kenlassblog

When you get a fortune cookie at a Chinese restaurant, ever notice the predictions are deliberately vague and open to interpretation? For example, it might say “You will meet an interesting person tomorrow”. Of course, it won’t specify who that person will be. Your own mind will try to fill in that blank.

That’s the whole idea. To give you the impression you have received a prediction, when really you haven’t. Palm readers and fortune tellers operate the same way. They probe for hints about your background and let you invent the details.

Don’t be fooled. You control your future. You can make it happen. You choose to be optimistic or pessimistic. You choose to love or hate. To minister or to withdraw. To be kind or rude.

Here’s my fortune prediction for you: The way you handle yourself will come back to you manyfold. Nothing ambiguous about that.

Where is the border line between taking good care of yourself, and being selfish? You can’t minister to others if you are rundown and unhealthy. Yes, it’s true that displaying love for others is what gives life true meaning, but all of us need a little “me time” once in a while.

So it’s okay to take a break. To tell all those depending on you for stuff that you’ll be back after a little time off. Go have some fun. Or just go and do nothing. Absolutely nothing. Your mind will tell you when you are recharged and ready to come back to the routine.

You’ll return with renewed energy, stronger commitment, and a better attitude. We’re not Energizer bunnies. We can’t go on and on and on. So pull the plug for a little bit. Just don’t forget where the socket is.

When someone has a birthday, the tradition is to have them make a wish and then blow out the candles so the wish comes true. If you were granted one wish, just one, what would you wish for? Give that some serious thought. What would you really wish for? The answer might tell you a lot about yourself.

Would you ask for unlimited wealth? For good health for yourself and your family? For true love? For fame and celebrity? Prestige? If you have a lot of trouble deciding, consider it a good sign. It means your life is pretty full and blessed right now.

You may just decide you don’t even need that wish.

Did you know that when you look at the sky you are looking at the past? You are not seeing the stars as they currently exist. It has taken the light from those stars a long time to reach you. Sirius, the brightest star at night, is eight light years away. You are seeing it as it was in 2018. The stars in the Big Dipper are 125 light years away. And Polaris, the North star, is 433 light years away! You are seeing it as it was more than four centuries ago!

It makes me realize that we are but a speck on the roadmap of history. God’s creation of the universe is running the course He has laid out. We are given this brief chance to make a difference in our corner of our little world.

Hopefully it won’t take years for your light to shine on those around you.

Do you believe in luck? Scientists don’t. They say luck doesn’t exist. That outcomes such as a coin flip, or a poker hand, or the bounce of a ball, or a lottery draw are governed by probability, and with careful mathematical research, can be predicted.

That’s no fun. Most of us feel better about the twists and turns of life if we can attribute them to just bad luck, or extremely good fortune. Actually, there is something to that. Studies show, for example, that if someone is wearing what they feel is their lucky suit, they are more confident and optimistic, and thus tend to perform better. A golfer playing with what he believes is his lucky golf ball, is more likely to hit better shots because of positive visualization. In the same manner, if you feel you are on an unlucky streak, your depressed mood affects what you do in a negative way.

So go ahead. Feel lucky today. Wear that lucky jersey the next time your favorite team plays. That way you can take partial credit for the win.

Over the years we have participated in several yard sales. We found that, no matter how low you price something, some folks will offer less. If you label an item for one dollar, they will ask if you’ll take fifty cents. It’s not that they can’t afford the extra half dollar. I guess they just want to feel as though they’ve won some sort of negotiation. Some sort of victory.

Nothing wrong with having a competitive nature. It probably will serve you well in most aspects of life. Just keep in mind you don’t have to feel you need to win everything. Sometimes it’s better to step aside and let someone else get the glory, the recognition, the acknowledgement.

There are times when losing is actually winning in disguise.

I call it “dead time”. It’s time spent waiting for something, and you are captive. For example, when you are stuck in traffic, or waiting in a doctor’s office, or waiting for a slow computer to boot up. Minutes, maybe hours, of your life pass by, and you have to fill them with something. Some folks stare at their phones, some strike up perfunctory conversations with those around them, still others just sit and ponder random thoughts.

There can be better ways to use dead time. Prayer is certainly a good one. Planning some sort of service to others could be productive. Keeping your mind busy by bringing along a crossword puzzle or a word search would be beneficial (although not while driving!). Text a sweet message to someone who could use a little attention.

Make your dead time come alive. You only get so much of it.

Dieting just isn’t fair. You work so hard to lose a few pounds, yet they come back so easily. You go through weeks walking around hungry, but if you finally sit down and reward yourself with a big meal, all of your hard effort seems to go down the drain. It gets even harder as you grow older. I guess that’s why so many folks these days resort to short cuts, taking drugs or shots to suppress their appetite.

The best and safest way to lose weight is still the old fashioned way. Eat less, exercise more. Burn more calories than you consume. The hope is that smaller, healthier portions and daily workouts will become habits and change your lifestyle. Godly living works the same way. Forcing yourself to make good decisions about your behavior, relationships and finances will hopefully become habit.

I’m working on both. People tell me I’ll get used to eating less. I’m still waiting.

Recently Sharon and I went on a riverboat lunch cruise down the Cumberland River in Nashville. The cruise was great, but for lunch we were seated at a large round table with eight other guests. Next to us was a young people that appeared to be on a date. Neither was wearing a ring so that was my assumption.

Anyway, the young man spent the entire lunch talking to his female companion. I’m not exaggerating when I say he never took a breath. He yakked non-stop about everything in his life he had ever done. Clearly he was trying to impress her. We felt sorry for the girl, who never got a word in, and could only smile and nod her head politely. He was so overbearing that I was tempted myself to butt in and say “For heaven’s sake man, ask her a question. Let her speak!”

The incident reminded me that, while we can do a lot of ministry by talking and encouraging and consoling, sometimes the best ministry is to just listen and ask the other person how they feel. That may be the best way to get a second date. I’m pretty sure this guy did not.

Well, we are heading home on our cross country car trip. Along the way we had a wonderful visit with family, and one of the highlights was getting to see friends we hadn’t seen for twenty years. How can you tell if someone is a true friend? I believe one of the ways is you pick up right where you left off with them, even if its been decades since you last saw them.

Technology makes it easier to stay in touch these days, but there’s still nothing quite like giving your loved ones a big hug and sitting across a table laughing and joking and sharing old stories with them. Gives you a warm feeling inside. Feels like the world can’t be all that bad if these special people are still around, and still value your relationship.

I’m thankful for rich friendships and the path that led us to so many incredible folks. I’m also thankful for home sweet home. Traveling is fun and adventurous, but, to quote Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, there’s no place like home.