells.

WEDNESDAY THOUGHT 6/18/08

God’s Gifts

Ever bake bread?  I don’t believe it will ever work — that the mess of flour, eggs and that supposedly live stuff called yeast (yeah, right) will all come together and produce this fantastic result.  But it happens.  It’s kind of like faith. 
 
As a Christian, I try to put it all in God’s hands … blind faith that He is in charge of all things.  As a bull-headed entrepreneur and positive thinker, however, I keep thinking I can do it all … through my own abilities.  Hmm.  Maybe, just maybe, it’s a combo of both God’s direction and my hard work and sweat.  After all, any talents and abilities I have (and, yes, the ingredients of each day) come from God.  I just try to assemble it all according to the recipe.  How it actually works isn’t my business or problem. 
 
My point?  Work hard and do what you believe is right and decent.  But then give it time to let God’s hand finish it up.  And enjoy the results, even the times when they don’t turn out exactly as hoped for and expected. — jri
 
“Believe in yourself.  Have faith in your
abilities.”
    –    Norman Vincent Peale

TUESDAY THOUGHT 6/17/08

What Do Men & Woman Want?
 
Fifty years ago, I saw women who were afraid to speak up, who thought it was their job in marriage to be silent and long-suffering.  It left many men out there alone and on their own, often indifferent to a woman’s views.  Then, about 25 years ago, I began seeing women who had become demanding, overbearing, way into self-centered self-expression, who thought a man’s focus should be on their needs.  It left many men feeling uncertain, angry, secretive, wondering what they needed to do to please their women.
 
Today I am seeing a wondrous combination of men and women who feel free to speak their minds, but who have learned to respect their own and each other’s opinions and views.  Most of all, I see men who understand that strength, steadiness and patience are what most women really want, value and respect.  As a result, I see more and more couples who are bold, outspoken and independent, responsible for themselves as individuals but supporting each other emotionally as true partners. 
 
My point:  It seems to me that marriage (in fact, every relationship) is not about dominators or whiners, or one person trying to please the other.  It is about being independent enough to self-sustain, but caring enough to share and support each other.  So, enjoy and respect each other.  — jri
 
“A hesitant man is the last thing in the
world a woman needs.  She needs a
lover and a warrior, not a Really Nice
Guy.”
        –    John Eldredge
               (Wild at Heart)
 

MONDAY THOUGHT 6/9/08

Finding Joy in Your Job

I used to believe we should “love what we do.”  In other words, buckle up and knuckle down.  That is how I raised my family and built a solid lifestyle over the years.  I wasn’t always thrilled, but I did get great satisfaction from the results. 
 
Lately, with fewer responsibilities,  I have begun making a pleasant transition to “do what you love.” This includes trying to find a way to make a living doing “things of value” that benefit others and that, just as important, bring me genuine joy as well.  It is a slow transition, but the real benefit is that I have found that I tend to enjoy and love almost everything I do — that which I must do and that which I want to do. 
 
My point:  It is not the work that is either joyful or burdensome, but our attitude towards it.  Enjoy what you do and it will become something that you enjoy doing.  — jri
 
“Moreover, when God gives any man wealth
and possessions, and enables him to enjoy
them, to accept his lot and be happy in his
work — this is a gift of God.  He seldom
reflects on the days of his life, because God
keeps him occupied with gladness of heart.”
        –    Solomon
               (Ecclesiastes 5:19-20)

THURSDAY THOUGHT 6/5/08

Jesus Christ, CEO
 
Jesus was a lousy businessman.  I mean, He had a one-of-a-kind product, but He just gave it away, never charging a nickel for curing dread diseases and raising the dead.  His marketing plan consisted of wandering aimlessly around a backwater province with a staff He probably underpaid and who had no idea what their titles were or what they were supposed to do.  I don’t think He even ever passed the hat after one of his stop-a-clock sermons.  (Imagine Jesus as a head of the Church Fundraising Committee!)  But He blew it.  Missed opportunities!
 
A couple of appearances on Oprah and He could have been rich and famous, maybe even franchised The Miracle Business.  (Thursday special: Buy One Healing, Get One Free! No Rainchecks.) But He died with nothing, just a few garments and a handful of supporters, few enough to count on the fingers of each hand.  No, He could have taken Pilate aside, made a side deal by curing a tooth ache or shrinking an ulcer, and gotten off with a tongue lashing and maybe even a bag of goodies.   He could have retired at age 33 to a villa by the sea, made an appearance now and then to keep the royalties rolling in.  But, nope, He blew it.  
 
My point:  Christ gave it away.  No profit or gimmick.  He was the genuine article.  He did it all to profit us, not Himself.  So, celebrate and enjoy this amazing gift … and share it with those around you.  No charge.  — jri
 
“And he directed the people to sit down
on the grass.  Taking the five loaves and
the two fish and looking up to heaven, he
gave thanks and broke the loaves.  Then
he gave them to the disciples, and the
disciples gave them to the people.  They
all ate and were satisfied….”
        –    Matthew 14:19-20
Thanks for the opportunity to share my daily ramblings with you.  No charge!  And on that note, even though my material is copyrighted (why, I really don’t know), please feel free to share my ramblings with others.  I think Christ would be okay with that.  Thank you and God bless. — John

TUESDAY THOUGHT 6/3/08

Got pain?

Just a quick reminder, in case you forgot:  Life is tough, sometimes challenging, occasionally downright brutal.

That’s how we grow, how we become stronger, both physically and spiritually — by running those ten miles, by pumping iron, by sticking with a tough project, by working through a difficult relationship … by just surviving sometimes. 

Enjoy this day and all its challenges. Without them, life would, quite literally, become empty over time. — jri

“Anything in life worth having is worth
working for.”
    –    Andrew Carnegie

TUESDAY THOUGHT 5/27/08

Nation of Whiners?
 
Rumor has it that we’ve become a nation of whiners.  I think that’s because the media and certain political groups feel they must promote victimization to keep their audiences. 

Economically speaking, we criticize Bill Gates and Sam Walton and McDonalds (but, curiously, never Walt Disney), because their companies  make too much money, a simple-minded complaint.  In the 19th century, we called the men who built America’s prosperity — Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan, Ford, Rockefeller, and Firestone and many more — robber barons, another simple-minded lament.

My point:  Don’t whine.  Celebrate.  We should give thanks for these hard-working, visionary men for making our lives comfortable and prosperous, for making it possible for us to fly from coast to coast, to ride a train, to drive a car, to flip a switch and get electricity, to turn a tap and get clean drinking water,to cook in a non-stick pan, to walk into a store and buy more things than we imagined even existed,  to click on instant access to the world via the internet, and on and on and on.  — jri

“When you’re drinking the water, don’t forget
who dug the well.”
            –    Chinese Proverb 
  

TUESDAY THOUGHT 5/13/08

Why do people succeed — become rich, become famous, become happy, become anything?  Because they do not give their “most.”  They give their “all.”  They commit and devote 100 percent to what they want.

Imagine if percentages were miles. One person drives 100 miles per hour (gives 100 percent), while another drives only 99 miles per hour.  After ten hours, that person who was giving his most, giving 99 percent, will be left in the dust, ten miles behind the one who gave his best, his 100 percent. 

My point:  We’re put on this earth to strive, to give our all, to be our best in all that we do — in work, play, faith and love.  Enjoy, and give it your all.  Jri

“Good is the enemy of great.”
  –    Len Coffey

DAILY THOUGHT 5/1/08

Don’t love what you do.  Do what you love!  When I first started my business nearly 25 years ago, I would leap out of bed every morning at 5:30 eager to get down to work.  I loved it.  Well, I admit that over the years, there were some long stretches when I found myself bored, restless, trapped.
 
The good news is that I always found a way to reinvent myself — branching out into new areas, introducing new products, changing the entire direction and structure of my business.  As a result, these days, I still manage to wake up many mornings feeling like it’s Saturday, a day of relaxing fun, because I love what I do…again. 
 
My point:  Re-invent yourself if necessary, but do find a way to keep your heart and your attitude revved up and super excited about what you do, even if you have to turn things inside out now and then.  Work hard. Make money.  Most of all, have fun. — jri
 
“The secret to success is making your
vocation your vacation.”
        –    Mark Twain

MONDAY THOUGHT 4/28/08

I know how to achieve success.  It’s really simple:  Goals, focus, attention to the details and determination.
 
It seems to me that where many of us fall down is at that yeah-but point.  We want to take a simple, proven formula for success and round off the corners, adjust it, compromise it, very often because “I just don’t like doing this or that.”  The result:  failure.
 
My point:  We need to study success and not assume that “my way” (a great song, but a formula for failure for most of us) will lead to transforming results.  Set your goals.  Work relentlessly.  Have fun.  — jri
 
“The greatest discovery of my generation is
that human beings can alter their lives by
altering their attitudes of mind.”
        –    William James

WEDNESDAY THOUGHT 4/23/08

How I lost 50 pounds of anger under the 8-day plan and taught my father to say I love you:  Though my father was a brilliant and caring doctor, he tended to be a melancholy, unpleasant person.  I didn’t like him much.  But when I was in my mid-30s, I decided that I didn’t want to have any remorse at his funeral (which didn’t happen until 25 years later, by the way), so I put him on the 8-day plan.  This simply meant that I’d call him every eight days.  (I think that’s the same one my kids have me on today. Hmmm.)
 
It worked out well, and I went from tolerating him to getting along with him to actually appreciating his many good points.  At the end of one call, almost on a whim, I concluded with, “Love ya, Pop.”  He grumbled and said, “Take care.  Thanks for calling.”  I started doing this every week.  Eventually, he mumbled, “I love you, too.”  On the day of his death, knowing he was about to die (though he didn’t tell me), he called me.  His last words were, “Remember that I love you.”  I got word an hour later that he had died.  Looking back on it, not only did I teach my father how to say I love you, but I also learned to love him in return — a very nice bonus. 
 
The point of this wordy rambling:  Even when our motives are a bit suspect, by doing the right thing, we can make a difference.  And in so doing, we not only can change the world, but we can transform ourselves as well.  So, if I were giving advice, I’d say: Call someone you love today and let him or her know.  God bless and enjoy.  — jri
 
“I don’t find it necessary to forgive my parents
for the mistakes they made.  It is no sin to be
human.  They were amateurs in a demanding
game where even experts can’t always get it
right.”
        –    Harold S. Kushner
               (How Good Do We Have to Be)

TUESDAY THOUGHT 4/22/08

If you’d met my Mother, you’d have thought she hadn’t a problem in the world.  She laughed often and loudly (and was periodically accused of waking the dead or shattering glass).  She loved without restraint, found humor in her own foolishness, shrugged off offenses, and was perfectly willing to speak her mind on all occasions.  That poem — love like you’ve never been hurt; dance like no one is looking, etc. — could have been written about her.  One time Pop said, “Sally, what would you think about doing a Mediterranean cruise?”  By the time he got home that afternoon, she had booked the entire vacation. Gone now more than 25 years, she still drifts gently into my mind daily, as I think that it would be great to pick up the phone and call her about some little this or that.
 
BUT, it’s not that my mother had no troubles.  Pop was a good man, but a bit of a sullen bear, not that pleasant.  Her health was a train wreck (she suffered a heart attack in her 20s, had her first open-heart surgery around 1955 on a totally experimental basis, followed by at least two more such surgeries in the coming years) and was technically an invalid.  Her life was tough, but she never felt sorry for herself, and she never asked anyone else to pat her on the head and speak slowly to her.  (In fact, we used to call her an old battleaxe and swear that she’d outlive all of us.  Pop once said, “Thank God she was sick, or she would have run us all into the grave.”)     
 
My point:  We all have troubles.  We all have problems.  Some of them doozies.  But like my Mom, focus only on the blessings and the many joys God places gently before you each and every day.  God bless.  — jri
 
“Life only demands from you the strength
you possess.  Only one feat is possible –
not to have run away.”
        –    Dag Hammarskjold

THURSDAY THOUGHT 4/10/08

Some mornings I can wake up and hear a train chugging through my head: Gotta do!  Gotta do!  Gotta do!  Deadlines!  Phone calls.  Gotta do!  Gotta do!  Projects!  Meetings! Errands to run!  Gotta do!  Gotta do!  Gotta do!
 
And then, if I am fortunate enough to recognize I am on the train to Chaos City (that’s just two stops before Perdition), I pull the emergency brake, get off, and find a quiet lane to stroll down in my mind, reminding myself: I can only do the best I can and leave the rest in God’s hands.
 
Sure, put in a good, muscle-flexing day today.  But slow it down and try to enjoy the trip. — jri
 
“I am not perfect, but I am enough.”
    –    Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen 

THE INVISIBLE PEOPLE

We see them but we don’t–the invisible people.

They serve our food. They clean public restrooms. They drive our taxis. They sell us popcorn at the theater. They ask if we want fries with our hamburger.

We see them but we don’t–the invisible people.

At one point in time we were all one of them because we were too young. We will all be one of them again when we are too old. We were one of them when we did menial tasks for low wages.

We see them but we don’t–the invisible people.

Some try to build up their own miserable self-image by being rude to them. 

But Jesus saw them. And heard them. And loved them. And taught them. And lived with them. And healed them. And brought them back from the dead. And died for them.

Thank you for that selfless act of love, Dear Jesus. Thank you for seeing and saving the invisible people. Thank you for teaching us that wonderful lesson. Forgive us for the times when we did not see them.

Bill Sheridan–SHERIDAN WRITES 

WEDNESDAY THOUGHT 4/9/08

Though I love the big booming majesty of God’s presence, it’s those gentle whispers that bring a slow, peaceful smile to my face.  Can’t always explain why, but these are the unexpected, unanticipated moments that touch my soul. 
 
I got a surprise visit last week from four ladies from my church.  With a collective age of 300 plus years (you do the math), they had been visiting another friend in the southern part of the state.  On a whim, they decided to drop by my house on the way home.  It was 8:30 at night and they didn’t come in, but I stood in the driveway visiting with them for a few minutes.  Maybe it’s that I’ve had times in my life when I could not find a friend (thank you, James Taylor), but this brief, casual visit with these four wonderful ladies made me chuckle and smile the rest of the evening.
 
My point:  We can and do make a difference in this world.  Those four friends could have driven by and the world would still be fine.  But they took five minutes and made my life more joyful.  Enjoy this day and don’t pass by the many opportunities you have to put a smile on someone’s face. — jri
 
“Above all, love each other deeply
because love covers a multitude of
sins.”
    –    St. Peter
           (1 Peter 4:8)

MONDAY THOUGHT 4/7/08

I love beginnings — the dawn of each new day, Monday that starts a new week, the first of each month, New Years Day!  To me they mean new hope, clean slates, fresh starts, new opportunities to put the past behind and focus on what lays ahead.
 
For me today, I will focus on my many, many blessings, not a single  lamentation: my health, my faith, my wonderful family (including 4.4 grandchildren), forgiveness for my failings, love, America, hope … and about a thousand other good things in my life.
 
Enjoy and celebrate each and every new beginning.  — jri
 
“This is the day the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
        –    Psalm 118:24

GOD SMILED AT MY SECOND CHANCE

It was late on a winter day about fifteen years ago. I saw him looking in the trash bin as I was leaving the Des Moines, Iowa YMCA and felt the urge to give him something but also was in a bit of a hurry to get home.

Wondering if I should offer him a few bucks–I reached into my pocket (I hate carrying a billfold) and found four crumpled up one-dollar bills.

That’s when it occurred to me that I had a dilemma. My buddies and I were meeting for Bible Study the next morning and I needed some cash to throw into the kitty for the breakfast rolls and orange juice.

It was obvious that Trash Bin Man needed the money more than me, but I was not going to have time to stop at an ATM. What to do?

I took the easy way out and walked toward my car when I heard the man squeal out in delight as he found some empty pop bottles to turn in for a refund, “Thank you, Jesus! Thank you, Jesus!”

Mortified and embarrassed by my selfish act and already standing by my car, I opened the door and drove home in shame. My pride at not having cash to throw into the Bible Study pot was bigger than my opportunity to have done something that would have been pleasing to my Lord.

I never forgot that unpleasant experience and vowed that if the opportunity presented itself again, I would do the right thing and empty my pocket for the person in need.

Obviously, God was paying attention. Fast-forward a year or two and I was leaving church one Sunday morning. As I neared my automobile I noticed a man standing over and rooting around in a large trash container.

Feeling in my pocket I pulled out the only bill that I had in it. To my chagrin it turned out to be a twenty.

Although I knew what I had to do, it was a bit painful.

“Sir?”

“What?”

Defensive and agitated, he did not want to get an anticipated lecture from me and seemed uncomfortable that I had come upon him.

“I believe the Lord told me to give this to you.”

He looked at his gift and mumbled a ‘thank you’ saying that he could really use it.

This time when I got in my car I think I heard God whisper to me, “That cost you an extra sixteen bucks, my son. Have you learned your lesson.”

“Yes, Lord,” I said with a smile. I believe I have. Yes, indeed, I believe I have.”

Bill Sheridan–SHERIDAN WRITES

FRIDAY THOUGHT 4/4/08

Be free!  It’s your choice!  Beat your demons once … and you’ve beaten them.  If they come back, beat them again.  You belong to you, not to your demons.

We’ve all seen seriously overweight people struggling to walk down the street.  They have a look of defeat and resignation on their faces.  It’s the same with alcoholics and drug addicts, trapped by their habits, overpowered by their demons.  But it is their choice and their choice only regarding who they will be, what they will be, and what will control them. 

Grab your life.  Take charge.  Choose your destiny and your future.  It is your life. — jri

“Most of us build prisons for ourselves and
after we occupy them for a period of time,
we become accustomed to their walls and
accept the false premise that we are
incarcerated for life.”
    –    Og Mandino

TUESDAY THOUGHT 3/25/08

I had an appointment canceled today because of the weather.  That gave me what should have been a gift of almost four hours.  Not so.  By the time I finished rearranging my schedule, I had packed five hours additional work into my day … before I sat back and said, “Whoa, Buckaroo!”
 
I am not unique.  It seems to me that we tend to live open-ended lives.  We’re never done.  Our inbox is never fully empty.  We could always do more, be better, accomplish yet another something-or-other.  No wonder half this country (probably more) is on anti-depressants, and still miserable.  We can drive ourselves nuts trying to do … well, whatever it is we’re trying to do.
 
My point?  All I know is that I need to not only take charge of  my life and hang onto it, but also treat myself like a human being, not a frenetic, self-flagellating beast of burden.  In other words, yes, I’m going to work hard today, but I’m also going to go at a reasonable pace … and enjoy the journey.  — jri
 
“It is the notion that we were supposed to
be perfect, and that we could expect
others to be perfect because we needed
them to be, that leaves us feeling
constantly guilty and perpetually
disappointed.”
        –    Harold Kushner