look at the wildflowers

     When you’re facing tough times and your palms are sweaty and your stomach is churning, do you still think God is attending to you and doing His best for you? If your honest answer is no, look at the wildflowers.

Lord, I want my honest answer to grow into yes.

“[L]ook at the wildflowers. . . . [H]ave you ever seen color and design quite like it? . . . If God gives such attention to the wildflowers, most of them never even seen, don’t you think He will attend to you [and] . . . do His best for you?” Luke 12:27-28

they were singing

     There was once a man who moved from one town to another. When he got to the new town, he asked someone what the people in the town were like. “What were the people like in your old town?” the person asked. “Terrible,” the man said. “Then,” said the other, “you will find the people in this town to be terrible, too.” 

“We create our own discontentedness.” Br. David Vryhoff

 “[Paul and Silas] were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. . . .  Around midnight, they were . . . singing. . . .” Acts 16:23, 25

high-fives and whoops

     Yesterday, I watched a little guy potty-training. He got high-fives and whoops from his brothers and sister (plus two M&Ms) with every small success. Today, I think I’ll look for chances to give some high-fives and whoops myself.   

“People need to hear blessings. Notice the whole and good and healthy things in them and then say what you notice.” Angela Wisdom

“So encourage each other and build each other up. . . .” 1 Thessalonians 5:11

opening your hands

     It’s a very good idea to ask God for serenity, but it won’t make much practical difference until you get in the habit of opening your hands to receive the serenity you’re asking for.

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. . . .” Serenity prayer

“I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart.” John 14:27 (Jesus at the Last Supper)

space between the words

     Good conversations have words and kind space between the words. Other conversations only have words and more words.

“The danger in becoming too wordy is that we miss the space between the words.” Sr. Macrina Wiederkehr

“[B]e quick to listen, slow to speak. . . .” James 1:19

your own backyard

     The more you focus on what’s wrong with somebody else, the more frustrated and stuck you feel. Life gets a lot easier when you decide to leave him (or her) alone and use your energy to change the one person you can change: you.

“Don’t pick on _____, jump on _____’s failures, criticize _____’s faults. . . . Be easy on _____; you’ll find life a lot easier.” From Luke 6:37-38

Play in your own backyard.  Unattributed