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


Powered by FeedBlitz

Friday, July 15, 2005

"Life changes, doesn't it?"

A passenger in a taxi tapped the driver on the shoulder to ask him something. The driver screamed, lost control of the cab, nearly hit a bus, drove up over the curb and stopped just inches from a large plate glass window.

For a few minutes, nobody said anything in the cab. Then the driver said, “Please don’t ever do that again. You scared me.”

The passenger said, “I didn’t realize that a tap on the shoulder would frighten you so much.”

And the driver said, “I’m sorry. It’s really not your fault. Today is my first day driving a cab. For the last twenty-five years, I’ve driven a hearse.”

Life changes for us, doesn’t it? And sometimes, like this driver, we don’t change with it. We carry over our previous patterns, expecting them to work, and they don’t. So we wreck our lives, not updating our driving habits for today’s life highway.

To cope with all of the change around you, and to have the courage to change with it, exchange your ways for God’s ways as you listen to life and make a life.

Thursday, July 14, 2005

"Do you whistle while you pray?"

The minister is praying, leading the worshippers to ask God to supply their every need. All is quiet in the worship service.

All of a sudden there’s this loud, shrill whistle from one of the back pews. Everyone’s head jerks up and looks back as the whistle goes on and on.

Little Johnny’s mother is mortified. She pinches him until he stops.

All red-faced, she jerks him up out of the pew and marches him outside. “Johnny,” she says, “why in the world did you do that?”

And Johnny rather sheepishly says, “Well, I was praying and I asked God to teach me to whistle…and He did!”

Like Johnny, do you expect God to answer your prayer as you’re praying? Or, do you just sit there waiting for something to happen, but only half-heartedly expecting it?

One of the key ingredients to listening to life is puckering up while praying to whistle; expecting God to do something miraculous and listening for it! So as you pray today, whistle while you pray and you’ll make a life, not just a living.

http://www.listentolife.org

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

"Are you bored?"

Here’s something you may not know: July is Anti-Boredom Month. Now I’m not sure why July unless it’s because a lot of people go on vacation in July and run the risk of being bored since they’re out of their daily routine. Evidently this Anti-Boredom campaign works. Some people who obviously fear boredom got together and decided that July should also be “Cultivate Your Character Month.” (I always thought I was enough of a character.) And July is National Baked Bean Month. (I’m not going there…) And July is National Blueberry Month. (I eat blueberries about every morning, but do they need their own month?)

People who fear boredom make some strange decisions, don’t they? But you know, I’m not so sure boredom is a bad thing. Have you tried being bored lately? Most people I know could use a little boredom, a little down time to relax and just let their mind wander and their body relax and their spirit listen to life so they can make a life, not just a living.
So be pro-boredom today!

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

"Are you living a horse's life?"

A couple of months ago, I shared a story with you about letters dogs would write to God…if they could, of course. And last month I got emails from cat lovers who wanted equal time for letters to God from cats so I wrote a story for them. Then this month I got some emails from folks saying, “Don’t you have horses? What about letters to God from horses?” So here they are: letters to God from horses.

“Dear God, when we get to heaven, can we graze where we want to? Or is it the same ole story of being fenced in?

“Dear God, if a horse neighs his head off in the pasture and no human hears him, is he still a bad horse?

“Dear God, does it rain in heaven? And do we have to stand out in it?

“Dear God, are there jockey races in heaven? And do we get to bet on them?

“Dear God, if there are jockey races in heaven, please let us ride them. And can we use those whips?”

Laugh out loud as you listen to life and make a life, not just a living today.

Monday, July 11, 2005

"Ready to leave the nest?"

Once again this year—I guess for the sixth year in a row—several mother birds have laid their eggs and raised their young in the very same nest on our porch. And we’ve been treated again to the joys of motherhood—the day and night sitting on the nest, the constant feeding of the young, and the final stage when those little birds leave the nest.

As the second batch of young ones prepared to leave the nest, my wife stood at the door and watched as the mother bird continued to feed the young. And my wife asked me, “If she keeps feeding them, won’t the babies want to just stay in the nest? Do you think she stops feeding them so they’ll know it’s time to leave?”

I had never thought of that before. I have no idea what she does, but I’m watching. And thinking about times of painful separation in all of our lives. Times when we don’t get fed. And it seems God went on a picnic…alone.

But even though it feels like you’re alone and God is absent, God is still watching you from somewhere. And just like the mother bird, providing for you just the same.