Counting My Blessings

Tolerance is a Good Thing - Right?

We all should be more tolerant. Less judgmental. Less critical. Less opinionated. Less self-righteous. 

Right?

To a certain extent I agree. Society in the ideal would be better if everyone simply tolerated everyone else, their beliefs, their actions, their habits, their comments, their . . . 

The problem is that it doesn't work. Not in an imperfect world it doesn't. 

Like the colors on the artist's palette above our lives overlap. The problem is not just intolerance. Our moods touch each other. Our personalities affect each other. Our habits, practices, and beliefs all influence what we think about one another. 

Then there are certain things that society in general has determined we must not tolerate. It's ridiculous to think that we would ever tolerate murder or theft. 

There are also personal things we choose not to tolerate. Most of us would not tolerate sharing our spouse or someone who harms our child. 

I don't believe the problem is tolerance. The problem is that we fail to offer respect as we communicate with each other. 

We don't have to agree, but there is no reason to disagree with fists waving, banners held high, and hateful words shouted. Seriously, have you ever won an argument that way?

The Bible says: Your heart should be holy and set apart for the Lord God. Always be ready to tell everyone who asks you why you believe as you do. Be gentle as you speak and show respect. 1 Peter 3:15 (NLV)

I actually started thinking about this as I read the last words of the Book of Judges: All the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. Judges 21:25b

That's what tolerance is right?

Everyone free to do what they think is right in "their own eyes." 

It just doesn't work that way because your green will always rub off on my orange, and someone else's purple will get all over another person's fuchsia and before you know it we're left with a muddy mess. 

Our lives touch and intersect and will alway bring about cause and effect reactions. 

Rather than fighting for tolerance, maybe it's time for us to take a stand for kindness and respect. 

Just something about which I've been thinking. 

What do you think?

Hanging on By a Thread

 Hear me, LORD, and answer me, 
   for I am poor and needy. 
 Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; 
   save your servant who trusts in You. 
You are my God;  have mercy on me, Lord, 
   for I call to You all day long. 
 Bring joy to Your servant, Lord, 
   for I put my trust in You.

Babel - Just Another Fable

 Do you think God was nervous that people were going to take over His power?

Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” 

But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” Genesis 11:4-7

You might think that God was afraid of the people's power from these verses, but the decision to build a "tower that reaches to the heavens, so that they might make a name for themselves," was a direct act of rebellion. 

A stubborn - we can do it ourselves without God if we just work together attitude. 

Would You Rather

 

 Would you rather go to the doctor or the dentist?

Would you rather be popular or smart?

Would you rather have a root canal or a colonoscopy?

Would you rather eat a brownie or broccoli?

These were just some of the questions asked at our Women's Retreat this past weekend during a game called (you guessed it), Would You Rather . . . 

How Do You Define It?

 Solomon asked for it.  

 It is defined as: The ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting.

Countless individuals have talked about it, fewer actually have it. 

What is it? 

Wisdom. 

Wisdom is more than knowledge. More than experience. More than deep thoughts. 

It is the ability to know the truth, choose what is right, and value that which is eternal. 

Where do you get wisdom?

Are You Popular? Do You Want to Be?

When I see depressing creatures
I  remind them on their own behalf
With unprepossessing features
To think of Celebrated heads of state or
Specially great communicators
Did they have brains or knowledge?
Don't make me laugh!He,he!
They were popular! Please -

I can hear Glinda singing now, Miss Popularity, from Wicked.

How about you? Are you popular? Were you popular as a child? Do you crave popularity?

How do you define popularity?

Webster's Dictionary defines it as: widely accepted, commonly liked or approved.

I believe on some level we all want to be accepted, liked, and approved. The question becomes what are we willing to do, and who are we willing to become in order to make that happen.

Praising the Creator

 

 

And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. Genesis 1:24

In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. Job 12:10

The Flood - Miracle or Myth

Do you believe the "Bible Stories" you learned as a child?

Are Noah, Jonah, and Sodom and Gomorrah just nice fables/myths written by ancients who were trying to come up with ways to get their children to obey? Or are they actual accounts of factual events?

I guess the question is . . . do you believe in miracles?

Big miracles?

Creation sized, flood sized miracles?

I've done a little research, and there are geologists and archaeologists who are using advanced technology to find evidences of the Genesis flood.

The Flood - Miracle or Myth

Some of the resources I found:

5 Secrets to Finding Personal Peace

Peace - we all want it! Still sometimes our circumstances are such that feelings of peace seem completely beyond our reach.

 We live in a hurry, late for everything, behind on payments, racing toward the next bigger and better . . . it's no wonder peace seems to elude us.

I often find myself getting a double dose of a singular message during my quiet time with the Lord. Today was one of those days. One devotion focused on the many ways materialism robs us of our peace. The other shared some of Paul's words from prison, words that communicated peace and joy even when "most of life's freedoms and privileges had been taken from him." (Your 100 Day Prayer)

Paul must know a secret we don't know, or at least one we have trouble applying. Let's see what he says the secrets to finding personal peace are:

1. Rejoice - "Always be full of the joy of the Lord."  - Well that one certainly isn't easy. Of course we aren't told that it's going to be easy, we're told that it will lead to personal peace. Rejoicing doesn't mean we are necessarily happy about our current circumstances. Rejoicing means that we trust God enough to find our joy in Him. Knowing that He is our Provider and that He loves us completely and perfectly.

How Do You Feel About Discipline?

My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when He corrects you.  For the Lord corrects those He loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom He delights. Proverbs 3:11-12  

I'd like to say I have a great attitude about the Lord's discipline, but I probably look more like this little girl than I'd like to admit.

• Arms crossed - closed off.
• NOT happy/pouting.
• Stubborn.
• Certain - it's not my fault.
• Thinking - I'll sit here, but I'm upset . . . really upset.

I hated "time out" as a child and I'm still not a fan.

I'd think: "I'm trying to do it right. I didn't mean to disobey. Don't my good intentions count for something?!"

Discipline is defined as: training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character; in athletics it is intended to improve strength and performance.