kenlassblog

Sometimes I just sit in my breakfast nook and watch the birdfeeder in my backyard. The little finches and chickadees try their best to get at the birdseed, but they are often shooed away by a bigger robin, which in turn is chased off by a larger red-headed woodpecker, which is then scared off by a beautiful bright red cardinal, which then quickly departs when a huge blackbird arrives.

Interesting though. The blackbird doesn’t seem to pay attention to the little finches and chickadees, who then return and join him at the feeder. In fact, as long as he’s there, the tiny birds are free to eat and hang out.

Must be nice to know there is a higher power that is always around to protect you and make sure you have what you need to get by.

If you dye your gray hair brown, that doesn’t mean you have brown hair. You still have gray hair that is covered up by hair dye. You can’t change the way you are made, and you shouldn’t want to.

You are beautifully and wonderfully made by a perfect God who doesn’t make mistakes. He has created you precisely as you are supposed to be. Embrace who you are and what you look like. You are a miracle of His creation. He loves the way you look, so it doesn’t matter what people think.

We dye our hair, wear make-up and dress to please others. But underneath it all God has created his own masterpiece. Wear it proudly.

It’s easy to feel that the world is moving away from God. That immorality and self gratification are taking over American culture. It’s hard to observe television, movies and social media and think otherwise.

But you may be interested in a recent poll conducted by the Pew research center. It found that 85 percent of today’s teenagers believe in God. 60 percent of adolescents believe religion is very important, or at least somewhat important in their lives.

Even more interesting, of students who believe their faith is very important in their lives, 88 percent gave the same answer to this question as their parents.

You set the standard for your family. Morality will decline only as far as you allow it to.

There’s nothing quite like a good magic show. To watch skilled magicians execute amazing illusions is exciting and mesmerizing. It’s so much fun to wonder, how did they do that? We know there’s really no such thing as magic, so we entertain ourselves by trying to figure out the mechanics of the trick.

But if we do learn how the illusion is done, the enjoyment is lost forever. We can never observe it with the same sense of wonder we had before. It’s not knowing all the answers that makes the show fascinating.

It’s a good way to look at life. Every day is its own magic show, with twists and turns you might not have expected. It’s okay if you don’t have all the answers figured out. God does. And he’ll have all the explanations for you at just the right time.

Getting on an airplane requires a good bit of trust. After all, you are literally giving up control of your life to a pilot you have never met and know nothing about. You simply have to trust that he or she is competent, responsible and healthy enough to get you to your destination. Trust that, no matter what unexpected turn or problem may come up with the flight, the pilot will know how to get you around it, or through it, and will do everything they can to do so, because that is their mission.

Imagine that. Trusting someone you can’t see with control over your life, feeling confident you will be protected and safely delivered to your journey’s end.

I recently read an article about conversation. It stated that 80 percent of most conversations consist of complaining and gossip. I’m not exactly sure how this statistic was researched, but I don’t find it difficult to believe. Most of us are pretty good at spotting the faults in other people, and what’s the point in doing so if you can’t tell others about them?

And is there anything more fun than listening to someone complain about everything under the sun? That always brightens everyone’s day.

Kind of makes you think. If everyone else’s flaws are that interesting to talk about, imagine how many lively conversations are going on about yours.

There are many well known heroes in the Bible. Abraham, Moses, David, Mary just to mention a few. But there are many more unsung contributors. For example, the last of the Old Testament biblical prophets is Malachi. We know almost nothing about him. In fact, some think Malachi is not even the name of a person, but rather a title for an unidentified priest or teacher. Yet the works of this unknown man have endured for thousands of years.

God uses people like that. Folks who just want to be obedient and don’t care if they get acknowledged. He’d like to use you like that.

Would that be okay with you?

It’s funny all the ways people can misplace their faith. Some ancient cultures believed that the benevolent spirits resided in trees. To rouse them to come to your assistance, it was helpful to pound on the tree trunks. This is actually how the expression “knock on wood” originated.

You may not have a tree handy to take your troubles to. Fortunately, a simple prayer will do just fine. God can hear you. He’s right there. He left the trees to the squirrels.

If you are going through hard times in your life, take to heart the old adage: “This too shall pass.”

The line was made famous in a speech back in 1859 by a politician who, in his own words, considered his career “a failure, a flat failure”. He was addressing a crowd of farmers and agricultural folks at a state fair during a time of economic hardship. His exact words were “And this, too, shall pass away. How consoling in the depths of affliction”.

The economy did get better. And one year later, that politician was elected President of the United States. Abraham Lincoln would later deal with more adversity, in the form of a civil war. But he knew if he remained strong in his beliefs, the country would get through its troubles.

You will too.

Do other people think you are a nice person? Can you pass the nice test?

Find someone you see every day. Could be a spouse, a child, a friend, a co-worker. This time when you see them, make it a point to compliment them about something. Anything. Maybe her hair looks nice today. Maybe he’s wearing a handsome sweater. Just make it positive.

Take note of their reaction. If they act surprised, it means they’re not used to compliments from you. You failed the nice test. However, if they just smile and say “thank you”, it indicates they are accustomed to your thoughtfulness. You passed.