An "IRRITATION" ? ? ?

Before you complain to God in prayer, thank Him for one thing that first comes to mind. 

As soon as you verbalize those words out loud — or quietly — then mention one more thing your brain remembers.  Give a smile to your Father in Heaven.

Now — just one more thing — say the third blessing of God you recall.

O K ?   D o n e   t h a t ?

Now go ahead and say what’s bothering you.

Your amazing brain will soon announce some details and then you might think of some acceptable ways to deal with that irritation.

No need to pout or cry, maybe just exhale with a thoughtful look.  God knows, He hears you, He loves you, and He provides a way through the muddle in your mind.

So, just before your smiling AMEN, you remember to send this request, “Help him (or them).  Thank You, Lord.”

                 + + + 

by Elaine Hardt ˙2020

       

Things HAVE Changed

Today’s newspaper listed the Latest & Greatest Computer Club meeting for 4 pm on Saturday.  Oh, well.  I can find other things I need to do, instead of sitting through the young members gushing over the new updates.  I remember when the club was the Happy Day Computers.

You’ve noticed, too, that nothing stays the same.  Well, it was handy when the old telephone on the wall got upgraded.  Now it’s just a little thing that’s portable.  Too bad someone invented a way for strangers to call you with a recorded sales pitch.  How did they get my phone number?

Even going to church has changed.  Grandma Grace played the piano so nice.  Now the youngsters want the loud music of guitars and cymbals and drums.  If only they knew how your ears responded after a few years of that.  Can’t go to the worship service now because it gave me ringing 24x7 in my ears.  

So, the choice is mine.  Acknowledge that I’ve been growing older and avoid all this new stuff that is banging on the TV and the computer — avoid those kids who want to show off — or remember to pray for them.  Are they listening to the sermon or glancing at their smartphone all the time?  Have they really made the commitment to the Lord?  Do they read the Bible?  Do they care about us who used to volunteer? We used go to a prayer meeting before services.

Times are changing.  Shall I be bitter or get better?  

I have decided to pray more, also write to my grandkids, my brother's and sisters’ grandchildren and mail that piece of paper to them the old-timey way, with an envelope and a stamp.      * * * 

by Elaine Hardt ©2019 

Y O U R Troubles . . . Y O U R Solutions

Those irritations and troubles YOU didn’t deserve

took some of your energy, some of your time.

     Other problems came in your growing up years —

     that brought stress and maybe some tears,

but they taught you a lot in the meantime.

Today’s troubles might give you experience

when you learn to concentrate and pray;

     You accumulate the challenges you had —

     Now, analyze what was good and what was bad,

You’ll decide what to do now and what to say. 

When you merely complain, argue, and fuss

or turn your attention to inventing some fun,

     you miss the point of growing up strong —

     you might slide into doing stuff wrong.

Maybe later you’ll look back on what you’ve done.

David was the youngest of the family,

more attention went to brothers who were older.

     Life wasn’t perfect in those olden days —

     He worked hard and missed getting praise,

but he did a good job, growing strong and bolder.

You can read the facts and details right now.

You can see the outcome for yourself,

     What an example of growing strong and brave —

     These are lessons for you to learn and save.

Find your Bible there at home on the shelf.

Read 1st Samuel chapter 17;

Consider the challenges in David’s young life.

     Then read that Goliath was huge and strong —

     That biggest event really didn’t last long.

Obeying God brought David through the strife.  

                                       * * * 

 by Elaine Hardt ©2018 

                 Also, go to www.Biblegateway.com  to see Psalm 63, written by David. 

                 And see 1st Peter 1:6-8 which tells about trials and faith.

Ten Good Reasons for Complaining

So, how is life treating you these days? Are you consistently happy and positive in your outlook and cheerful in your conversation?

Oh? So you do whine and complain, but very infrequently, and only when totally justified?

Take a look at two guys who had ten good reasons for complaining. Their shocking experience is recounted in Acts 16:11-40. Paul and his friend Silas recently arrived in a foreign city:

1. They had done nothing wrong, nothing illegal, yet they were falsely accused,
2. Yelled at by an angry crowd, probably insulted and cursed by them,
3. Seized by the authorities,
4. Stripped of their clothes by the arresting authorities,
5. Beaten with “many stripes,”
6. Thrown into prison, most likely a dungeon,
7. Prison was dirty, dark, and smelly,
8. Lawbreakers, likely undesirable-types were chained in the dungeon,
9. Locked in the “inner prison,”
10. Feet were fastened down in stocks so they could not move around.

Any of this happened to you recently? Anything even remotely similar to this happen to you at any time in your life? Do you have ten good reasons for complaining?

Well, you’d imagine as they sat there in the fetid darkness they would rehash the terrible things that happened to them. Or, perhaps they’d sit in angry silence, each blaming the other for over-reacting?

No, that’s not the case. They prayed out loud, sang praises to God and the prisoners heard them. No silent sulking, instead a lot of noisy praying and praising. Maybe even two-part harmony as they sang their favorite songs to God, perhaps praises from the book of Psalms, well known to all Jews.

When you are going through some undeserved or undesirable conditions is there another believer with whom you can pray and sing? Or, are you alone?

Someone you aren’t even aware of may be watching and listening to you. What can you do?

Putting on a brave front and gritting your teeth is not the answer. . . . so, what is?

Maybe, Probably, Certainly

  Is it “Yes,” or is it “No”?

Is it “Later,” or is it “Now”?

Finding the right answers,

the LORD will show you how.

Challenges will come every day!

Do not complain and do not shirk;

You’re growing older and wiser,

Good decisions help do the work.

Lots of things allow a little time

to think, and plan and do —

achieve success, find happiness. 

Other things say, “Hurry!” to you. 

Start first thing in the morning

to anticipate your day;

Read the Bible, make your lists,

and, of course, you’ll want to pray.

Yes, you’ll learn lessons from mistakes —

it’s the sensible thing to do;

But, what a relief in the evening

to know that God has blessed you. 

            
by Elaine Hardt ©2016 

Worry? Fuss? Neglect? What YOU Can Do

        Today some bad news comes on the TV news or on social media or some Internet news site? Or, in the neighborhood or downtown?

        Are you accepting complacency?  Choosing to overlook problems?  That aggravation or that problem could be the nudge for you to try a new approach.  Don’t let yourself be buried under a negative snow slide of massive calamity.  

        Maybe there’s no easy way out, no quick fix?  So, go sit in the rocking chair?  What is a considerate person supposed to do?  Quit caring about anybody else? 

        For the careful, concerned person there is something that’s not complicated, not confusing, not time-consuming that you can do.  You don’t need to neglect what YOU can do. Shed your anxiety and save lots of time by not worrying. 

        Right there and then . . . 

Several Mistakes to Avoid

          We all know by now that it’s a good thing to avoid mistakes.  While we can learn from them it’s evident that life would be more efficient and less stressful if we’d learn by observing the mistakes of others, with the result of making better choices than they did.

Can most people be wrong?

Jesus said that most people make the wrong decision (Matthew 7:13). Busy-ness and stress seem to occupy most people’s time and energy; they coast along with three assumptions that lead to a major mistake. 

What are the three assumptions?

Overwhelmingly, people of all times and all places in life have accepted three common assumptions that the Bible tells us are not true.  

1. God is tolerant.
2. People are good at heart.
3. We can earn God’s approval in some way. 

These three ideas are universally popular, but lead to devastating consequences — a dreadful mistake.  

Why are these assumptions incorrect?

• If God is tolerant, then He is not holy.
• If people are good, then where does sin and selfishness and evil originate?  It’s not a mere lack of education or absence of spiritual awareness that keeps mankind from goodness.
• If there were some way for us to earn or deserve God’s approval, some way to remove all of our imperfections, then God would not have sent His Son Jesus, the Messiah, to suffer and die to redeem mankind.  God’s Word then would have listed all the merits and demerits, and we would be on our own to work hard to assure our place in Life after death.

Ten Good Reasons for Complaining

So, how is life treating you these days?  Are you consistently happy and positive in your outlook and cheerful in your conversation? 

Oh?  So you do whine and complain, but very infrequently, and only when totally justified? 

Take a look at two guys who had ten good reasons for complaining.  Their shocking experience is recounted in Acts 16:11-40. Paul and his friend Silas recently arrived in a foreign city:   

1. They had done nothing wrong, nothing illegal, yet they were falsely accused, 
2. Yelled at by an angry crowd, probably insulted and cursed by them,
3. Seized by the authorities,
4. Stripped of their clothes by the arresting authorities,
5. Beaten with “many stripes,”
6. Thrown into prison, most likely a dungeon,
7. Prison was dirty, dark, and smelly, 
8. Lawbreakers, likely undesirable-types were chained in the dungeon,
9. Locked in the “inner prison,”
10. Feet were fastened down in stocks so they could not move around.

Any of this happened to you recently?  Anything even remotely similar to this happen to you at any time in your life?  Do you have ten good reasons for complaining?  

Well, you’d imagine as they sat there in the fetid darkness they would rehash the terrible things that happened to them.  Or, perhaps they’d sit in angry silence, each blaming the other for over-reacting?

No, that’s not the case.  They prayed out loud, sang praises to God and the prisoners heard them.  No silent sulking, instead a lot of noisy praying and praising.  Maybe even two-part harmony as they sang their favorite songs to God, perhaps praises from the book of Psalms, well known to all Jews.  

 When you are going through some undeserved or undesirable conditions is there another believer with whom you can pray and sing?  Or, are you alone?

Someone you aren’t even aware of may be watching and listening to you.  What can you do?

Putting on a brave front and gritting your teeth is not the answer. So, what is?