There seems to be only one subject on everyone’s mind. People are worried for themselves, their loved ones, acquaintances and we seem to be hunkering down for the long haul.
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You sit in a restaurant when suddenly a child begins yelling to get the attention of a parent. As if rehearsed, the parents turn and say, “use your inside voice.” If you are a parent, or have cared for a child, you’ve had a similar circumstance; they can be frustrating and annoying. Yet, some of us have been the child, screaming and ranting at God because of our misfortune. We say to ourselves, if only God had warned us; but the truth is. we are surrounded by warnings. If only we had paid attention to them.
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“No! This is unacceptable!”
In his disgust my father tossed the porcelain crown onto the dental cart. It was a front tooth replacement, whose shade would be obvious to anyone looking at this woman’s smile.
“This is the third time they’ve messed up! Okay. I’ll send the exact shade sample, not just the reference number, and see if they can finally get it right.”
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I remember a time when my son, when he was younger, got into trouble. I don’t even recall what he did. What I do remember, is him asking me, “Did you punish me because I did something wrong or because I embarrassed you?” He was a very strong-willed child and always wanted to buck the system. But his question did make me think about my motive.
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Moses was denied entry into the Promised Land
God’s decision to deny Moses an entry into the Promised Land was a significant decision (Numbers 20:12-13) because God reminds Moses of this decision multiple times (Numbers 20:24; Numbers 27:14; Deuteronomy 32:51, 52). Further it is noted in Psalm 106:32, where it says, “By the waters of Meribah they [the Nation of Israel] angered the Lord, and trouble came to Moses because of them...”
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What this Leader Learned about Life from 10 Kindergarteners
Blog | Charles Stone | February 27, 2020
Several years ago I visited the preschool that my church ran, which included a kindergarten class. The morning I peeked in I noticed that all 10 kids were sitting in a circle holding hands. Their teacher, Autumn, invited me in to join them in their morning prayer. Delighted to do so, I sat between two dainty girls, one with long curly blond hair, the other with glasses and a patch over one eye. As the children prayed, God reminded me about some important life lessons.
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Ever feel overlooked, unnoticed, or invisible? I know, I have, too. As a student in a large third grade class, I longed to make a difference. I wanted to be a high achiever, to earn rewards and get good grades. The bottom line: I wanted to be accepted, feel secure and make a significant difference. I believed the lie that I was “worthless, no-good and would never amount to anything.” I did what I was told, yet failed anyway. To try and escape the pain and humiliation, I ran from the wholesome values I’d been taught as a child and began dabbling in the worlds’ ways to help me fit in.
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Have you ever had one of those days? You woke up with good intentions, but trouble found you like a hitchhiker waiting on the side of the road. You wanted to get to work early but the car wouldn’t start, the suspense date just got moved up on that project you’re behind on, your routine car service turned into a major restoration, and the dog ate your child’s homework and you have a parent-teacher conference. Somehow you survived and made it home for dinner.
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“Thank you for the invitation, but I’m sorry I can’t join the choir. I really enjoy singing, but I can’t always make rehearsals. My lupus sometimes flairs up, and I’m wiped out in the evenings.”
Eloise was a wonderful singer. I knew that because I was sitting in front of her in church that morning and heard her lovely voice.
“But Eloise, that doesn’t matter. You can still sing on Sunday when you’re able.”
“I can? I thought I had to be at the rehearsal the week before we sang. That’s always been the rule in other choirs.”
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What do candy, flowers and hearts have in common? If you guessed, Valentine’s Day you would be correct!! Someone, somewhere decided that these items would symbolize love. But what is love really?
In the first four of its 15 definitions of love, Dictionary.com says this about love: profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person; a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend; sexual passion or desire; a person toward whom love is felt; beloved person; sweetheart.
