Posts Tagged ‘Thankfulness’

Happy Life and Career; plan the work and work the plan

Saturday, October 31st, 2009

You may have heard the saying “plan the work and work the plan”.  It is a great reminder that, in order to experience success, it helps to have a vision and a plan for what you hope to accomplish, to remian focused and committed to your plan, and to be purposeful and intentional in working toward accomplishing the plan.

This adage is most commonly applied in business, but I believe we shoud all consider applying it within our families.  Our families need a vision, a mssion, and a plan.  A good place to start is to establish your family values, a set of guiding principles that help steer eveyone as they makes decsions about what you do, what you say, who you select as friends, and how you spend your money and time.  Below are some examples of family values that I have collected from freinds that will give you some ideas and help get you jump started.  You can develop your own (as a family); make it fun, let eveyone participate and contribute, and make sure you have consensus before finalizing.  Post them on the refrigerator, on the family bulletin board, and on bathroom mirrors so they are consistently top-of-mind with everyone, and use them when making decisions, and to mentor, coach and discipline your kids.  Good luck and remember to walk in love!

Family Values:

  1. We will love honor and obey God in all that we think, speak, and do
  2. We will, in humility, love, respect, and serve each other and those around us
  3. We first listen, then think, then speak
  4. We try our best in everything we do
  5. We look for the good in every situation and maintain an attitude of thankfulness
  6. We will forgive and make every effort to live at peace with everyone
  7. We take every opportunity to share God’s love and the hope we have in Jesus
  8. We make memories together
  9. We keep our family time as a high priority
  10. We nurture a generous heart by living simply and sharing with those in need
  11. We invest ourselves in building God’e kingdom

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A Cheerful Heart

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009

Maintaining a cheerful heart is very important to being happy in life and at work. It is often not so much about our circumstances, but how we respond in the midst of those circumstances. Another way to put it might be that what we achieve is not nearly as important as what we overcome. And, it takes the right spirit of thankfulness, attitude of gratitude, and cheerful heart to overcome many of life’s toughest circumstances. The questions then becomes where does this strong yet peaceful spirit come from. It comes from a personal relationship with Jesus!

“The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes”…Paslm 19:8

With this joy in our hearts and light in our eyes, we can “Serve the LORD with gladness”….Psalm 100:2

When somebody is eighty-four years of age and is still able to do just a little bit of the work she loves, that is a great privilege,” said the inimitable Corrie ten Boom before adding, no doubt with a smile, “but I am able to do so much!” According to her coworker, Pam Rosewell, Corrie was continually thankful to God for every opportunity to serve Him, and she went about her task with an enthusiasm hard to equal. “How she enjoyed life,” Pam later recalled, “…and what a sense of humor she had! We spent a lot of time laughing; she was very young in spirit.”

“He who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.”…Proverbs 15:15

“A cheerful heart is good medicine”…Proverbs 17:22

Every day has its share of burdens, and many of us have aches and pains. But a cheerful heart is as irrepressible as a cork in water. A joyful person just cannot be held down. What a privilege to serve the Lord with gladness and to use our gifts for His glory, doing so with a merry heart. We can moan and complain about life or we can keep life in perspective and enjoy it. Paul learned the secret of contentment, and so can we. That choice is yours and mine.

The future is glorious. The best is yet to be, and you and I have the privilege to help hasten the coming of Jesus…..Corrie ten Boom

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Facing Uncertainty

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009

“When he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Matthew 8:23-26

James MacDonald writes: Why didn’t somebody tell me earlier in my life that I can’t fix everything? I thought that with due diligence, everything can get resolved. If there were things up ahead that concerned me, I could just make a plan to solve them. In time, I could have it all figured out and then set the automatic “good life” pilot and let it take over.

It’s only more recently that I have grasped that life will never be “together” this side of eternity. It’s hard to accept sometimes that perfect is only for heaven.

There will always be people problems. There will always be financial challenges. There will always be a home burden, or a crisis of some kind. Every day I live in this world, there will always be some uncertainty ringing my doorbell.

So much for my assumption that if you just worked hard enough, eventually everything would be sorted out, categorized, and put neatly on the shelf. I have never gotten to that day and what’s more, I now know it’s never coming.

In Matthew 8:23-24, we land in Jesus’ life on a day that perfectly illustrates the imperfections of human existence. “When he got into the boat, His disciplines followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm.” In the original language, the two words great storm can be translated to mega and seismic. As in, And behold, there arose a mega seismic on the sea, so that the boat was consumed by the waves. It’s worth remembering that this description comes from Matthew, one of the disciples who wasn’t a fisherman. He had the terrified layman’s perspective on this storm!

I have a few questions about that whole scene:

1. Did Jesus not check the Weather Channel? He totally knew that storm was coming yet He led them right into it. Get in the boat, boys. He knowingly took them into harm’s way.
2. Could Jesus have stopped the storm before it started? Sure He could have but He let the storm come.
3. So is it true to say that He wanted the storm? I think we could surmise that He was actually looking forward to how He was going to use the storm in the disciples’ lives.

I believe it is important for all of us, including me to understand that sometimes Jesus disguises exciting opportunities for personal growth as difficult circumstances. We would choose to avoid trials at all costs, but Jesus sees the bigger picture. Sometimes we just need to trust God and get out of the boat…especially if we want to walk on the water and be happy in life and at work!

28638: If You Want to Walk on Water, You"ve Got to Get Out of the Boat If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat
By John Ortberg / Zondervan

Far too many of us have put our faith in a casual Christianity that never compels us to leave our comfort zones. But, deep within our hearts we know that Christ has not called us to comfort, but to an exciting, sacrificial and overwhelmingly fulfilling faith. In If You’re Going to Walk on Water John Ortberg teaches us how to step out of the “boat” of casual Christianity so that we can faithfully follow the Lord who is calling us out onto the risky, exciting waters of the high seas. Let Pastor Ortberg teach you how to leave your comfort zone for a remarkable life of faith.

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What Causes Happiness?

Thursday, April 23rd, 2009

What causes happiness? The answer is simple “Thankfulness is the key to contentment”.

Try this…start out every day listing 5 things you are thankful for. You will be amazed at how your attitude and perspective will change. Here’s an example of how it works. As you wake, you might let God know that you are thankful for the ability to draw breath and enjoy another day on earth with those you love. As you step out of bed, you thank Him for your health including sight, hearing, strength, mobility, sound mind, etc. You continue by saying thanks for having a roof over your head for protection from the elements. As you turn on the water to brush your teeth, shave, and shower you express your thanks for having clean running water; acknowledging that there are many other who don’t enjoy that luxury. Your thankfulness continues as you get dressed realizing that there are many who only have one change of clothes, as you sit to enjoy a healthy breakfast and know that thousands upon thousands across the world will not have a meal today, as you say good bye to your family and think about those who have lost or are separated from their loved ones, and as you jump into your car to drive to work and it hits you that many do not have a car or a job. I think you get the idea.

So much of our unhappiness is because we chose to dwell on that which makes us unhappy. Instead be thankful for all you have to be thankful for; it will make you happier!

Philippians 4:6-8 says it this way…

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

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