One of those moments....

Have you ever had one of those profound moments when you fully realized something....even though it has been right in front of you for some time, but you were oblivious to it?
Man, that sure was a gramatically incorrect sentence, if it even was a sentence... However, I have no desire to go back and fix it, so I'll keep moving.

I had one of those moments this weekend. I've always said that I put God first in my life. I mean after all, the bible says if we put God first, all "these things" will be added unto us, right? I mean, who doesn't want "these things"....

Well, it hit me that I wasn't really putting God first in my life. I looked at my schedule, what I filled my day with, etc. and realized that I was fitting him in to available slots, but not giving him first place. It's one thing to have devotions, so you can check it off your list. It's another thing to be consumed with the thought of meeting God personally and getting instructions for the day. See what I'm saying?

That hit me hard. So, I'm trying to re-evaluate my life right now....kind of exam my priorities, and see what I need to do this year to make sure God has first place.

If you haven't thought about it for your own life, why don't you join me?

Laughter is contagious

I dare you to go to .....no, I double dare you to .........wait, I double DOG dare you to go to the website below and listen to this audio report.

If you can listen to this guy's descriptive story, as well as listen to his laugh, and not find yourself laughing yourself, you've got some real problems. Enjoy.


http://www.chumfm.com/MorningShow/bits/march24.swf

Cursing -- #!@*%#?#^@~#

Somebody help me here, as I really don't get it. What's the big deal about cursing as a part of somebody's normal vocabulary?

Earlier this week I played golf with a couple of neighbors. One I really didn't know well, and he didn't know me. The first few sentences out of his mouth were laced with curse words. He wasn't mad, he was just talking....... Within the first few minutes we exchanged what we did for a living, etc. I told him I worked with churches and a little about my background. It was a miracle! From that point in the conversation on, I never heard another swear word out of the man's mouth in 5 hours! How is that?

These people obviously don't have to swear. I mean, when they decide not too, they just quit doing it. So, what entices people to do it in the first place? It's generally not accepted as professional. It usually indicates a lack of refinement. It's always frowned upon around children. Employers are starting to look through facebook pages, etc. at potential employees now. If they see potty mouth used in poor taste, that could be what tips the scales against them for a job.

Why would these people think that some people they know like to hear them swear, but others don't? And how do they determine who enjoys their swearing? As you can see, I have a lot of questions....

I could even understand it a little if they get really mad....hurt themselves....hit a bad golf shot, etc. But to do just because..... I need help here. It doesn't make sense. Does it bother anybody else? If anybody has some insight, I'd love to hear it.

Relativity....

Everything truly IS relative, isn't it? If we will use that to our advantage, it can really impact our attitudes.
For example, today it was down right cold in Florida. He haven't been in the 30's all year, and this morning it was a nippy 37 degrees.......
Earlier today my daughter in Springfield, MO, let me know she didn't want to hear about it, as she was looking at a single digit 9 on her thermometer....... I was wrong earlier. Now THAT's cold!
I just got off the phone with my brother who lives in Iowa. Uh huh, you know where I'm going..... 29 degrees BELOW zero, with a wind chill of 50 below! I mean it this time, THAT'S cold!
Should I go on?

No matter what goes on during our day, week, month or year, I can promise you I can find somebody going through a worse time or situation -- which of course will make you feel a lot better about your circumstances...... Keep that in mind the next time your finances look in shambles, or the car breaks down, or you don't feel like you have any time to yourself, etc.....

One last thought to make my point --
Tomorrow go to the pharmacy and purchase a rectal thermometer made by Johnson & Johnson. Take out the literature from the box and read it carefully. You will notice in small print that there is a statement: "Every rectal thermometer made by Johnson & Johnson has been personally tested and then sanitized."

Now repeat after me, Thank God I don't work in the thermometer quality control department for Johnson & Johnson.

Glad I could be there for you. Let's look for the best in the day and I'm sure we'll find it.
God bless.

Speaking of resolutions...

This getting back to the gym at the turn of the year thing is not that easy. I knew I had to, since I put on around 10 lbs over the last three months of the year.....it was a great three months, I might add.
Anyway, I'm sitting on the stationary bike, watching the individual television attached to the machine, and scanning through the channels. As I'm doing that, I kind of get daydreaming.... I come around again and realize I just stopped the tv on a commercial for Flomax! I'm going, oh NO! The entire gym behind me is thinking I'm trying to memorize the number on the screen.... So I quickly change it to a manly sports channel and really start pumping those legs...... This old age thing is not fun. (I really do wish I had memorized that number.)

I did have one minor victory however. Do you remember doing a hurdler's stretch? You're legs are basically like a hurdler's...one is straight out on the floor, and the other one is tucked back behind you, knee out at a 90 degree angle... yeah, that one. Well.... I actually, after a full week, am now limber enough to get my legs in position to begin doing that stretch.
No, I didn't say I was stretching from that position. I said, I just got flexible enough to get in the starting position....victory is sweet.

New Year's Resolutions

I know many don't like to make new year resolutions. I mean, why bother, knowing they will probably be broken within a week or two. I'm probably a little anal about this area of my life, but I think goals are critical to improvement and moving forward. I've done them for years, and look at me now...... oohhh, not a very convincing case..... Let's try another approach.

I always set goals, (not necessarily resolutions). You have all year to reach your goal, but can feel like you failed whenever you make a resolution to change something, and revert back to an old habit. Try making a goal that you have time to achieve, and then what you might have wanted to accomplish through a resolution may just happen while trying to reach your goal.

For instance, one of my goals this year is to read the bible through, as well as an additional 24 books. Now to do this, I'm probably going to need to reduce the amount of time I spend watching television...... I could have made a resolution that I was going to cut back on my television and be more productive with my time. However, by focusing on the long term goal of reading, as a by product, I will need to naturally reduce my television time. It's so much better to focus on the success of reaching my reading goal rather than constantly fighting with myself over how much time I want television.... did that make any sense.

So, I challenge you to set a goal for the year, not a resolution. Pick an area -- physically, spiritually, mentally, socially -- just get started. Then tell somebody, so you're accountable. Like I just did to the thousands reading this..... okay to both of you reading this blog. You are welcome to ask me how I'm doing with my reading this year. That will keep me going.

Happy 2009! Let's enjoy it together.

"A blog about nothing"

I was talking to a good friend of mine this week and he commented that he had been checking my blog, but I hadn't posted for a while..... I told him I didn't have a lot of time during the Christmas season. But then as I thought about it, I realized time shouldn't matter.....after all, I really don't have much to say anyhow.
I told him, I guess this blog is a little like Seinfeld, "a blog about nothing". How much time does it take to post a blog about nothing.
I should be able to post something about nothing every day. I mean, if Seinfield can be that popular, why can't this blog. I see no reason why tens of thousands won't be reading this blog within the year.
Just to jump start things, I'm going to offer to anybody that clicks that little envelope below and forwards this post to a friend, and in turn, immediately getting them "hooked", 100 doll hairs.....
No, really, I mean it.
Oops, I guess that one doesn't work when your typing does it....only when you just say it. Never mind.