Death, Life, and Thanksgiving!

Death

Last weekend I attended an old friend’s memorial service. I was deeply touched as I heard from family members and friends about her life. She lived life with a passion to the end. She was true to herself and her calling. I was saddened by her death but reminded again of my mortality and the mortality of others around me. This brings me to life…

Life

There are two days in every week about which we don't have to worry, two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension. One of these days is Yesterday.

Yesterday has gone -- with its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and pains. Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control. We cannot undo a single act we performed; we cannot erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone.The other day we should not worry about is Tomorrow,

Tomorrow cannot be lived today. But worrying about tomorrow's possible adversities and burdens stops us from experiencing today. Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control. Tomorrow's sun will rise, either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds; but it will rise. Until it does, we have no stake in tomorrow, for it is as yet unborn.

This leaves only one day: Today. Anyone can fight the battles of just one day. It is only when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternities -Yesterday and Tomorrow - that we break down.

It is not the experience of Today that overloads us with stress, it is remorse and bitterness for something which happened yesterday and the dread of what tomorrow may bring. Live this one full day -- Today.

Carpe Diem! Seize this Day!

Thanksgiving

The death of my friend reminds me to be thankful for her life and the lives of others in my little world. Make sure this Thanksgiving that you express your gratitude for those people who have touched your life. Before you know it, they will be gone and so will you and I. Be thankful for the opportunity you get to make a difference in this world. It’s never too late to begin living our life with a purpose and passion.

"We gotta start
Looking at the hands of the time we've been given
If this is all we got and we gotta start thinking
If every second counts on a clock that's ticking
Gotta live like we're dying

We only got 86,400 seconds in a day to
Turn it all around or to throw it all away
We gotta tell them that we love them
While we got the chance to say
Gotta live like we're dying"

- Kris Allen, Live Like We're Dying

Dare To Be Different

I have noticed a lot of people are fired up on both sides of the political spectrum as we head towards the November elections. I see people tearing down each other’s candidates and unfortunately, the people supporting them. In the midst of this ugliness I want to encourage you to be different, become a people-builder.

The key to building up people is kindness -- giving them what they need and not what they deserve.  

When you consider the way Jesus built up people, He did three things: challenged, encouraged, and spoke honestly.
Jesus challenged people to be all God made them to be. God doesn’t want you to waste your life!

Challenge your family and friends to live beyond themselves and to discover their strengths and abilities. God has given each of us some special abilities, and he wants us to use them to help each other. We’re to pass on to others God's many kinds of blessings.

You can play a critical role in this way by helping the ones you love to discover their strengths and abilities, and then challenging them to use them. By the way, a critical attitude is not a gift!

Help someone understand how special their gifts are – that we will all miss out on a blessing if they don’t use the gifts given them. It’s like a singer who never sings; we miss out on the blessing that would come from hearing the voice. We are meant to be a blessing to others.

We should consider the good of our neighbor and build up his character. Romans 15:2

Instead of tearing down someone today, consider how you can build them up.