A recent AP poll says Americans are impatient. Can you believe it!
Survey results confirm we’re a nation of customers seeking instant self-gratification and any bit of delay in getting what we want frays nerves.
Waiting in a grocery line, at the Department of Motor Vehicles, or on the telephone for a live person are some of the most dreaded wastes of time.
I ask myself, is there a lesson to learn from this survey? Do we have to battle through life feeling time-challenged with every task?
I don’t believe so.
Maybe it’s time to re-examine priorities and decide what’s most important.
It’s not how many jobs we get done that make us happy and content over the long run. It’s how close we feel to God.
What we most need is not more things in our basket or items ticked off of our to-do list. It’s increased spiritual mindedness that makes us truly happy.
Next time you’re standing in line anxiously tapping your toe and coveting someone’s position ahead of you, use the free moments to pray. Go to God in thought and seek a spiritual idea to improve your perspective and bring you peace of mind.
Don’t waste another moment worrying about wasting more moments. Use every moment wisely. Seek spiritual mindedness. Grow spiritually.
With a God-inspired outlook you’ll feel much better when you actually do get to the front of the line.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Live in the now
Do you ever worry about your future? How to pay the bills, getting along with another, staying healthy, finding a date, receiving a promotion, aging, and other concerns often top the lists of people who over-worry.
I’d like to suggest there’s a better way to live than worry, worry, and worry more. We can make the most of God’s good now and banish the worry-mentality to no-more land.
What is this thing called “the future” anyway? Is there such a thing? Does anyone ever actually live “in the future?” No. It’s impossible. We always live in the now. We do not live in the future. We might think about the future, but we live in the now.
Worry about the future prevents us from making the most of today.
Yes, we need to plan for a healthy happy tomorrow. But the best way to ensure a prosperous day ahead is to make the best of the day we are in. The good we accomplish today accumulates and builds for a successful tomorrow.
If facing a lack of money, a lack of ideas, lack in love, or lack in anything essential, don’t fret over whether you’ll have it tomorrow. Find the needed supply today.
God is an ever-present help. God doesn’t give us the aid we need in the future. God gives us what we need in the now. Accept His gift now! He loves you now and provides for every need without delay.
At one point, while in my twenties, I got very worried about ever getting married. There were no prospects for marriage let alone dating on my horizon. To cure my angst, I decided to live in the now. I committed myself to expressing actively and more abundantly day by day the qualities of love I figured would constitute a healthy marriage. Three years later, when least expected, I crossed paths with the woman I would marry. She lived 1700 miles from my home, yet God brought us together in the most unexpected way. I was ready. She was ready. I had made the most of my every “now” moment, and that faithfulness took care of the future. We have been happily married for over 19 years.
Live in the now! It’s the only moment you have. Spiritually considered there is no future, just the present, and you are in it. Enjoy making the most of it.
I’d like to suggest there’s a better way to live than worry, worry, and worry more. We can make the most of God’s good now and banish the worry-mentality to no-more land.
What is this thing called “the future” anyway? Is there such a thing? Does anyone ever actually live “in the future?” No. It’s impossible. We always live in the now. We do not live in the future. We might think about the future, but we live in the now.
Worry about the future prevents us from making the most of today.
Yes, we need to plan for a healthy happy tomorrow. But the best way to ensure a prosperous day ahead is to make the best of the day we are in. The good we accomplish today accumulates and builds for a successful tomorrow.
If facing a lack of money, a lack of ideas, lack in love, or lack in anything essential, don’t fret over whether you’ll have it tomorrow. Find the needed supply today.
God is an ever-present help. God doesn’t give us the aid we need in the future. God gives us what we need in the now. Accept His gift now! He loves you now and provides for every need without delay.
At one point, while in my twenties, I got very worried about ever getting married. There were no prospects for marriage let alone dating on my horizon. To cure my angst, I decided to live in the now. I committed myself to expressing actively and more abundantly day by day the qualities of love I figured would constitute a healthy marriage. Three years later, when least expected, I crossed paths with the woman I would marry. She lived 1700 miles from my home, yet God brought us together in the most unexpected way. I was ready. She was ready. I had made the most of my every “now” moment, and that faithfulness took care of the future. We have been happily married for over 19 years.
Live in the now! It’s the only moment you have. Spiritually considered there is no future, just the present, and you are in it. Enjoy making the most of it.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Don't fight. Unite!
Do you wish there was less fighting in the world? Not just at the international level, but at home, in a marriage, in the workplace, or in your community?
The world could use more peace these days.
Some people believe fighting is inevitable, as if certain countries are doomed to meet in armed confrontation, spouses are supposed to argue, siblings are programmed to pick on each other, and co-workers eventually grate on each other’s nerves. There’s another point of view worth considering though, a world where disagreements are not settled by who yells the loudest or who carries the biggest weapon. A world in which love arbitrates the decisions and forgiveness rules the day.
We can’t do it alone. The human mind needs help to extricate itself from the hate and negativity it perpetuates. But we have help. We have the power of divine Love to dissolve tension. Like walking into the summer sunshine and feeling the warmth of the sun, when we mentally walk into the omnipresence of Love we feel the action of God's Love melting away our fear, anger and resentment.
Next time you’re tempted to get angry or fight, stop the ugly emotion from growing. Refuse to be swayed by hate. Choose a better way. Don’t fight. Unite! Unite with divine Love and let kindness dominate your thought. The world will be a more peaceful place.
The world could use more peace these days.
Some people believe fighting is inevitable, as if certain countries are doomed to meet in armed confrontation, spouses are supposed to argue, siblings are programmed to pick on each other, and co-workers eventually grate on each other’s nerves. There’s another point of view worth considering though, a world where disagreements are not settled by who yells the loudest or who carries the biggest weapon. A world in which love arbitrates the decisions and forgiveness rules the day.
We can’t do it alone. The human mind needs help to extricate itself from the hate and negativity it perpetuates. But we have help. We have the power of divine Love to dissolve tension. Like walking into the summer sunshine and feeling the warmth of the sun, when we mentally walk into the omnipresence of Love we feel the action of God's Love melting away our fear, anger and resentment.
Next time you’re tempted to get angry or fight, stop the ugly emotion from growing. Refuse to be swayed by hate. Choose a better way. Don’t fight. Unite! Unite with divine Love and let kindness dominate your thought. The world will be a more peaceful place.
