"Do you love cookies?"

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Finally, somebody created a theme for a month that I can truly celebrate. This month is National Cookie Month.

What’s not to love about cookies? I mean they come in all sizes from mini’s to humongous, birthday cake sized cookies. There are all sorts of flavors—oatmeal raisin (my favorite), chocolate chip, macadamia nut, peanut butter, macaroon, pecan, walnut, gingerbread, lemon, chocolate with crème filling, chocolate with peanut butter filling, chocolate with mint filling, and…I’m getting hungry so I’d better stop. And don’t start talking about how fattening they are because there are no-sugar, low-fat, cookies, too. Why, there’s even a Cookie Monster!

Cookies are kind of like people. There are all sorts and sizes and shapes. And no two are exactly alike. Sure, you prefer some over others, but you still love them, right?

The next time you hear yourself starting to judge, criticize or accuse another person, think "cookie" and listen to your life today for what God has to say.

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"What’s in your closet that you didn’t wear this year?"

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It’s that time of year again. The leaves are changing colors in many parts of the U.S. If the leaves aren’t changing, then your temperatures are. You’re cooling off a bit more easily.

And that means that your closet is looking a little different. Gone are the sleeveless shirts and polo shirts and Hawaiian shirts. In are the long sleeve shirts, turtlenecks, sweaters, and jackets.

As you’re changing to a different wardrobe, look around your closet at what you didn’t wear over the spring and summer. Is there a blouse that you just had to have last year that you didn’t wear this year? Or, what about that pair of pants that fit last year, you put in the closet but never wore this year because they all of a sudden shrunk? What will you do with those clothes and the others you didn’t wear at all this year?

Find a thrift shop, Salvation Army or Goodwill store, or some place where you can donate your clothes. I promise there is someone who can wear and will wear what you didn’t wear.

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"What’s your pace?"

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When runners train for events, they have very different strategies based on the event they run. For instance, our younger daughter ran the 800m and the 3200m for her high school’s team in regional competition last spring. Her conditioning regimen was different for both.

In the 800m, you run only two laps around the track. In the 3200m, you run eight laps around the track. In the first, you pace yourself somewhat, but because it’s a relatively short race, you really have to go hard most of the time. In the second event, you’re running two miles so you must pace yourself so you’ll be strong at the finish. I have friends who run 26K and 50K races and pacing is even more important in those events because you’re running so far.

Pacing is important as you listen to life and make a life, not just a living. So today pace yourself with God’s help. Spread out your big changes and difficult projects over time. Don’t lump all the hard stuff together. Relax some as you make a life.

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"Does God wear camouflage?"

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A four-year-old boy was in a class at his church studying spiritual leaders from his religious tradition. One particular leader lived many, many years ago, and spent most of his time walking from place to place and eating foods he could find outdoors like wild honey and grasshoppers.

Of course a four-year-old boy is intrigued by the thoughts of eating wild honey and grasshoppers. Like so many of the little boys that age, this one idolizes his dad who enjoys hunting. He’s thinking this spiritual leader was pretty cool like his dad, doing lots of outdoor things.

So after the lesson was over, one of the teachers asked the class what this spiritual leader wore. And the little boy raised his hand and shouted out, "I’ll bet he wore camouflage!"

This little boy, in his own way, made the connection between someone he knows and loves—his dad—and an important historical, spiritual leader. He related his own life to what God did in someone else’s life.

Look around your relationships today and discover God in someone you love!

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"What are you so passionate about that you’d do it even in the rain?"

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Our younger daughter loves to run—cross country, indoor track, outdoor track. It doesn’t matter to her as long as she’s running.

A couple of months ago her high school’s cross country preseason started with a metro meet at a nearby park.
Our area was in the throes of a pretty severe drought at the time. So as she and her teammates prepared for the meet, the last thing on their minds was that it would rain them out.

Yea, you guessed it—before the meet started, a large thunderstorm moved in and started raining. But there was no lightning and the rain eased up, so the race starter decided to go ahead and begin. But after just a few minutes, the rain poured and the lightning popped and the race was called.

Afterwards, our daughter, "I didn’t mind running in the rain. It was kinda fun. I wish they had let us finish."

What are you so passionate about that you’d do it even in the rain?

Discover your God-given passion today as you listen to life and make a life, not just a living.

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