by Pastor Blake Cromwell
March 2003
As Israel left Egypt and headed towards the Promised Land, God led them through the wilderness to teach them to trust Him. He used the wilderness as a training ground to improve the character of His people. In the wilderness, Israel lacked sufficient water, they missed the Egyptians cuisine and they resented their leader. Israel was constantly disappointed and they allowed their disappointments to control their destiny. We can learn a better way.
In life there are three common disappointments. If we can identify these areas early, then perhaps we won’t fall into the trap Israel did. First is disappointment with things. The toys our kids just had to have last Christmas are now stacked in the closet and the kids are on a quest for bigger and better stuff. Things are great, but they break and rust, and if we aren’t careful we will begin to be controlled emotionally by them. Things can enhance our lives but they can never totally satisfy.
Second is disappointment with events. Reservations are lost, jets delayed, hotel rooms are smaller than we expected and the kids are bored with the selection of TV stations. Most of us need a vacation after the vacation. We plan a date with the wife and the babysitter cancels at the last minute and leaves us at home disappointed. Events have a way of falling apart, and if we aren’t careful we become frustrated and bitter because “it just never works out.”
Third is disappointment with people. People let us down, they cop out, they don’t follow through and then they criticize us for not being more understanding. You loan out money or a lawn mower and never see it or the person again. People just have a way of falling short of our expectations. The trick is not to let our disappointment make us cynical, for then we will forever be caught in a vicious cycle.
These common disappointments test our reactions, our attitudes, our faith and our character. Like Israel whom God lead into the wilderness where they faced disappointments, we too face daily disappointment that test our character. The question is do we see God in the common disappointments of life or do we just become frustrated and anxious?
Israel’s response to a lack of water or a delay in the journey was to gripe, grumble and criticize. That kind of response is called immaturity. One minute Moses is their hero, the next minute he is a zero. Israel reminds me of children who quickly forget the labor and love of a parent. Did you know the average homemaker prepares 30,000 meals and makes 40,000 beds in a lifetime? Have you ever taken this for granted? I know I have.
Our life is not meant to be controlled by “things, events and people.” Life is a gift we have from God. In life, we make the choice to be happy or miserable. God gives us a free will to embrace what we will face today with either excitement or dread. What we do with things, events, and people is up to us. If we choose to make the best of them, we will begin to develop the character that God is looking for in each of us.
Today don’t be fooled by disappointments, rather look at them as opportunities to develop good character. All of life is a decision. What choice will you make today?
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Touch of Heaven
by Pastor Blake Cromwell
March 2003
The Elephant Man is a film based on the true story of John Merrick. If you have seen the movie you know why John Hurt was nominated for an Academy Award for his part in playing the disfigured on the outside but beautiful on the inside, Merrick. You see, John was afflicted by a rare disease that caused tumors to grow all over his body.
Throughout the movie Merrick is tormented by his fellow human beings. We watch as he travels as the main attraction in a circus freak show. The film’s director shows us life through the eyes of Merrick. Women and children scream in horror at his grossly deformed body. Others laugh and mock him as if he is beyond feeling.
Doctor Frederick Treves is introduced to John Merrick and begins to uncover the hurting man trapped in this terrible cycle of abuse. The intervention of the doctor is a touch of heaven in a man’s personal hell. A permanent home in a London Hospital is provided for John. The Doctor and his friends begin to pour into Merrick the gift of unconditional love and a transformation begins before their very eyes.
The Elephant Man is a tremendous film, yet it is difficult to watch. Each time I watch it I am moved emotionally and I cannot help but reflect at this modern day parable. It is a parable about how we should reach out to the scores of John Merricks that are all around us who are scarred emotionally and relationally. My passion as a Christian is that we all would help others discover that everyone has personal dignity and purpose in the person of Christ.
I want to commend those churches in the Kings County that are opening their doors to meet the practical needs of people in our community. These churches view their services as places that people can find shelter from the rejection and disdain of others. Churches that are bonded together not by common race or wealth or social status, but bonded together by the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the common goal to help others know Christ.
Thank God for Beans and Rice in the Park that New Beginnings Church provides every week. Thanks for the Soup Kitchen that is there every day and is provided by the Episcopal Church. Thanks for the tutoring program for students struggling with literacy provided by our friends at the First Presbyterian Church. For the Champions Recovery Program provided by Sue Braz for those overcoming alcohol and drug addiction, and for the numerous programs provided for the needy by Jerry Bloom at the Salvation Army.
Many of these churches and others offer life skill programs: classes for parents, for those in grief, for those struggling with emotional problems, for managing finances, for those going through divorce, for overcoming sexual abuse, and just about any other problem present in our community.
Thank you to the churches in the Kings County who are rising to the challenge to meet the emotional, physical and spiritual needs of our hurting world. All of these (and there are many I am not aware of) are expressions of a touch of heaven to the personal hell many are experiencing today.
If you would like to help provide that touch of heaven in someone’s life, why don’t you volunteer at one of the many programs available in our community.
March 2003
The Elephant Man is a film based on the true story of John Merrick. If you have seen the movie you know why John Hurt was nominated for an Academy Award for his part in playing the disfigured on the outside but beautiful on the inside, Merrick. You see, John was afflicted by a rare disease that caused tumors to grow all over his body.
Throughout the movie Merrick is tormented by his fellow human beings. We watch as he travels as the main attraction in a circus freak show. The film’s director shows us life through the eyes of Merrick. Women and children scream in horror at his grossly deformed body. Others laugh and mock him as if he is beyond feeling.
Doctor Frederick Treves is introduced to John Merrick and begins to uncover the hurting man trapped in this terrible cycle of abuse. The intervention of the doctor is a touch of heaven in a man’s personal hell. A permanent home in a London Hospital is provided for John. The Doctor and his friends begin to pour into Merrick the gift of unconditional love and a transformation begins before their very eyes.
The Elephant Man is a tremendous film, yet it is difficult to watch. Each time I watch it I am moved emotionally and I cannot help but reflect at this modern day parable. It is a parable about how we should reach out to the scores of John Merricks that are all around us who are scarred emotionally and relationally. My passion as a Christian is that we all would help others discover that everyone has personal dignity and purpose in the person of Christ.
I want to commend those churches in the Kings County that are opening their doors to meet the practical needs of people in our community. These churches view their services as places that people can find shelter from the rejection and disdain of others. Churches that are bonded together not by common race or wealth or social status, but bonded together by the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the common goal to help others know Christ.
Thank God for Beans and Rice in the Park that New Beginnings Church provides every week. Thanks for the Soup Kitchen that is there every day and is provided by the Episcopal Church. Thanks for the tutoring program for students struggling with literacy provided by our friends at the First Presbyterian Church. For the Champions Recovery Program provided by Sue Braz for those overcoming alcohol and drug addiction, and for the numerous programs provided for the needy by Jerry Bloom at the Salvation Army.
Many of these churches and others offer life skill programs: classes for parents, for those in grief, for those struggling with emotional problems, for managing finances, for those going through divorce, for overcoming sexual abuse, and just about any other problem present in our community.
Thank you to the churches in the Kings County who are rising to the challenge to meet the emotional, physical and spiritual needs of our hurting world. All of these (and there are many I am not aware of) are expressions of a touch of heaven to the personal hell many are experiencing today.
If you would like to help provide that touch of heaven in someone’s life, why don’t you volunteer at one of the many programs available in our community.
Reignite Your Spiritual Flame
by Pastor Blake Cromwell
May 2003
Many who read the next several paragraphs will closely identify with the embarrassing misadventure of Harley Sheffield.
Sheffield, a 32-year-old resident of Redmond, Washington, was one of the 10,000 people selected to help transport the Olympic flame across America to its summer resting place in Atlanta, Georgia. As he rode across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge with the torch nestled in a holder on the back of his bicycle, Sheffield’s rear tire caught an expansion grate on the bridge.
For bicycle travel, the torch rests in a Plexiglas holder over the rear tire. The tire blew out. So did the flame.
Sheffield couldn’t believe it, “The torch,” he later recalled, “had shattered all over the ground.”
According to Alexis Davis, spokeswoman for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, torches have gone out before. “But,” she adds, “the mother flame is kept within yards.” On those occasions, the “sacred” flame, which is kept in a lantern for just such purposes, ignited a replacement torch, and the 15,000-mile trip continued.
Using this story as a modern day parable, I offer a spiritual application for our lives.
Sociologists tell us that there are hundreds of thousands of people who are searching for a spiritual flame that once burned in their lives but has long since “burned out.”
Our story, the life and times of modern America, has become a common one. As children, or teenagers, God and His Church were very large, very real and very important to many of us. All was well as we pedaled across the wide and wondrous bridges of life.
But then there was a bump in the road. We left home to strike out on our own. We went to college, entered the military, or got a job. We got married, had kids. Some did drugs, or involved themselves in countless other distractions.
And some how, in some way, people by the hundreds of thousands began to sense they had been separated from the flame. People who study such things tells us that many of those same people are now searching, looking diligently to again find the fire, that once burned so brightly in their lives.
If that is you, know this. The “Sacred Flame,” the Spirit of Christ has always been close by, ready to reignite and burn brighter in you than ever before.
All of us, at one time have had our lives jolted by unexpected and unwanted bumps in the road. But such moments need not be the end of the journey.
Having said all of that let me take this moment to encourage you with the realization of God’s continuing love for you; and to invite you to His house, His Church this weekend. This is a great weekend to reignite your spiritual flame. Come again to feel the warmth and see life in the brightness of His Flame. It will be a great day for you and all the churches in the Kings County.
May 2003
Many who read the next several paragraphs will closely identify with the embarrassing misadventure of Harley Sheffield.
Sheffield, a 32-year-old resident of Redmond, Washington, was one of the 10,000 people selected to help transport the Olympic flame across America to its summer resting place in Atlanta, Georgia. As he rode across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge with the torch nestled in a holder on the back of his bicycle, Sheffield’s rear tire caught an expansion grate on the bridge.
For bicycle travel, the torch rests in a Plexiglas holder over the rear tire. The tire blew out. So did the flame.
Sheffield couldn’t believe it, “The torch,” he later recalled, “had shattered all over the ground.”
According to Alexis Davis, spokeswoman for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, torches have gone out before. “But,” she adds, “the mother flame is kept within yards.” On those occasions, the “sacred” flame, which is kept in a lantern for just such purposes, ignited a replacement torch, and the 15,000-mile trip continued.
Using this story as a modern day parable, I offer a spiritual application for our lives.
Sociologists tell us that there are hundreds of thousands of people who are searching for a spiritual flame that once burned in their lives but has long since “burned out.”
Our story, the life and times of modern America, has become a common one. As children, or teenagers, God and His Church were very large, very real and very important to many of us. All was well as we pedaled across the wide and wondrous bridges of life.
But then there was a bump in the road. We left home to strike out on our own. We went to college, entered the military, or got a job. We got married, had kids. Some did drugs, or involved themselves in countless other distractions.
And some how, in some way, people by the hundreds of thousands began to sense they had been separated from the flame. People who study such things tells us that many of those same people are now searching, looking diligently to again find the fire, that once burned so brightly in their lives.
If that is you, know this. The “Sacred Flame,” the Spirit of Christ has always been close by, ready to reignite and burn brighter in you than ever before.
All of us, at one time have had our lives jolted by unexpected and unwanted bumps in the road. But such moments need not be the end of the journey.
Having said all of that let me take this moment to encourage you with the realization of God’s continuing love for you; and to invite you to His house, His Church this weekend. This is a great weekend to reignite your spiritual flame. Come again to feel the warmth and see life in the brightness of His Flame. It will be a great day for you and all the churches in the Kings County.
God is For Us
by Pastor Blake Cromwell
August 2003
Too often I meet people who doubt that God is on their side. Deep inside is a pocket of sad memories of personal failure or sins for which they have never been able to forgive themselves. They either don’t know or have forgotten that Christ was nailed to the cross so that they can stop constantly nailing themselves for mistakes and sins.
For all who struggle with personal condemnation, please help yourself by reading and re-reading Romans chapter eight in your Bible. This chapter starts with the wonderful proclamation, “Now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” and ends with, “nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ.”
On the cross Jesus said, “It is finished.” This means the debt for ALL sin was paid in full. Every other world religion is based on what you do to please God, but Christianity is based on what Christ has already done for you.
Towards the end of Romans chapter eight the writer ask the question, “Who would dare even to point a finger?” He is talking about the tendency we all have to feel guilty, condemned and accused even if we believe that Christ forgave our sin. This is because we haven’t dealt with the voice of accusation that is inspired against us.
Our inner critic agrees more with what the evil one says about us than what the Holy One of Israel says about us. Churches, Christians and even family members are too ready to condemn when someone has failed rather than being God’s instrument of acceptance and forgiveness.
Years ago Woody Hayes, the Ohio state football coach, was fired for striking an opposing player on the sidelines during a game. The press had a field day with his firing and really tarred and feathered the former Buckeye. Few people in America could have felt lower than Woody at that time. He not only lost control in a game and did a foolish thing, but he lost his job and the respect of the country.
At the end of that season, a professional athlete’s banquet was held for the top players and coaches in the league. Of course, Tom Landry, the famous coach of the Dallas Cowboys, was invited. Guess who Tom Landry invited as his honored guest? Woody Hayes, the man everyone was being encouraged to hate and criticize. Landry knew that although Hayes had made a mistake, it was not the end of the world.
My hope for everyone in the Kings County is that they could find a Tom Landry to help them in their time of need. Let me assure you that as you place your faith in Christ, He promises to take you as His special guest to a banquet in Heaven. Until that special day comes, why not visit one of the pre-celebration parties being held in the local churches in the Kings County.
August 2003
Too often I meet people who doubt that God is on their side. Deep inside is a pocket of sad memories of personal failure or sins for which they have never been able to forgive themselves. They either don’t know or have forgotten that Christ was nailed to the cross so that they can stop constantly nailing themselves for mistakes and sins.
For all who struggle with personal condemnation, please help yourself by reading and re-reading Romans chapter eight in your Bible. This chapter starts with the wonderful proclamation, “Now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” and ends with, “nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ.”
On the cross Jesus said, “It is finished.” This means the debt for ALL sin was paid in full. Every other world religion is based on what you do to please God, but Christianity is based on what Christ has already done for you.
Towards the end of Romans chapter eight the writer ask the question, “Who would dare even to point a finger?” He is talking about the tendency we all have to feel guilty, condemned and accused even if we believe that Christ forgave our sin. This is because we haven’t dealt with the voice of accusation that is inspired against us.
Our inner critic agrees more with what the evil one says about us than what the Holy One of Israel says about us. Churches, Christians and even family members are too ready to condemn when someone has failed rather than being God’s instrument of acceptance and forgiveness.
Years ago Woody Hayes, the Ohio state football coach, was fired for striking an opposing player on the sidelines during a game. The press had a field day with his firing and really tarred and feathered the former Buckeye. Few people in America could have felt lower than Woody at that time. He not only lost control in a game and did a foolish thing, but he lost his job and the respect of the country.
At the end of that season, a professional athlete’s banquet was held for the top players and coaches in the league. Of course, Tom Landry, the famous coach of the Dallas Cowboys, was invited. Guess who Tom Landry invited as his honored guest? Woody Hayes, the man everyone was being encouraged to hate and criticize. Landry knew that although Hayes had made a mistake, it was not the end of the world.
My hope for everyone in the Kings County is that they could find a Tom Landry to help them in their time of need. Let me assure you that as you place your faith in Christ, He promises to take you as His special guest to a banquet in Heaven. Until that special day comes, why not visit one of the pre-celebration parties being held in the local churches in the Kings County.
Healing the Past
by Pastor Blake Cromwell
April 2003
Recently I finished a series of teachings about God’s desire to heal us from the wounds of the past. My premise was that we all carry around memories that rob us of joy and sour our disposition. People are affected by hurtful memories of ridicule, of severe criticism or of emotional, physical or sexual abuse. These memories cause oppression that drains us of the abundant life that Christ desires for us.
Where do these hurtful memories come from? Many times they come from those nearest to us—our family members, our siblings, and even from our past playgrounds. In a moment of cruelty, someone near to us unleashed an assault of wounding words or physical blows. After pastoring for more then twenty-five years, I have discovered that everyone has hidden emotional wounds and they take longer to heal then physical ones. The good news is that Jesus desires to heal us of all the bruises of yesterday.
For all those who have gone through a war or lived in a home that was a war zone, God says, “I heals the brokenhearted and bandage their wounds.” For those who are brokenhearted over the death of a loved one or over someone walking out, this verse says God wants to heal your heart. Let me share with you four steps God uses to heal our emotional scars.
First, bring your hurts into the light. The worst thing you can do is to shut down, retreat, and rehearse the offense over and over. This mistaken strategy only amplifies the emotional wound and enlarges the problem. Psalms 32:3 says, “When I kept things to myself, I felt weak deep inside me, I moaned all day long.” Constant fatigue can be a sign of an unhealed emotional wound. If you find yourself moaning and sighing throughout your day you might need to deal with suppressed emotional wounds. Find someone you can confide in and begin bringing these hurts into the open. It’s the only way you’ll truly find freedom.
Second, let go of the right to get even. You only have a limited amount of emotional energy and if you are consumed with hate and revenge you become unable to maintain a healthy emotional balance. The question is, Do I want to get even or do I want to be healed? You can’t have both. Romans 12:17 and 19 tells us, “Never pay back evil for evil…never avenge yourself. Leave that to God, for He has said, ‘He will repay those who deserve it.’” Don’t forget that Father God saw the injustice done to you and He will even the score perfectly. You can spend the rest of your life seeking revenge or get on with your life and allow God to deal with those who hurt you.
Third, reprogram your thinking. Your brain is like a computer’s hard drive. Everything people have said and done is stored in your brain. Too often we operate on faulty data, believing the lies spoken against us. You must choose to replace negative memories with the truth of God’s Word. The Bible says in Proverbs, “As a man thinks so He is.” Those who are assaulted by persistent negative memories must refuse to rehash them and begin to meditate on positive words from the Bible.
Lastly, redeem your pain by becoming a wounded healer. The most effective blow against your emotional hurt is to take what has happened and make it into a life-giving tool. God’s promise in 2 Corinthians 1:4 is that God will comfort us every time we have trouble so that when others have trouble we can comfort them in the same way. As you take your emotional wounds to Christ and begin these healing steps, there will be healing. Those who have walked through this process can help others. All of Koinonia Christian Fellowship’s recovery support groups are based upon this concept. All of them are facilitated by people in the process of recovery.
The healing ministry of Jesus is powerful and effective. If you would like to begin your healing process why not speak with your pastor and allow him to guide you through these steps? If you aren’t connected to a church, just pick up a phone and call one of the churches in Kings County. These churches are all full of wounded healers eager to help you find what they have discovered.
April 2003
Recently I finished a series of teachings about God’s desire to heal us from the wounds of the past. My premise was that we all carry around memories that rob us of joy and sour our disposition. People are affected by hurtful memories of ridicule, of severe criticism or of emotional, physical or sexual abuse. These memories cause oppression that drains us of the abundant life that Christ desires for us.
Where do these hurtful memories come from? Many times they come from those nearest to us—our family members, our siblings, and even from our past playgrounds. In a moment of cruelty, someone near to us unleashed an assault of wounding words or physical blows. After pastoring for more then twenty-five years, I have discovered that everyone has hidden emotional wounds and they take longer to heal then physical ones. The good news is that Jesus desires to heal us of all the bruises of yesterday.
For all those who have gone through a war or lived in a home that was a war zone, God says, “I heals the brokenhearted and bandage their wounds.” For those who are brokenhearted over the death of a loved one or over someone walking out, this verse says God wants to heal your heart. Let me share with you four steps God uses to heal our emotional scars.
First, bring your hurts into the light. The worst thing you can do is to shut down, retreat, and rehearse the offense over and over. This mistaken strategy only amplifies the emotional wound and enlarges the problem. Psalms 32:3 says, “When I kept things to myself, I felt weak deep inside me, I moaned all day long.” Constant fatigue can be a sign of an unhealed emotional wound. If you find yourself moaning and sighing throughout your day you might need to deal with suppressed emotional wounds. Find someone you can confide in and begin bringing these hurts into the open. It’s the only way you’ll truly find freedom.
Second, let go of the right to get even. You only have a limited amount of emotional energy and if you are consumed with hate and revenge you become unable to maintain a healthy emotional balance. The question is, Do I want to get even or do I want to be healed? You can’t have both. Romans 12:17 and 19 tells us, “Never pay back evil for evil…never avenge yourself. Leave that to God, for He has said, ‘He will repay those who deserve it.’” Don’t forget that Father God saw the injustice done to you and He will even the score perfectly. You can spend the rest of your life seeking revenge or get on with your life and allow God to deal with those who hurt you.
Third, reprogram your thinking. Your brain is like a computer’s hard drive. Everything people have said and done is stored in your brain. Too often we operate on faulty data, believing the lies spoken against us. You must choose to replace negative memories with the truth of God’s Word. The Bible says in Proverbs, “As a man thinks so He is.” Those who are assaulted by persistent negative memories must refuse to rehash them and begin to meditate on positive words from the Bible.
Lastly, redeem your pain by becoming a wounded healer. The most effective blow against your emotional hurt is to take what has happened and make it into a life-giving tool. God’s promise in 2 Corinthians 1:4 is that God will comfort us every time we have trouble so that when others have trouble we can comfort them in the same way. As you take your emotional wounds to Christ and begin these healing steps, there will be healing. Those who have walked through this process can help others. All of Koinonia Christian Fellowship’s recovery support groups are based upon this concept. All of them are facilitated by people in the process of recovery.
The healing ministry of Jesus is powerful and effective. If you would like to begin your healing process why not speak with your pastor and allow him to guide you through these steps? If you aren’t connected to a church, just pick up a phone and call one of the churches in Kings County. These churches are all full of wounded healers eager to help you find what they have discovered.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Thanks, But No Thanks
Pastor Tim Howard
November 21, 2009
Do you remember the movie entitled “Pollyanna” that was filmed by Disney Studios in 1960 and stared Hayley Mills? The title character is Pollyanna Whittier, a young orphan who goes to live with her wealthy but stern Aunt Polly in Beldingsville, Vermont. Pollyanna's philosophy of life centers on what she calls "The Glad Game," an optimistic attitude she learned from her father. She consistently finds something to be glad about in every situation regardless of how difficult things become. The game originated one Christmas when Pollyanna, was hoping to receive a doll for her present. When she opened her gift, however, she found only a pair of crutches inside. At that moment, Pollyanna's father taught her to look at the good side of things—in this case, to be glad about the crutches because "she didn’t need them." Her gratitude and thankful spirit influenced this small New England town and transformed it into a place of joy and thanksgiving.
A grumpy attitude or a grateful heart is a matter of choice. Do you want to influence people in a positive way? Does the atmosphere at your job need to be refreshed? Would you like to cheer people up rather than bring them down? Then choose to be grateful in this season of thanksgiving.
The Bible reveals that Paul the apostle went through many ups and downs in his life. He was beaten, shipwrecked, hungry, deserted, and even stoned to the point of death. If anyone had a right to complain he did! But listen to his words from 2 Corinthians, chapter 4:1-18. “Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are quite small in comparison to the big picture and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.” NLB
To be grateful, you need a new focus, a reason to speak and a willingness to share. Therefore open your eyes and focus on what you have rather than on what you don’t. It will bring peace! Open you mouth and express thanks to God. It will create joy! Open your hands and share your blessings. It will show love!
Thanksgiving will put an end to jealousy, envy and covetousness. It will guard you from a spirit of entitlement and help you to stop taking things for granted. Giving thanks will cause a demanding spirit to leave and a grateful heart will help people see life with a new perspective.
Our country has set aside one day a year to remind us of the importance of thanksgiving. I personally think we should be thankful 365 days a year but THANK GOD we at least have one day still on the calendar as a reminder. I can’t speak for you but as for my family and me, we are going to choose thankfulness over complaining, gratitude over grumpiness and play the Glad Game rather than the Sad Game. If anyone comes to you this season and invites you to focus on the miserable-ness of things, why don’t you simply say: Thanks but no thanks!
Allow November 26 to establish a foundation and pattern for your future.
November 21, 2009
Do you remember the movie entitled “Pollyanna” that was filmed by Disney Studios in 1960 and stared Hayley Mills? The title character is Pollyanna Whittier, a young orphan who goes to live with her wealthy but stern Aunt Polly in Beldingsville, Vermont. Pollyanna's philosophy of life centers on what she calls "The Glad Game," an optimistic attitude she learned from her father. She consistently finds something to be glad about in every situation regardless of how difficult things become. The game originated one Christmas when Pollyanna, was hoping to receive a doll for her present. When she opened her gift, however, she found only a pair of crutches inside. At that moment, Pollyanna's father taught her to look at the good side of things—in this case, to be glad about the crutches because "she didn’t need them." Her gratitude and thankful spirit influenced this small New England town and transformed it into a place of joy and thanksgiving.
A grumpy attitude or a grateful heart is a matter of choice. Do you want to influence people in a positive way? Does the atmosphere at your job need to be refreshed? Would you like to cheer people up rather than bring them down? Then choose to be grateful in this season of thanksgiving.
The Bible reveals that Paul the apostle went through many ups and downs in his life. He was beaten, shipwrecked, hungry, deserted, and even stoned to the point of death. If anyone had a right to complain he did! But listen to his words from 2 Corinthians, chapter 4:1-18. “Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are quite small in comparison to the big picture and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.” NLB
To be grateful, you need a new focus, a reason to speak and a willingness to share. Therefore open your eyes and focus on what you have rather than on what you don’t. It will bring peace! Open you mouth and express thanks to God. It will create joy! Open your hands and share your blessings. It will show love!
Thanksgiving will put an end to jealousy, envy and covetousness. It will guard you from a spirit of entitlement and help you to stop taking things for granted. Giving thanks will cause a demanding spirit to leave and a grateful heart will help people see life with a new perspective.
Our country has set aside one day a year to remind us of the importance of thanksgiving. I personally think we should be thankful 365 days a year but THANK GOD we at least have one day still on the calendar as a reminder. I can’t speak for you but as for my family and me, we are going to choose thankfulness over complaining, gratitude over grumpiness and play the Glad Game rather than the Sad Game. If anyone comes to you this season and invites you to focus on the miserable-ness of things, why don’t you simply say: Thanks but no thanks!
Allow November 26 to establish a foundation and pattern for your future.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Bloom Where You Are Planted
Pastor Tim Howard
October 17, 2009
When I moved from Gardiner, Maine to the Los Angeles area in 1970, I experienced a great deal of shock. Many people love this area yet for me it was a nice place to visit but not a great place to live. Let me explain!
The area is very fast-paced; a whole lot of people, and the stress level can be very, very high. Some call it exciting, some call it challenging and others call it sheer craziness. For a boy like me who was raised in a city with the total population numbering 6000, it was a whirlwind and overload to my small city mind set.
Shortly after my relocation, I was confronted with a choice. Would I return home to the comfort of the past and things familiar to my youth or embrace the new environment and learn to adapt? Returning to the familiar is very tempting when you feel like a fish out of water, but it inevitably retards the growth process and adventures that lie ahead. During that season of time, someone made a comment that helped me make the decision, which was right for me. He simply said, ‘Bloom Where You Are Planted’
When you find yourself planted in an environment that is unfamiliar and a location that is not to your liking, how do you respond? Do you react? Do you retreat to the comfort of yesterday? Do you think the grass is greener on the other side or have you learned that the grass is greener where you water it?
Paul the apostle found himself in some unpleasant situations and locations that were very unappealing. He was imprisoned on several occasions, not for doing wrong but for proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. He didn’t allow his location or circumstances, to determine his attitude or outlook on life. He bloomed where he was planted.
In prison Paul wrote some of the most encouraging books in the Bible. Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, to name a few. In Philippians 4:11, we read these words: "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." His secret was God! That’s why he tells us in Philippians 4:4 to “rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice.”
You may not like the situation you're in right now, your location, your job, your church or your marriage but you still have a choice! You can choose to react to the circumstances, retreat from the present and return to the past or reach for what God has in store for you. You can choose to bloom where you are planted or die on the vine. Don’t let your circumstances determine the level of joy you experience. Invite God to give you strength to do everything that needs to be done in any situation, at any time and in any location. It worked for Paul and it will work for you.
October 17, 2009
When I moved from Gardiner, Maine to the Los Angeles area in 1970, I experienced a great deal of shock. Many people love this area yet for me it was a nice place to visit but not a great place to live. Let me explain!
The area is very fast-paced; a whole lot of people, and the stress level can be very, very high. Some call it exciting, some call it challenging and others call it sheer craziness. For a boy like me who was raised in a city with the total population numbering 6000, it was a whirlwind and overload to my small city mind set.
Shortly after my relocation, I was confronted with a choice. Would I return home to the comfort of the past and things familiar to my youth or embrace the new environment and learn to adapt? Returning to the familiar is very tempting when you feel like a fish out of water, but it inevitably retards the growth process and adventures that lie ahead. During that season of time, someone made a comment that helped me make the decision, which was right for me. He simply said, ‘Bloom Where You Are Planted’
When you find yourself planted in an environment that is unfamiliar and a location that is not to your liking, how do you respond? Do you react? Do you retreat to the comfort of yesterday? Do you think the grass is greener on the other side or have you learned that the grass is greener where you water it?
Paul the apostle found himself in some unpleasant situations and locations that were very unappealing. He was imprisoned on several occasions, not for doing wrong but for proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. He didn’t allow his location or circumstances, to determine his attitude or outlook on life. He bloomed where he was planted.
In prison Paul wrote some of the most encouraging books in the Bible. Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, to name a few. In Philippians 4:11, we read these words: "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." His secret was God! That’s why he tells us in Philippians 4:4 to “rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice.”
You may not like the situation you're in right now, your location, your job, your church or your marriage but you still have a choice! You can choose to react to the circumstances, retreat from the present and return to the past or reach for what God has in store for you. You can choose to bloom where you are planted or die on the vine. Don’t let your circumstances determine the level of joy you experience. Invite God to give you strength to do everything that needs to be done in any situation, at any time and in any location. It worked for Paul and it will work for you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)