Thank You for . . . Valentine's Day?

When did you see the Valentine candy in the store? Probably on December 26.

The remaining Christmas candy was moved to the clearance counter, then they brought out the Valentine candy. There was a quick change of decor in the store. Napkins and paper plates, decorations, cards, and all kinds of goodies are displayed on the shelves, ready for your purchase.

What good is Valentine’s Day, you ask. It’s only for little kids, teenagers, the lovers and the newly weds. Besides, someone else reminds us, Valentine’s Day has some secular ideas mixed in with religious thought. Can we just skip it?

Try this instead.

A Puzzle to Me

     Pieces of the puzzle lie scattered on the table. Only a few rows of green leafy branches along the left side had been placed in position. Whoever had taken on the challenge to work 500 small pieces into a scene of the Grand Canyon had given up, at least for today.

     Early the next morning with important things on my mind I nearly forgot to look at the puzzle. As I turned to go down the hall I impulsively swung back to peer in the open doorway. Had someone made any progress? Very little, I noted. A little patch of blue sky expanded along the right side. Much remained to be done.

     So it was for the next several days. I’d be purposefully headed to my office next to the lobby when curiosity would call me to glance at the emerging puzzle. Progress was extremely slow. Why?

Where's Marsha?

Every store we go into we look for Marsha. It’s been six years now, and we haven’t found her yet. She didn’t wear a gold award pin from her company, but to us she was the only candidate for employee of the year, any year.  That girl could juggle three things and keep it all straight. No absent-minded attitude, no condescending look; Marsha cared.

From Dream — to Disasters — to Deliverance

A young boy relates his dream,
A strange prediction of unbelievable success,
But he was a cheerful hard-worker;
Why then such hatred from his brothers?

Seized and sold into slavery,
His enemies were those brothers
Who easily lied to now-grieving father;
What kind of answer to prayer is that?

Life's Mystery and Joy

The older we get, educated and sophisticated,
the greater the mystery that each adult faces.
How can there be a God who is so great?
How can all those planets and stars be up there?
How can the intricacies of plants, animals, even rocks
have gotten to be here, after all?

Honestly, it looks like quite a mystery.
Each of us can make a risky decision
to ignore the whole, huge issue,
But you can’t argue with the fact
that life is; we can see it.
and death is; we can’t deny it.

Each of us can make a mind-boggling decision
A grown-up decision
to believe in God, a powerful Creator.
If so, how does that impact our life?
Do we then surrender our brains to become
a little robot of faith and blind belief?

Five Ideas for the New Year

With a calendar in hand,
Next year’s boxes in view,
For practical planning
Here’s five ideas for me, for you.

My Top Ten Suggestions for a Better Year Ahead

 1. Take care of what matters to you.
 2. Be thankful for what you’ve got.
 3. Watch for improvements you can adopt and adapt.
 4. Spend time on what brings a twinkle to your eyes.