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Thursday, February 02, 2006

"Do you rush through life?"

A friend who listens to life with us through www.listentolife.org wrote me about an experience he had recently. It seems that someone was burning leaves and the fire jumped and went over to another area. Eventually it was contained. He wondered why someone would be burning under the conditions at that time.

And then he thought about that for a second, and listened to his life. “Many times in life we start something,” he wrote, “be it a task or new project or even just a sentence. It’s not the right time for it. God tries to get us to stop, or slow down and re-think our plans. God even sends us signs like the conditions at that time or a thought or feeling. Still we charge ahead, ignore the warnings, and bring dire consequences on ourselves and others.”

We do, don’t we? Or maybe, I should say, I do. What about you?

God really does more about what’s best for us than we do, but we have to consult with God, ask God what to do, to take full advantage of God’s wisdom.

So today, before you rush off to do what you think is best, stop for a moment and just ask, “God, what do you want me to do?” Then listen to your life.

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

"So what do you think—are men really from Mars and women from Venus?"

Playwright Jean Kerr says that, "Women speak because they wish to speak, whereas a man speaks only when he is driven to speech by something outside himself—like, for instance, he can't find any clean socks." Which means that when a man says "Can I help with dinner?," he really means "Why isn't it already on the table?"

Communicating care and concern can be tricky for married persons because God created us male and female and that means that we must celebrate our differences and play to our strengths.

A recent Gallup survey discovered that happiness in a marriage is better predicted by the strength of prayer than anything else. Couples who pray together have greater respect for each other, agree on how to raise their children, are more playful, and more satisfied.

So one of a couple’s strengths is prayer. Play to the strength of prayer in your marriage. Ask your spouse to pray with you. Then listen to life today for what God has to say as you make a life, not just a living.

Tuesday, January 31, 2006

"Written a note lately?"

When was the last time you sent a hand-written to someone? Let me tell you—it makes a big impact on the receiver.
Recently someone sent me a hand-written note. It read, “Dear Joey, Thank you for being you. You are a comfort and a blessing to us. God bless you.”

Now I don’t know about you, but I don’t get too many of those. Sure, an email like this every now and then, but a handwritten note? Nobody takes the time to send handwritten notes anymore, do they?

But this person did. And it means so much to me that I keep near my telephone so that I see it quite often every day. It’s there to remind me that being me is enough; that I don’t have to emulate someone else. I’m reminded that what I do matters and helps others. And I’m reminded that I can send a hand-written note to someone else and make their day, too. So I try to do just that at least once a week now.

Bless someone by writing a note to them this week as you listen to life and make a life, not just a living.

Monday, January 30, 2006

"I find myself in the Land of Confusion sometimes, don’t you?"

A grandfather and his grandson were playing in their home one warm, sunny day. “Would you like to go outside and play?” the grandfather asked the young boy. Of course, he did so off they headed toward the door.

Just before they opened the door, the grandfather asked, “Do you want to go outside in your bare feet?”

The grandson stopped. He looked down at his feet, and then looked back at his grandfather. He looked at his feet again, this time a little longer, like he was studying them. Then he looked back up and said, “No PaPa, not bear feet. Let’s go out with our toes.”

Do you ever get confused like this little guy about what someone else is asking you? Obviously he thought his PaPa had lost his mind, thinking they had feet like a bear’s. I find myself in the Land of Confusion sometimes, don’t you? Wandering around in search of some meaning and understanding.

Today, when you don’t understand, just stop and ask for help from God about what your life means. And listen to life and make a life, not just a living, maybe even in your bare feet!

Sunday, January 29, 2006

"Does it ever seem like your prayers don’t get above the rooftop?"

Recently I was talking with one of our Life Network radio stations in Alaska when all of a sudden, something happens to the phone line. Now I know there are thousands of miles of phone line between the East Coast and Alaska, but this was really weird. It was almost like time slowed down or something. There was a huge delay between the time I said something and when they heard it. And it was the same coming back to me—when they said something, there was a delay before I heard it. In fact, I could sometimes hear what I said echoing down—or I guess it was up—the phone line.

Do you ever find the same thing happens to you when you’re praying? You really enjoy praying with God and most of the time it’s wonderful. But all of a sudden, sometimes in the middle of a prayer, you get this delay. And you know there’s a lot of miles between you and heaven. And sometimes it’s like you can hear your own prayer echoing back down—or I guess it’s up—the prayer line.

In those times, just remember technology may fail, but God still hears your prayers.