Choose Kindness Instead of Paybacks

Posted on May 20, 2013 by 4Seasons2013

“ Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else”—1 Thessalonians 5:15(NIV).

In a hurry at the speedy checkout lane, I was becoming impatient when a problem arose with the person checking out just ahead of me. She had swiped her credit card several times but it wouldn’t work. The cashier wasn’t having any luck getting it to work either so she called for help.

As I listened to the conversation, I learned the card she was using to pay for her two items was part of a government assistance program. Since it was several days before the end of the month, it dawned on me that the customer didn’t realize she had used up her monthly allotment. She was going to put the items back when I felt a God nudge.

Reaching into my wallet, I pulled out cash and paid for the two items. The customer protested but I replied, “Please allow me to pay.”

Now, here’s where the story reveals the story behind the story. The woman was buying ice cream bars. In the past, my attitude would have been, “Well, she’s on government assistance and she shouldn’t be using the funds to buy ice cream.”

Bear with me here. Notice, I said in the past. Yes, I was very judgmental before Jesus got ahold of me and I still struggle sometimes, but He’s not through with me yet. Second, I had first encountered this woman almost five years earlier when she came to our church’s front door ministry, seeking help with groceries and some of her past due bills. While we try to assist as many as possible, that particular day, we were out of funds to help with bills. However, we did supply her with food. I recalled her reaction when she learned we were out of funds. It wasn’t pleasant. I realized that her response had affected my attitude toward her, especially when she started attending our church.

That day, as I stood in the checkout line, waiting impatiently for my turn, God showed me that it didn’t matter what this woman was buying. I had an opportunity to be kind, and, you know what, I think I enjoyed it more than she probably enjoyed eating that ice cream.

Scottish author and theologian, Ian Maclaren said, “Let us be kind to one another, for most of us are fighting a hard battle.” I know I was battling my impatience as I waited my turn to check out that day.

In a sermon titled, “What is Man?” Christian theologian John Wesley said, “You were born for nothing else. You live for nothing else. Your life is continued to you upon earth, for no other purpose than this, that you may know, love and serve God on earth, and enjoy Him to all eternity.”

When we serve others, we are serving our Heavenly Father.  Be on the lookout for whom God wants you to serve today.

 What do you think? Do you seek to serve others? Leave a comment below.

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We’re All God’s People

Posted on March 17, 2013 by 4Seasons2013

“Share with the Lord’s people who are in need.Practice hospitality. … be willing to associate with people of low position” Romans 12:13,16 (NIV).

 A recent morning devotion brought conviction as I read the words written by a Pennsylvania prisoner. Written from the viewpoint of a convicted felon, his words reminded me we are all God’s people.

In an orange jump suit, shackled and handcuffed, and accompanied by two armed guards, the prisoner was sitting in a cardiologist’s waiting room because he had recently experienced a heart attack. His appearance, he said, “didn’t exactly help me to fit in.”

Feeling shunned, he was surprised when an elderly woman entered the room, smiled at him and said, “God bless. I hope you’re doing well.” He responded, “I’m fine.”

As his anxious feelings were replaced with calm, the prisoner added a “Thank you.”

Returning to the prison later, he reflected on the fact that one person had looked beyond the outward signs of who many thought he was—a second-class citizen—and saw a person, one of God’s people, even though he was estranged from the human family.

Why did this particular devotion make me uncomfortable? Because I have hesitated to reach out to others in the past when faced with a similar situation. I have been guilty of avoiding those who made me feel ill at ease, even ducking around a grocery aisle to keep from running into them. My excuse? I’m too busy to visit today.

What if Jesus had not practiced what He preached? Would His witness to the world have been as powerful? However, it was Jesus’ heart that led Him to rub elbows with the misfits of society—the crippled, the poor, the adulterers, the lepers, the tax collectors. They were outcasts.

Jesus faced ridicule for His choices. “But the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law found fault. ‘This man always welcomes outcasts, and takes meals with them!’ they complained (Luke 15:2).

Several ministries at our church reach out to the lost and to those less fortunate. Through our Good Sam ministry, providing groceries, financial aid and prayer, we are able to show kindness and consideration for others. We are able to help those whom many consider society’s outcasts.

Another ministry that reaches out to those in need is our Thursday night Bridge Service, an informal gathering, offering a free meal, a short sermon and fellowship through song and prayer. While visiting with a friend who frequently delivers the message at this service, he admitted his struggles to deliver a sermon that would affect lives. Finally, he said, he felt led to preach on love. Using John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life,” my friend focused on God’s love for each of us, even those who are not accepted in society.

As Christians, we need to show hospitality to all of God’s children. Regardless of skin color, background or present circumstances, He died on the cross for you and for me.

 Need a speaker for your event? Contact the author at carolaround@yahoo.com.

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When Jesus Claims Your Heart

Posted on February 25, 2013 by 4Seasons2013

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” Galatians 2:20(NIV).

While having lunch at a Chinese restaurant recently, I cracked open my fortune cookie and read the following: “The greatest gift is love.”

Immediately, 1 Corinthians 13 came to mind. Aptly called the “love” chapter because it gives us a beautiful description of what Godly love is like, the passage is part of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians.

In this well-known chapter, Paul addresses the Corinthians, some of whom were seeking spiritual gifts to gain superior status. He reminds the church at Corinth that no matter which gift we have, if we are lacking in love, then in God’s sight we are nothing. Paul adds that without love, the gift is tarnished and ineffectual in God’s eyes.

Although she could not see or hear, Helen Keller learned about God from her teacher, Anne Sullivan. How do you tell someone about the Creator when they have never seen His creation? Taking Helen’s hand, Anne placed it on her own throat and repeated the word, “God,” until Helen understood. When she did, Helen said, “I always knew He was there, but I didn’t know His name!”

Later, Helen began corresponding with Reverend Phillips Brooks. In one of her letters, Helen wrote to the Rev. Brooks, saying, “I have always known about God, even before I had any words. Even before I could call God anything, I knew He was there. I didn’t know what it was.”

Helen had no name for God, because she did not have a name for anything or anyone. However, in her darkness and isolation, she knew she was not alone. Someone was with her. She felt God’s love. When Helen received the gift of language and heard about God, she said she already knew.

Thrilled by Helen’s letter, Rev. Brooks said, “This was the God I knew, the God who would come to a lonely child, a frustrated and lonely little girl, and find a way to speak love to her without a word.”

While research varies, some say that in an average day, we speak enough words to fill a book of 50-60 pages. If that’s true, then in an average year, our words could fill at least 100 books of 200 pages each. Is it a good thing to say so much?

In Luke 6:45, Jesus says, “What you say flows from what is in your heart.” What comes out of our mouths is what is in our hearts.

Before Jesus claimed my heart, I was not an effective witness for His glory. Words have the power to hurt or heal, and often, my words did not bring healing. However, “the life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Have you allowed Jesus to claim your heart?

If Jesus has claimed your heart, would you please share your message with others, including me?

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Your Love Letter to God

Posted on February 11, 2013 by 4Seasons2013

“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment” Matthew 22:37 (NIV).

 Can you recall the last time you received a handwritten personal letter in your mailbox? I can’t.

Over lunch recently, a friend and I were discussing the lost art of letter writing. My friend commented on a box of letters written by her mother over the years. While the letters were not filled with anything important, they were a chronicle of what was going on in her parents’ lives at the time. “My mother wrote things that were not earth-shattering but a sharing of their lives,” she says. “When I go back and reread them occasionally, the words bring back such wonderful memories.”

Like me, my friend misses going to the mailbox to retrieve something besides a bill or junk mail, and maybe an occasional card. While some might complain about the price of a postage stamp, I think the cost is minimal compared to the thrill of someone taking the time to pen their thoughts on paper, place it an envelope and drop it in the mail. Although first class letters recently increased by a penny to 46 cents, I still think it’s a bargain.

In an age of cell phones, text messaging and e-mails, the longtime practice of writing letters to family and friends is becoming a thing of the past. Then, along came Twitter and those who tweet learned to express themselves in 140 characters—not words—or less.

Before the age of social media, people wrote genuine letters to their loved ones. Think of the history contained on the inked pages that document someone’s life. What of the letters written home to loved ones from the battlefields of war? I am sure the recipients treasured them, especially if their soldier never returned home.

When teaching high school, I would often receive a note, letter or card from one of my students or a fellow teacher. Although I have been retired from education since 2005, I still have those handwritten missives in a yellow file folder.

Deuteronomy 6:5-6 says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heartand with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.”

Do you really love God with all your heart, with all your soul and all your strength? If you do, do you spend quality time with Him each day? When we love someone, we seek to spend time with that person as much as possible.

I begin each day reading the Bible and writing a love letter to God in my prayer journal. Since I started journaling 11 years ago, my intimacy with the Lord has grown. I now address Him in my journal as “Dear Abba Father.”

I challenge you to put God first in your life. Spend time with Him each morning. Write a personal love letter to your Heavenly Father. He loves to hear from His children.

Do you spend time with Your Heavenly Father each morning? Have you tried prayer journaling? If so, please feel free to share your experiences with me in the comment section below.
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Discovering the Greatest Gift

Posted on January 7, 2013 by 4Seasons2013

“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand”–Psalm 16:11 (NIV).

In his book “Every Day is a Gift,” author Barry Gottlieb says when he was a younger man, “I lived my life with a philosophy of, ‘What’s in it for me?’”

His life, however, changed with two sentences. “You need to get your affairs in order. You have three months, six at the most, to live.” Sitting across from his oncologist that day, Barry says, “Those words shook my world. I thought he must be talking about somebody else.”

Diagnosed with a very rapid, fatal form of cancer, he was told there really wasn’t anything they could do for him. Since he didn’t think he had any options, Barry agreed to try some experimental treatments, which would make him unbelievably ill. A few weeks later, however, Barry received a call from his doctor who was screaming over the phone, “You don’t have cancer! It was a misdiagnosis…a mistake by the lab.”

Can you imagine the roller coaster of emotions Barry experienced? For Barry, however, it changed the way he thought about life. From that day forward, he said, “I made the decision to treat every day as a gift.”

What if, upon awakening, we looked at each day as a gift and decided to take action? Barry offers the following action steps in his book:

  1. Gratitude. Every night before you go to sleep, recite aloud at least 10 things for which you are grateful.
  2. Forgive. Let go of the past. Forgive those who have hurt or angered you. Stop carrying this poison around with you every day.
  3. Love. Be sure to tell those people in your life who mean so much to you that you love them and appreciate them.
  4. Donate. Go through your closets. Anything you haven’t worn or used in the past year, box it or bag it and take it to a place where those who are less fortunate will benefit from your donation. Get your children involved!
  5. Praise. Make time to praise. Look for and recognize the good in others.

I recall a quiz I received via email once. Asked to identify the following, most people can’t give an answer: Name the five wealthiest people in the world or the last five Miss America pageant winners. Name 10 people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize or the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.

However, most of us can list a few teachers who aided our journey through school or three friends who have helped us through a difficult time. We can easily name five people who have taught us something worthwhile or who have made us feel appreciated and special.

What lesson can we learn from this quiz? People who make a difference in our lives are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money or the most awards. They are the ones who care the most.

Share your thoughts with the author below. Please leave a comment.
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Just For Today

Posted on December 28, 2012 by 4Seasons2013

“This is the day the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it” –Psalm 118:24 (NLT)

Did you know that 97 percent of New Year’s resolutions are never fulfilled? Oscar Wilde wrote, “A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.”

Although 45 percent of us make New Year’s resolutions, many eventually ditch them, with 75 percent making it past the first week and 46 percent making it past the six-month mark.

According to research, most fail at following through because of unrealistic expectations, like “I’m going to lose 30 pounds by February 1.” While there is nothing wrong with making resolutions, when we set the bar too high, we are setting ourselves up for failure. What if we decided, just for today, we would do one thing to improve our physical, emotional or, more importantly, our spiritual health?

Author Jim Liebelt offers the following suggestions in hopes we might incorporate some into our daily lives.

Day 1:  Just for today, resolve to pray.

Day 2:  Just for today, resolve to say, “I love you” to someone.

Day 3:  Just for today, resolve to appreciate the world around you.

Day 4:  Just for today, resolve to save money.

Day 5:  Just for today, resolve to forgive someone.

Day 6:  Just for today, resolve not to compare yourself to anyone else.

Day 7:  Just for today, resolve to create some warmth in your home.

Day 8:  Just for today, resolve to exercise.

Day 9:   Just for today, resolve to read from the Bible.

Day 10:  Just for today, resolve to eat less.

Day 11:   Just for today, resolve to prepare for a future event.

Day 12:  Just for today, resolve not to demand the last word.

Day 13:  Just for today, resolve to make the most of that day.

Day 14:  Just for today, resolve to learn something new.

Day 15:  Just for today, resolve to eat a food you enjoy.

Day 16:  Just for today, resolve to say, “Please.”

Day 17:  Just for today, resolve to laugh.

Day 18:  Just for today, resolve to do something unusually nice for a family member.

Day 19:  Just for today, resolve to forgive yourself.

Day 20:  Just for today, resolve to sleep in.

Day 21:  Just for today, resolve to spend some time with family.

Day 22:  Just for today, resolve to be kind.

Day 23:  Just for today, resolve to give someone a choice. 

Day 24:  Just for today, resolve to make someone laugh. 

Day 25:  Just for today, resolve to do something nice for someone outside of your family. 

Day 26:  Just for today, resolve to say, “thank you.”

Day 27:  Just for today, resolve to pay someone a compliment.

Day 28:  Just for today, resolve to do something relaxing.

Day 29:  Just for today, resolve to do something nice for a complete stranger.

Day 30:  Just for today, resolve to do something out of the ordinary.

I would also add, just for today, let us rejoice and be glad in the day the Lord has made.

Respond to the author at carolaround@yahoo.com.

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The Power to Change Christmas

Posted on December 24, 2012 by 4Seasons2013

“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV).

Using plain paper and a pencil, my eight-year-old granddaughter created a birthday card I will always treasure. It wasn’t just the simplicity of the card but the words that touched my heart. On the front, Cheyenne had drawn an angel. At the top were the following words: “Happy Birthday, Nana. We believe in God.” At the bottom, she had written, “I love you.”

Her artistic endeavors spilled over inside, where two more illustrations—one of a heart sporting wings and one of yours truly—graced the pages. What captured my heart, however, were the words, “I love you to the moon and back,” and “You have a giant heart as big as this.”

How could a grandmother not love a card fashioned from a child’s imagination as well as her heart? It’s the best gift I could ever receive.

Who doesn’t enjoy giving and receiving presents? However, there is a difference between presents and gifts. Lawyer James E. Faust explains the difference. “The true gifts may be part of ourselves—giving of the riches of the heart and mind—and therefore more enduring and of far greater worth than presents bought at the store. Of course, among the greatest of gifts is the gift of love. Love seeks to give rather than to get. Charity towards and compassion for others is a way to overcome too much self-love.”

Self-love has led consumers to camp out days before Black Friday at superstores, hoping to be first in line to purchase big screen TVs. Self-love has led to shoppers fighting over bargains and spending more money than they can afford. Whatever you call it, it’s not about Christmas. Christmas is about the birth of our Savior over 2,000 years ago.

How can we return the focus to what really matters? While commercialization has blinded many to the real meaning of Christmas, as parents and grandparents, we have the power to change it.

A recently-released children’s book, “The Sparkle Box: A Gift with the Power to Change Christmas,” was written by Jill Hardie. Because Hardie saw how easy it is for families to be ensnared in the commercial blitz and forget the deeper reason for Christmas, she found a special way to show her children the joy of giving to others and that giving, itself, is a gift. In this heartwarming, powerful book, families can rediscover the true joy of “giving unto others.”

“Each year we have continued the tradition (of the Sparkle Box) and have realized that it’s not only a gift to Jesus and to those in need, but a powerful way to center Christmas,” says Hardie.

In a “me-first” society, it’s up to us to make the change. “The Sparkle Box” is more than a book. When people band together to spread the news, in the end, it transforms the giver and the receiver—all in Jesus’ name.

 Carol’s new book, “by FAITH alone,” is now available at amazon.com.
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What’s So Amazing about Grace?

Posted on November 12, 2012 by 4Seasons2013

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”—Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV).

It seems a cowboy from Colorado skipped church one Sunday to go bear hunting in the mountains. As he turned the corner along the path, he and a bear collided. The cowboy stumbled backwards, slipped off the trail and began tumbling down the mountain with the bear in hot pursuit. Finally, the cowboy crashed into a boulder, sending his rifle in one direction and breaking both legs. As the bear closed in, the cowboy cried out in desperation, “Lord, I’m sorry for what I have done. Please forgive me and save me! Lord, please make that bear a Christian.”

Suddenly, the clouds parted and a beam of light shone down on the bear. The bear skidded to a halt at the cowboy’s feet, fell to its knees, clasped its paws together and said, “God, bless this food which I am about to receive.”

While we can laugh at this joke, how many of us fail to grasp the breadth of God’s amazing grace? One scripture holds the answer. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

One of my favorite hymns is “Amazing Grace.” Slave trader John Newton, a man deeply entrenched in sin, penned the song in 1773 after he experienced the transforming power of God’s grace during a violent storm at sea. During the Civil War, both sides sang the song and on the Trail of Tears, the Cherokee Indians used it as a requiem for their dead. Civil Rights protestors defiantly sang it during Freedom Marches. When Nelson Mandela was freed from prison and when the Berlin Wall came tumbling down, “Amazing Grace” rang out. A mourning world sang the lyrics on September 11, 2001 and when the New Orleans Saints marched back into the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina, reviving the spirit of a fallen city.

In 1 Timothy 1:15, Paul wrote: “It is a trustworthy statement, deserv­ing full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.”

What’s so amazing about His grace? Christian author Regina Franklin has this to say about grace. “His grace should cause us to be speechless before Him. The temptation comes, however, either to make God no more significant than the latest thrill or to view Him as noticeably distant and cruelly authoritative. “A consuming fire” (Heb 12:29), He does not desire our destruction but burns away anything that would destroy us. His work in our lives reminds us that we are not God. Rather than quaking in fear, however, we bow with steady knees and reach with confident arms. May we live with a palpable sense of His incredible power, brilliant holiness, and genuine goodness.”

Grace—we don’t deserve it. We can’t earn it. It’s a gift. Isn’t that amazing?

Coming soon: Carol’s new book, “Sola Fide: by FAITH alone.” 

 

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Every Day is a Holiday

Posted on September 17, 2012 by 4Seasons2013

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it”—Psalm 118:24 (ESV).

Have you heard of National Hummingbird Day, National Cheese Pizza Day, Be Late for Something Day, National Iguana Awareness Day, Make Your Bed Day, and one of my favorites, Eat an Extra Dessert Day?

Although most don’t celebrate these unusual days, I was intrigued by the list at the “Holidays for Everyday” website. Some I had never even heard of, but I might implement a few, like an extra dessert on September 4. Oops, I missed that one. Is there such a thing as celebrating belatedly?

I’ll pass on the day to observe awareness of the iguana as I don’t care for lizards. I make my bed each morning so this means I celebrate this holiday daily. I love the hummingbirds who visit my feeder each morning but I don’t know how to make their day special. Be Late for Something Day was celebrated on September 5 but as of this writing, I have two appointments for which I cannot be tardy. I had to skip that one too. That leaves National Cheese Pizza Day, observed on September 4, which has already passed too. However, when I do eat pizza on a rare occasion, I like one loaded with extra veggies.

According to this same website, September 13 is Positive Thinking Day. September 15 has been designated National Thank-You Day. The third Tuesday in September is the International Day of Peace and the 21st is World Gratitude Day. The fourth Sunday in September is a time to observe Good Neighbor Day, while September 28 is Family Health and Fitness Day. What do these six holidays have in common? If you think about it, you will see the connection between these celebrations and scripture.

I located 64 Bible verses about positive thinking, 70 about thankfulness and 54 on gratitude. What about peace? I found 199 passages. I also discovered 90 verses about our neighbors. Looking up the word health, I found 44 verses and 12 about fitness. Verses about the family numbered 116.

Another commonality they share is the relationship between our attitudes and the kind of day we experience when we are living it for God. Consider Psalm 118:24. “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

If we would begin each day recognizing, regardless of our circumstances, that it is a gift from God, our outlook on life would change. With a positive attitude, we would be grateful, giving thanks, not only to God but also to those He has placed in our lives, including those neighbors we might consider pesky. Think how peaceful our world would become if we observed these holidays, not just on calendar-specific days, but every day. The result would be healthier relationships within our families, within our communities, within our countries and within the world.

We shouldn’t wait for a special day to celebrate but treat each day as one which the Lord has made. That’s a reason to rejoice.

Email your comments to the author at carolaround@yahoo.com or leave a comment below.

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Who Needs a Hug Today?

Posted on August 27, 2012 by 4Seasons2013

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience”—Colossians 3:12 (NIV).

When I am away from my ten-year-old dog for several hours, he greets me at the door and lavishly covers me with kisses and a hug. Recently, my youngest grandson observed this ritual affection, and said, “Taco sure loves you, Nana.”

I didn’t have to teach my beloved pet to love me. Like God, he loves me unconditionally. Like God, Taco demonstrates his love and devotion in many ways, including the hugs I receive. How does a dog provide a hug when he has no arms to wrap around me? He tucks his head underneath my chin and leans his small body into mine.

An Internet search about the power of hugging turned up the story of a woman who lives in south India. Amma, which means “mother” in her native language, has dedicated her life to helping others through the simple gesture of a hug. At the writing of the article in 2007, Amma is said to have blessed and consoled more than 26 million people throughout the world. Many know her as “the hugging saint.”

When people learn Amma is visiting in the area, they go out of their way to meet her. She seems to have tapped into a deep and essential need that we all have—a need for affection and the human touch.

“Love is not ordinary,” Amma says. “Love is what sustains life. Whatever we do it is only to get love. There are two types of poverty in this world. The first one is, you know, financial. The second is poverty due to lack of love, the second one is more important. If we have compassion, we will automatically help.”

Hugging not only helps the receiver but benefits the giver as well. While we take our mental and physical health seriously, trying to improve our daily lives with exercise, healthy eating and even supplements, we often overlook one simple thing that scientific studies have shown to be effective in keeping our heart and mental outlook healthy. It’s the power of a simple hug.

Scientists have discovered that we are “hard-wired” to thrive as social animals. Further research reveals that daily hugs actually lower the output of cortisol, a stress hormone, and increases the two “feel good” brain chemicals, serotonin and dopamine.

A hug has been known to break down barriers when words cannot. We can bond with a hug and find comfort in this simple human interaction. This gesture towards another human being is easy and costs nothing but a simple act of caring and kindness.

My Internet search also revealed the following top ten benefits of hugging: costs nothing, boosts your immune system, builds self-esteem, fosters self-acceptance, alleviates tension, helps curb appetite, saves heat, is portable, requires no special setting or equipment and best of all, it feels great.

Who needs a hug from you today? Give one, get one. It’s that simple.

Take “The 40-Day Challenge.”  Go to www.carolaround.com and download your e-book today, available free until September 9. Email your comments to the author at carolaround@yahoo.com.

 

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