You are not a joke.
You are not a reject.
Your life is not a waste.
You are not an accident.
For you were wonderfully made
by the God of all Creation.
You have a purpose that is filled with hope.
You are precious in the Father’s eyes.
You are loved and wholly accepted.
You bring God joy for you are ALIVE
You are alive and you can SMILE today!
Words are such a powerful tool in this life. Songs, poetry, prayers, sermons, news articles, novels, blog posts and so much more have the power to sway our opinions, to move us to action and to inspire us to change. Even little things like comments on a social media page have a huge impact on our moods, our self-worths, and our views of the world around us.
Words are power. And we’ve all been gifted with the ability to wield it.
Oh, but as Aunt May so wisely warned Peter Parker, with great power comes great responsibility. (Mom of boys here. My references are limited! 😉 )
Think about the words you’ve spoken over the last 24 hours. (*Oh, you had to go there, KJ?!?* Hey, I hear ya but God really convicted me this past week about this. I’m just looking for anyone else out there who’s flubbed up, too! 😉 )
Ask yourself these questions about your recent comments or conversations:
(Do your toes hurt? Cuz God is really doing a number on mine! Ouch!)
The responsibility to use our words wisely should not be taken lightly. Our words, like our actions, have consequences – both good and bad. And if any of us cannot handle the responsibility, it’s best we heed the advice of every grandma everywhere in the world:
“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all!”
So, as we go about our week, let’s remember the great power we’ve been given and ask God to help us wield it. Can you imagine what the world would be like if we all used our Word Power for good and not evil?
I’d like that kind of world, wouldn’t you?
**Looking for more Biblical references about the power of our words and how we should use it? Check out Colossians 4:6 , Proverbs 15:1, Ephesians 4:25 & 29, James 3:5, Proverbs 10:19, Colossians 3:8, Matthew 15:18 and there are so many more!
Christmas SMILE #18 (Reason to SMILE #352): THE QUIET REFLECTIONS
Can you imagine what Mary, the mother of Jesus, was thinking on the night she gave birth to Jesus? What an awesome privilege was bestowed upon this “highly-favored” woman yet this privilege was surrounded by controversy and uncertainty. The impossibility of a virgin birth, a secret plan of divorce and a government edict to displace an entire nation threatened the promise delivered to Mary by God’s angel. How strong and courageous this young girl must have been to proclaim in the midst of all the chaos, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38 (ESV)
By the time of Jesus’ birth, Mary had plenty of new experiences to reflect upon and as she watched her newborn baby lying in the feeding trough, Mary may have had these thoughts:
There he is, lying in a manger. What a beautiful baby boy. The angel hadn’t said anything about being here in this place. Oh, God, are you sure? Listen to him. Oh, I wish there was some other place to spend the night. Well, the hardest part is over now. We can all get some rest. Joseph has been so strong through all of this. He’s going to be a good father. Look at him. He’s just standing there looking at the baby. I wish there was more light but when the morning comes, there will be plenty of time to see our precious son. Oh, I am so tired. Maybe the baby will sleep a while now. I have to get some rest. At least no one knows us here in Bethlehem and we won’t have any visitors tonight.
Dear God, thank you for a healthy birth and a beautiful baby boy. I’m still struggling with all your angel has told us but He’s so perfect! Jesus is the perfect name for our son. Thank you, God! And, oh yes, God, if you will, help these animals around us keep quiet through the night so Jesus won’t be disturbed and I can get some sleep. Amen.
– written by Rev. Charles S. Jones (my dad!)
Check out his music on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/JesusSinger10/videos
Boy, was Mary in for a surprise! For soon she would be visited by an excited group of shepherds anxious to see their Savior. And you can be sure that these shepherds were shouting praises and singing the song of the angels which was just heard in their fields, “Glory to God in the highest!” It was a visit to be added to Mary’s collection of priceless treasures – all her thoughts of wondrous revelations and miracles which she “pondered in her heart” (Luke 2:19 ESV), I’m sure, for a lifetime.
We all have special memories of Christmas that we hold dear in our hearts. Each recollection of loved ones no longer with us, time spent with family and friends and excitement of little children who are no longer little brings warmth to our spirits and a SMILE to our faces – though often accompanied by a bittersweet tear or two. These memories are priceless treasures worth more than any present found under the Christmas tree.
Of all our wonderful reflections at Christmas, though, none can uplift the spirits more than remembering the reason for our Joy. The birth of Jesus and His presence in our lives makes every moment of every Christmas and every moment of every day worth experiencing. And when our quiet reflections of Christmas begin with Jesus, enjoying the rest of our priceless memories will be so much sweeter.
Reason to SMILE #287: ONE DAY…
One day our faith will be made sight. We will look upon the Lord’s SMILING face and all of the sadness, heartache and pain will melt away.
One day, there’ll be no more tears – only SMILES.
One day…
Reason to SMILE #38: YOU ARE ALIVE
You are not a joke.
You are not a reject.
Your life is not a waste.
You are not an accident.
For you were wonderfully made
by the God of all Creation.
You have a purpose that is filled with hope.
You are precious in the Father’s eyes.
You are loved and wholly accepted.
You bring God joy for you are ALIVE
You are alive and you can SMILE today!
Image by symbols-n-emoticons.com
Fires burn across the land,
The smoke fills the skies.
Angry men shout out and scream;
Some break down and cry.
Children watch as people die;
They see the hate, the pain.
Their little eyes can’t believe
The suffering and the shame.
Is this the world we want to show our children?
Is this the place we want them to call home?
We tell them that we love them but don’t show them the same.
Is this the truth we want them to know?
I wrote these lyrics more than 20 years ago. I was almost 18 years old and had just watched news coverage of the Los Angeles Riots of 1992. I was horrified as pictures of violence, hate, fear and desperation flashed before my eyes. I was overwhelmed with uncertainty and fear even though I lived on the opposite side of the country. I did not understand it all and I knew there were children and other young people trying to make sense of the chaos, as well.
I wondered what these children were learning from the situation. What lessons about life were they gleaning? Were they giving up all hope at that moment? Was their innocence slipping away as disturbing images of humanity at its worst invaded their ideals of safety and security? Were they resigning to believe that this was how life was supposed to be? Were these children accepting the hate, violence and pride as their truth?
Now, twenty-two years later, we find ourselves seeing familiar images flash on our TV screens. And I cannot help but wonder. Where are those children who watched similar scenes so many years ago? They are the adults of our world now. Are they watching in horror as they did as a child? Are they worried about their own children and the effect this situation will have on their young lives? Are they outraged? Are they scared? Are they worried? Or are they hitting the power button, shrugging their shoulders and walking away? After all, that’s life. That’s the truth of our existence and there’s nothing anyone can do about it….
“Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a (NIV)
There is hope, dear friends. We can redefine the truth that our world accepts today. It starts with Love. It starts with you and me.
Sometimes I stand on my soapbox. Sometimes I climb even further and sit on my high horse. I like it from up there. I can see much more clearly in that position. I can think without the distractions of the opinions of others. I can make my declarations without interruption from those standing below. I can feel satisfied and proud of myself for standing up, for saying what I believe, for spreading the message of truth and what is right (at least, what I think is truth and what is right).
Yes, I can stand on my soapbox and sit on my high horse because it’s the easy thing to do. In fact, we all can do what is easy. It’s the difficult that gives us problems. It’s those things we know we should do, such as walking in the steps of Jesus, that we find so hard. For His steps may lead us to the houses of sinners or require us to love the unlovable. Jesus’ steps may direct us to wash the feet of our brothers and sisters in Christ, to serve our neighbors or to forgive our enemies. The steps of Jesus may even require us to rethink our definitions of truth and re-evaluate what we believe is right.
Certainly, to follow in our Savior’s steps is no easy task but I can’t help but think that we make it harder than it should be. You see, it’s tough to be a servant from the lofty heights on which we choose to stand. And it’s difficult to share our Savior’s love while clinging to the reigns of our pride. It appears it would be easier to follow in the steps of Jesus if we were a bit closer to the ground.
Oh, Lord, forgive me for climbing atop my soapbox and for mounting that high horse in times when You want me to deny myself, swallow my pride and simply serve others. I want to follow in your steps. So make me a servant, dear Lord. May my words and my actions exalt only You. Amen.
A Couple of Stars and a Happy Face 