HappinessWritten by Joyce C. Lock
We convince ourselves that life will be better when we have a baby or another one. When we finally get what we thought we wanted, we find ourselves exhausted. Then, we conclude we will be more content when children are older. Only, they do get older. Then, we have teenagers to deal with. Surely, happiness will come once they have outgrown that stage. But, no, wait. They leave nest. We tell ourselves that life will be complete when our spouse gets their act together, when we get a nicer car, when we get a raise, when we have grandchildren, or when we are able to go on a nicer vacation. The truth is, there is no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges. It is best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. There is no way to happiness. Happiness is way. So, treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special enough to share your time with; and remember that time waits for no one.
| | Patriotism and GodWritten by Joyce C. Lock
When I hear our National Anthem, it still brings tears to my eyes. It was not that long ago that I spoke to an elder in regard to lack of patriotism among our youth. His response was that every generation expresses such concerns. But, something always happens to change it. September 11th might have been just horror to awaken patriotism in hearts of this generation. Patriotism is a good thing, to recognize that each of us is part of a bigger community (a people we cherish, honor, and love); valuing life, freedom of religion, pursuit of happiness … things that reach depths of our soul (treasures money, power, and greed can not buy or fabricate). God is not against any of these. Though, we cannot hide our heads in sand; letting people think patriotism, alone, will solve all that ails us as a nation. Flying our country's flag is representative of our values; a visible show of patriotism, emotional support for those we love, an expression of our unity, honoring our dearly departed, etc. But, doing so brings no power to change our future. If we truly believed in God's provision for healing our land, we would come near flying Christian flag; to encourage all to give God back His throne, within our hearts and lives (which is all He really wants, anyway). While we open our heart and door to opportunities to make a difference, there is only one real solution to fixing world's problems. As long as we allow people to think there is another way, our efforts are like striving against wind.
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