Enter your Email to Sign up for Dr. Joey's Today's Story


Powered by FeedBlitz

Friday, May 20, 2005

"Where are you growing?"

One fall, I got on my tractor and scattered grass seed in our horse pastures. Now if you could see our horse pastures, you’d know that the soil is really rocky ground.
Well, of course, when I scattered the grass seed, some of it fell on really rocky ground. There was nothing I could do about it, but hope that it grew.

And it did. Well, at least, the seed sprouted grass on the rocks. The seed rooted in the shallow soil and actually sprouted. But the roots were so shallow and unprotected from the scorching sun that they withered and dried up, killing the grass.

So where are you growing your spirit? In really rocky ground where your roots stay shallow? Or in deep, rich soil that’s filled with the best stuff in the world—love and peace, grace and forgiveness, joy and happiness?

You decide where you want to be planted and scatter yourself there as you listen to life and make a life, not just a living.

Thursday, May 19, 2005

"Have you seen enough?"

The story is told about legendary baseball pitcher, Walter Johnson. He was a pitching phenomenon at the time, striking at batters at will.

A rookie faced Johnson for the very first time. Before he knew what happened, the rookie had two called strikes on him. He just shook his head and walked away.

The umpire took off his mask and called after the rookie, “Son, where are you going? That was just strike two.”

“You keep the third strike,” the rookie said. “I’ve seen enough.”

It happens, doesn’t it? You see enough at work and you just want to walk away. Or, you see enough at home and you just want to say, “You keep it.”

But there’s something to be said for staying in the batter’s box, even when you think you’ll strike out. When you walk away, you learn nothing except how to quit. When you hang in there, you learn something—about yourself, about the situation, and what it takes to succeed.

God wants you to succeed today so stay in there and listen to life.

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

"Do you know how much God loves it when you come back?"

Our younger daughter went to the beach for spring break, an entire week, with a friend and her family. In other words, she went without us. Okay, to be more specific, she went without me.

Now I know she’s old enough to go without me—she’s in middle school—but that’s not the point. I had to go a whole week without seeing her, or hugging her, or kissing her, or just being with her. That’s hard on a Daddy like me who’s doing without his “baby girl.”

She must have known I would have trouble because she called me every day except one. And when she got back, she ran into my arms, and we hugged and kissed and she said, “Did you miss me, Daddy?”

So I said, “Yes I did.”

And she said, “Good, ‘cause I missed you, too.”

I decided that coming home is the best part of being gone. And if I miss my daughter that much, how much more does God miss you when you leave God? And how much more does God love it when you come back? Listen to life today and go back home to God.

Tuesday, May 17, 2005

"Is your life like lasagna?"

My wife makes the best lasagna you’ve ever eaten. I watched her make it once. She prepares her sauce with secret ingredients that I can’t tell you about or she’d have to kill me. She mixes together all of these cheeses. Then she carefully layers all of these ingredients in her special lasagna dish. It’s the layering that attracted my attention.

She puts a layer of noodles, then sauce, then cheese. And she cooks it all together, layer upon layer, until it’s done.

So while I smell the lasagna cooking, I listen to life. And I realize that life is somewhat like lasagna. Life layers stuff on you. Some of the stuff you ask for, you like the special ingredients. Other stuff you don’t. But you do get to choose most of your life’s ingredients. And it all cooks together in your life’s pan until it’s done.

So what ingredients are you choosing for your life? What’s cooking in your life’s pan? Listen to your life and choose well your life ingredients.

Monday, May 16, 2005

"Does it seem like you just can’t get it right?"

Does it ever seem like you just can’t get it right some days? And no matter how hard you try, life just won’t come together for you?

A guy in Michigan knows exactly what you’re talking about. He walks into a fast food restaurant about five o’clock in the morning, pulls out a gun, and tells the clerk to give him all the money.

“I can’t do that,” the clerk says.

“Why not?” the robber asks.

The clerk says, “Because I can’t open the cash register without a food order.”

“Okay,” the robber says, “Give me some onion rings.”

And the clerk says, “I’m sorry, we don’t serve those for breakfast.”

The would-be robber just shakes his head and walks out the door.

For days that life just won’t come together for you and nothing seems to work, remember: consult with God when making plans and listen to your life. God converges everything you need and a lot of what you want at just the right time so that you can make a life and not just a living.