I WILL Be Happy Today

        Two cheerful sayings came to mind as the storm clouds cleared late in the afternoon. “I will be happy today, no matter what comes my way.” and  “Something good will happen to me, I can be what I want to be.”   

Yes!  Those were two “wise sayings” that I’d written back in 1982.  Amazon.com sells used copies of my book of children’s stories,  Stories From Beyond the Double Rainbow.  Each of the 20 stories has a “wise saying” to learn. 

Besides encouraging children we need to encourage ourselves. Outward circumstances will always have a calamity here and there around the world.  We can’t fix the problems or the politics, the weather or the woeful  or wicked choices that people make.

When we pray we can receive an inner peace of mind.  We can make good decisions by faith in the LORD.  Romans 15:13 declares “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

        Happiness is a choice of our hearts.  Try it today.

by Elaine Hardt ©2013 

Gracias - شكرا - dank u - danke - dziękuję - köszönöm - teşekkür ederim

        You and I are thoughtful people when we pause in our busy lifestyle of going, doing, earning, and entertaining ourselves. Thinking means we can find reasons to be thanking.  

        Did you recognize "thanks" in Spanish, Arabic, Dutch,  German, Polish,  Hungarian and Turkish in the title above? Thanks to www.translate.google.com/  we can find 72 languages of the world both written and audibly spoken.

        We do say, “Thank you” at many appropriate times.  And there’s lots of similar phrases:  express gratitude, show appreciation, verbalize our recognition, give credit, extend acknowledgement.  

        Probably a few words of kind recognition for something someone has said or done or started to do or achieved will show our appreciation.  Perhaps we need to do this more frequently.

        What about thanking the LORD for His blessings?  Even a rainy day can give us reason to pause and give thanks for some aspect of the situation. 
        We don’t need to wait until Thanksgiving Day to express thanks.  : ) 

                                                                                             by Elaine Hardt ©2013

September 11: Days Past and Days to Come

We do not want to forget 9-11,
But current events press all around
And we hardly spend time considering
The evil that killed the innocents
And the bravery of those who ran to save as many as they could.

Each thoughtful person owes themselves 
A lesson to learn, to remember, to honor,
The bigger picture of the past,  the advancing days to come.
Take time for your own quiet prayer to the LORD, 
So we do not forget September 11, 2001. 

by Elaine Hardt ©2013

Vision, Action, Results!

Are things getting better?

Are some things getting worse?

What do you think you can do? 

By our vision

We enlarge our possibilities

Growing in obedience to God

By our actions

We live a new life 

Demonstrating God’s love 

By our lifestyle

We set an example

Giving others something to see and talk about.

By God’s provision 

We are equipped

Expanding an outreach to bring glory to God.  

Is this your focus?  Is this a worthy goal?

Is this a matter for you to pray about? 

Vision, action, results! 

By Elaine Hardt ©2013