"Today’s Friday the 13th. So what?"

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Okay, so today’s Friday the 13th. If you are afraid, you may suffer from paraskavedekatriaphobia .

But let’s think about it for just a second: somewhere tonight in a backyard, a little boy catches his first firefly. His grandfather teaches him to catch a lot of them and put them in a jar. His mother catches an early flight home from a business trip and arrives in town just before bedtime as the little guy is putting the jar under his bed. She tells him the story of how she did the same thing when she was a little girl...with the same man. Today is a lucky day in their family, isn’t it?

And let’s think about it for another second: some guy somewhere tonight will ask the girl of his dreams to marry him…and she’ll say, "Yes!" A mother births her first child today…and they’re both just fine. It’s a lucky day for these people.

Life goes on just as usual today. Separate the fact from fiction, the reality from the fantasy today as you listen to life and make a life, not just a living. And remember: God is with you even on Friday the 13th.

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"Does life surprise you?"

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It was one of those rather strange experiences. I took our pregnant yellow Lab, Princess, outside. She was sniffing around the yard for her preferred bathroom location when I heard a "peep" behind me.

So I turned around and looked up. Earlier I told you that the birds moved their family business around to a ledge over the front porch. Well, when I looked up, there was a baby bird staring down at me. Now most of the time, whenever I come out of a door near a nest, all the birds get down as low as they can go in the nest, thinking I’m a predator.

But this bird actually saw me, "peeped" at me to get my attention, and then as I looked up, he leaned over the edge of the nest and stared at me. So I stood there and stared back. Frankly, it got to be a staring contest with neither of us blinking until Princess walked up and I went back in our home.

Life really surprises you sometimes, doesn’t it? And that’s a good thing. So as you listen to life today and make a life, not just a living, look for God to send you a pleasant surprise.

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"Are you listening?"

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I read about a study recently that found that you and I assume when we’re reading. You assume what a word is and often don’t notice that it’s misspelled.

The study specifically discovered that words with more than three letters are read correctly as long as the first and last letters are correct. Take for instance my name, Joey spelled J-o-e-y. If I misspell it, Jeoy, odds are you won’t notice it’s misspelled and just go ahead and read it as "Joey."

A similar study discovered that you and I hear about every third word in a conversation. We anticipate what the other person is saying. Ever find yourself finishing another person’s sentence? Or, nodding your head and interrupting to get your point across? Then you’re anticipating rather than listening.

Communication is kind of tricky then, isn’t it? Which may explain why you wonder what God wants you to do in life. Are you listening to life today, I mean really listening and not anticipating, for what God has to say? Try listening, not anticipating, as you make a life and not just a living today.

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"What’s your perspective?"

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The hot summer day has cooled off a bit as the sun sets so you’re walking in your neighborhood. Just a leisurely stroll to stretch your legs.

A growling, barking dog comes running at you, snarling, hair standing up on his back, acting like he hasn’t been fed today and your leg is dinner. You instinctively start running, faster than you thought you could. You’ve got to get away from this "bad dog." And you notice that the dog’s barking is growing fainter so you turn around and see that the dog isn’t chasing you. Still growling, barking, and snarling, but not chasing.

So you turn around and head back toward the dog a few steps. You notice that his hind leg is chained and evidently has been for a while because it’s cut into his leg which is bleeding. His ribs stick out, like he hasn’t been fed in a while. Suddenly the "bad dog" becomes "an abused dog."

Perspective makes all the difference in the world, doesn’t it? Ask God to help you understand another’s point of view before you judge, criticize, or accuse as you listen to life and make a life, not just a living today.

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"How are you? No, really…how are you?"

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What’s your standard greeting when seeing someone for the first time in a while? Do you say, "How are you?" or "How’s it going?" or something like that?

What’s your standard response when someone asks you, "How are you?" or "How’s it going?" or something like that? Do you typically say, "Fine" or "Pretty good" or some other response that you don’t really think about but just say?

I’ve discovered something listening to life—Most people don’t really mean it when they ask, "How are you?" For most of us, it’s simply a greeting, not an interested inquiry. And just as many of us respond "Fine" or "Pretty good" out of habit as well.

So I’ve started asking people, "How are you?" and looking them in the eyes. If they still just respond, "Fine," I say, "No, really, how are you? I want to know." Most folks look at me with amazement that someone actually cares.

Try it for yourself. Listen to how you greet people and how they respond. Then let them know you’re seriously interested in them. The same way God is really interested in how you’re doing today.

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