"So when will you be happy?"

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We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren’t old enough and we'll be happier when they are.

After that, we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage.

Then we tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when the economy improves, when we’re able to go on a nice vacation, or when we retire.

Then we decide that when we recover from heart surgery or get cancer-free or have a knee replacement, that’s when we’ll be happy.

The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, then when?Life is always filled with challenges. These economic times are no different than some times our ancestors faced.

So don’t wait for life to get perfect. Decide to be happy anyway. And live each day to the fullest as you listen to life and make a life, not just a living with God’s help.

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"Who do you call when you're scared?"

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We had just tucked our younger daughter in for a good night’s sleep when a thunderstorm blew up. The wind whistled. The lightning flashed. And the thunder rattled the windows. It was a pretty good-sized storm.

I heard all of this sound-and-light show from downstairs in my recliner. Between the “booms” I heard this muffled voice calling, “Daddy! Daddy!” So I went upstairs and to our younger daughter’s bedroom where I found her with the covers pulled up over her head.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I’m scared of the thunder,” she said. “Will you lay down with me?”

“Sure,” I said as I got under the covers. “But why does it help with me under the covers?”

“Because the thunder can’t hurt me when you’re here. You’re my Daddy.”

Who do you call when you’re scared by life? Like when you’re out of work? Or, business is way off? Call your heavenly Daddy, God, and invite God to lie down with you. Life might get noisy, but it can’t hurt you when God’s with you.

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"Do you feel like a failure?"

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On New Year's Day, 1929, Georgia Tech played UCLA in the Rose Bowl. In that game, Roy Riggles recovered a fumble for UCLA. Riggles became confused and ran 65 yards in the wrong direction. One of his teammates outran him and tackled him just before he scored for the other team. When UCLA tried to punt, Tech blocked the kick and scored a safety.

That strange play came in the first half, and everyone watching the game was asking the same question: What will Coach Price do with Roy Riggles in the second half? Price said, “Men, the same team that played the first half starts the second.”

“Coach,” Riggles said, “I can't do it. I couldn't face that crowd in the stadium to save my life.”

Then Price said, “Roy, get up and go on back out there. The game is only half over.”

Sure times are hard, but when you feel like a failure, remember to listen to life and make a life, not just a living, because your game of life is only half over.

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"Are you moving forward?"

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Vincent Van Gogh created 800 paintings, but sold only one in his lifetime. He died at 37, and the first one-man exhibit of his works occurred after he had died. Van Gogh moved forward with his mission.

Tom Landry, Chuck Noll and Bill Walsh accounted for nine of the fifteen Super Bowl victories from 1974 to 1989. They also had the worst records of first-season head coaches in NFL history. These coaches moved forward with their mission.

Chicago Bears linebacker Mike Singletary had a knack for making the tackle even when he initially got blocked out of the play. The way he did it was by getting up quickly after he got knocked down the first time. Mike Singletary moved forward with his mission.

Test pilot Chuck Yeager said, “I have learned to back up, but I never give up.” Chuck Yeager moved forward with his mission.

Sure, the economy is tough right now, but you can choose to move forward with your mission with God by your side as you make a life, not just a living today.

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"Do the things you worry about come true?"

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I guess we all worry about something at some time or another, don’t we? We worry about our children and our parents, our jobs and our retirement, our health and our friends’ health; the economy.

That reminds me of a New York real estate mogul who sat in his minister’s office, wringing his hands over the sorry state of the economy. After the minister counseled him about trusting in God, not worrying, and moving forward with his mission in life, the entrepreneur looked into his minister’s eyes and said firmly, “Don't tell me worry does no good. The things I worry about never come true.”

I believe it was Mark Twain who said, “I’ve had some terrible experiences in my life, some of which actually happened.”When you find yourself worrying today, remind yourself that, like this man, the things you worry about never come true. Your imagination can create good things to focus on as easily as it can bad.

So instead of worrying, listen to life today for what God has to say, and watch all of the wonderful things you’re listening for come true.

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