keep showing up

Our forefathers on July 4, 1776 threw a big dance which we still celebrate. They called it "The Indepen---dance!"

Dr. J says--"It has been said that people don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care. No matter who we communicate with, the way we speak or write has a lot to do with how others hear us. We must know what to say; equally important is knowing how to say it." I have no idea what you will hear in this "It's Saturday;" I guess some will hear more than others or different things than others; that's just the way it is. I ask that you cut me some slack! Remember, I'm just another bozo on the bus! A new acquaintance and a possible new friend told me--I got hearing aids soo now I can hear but now I can't remember what I hear!

"If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth—only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair." — C.S. Lewis

James, anybody can be a James, says--"So much of what we believe is the residue of someone else's thinking. Sooo pause and question things for a moment. Is this really how it has to be? Is this really what we want?" I heard a lecture about our culture chances from generation to generation. The speaker said—“We now live in an ‘I’ world and no longer a ‘we’ world. It’s all about ‘I’. We don’t hardly listen to anyone any more as there is nuttin authentic anymore (i.e. everything is a scam to get our money) so we just believe what ‘I’ wants to think. It’s all about getting the money!  The world just cares about themselves (i.e. how does everything affect me; that all that counts).” That is what the speaker said. Do you believe that?

We keep showing up every day but….  CoachB says—“We have three options with our lives, we can make the world better, make the world worse or be neutral. It is our choice.” Saturday question--Who are/were the shining stars of our universe?  You know, the ones that kept showing up for us! The ones who are/were firecrackers in our lives!

A speaker touting Young Life, an organization working with youth said—“We go to their world; they are not going to come to our world. We just have to keep showing up in their world, be persistent, we just hang around. We need to build relationships; that is what is needed to help young folks. We just have to keep showing up in their lives. They live in a way different culture than adults do. Their environment is way different than an adult environment. It is hard to understand; we try to force them into our environment or our past environment when we were kids. It doesn’t work. Our stories aren’t even relevant to them. They don’t make any sense to them. It’s just a way different world. We can’t hit 'undo'!" You believe that?

I called a friend from Western Illinois (i.e. about 17.5 miles East of the Mighty Mississippi River) who is a retired farmer who with his wife still live on the farm. He told me that he can’t do much anymore but I still teach Sunday School at church each Sunday and has been doing it for 50+ years. I just keep doing it a.k.a. showing up; it’s still something I can do. He’s 94 and his wife is 93. My wife makes the coffee and the goodies for each Sunday and I do the teaching. We try to get there about half an hour early as that is when the folks come to talk; it’s when we hear the good gossip! Those folks are loyal and just keep showing up soooo I keep teaching!

I heard another speaker say--… that to correct the accelerating generation changes we have three choices: we can try to revert it back to what it was, we can adapt to the changing world, or we can do our best and let God be in charge. I mentioned this to a friend and he said—erv, you mean we don’t do anything, just sit on our hands, and just let God take it from here like whatever will be will be! What do you think?

We had dinner at TX Roadhouse and the manager came by our table and asked how our meal was. It was good. She was about 32, had three children and another on the way. She works 55-60 a week, her husband is a carpenter and works 4 a.m. to 2 p.m. Now that is quite a family. We asked her what her biggest problem was as the manager—workers not showing up on time (i.e. we wonder if she was gracious but instead it being employees in general). JoeBlow says--"Talent is a gift. Reliability is a choice." What do you think?

I read this while eating my oatmeal with half a banana on it: "Getting what you want out of life largely boils down to (1) the story you tell yourself and (2) where you direct your attention.” It appears to me that it sounds like it is very important as to what our attitude is! Our minds are something else let me tell ya! What do you think?

A friend told me this story about his adult son. He was raised in the church but in his adult life didn’t seem to believe.  We take his young daughter to church with us (i.e. kept showing up) and she touched his life (i.e. Jesus just kept showing up) and know he has accepted Jesus as his Savior and he is a way different person. Wow! Yes, that is a wow! That is really a great story, my opinion. God's ways are mysterious, even to those who know him intimately. What do you think?

 

'The times, they are a-changing' is an expression made popular in a Bob Dylan song that expresses some of the social and moral change experienced during the 1960s and '70s (i.e. do you remember the song). If we like it or not, we live in a time of change that strikes at the roots of our everyday life. SusieQ says--I think life on this world has been changing every day forever, it ain't nuttin new! AverageJoe says--YaBut, I still don't like it! I want everything to stay the same!

Have a FUN day my friends unless you have other plans. (-:

erv

MyDeceasedFriend Jean said--Forget yourself and think of others, you'll quickly find joy in your life.