Saturday, July 16, 2016
Monday, January 11, 2016
Accessories Not Included
Posted by
Schlingz
on
9:33 PM
Advertisements generally portray more than the item on sale. An ad for a plastic inflatable pool might show a happy family having a great time splashing in the water. But if you get the pool, will you get a happy family too?
When considering getting such a pool for my sons, I had to explain to them how there’s a lot more going on than meets the eye. For instance, after a fun day splashing around, the water in the pool gets cold and dirty, and cleaning it out is a big job. If the pool isn’t deflated after each use, the grass underneath gets brown, withers, and may eventually smell bad. I warned them that how much enjoyment they’d get from the pool would be largely up to them and how willing they were to keep the pool clean, to wait for the right weather, and to be patient while it gets inflated and filled with water.
Lego is the same thing. When my boys see ads for the small, brightly coloured blocks, they’re always instantly keen to build the space shuttle or the plane. But no matter how the pictures look, and how much fun it seems the models are having, happiness won’t really come from the Lego set—that’s something that the Lego players themselves need to supply.
When their creations break—as all Lego creations eventually do—my boys need buoyancy and cheerfulness to not get too bothered and perseverance to start anew. These attributes don’t come included in the Lego set, but without them, there will be disappointment instead of smiles.
Things, positions, and material items by themselves can’t bring happiness. There is no shop selling “joy.” That comes from within, from a life of sharing and kindness, and from Jesus, the source of love. He can help us to think more of others than ourselves. “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Enjoy the pool if you have one, but don’t be fooled by a glittering advertisement. Life is what you make of it. With joy in your heart, the rest is a bonus.
—
Ecclesiastes 3:12 ESV / I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live;
Philippians 4:4 ESV / Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
Isaiah 12:2 ESV / “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”
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Sunday, August 2, 2015
THE ONE AND ONLY YOU
Posted by
Schlingz
on
12:53 AM
Four tips for building self-esteem
It’s difficult to “love your neighbor as yourself” if your own self-esteem is low. God made each of us unique and has endowed us with a distinct balance of strengths and weaknesses. The problem begins when we compare ourselves with other people and their situations, or we measure ourselves by society’s standards of success and eventually find ourselves in a state of constant unhappiness.
If this is how you sometimes feel, consider these suggestions that I have found great self-esteem boosters:
1. Analyze your personal core values, and if necessary, make changes. Ask yourself which is more important—your health or your image? Making money or having peace of mind? Your work or spending time with your family? And so on. Recognizing what counts the most for you gives you clear targets to aim for.
2. Believe that you are very special to God. The Lord knew you even before you were born. “You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; you know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, the days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.”
3. Make a list of your strengths. What do you like about yourself? Don’t focus on your lacks or weaknesses, but rather on what is good about yourself, your talents, your positive traits. Perhaps you are creative, kind, cheerful, intelligent, easygoing, generous. While we have to admit our weaknesses in order to keep them under control, it’s also important to recognize our potential. “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.”
4. Be thankful for all the good you have. In whatever situation you find yourself, try to identify something positive to be thankful for, remembering that “trouble is the structural steel that goes into character-building.”
When you learn to understand and take care of your emotional needs you will be able to reach out to others and be a greater positive influence on those around you. The change begins within, as you let God’s light and love into your being and life.
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Thursday, January 15, 2015
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Friday, January 9, 2015
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