Author: shbcadmin

  Straddling the fence, trying to make everybody else happy results in one thing. We’re miserable! And the people we’re trying to please aren’t happy either. Straddling the fence…never stepping one direction or the other for fear of offending someone is just plain exhausting. We have only ONE that we have to please and that’s God. Oh, and one more benefit from pleasing God is that we’re going to get a great night’s sleep! No more worrying about how to climb on that fence.

  During the storm the other night, my little dog Chewy came looking for me. She jumped up in bed and shook like a leaf. But I know her routine. After about 15 minutes of shaking, she will walk over my head and pillows and crawl under the covers. Then she will back up against me and touch me..but she won’t let Me touch HER. If I reach for her, she runs. As I’ve been watching this happen through the years, God began to speak to me. Chewy is like a lot of people that want to get …a little closer to God when the storm is raging. But they won’t let Him comfort them or touch them. They want God on their terms. They prefer to worry and shake instead of trusting Him! Sometimes we just need to curl up next to God and let Him cover us completely…like a warm blanket. And we need to stop that crazy shaking and worrying. I’m pretty sure we would call that a place of peace and trust.

  This weekend, our granddaughter came to stay all night for the first time. Five years old and ready to play…and so we did. Non-stop play Friday evening and all day Saturday. As we were taking her home, she said, “Grandma, I love you and I want to stay THREE days!” What was she drawn to? Unconditional love and undivided attention….and she got both! Why are we drawn to God? Unconditional love and undivided attention. Maybe that’s why we hunger for more and more of Him. God, let us stay in Your Presence today…just a little longer God…even though You have so many children, You always have time for each of us. Unfailing, unconditional love and undivided attention. It doesn’t get any better than that!

Overthinking is one of the biggest causes of our unhappiness. It keeps us focused on what we said and what we did. We re-hash conversations, FEAR that we said the wrong thing, WISH that we’d done it differently, and live in a cesspool of REGRET. What a miserable life that is. We can change that behavior. Realize that we will say the right thing most of the time and occasionally say the wrong thing. We need to cut ourselves some slack, forgive ourselves for not being perfect and start to enjoy life. No more re-hashing…it’s exhausting!

  If someone treats you badly, just remember that there’s something wrong with them, not you. People who love Jesus don’t go around destroying other people with their fists OR their mouth. If you’re around someone who constantly tears you down, get away from that relationship. There are some really nice people out there just waiting for someone to laugh with…good memories are out there…time to dump the bad ones.

  It’s easy to miss TODAY because our minds tend to go to yesterday or tomorrow…the things we said or did fill our thoughts of yesterday. And our to-do lists fill our thoughts of tomorrow, both the good things and the things we dread. God has purposed this day just for you. It’s full of amazing opportunities! When we keep our minds in the moment, we will be amazed at the things we so often miss…the scenery as we drive down the road, the person who needs our help, the laughter of children, a sunset. Live in the moment. It was created with each one of us in mind!!