"Can you judge a business by its cover?"

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A friend who listens to life with us emailed recently to tell me about his experience with a couple of businessmen. They called, wanting to look at a piece of property. "Of course," he said and made an appointment to meet them.

They arrived in an old pickup truck and wearing tattered jeans. One was barefooted. They walked all over the building for about an hour, talking to one another. My friend wondered if he was just wasting his time. From all appearances, these two guys not only couldn’t afford the building, but he couldn’t imagine what they would do with it.

Finally, the two guys said they’d take it and would be moving their business in as soon as possible. They had started the business as young boys and asked my friend to call their banker and make the arrangements.

So my friend called the banker who immediately said she’d take care of everything. Turns out these guys are known around the world as the experts in their field.

God looks on the heart, not outward appearances. Maybe we should, too.

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"Is today your anniversary?"

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It’s really hard for me to believe it. I don’t know what’s the most difficult to believe about it—that I’ve been alive that long or that there’s that much grace and patience so freely given by one person.

Oh, what I’m talking about is today is my 26th wedding anniversary.

There’s no denying I’m old enough to be married for 26 years. In fact, I regularly get asked, "Oh, is this your oldest daughter?" when my wife is with me. And there’s no denying that my wife has that much grace and patience. She says that in all of these 26 years she’s never once thought about divorcing me. Now, she freely admits she considered murdering me a few times, but that’s another matter altogether.

I’ve called my congressman numerous times, trying to get either the Medal of Honor or the Purple Heart for my wife. He says it’s just for people who served our country. I assured him my wife has!

Today thank God for the grace and patience you receive as you listen to life and make a life, not just a living!

(Go to www.StayMarriedForever.org and discover how you can celebrate your 26th anniversary and beyond…)

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"What do you do for an encore?"

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My wife and I enjoy our 26th wedding anniversary tomorrow. Last month I was thinking to myself, "What do you do for an encore?"

Last year, we enjoyed a vow renewal with the minister in the church where we were married, walked around the college campus where we first met and dated. Then we came home to a party with about 100 friends, a band, and a barbecue. The next day we spent the night where we honeymooned. Then we drove to DC and watched our nephew, Dan Uggla, start at second base against the Washington Nationals. What an anniversary!

But that was the 25th. You’re supposed to blow it out for that. So what do you for an encore?

Then I read this little sentence: "You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to that one person."

While last year was fun and I would do it all over again, this year I’m going to show my wife that she is the world to me. How? I’ve been listening to life with her and she’s told me everything I need to know.

(Go to www.StayMarriedForever.org and discover how you can celebrate your 26th anniversary and beyond…)

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"How do you measure age?"

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I went back to one of my favorite fast-food restaurants recently, knowing it might happen. It had always happened at breakfast, not lunch, so I thought I was safe. But I wasn’t. I ordered my meal and heard the cashier repeat my order and then add those dreaded words—"SENIOR BEVERAGE."

I sighed heavily because I’m seven years too young to receive a senior beverage, evidently sighing louder than I thought because the cashier said, "Is something wrong, sir? You only have to be 55 for the senior discount." I muttered something about, "I thought lunch was safe" and "This is my last time coming here" as I walked away shaking my head.

I told my wife about my experience that evening. She listened quietly and carefully, then said, "Promise me you’ll keep that little kid alive in you forever; no matter how many senior beverages you get."

I smiled, because I do love to laugh and kid around and play. I’m just a big kid regardless of how much gray hair I have…or no hair. That’s just the way God made me. So thanks for listening to life with me, honey…I promise!

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"Do you make a life, not just a living?"

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You’re supposed to go to an appointment and all of a sudden realize you should have left five minutes ago. So you’d better hurry up, right?

That was me recently. I jumped in my car and took off down the driveway toward the highway. About halfway down the quarter-mile drive, a flash of blue flew across my windshield. It startled me, so I slowed down, and looked down the wood fence line.

And there he sat—the most beautiful, brilliantly bedazzled bluebird I’d ever seen! Now we have lots of bluebirds around our farm.

But this one was different—bluer than the sky after a rain, brighter than a sunrise over the ocean. He was a very special bird so I just sat there for a moment, thanking God for blessing me with this rare snapshot of beauty; not caring so much about the time.

Making a living and all of the traps that accompany it can rush you for the rest of your days here. Or, you can choose to make a life and enjoy the beauty God places around you daily. What’s your choice? Choose to make a life today.

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