Not perfect?
Well, you’re in good company because none of us are!
The good thing is God loves us anyway.
So give yourself a break today and go ahead and SMILE.
The Other Serenity Prayer
By Eleanor Brown
God, grand me the serenity to stop beating myself up for not doing things perfectly,
the courage to forgive myself because I am working on doing better, and the wisdom to know that you already love me just the way I am.
Yesterday is behind us.
The night has washed the past away.
The only thing remaining
Is a clean and empty slate.
The morning sunlight rises;
With it, hope is born anew.
A precious gift – a promise –
Is this day God made for you.
We were driving home from church. It was a stormy night and from the silence in the back seat of the car, I could tell my soon-to-be 5th Grader’s wheels were spinning.
“If I had fairy godparents,” he began, “I would wish for this storm to go away. You know what else I’d wish for?”
“What?” I inquired.
“I’d wish for world peace!” he declared with great conviction.
Wanting to take advantage of this opportunity to teach my kid a little something, I replied, “You know, if you want world peace, you don’t have to wish for it. It starts with you and me.”
Reminding him of his behavior toward some of the kids at church, I continued, “You can’t have peace by telling everyone to ‘be quiet’ all the time or by tattling on others.”
I paused to see if I’d get a response but after hearing nothing, I concluded my mini lesson for the evening, “We all have to play our part if we want to have world peace.”
Without even the smallest moment of reflection, my son piped up again, “You know what else I’d wish for? I’d wish for the game, Lego Jurassic World.”
So much for that teachable moment!
I really think I should get extra “good parenting” points for trying! Don’t you? 😉
<SIGH>
That’s ok. I’ll keep trying. I MUST keep trying! It’s what we all must continue to do.
We must continue to teach the next generation that the pursuit for peace is a worthy endeavor, that peace is worth the fight.
Yes, the fight.
You see, it’s easy to talk the talk, to make our wishes and preach our sermons about living peaceably with all men. Words come easy.
But when push comes to shove, when we’ve logged off of social media, when those that we hate are standing right in front of us, this is where our words are put to the test. This is where the pursuit for peace is accomplished. This is what our children are watching and what the next generation will emulate.
Oh, friends. Peace must be more than a simple wish.
Peace must be an action.
And peace must begin with you and me.
Because these virtues are not second nature – they don’t come easy and they certainly aren’t all the rage.
Because these qualities can make us unpopular – they separate us from the crowd and they are often and easily misunderstood.
Because these characteristics are life-changing! – they make all the difference in our relationships with others, in our view of the world, in our acceptance of ourselves and in our internal and outer struggles for peace.
Because this is how God’s spitting image should act. This is how He intended us to be – loving with our lives, forgiving without record and entrusting it ALL to Him.
Lord,
Give us eyes that see the best in people;
Give us hearts that forgive the worst;
Give us souls that never lose faith in You.
Amen.
Have you ever met a morning person?
No matter how early, a morning person is always cheerful and ready to meet the day with vim and vigor. This person sings, “Hello” to everyone she encounters and bounces across the room like a child running off to play.
It truly is disgusting!
As you may have guessed, I am NOT a morning person. It takes me quite a while each day to get moving and when I do, I really do not mind if no one says, “Good morning” to me or even speaks to me at all. The only things I desire in the morning are
Regardless of my aversion to mornings, I am grateful for each one. Mornings are a gift. They offer each of us a fresh start, a new beginning. Yesterday is, well, yesterday. The mistakes we made, the hardships we faced, the messes we created, these are all in the past.
In fact, each day is like our own personal “do-over” granted to us by God Himself! With each ray of sunlight that peeks over the horizon, God is saying, “Here you go. Let’s try this again!”
Now that ought to make us SMILE!
Oh, sure, the troubles from yesterday may still continue. We made the mess; we have to clean it up. But each new day gives us the opportunity to make better choices, to rid ourselves of bad habits, to repair broken relationships, to do whatever was left undone yesterday.
I may not be a morning person but I thank God for the mercies He gives to me with each new day. And as I drink my coffee in silence this morning, I cannot help but SMILE at the endless possibilities this day has to offer.
No matter what you’ve done, no matter where you’ve run, you’re never too far gone that the love and mercy of God cannot reach you.
He will forgive you.
He will break the chains that bind you.
He will heal your brokenness.
He will restore you.
He will love you.
So don’t give up hope. Don’t believe what others may say about you.
God is reaching out for you today. Will you reach out and take His hand?
Where can I go to escape your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
If I live at the eastern horizon
or settle at the western limits,
even there your hand will lead me;
your right hand will hold on to me.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me,
and the light around me will be night”—
even the darkness is not dark to you.
The night shines like the day;
darkness and light are alike to you.
*This expression of praise for God’s love, forgiveness and grace is a compilation and personalization of the following Scriptures: Romans 7:15; Jeremiah 17:9; Isaiah 59:2; Isaiah 1:11-15; Job 11:5; Isaiah 6:5; Isaiah 1:18; Psalm 51:1; Psalm 103:8; Psalm 103:10; 2 Peter 3:9; Psalm 103:11; 1 John 1:9; Psalm 103:12; Isaiah 43:25; John 1:16 and Psalm 89:1
Reason to SMILE #296: SECOND CHANCES
Time and time again,
I know that I will falter.
I know my steps will be misled.
This fate I cannot alter.
I try to choose the way of good;
It is my heart’s desire.
Yet when my will is put to test,
I find it all haywire.
There are times I have been proud.
I’ve stood my ground in battle.
But more than these, I am afraid,
I see resolve unravel.
Oh, but thanks be to our God!
Great mercy He advances
And ev’ry time we’ve fallen short
He’s given second chances.
… and third and fourth and fifth and …
What a loving and merciful God we serve! No matter how many times we fail, He’s there to pick us up and give us a chance to try again. Each new chance is a reason to SMILE and an opportunity to share that same mercy and grace to the world around us.
Have you been given a second chance? Why not give the same to others?
Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
Colossians 3:13 (NLT)
A Couple of Stars and a Happy Face 