Enter your Email to Sign up for Dr. Joey's Today's Story


Powered by FeedBlitz

Thursday, May 21, 2009

"Do you enjoy new things?"

Margaret Wheatley talks about hearing a beach geologist being interviewed on the radio. And at the time he was interviewed, there was a storm. One of the large hurricanes was pounding the Outer Banks of North Carolina. And he was being interviewed about what hurricanes do to beaches.

Now, we all know what hurricanes do to beaches and beach houses and such. They destroy homes and take down power lines and take away sand, and whole beaches disappear in a hurricane.

Well, the geologist said, “You know, I can’t wait to get out on those beaches again once these storms have passed. And I hope to get out there in the next 24 hours.” And the interviewer said, “What do you expect to find out there?” The beach geologist said, “I expect to find a new beach.”

The next time a storm blows around you, and you feel the sand shifting beneath your feet, and your heart is howling, expect to find something new. Life is constant newness, everyday. Welcome the new after the storm and look for God in the new as you listen to life and make a life, not just a living.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

"Who packs your parachute?"

Click here to listen to Dr. Joey tell his story!

Charles Plumb was a US Navy jet pilot in Vietnam. A surface-to-air missile destroyed his plane. He ejected and parachuted into enemy hands, was captured and spent six years in a communist Vietnamese prison.

One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, "You're Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!"
"How in the world did you know that?" asked Plumb.  

"I packed your parachute," the man said. Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The man pumped his hand and said, "I guess it worked!" Plumb assured him, "It sure did. If your chute hadn't worked, I wouldn't be here today."

So who packs your parachute? Who gives of themselves, often in thankless ways, so that you can have a great day? The police officers, the teachers, the water treatment operators, the power plant repair persons, the highway crews, the telephone engineers, the cable guys, God, and the list goes on.  

Say “Thank you!” to those who pack your chute as you listen to life today.

Discover more great stories like this one!


Tuesday, May 19, 2009

"What is failure?"

Click here to listen to Dr. Joey tell his story!

Do you remember the Comstock Lode—the richest gold vein in all California? The original owner selected the spot to dig, and dig he did. He spent every penny he had plus all he could borrow to dig for gold in that spot. But he never did strike gold.  

So he went into bankruptcy, and a new owner bought the property. He chose the identical spot in which to dig. Five feet below the original owner's location he struck the biggest vein of gold ever discovered in California—the Comstock Lode.  

So what happened to the original owner? Did he become a bum riding the railroads? Go on relief? Nope, he tightened his belt and said to himself, "Next time." He went into the insurance business and became the leading insurance salesman in the U.S.  

All of us fail at some time or another. But remember: Failure is an event, not a person. Failure happens, but you are not a failure. So say to yourself, “Next time” and keep listening to life and make a life, not just a living today.

Discover more great stories like this one!

Monday, May 18, 2009

"Is your life like lasagna?"

Click here to listen to Dr. Joey tell his story!

 My wife makes the best lasagna you’ve ever eaten. I watched her make it once. She prepares her sauce with secret ingredients that I can’t tell you about or she’d have to kill me. She mixes together all of these cheeses. Then she carefully layers all of these ingredients in her special lasagna dish. It’s the layering that attracted my attention.


 She puts a layer of noodles, then sauce, then cheese. And she cooks it all together, layer upon layer, until it’s done.


 So while I smell the lasagna cooking, I listen to life. And I realize that life is somewhat like lasagna. Life layers stuff on you. Some of the stuff you ask for, you like the special ingredients. Other stuff you don’t. But you do get to choose most of your life’s ingredients. And it all cooks together in your life’s pan until it’s done.


 So what ingredients are you choosing for your life? What’s cooking in your life’s pan? Listen to your life and choose well your life ingredients.

Discover more great stories like this one!

Sunday, May 17, 2009

"Things aren’t always what they seem, are they?"

Click here to listen to Dr. Joey tell his story!

 Some friends vacationed in Cancun, Mexico one summer. Now the wife is a real planner and is always on the look-out for great Christmas gifts. So never mind it was summer time when they were in Cancun, she shopped for Christmas presents anyway.


 Her sister-in-law loves cooking, especially baking. Knowing this, my friend got really excited when she spotted a huge bottle of “Pure Mexican Vanilla Flavoring” on the shelf of a duty-free shop. She bought it, took it home with her, and when Christmas came, she wrapped it carefully, still excited about this perfect gift for her sister-in-law.


 So the big day came and her sister-in-law opened the “Pure Mexican Vanilla Flavoring” and she was all excited about it and handed it to her husband to see. He turned the bottle over, looked on the back, and said, “Hey, it says here, ‘Made in Florida.’”


 Things aren’t always what they seem, are they? Whether its “Pure Mexican Vanilla Flavoring” or anything else in life, remember, God can be trusted to be God.

Discover more great stories like this one!