Nice Hair

I found this on the Internet and wanted to share it. What a great devotion about attitude!

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and saw that she had only three hairs on her head. “Great,” she said, “I think I’ll braid my hair today.”
So she did, and had a wonderful day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head. “Hmm,” she said, “I guess I’ll part my hair down the middle.” So she did, and had a wonderful day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only one hair left on her head. “Wow,” she said, “today I get to wear my hair in a pony tail.” So she did, and had a wonderful, wonderful day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that there wasn’t a single hair on her head. “Thank God!” she exclaimed. “I was running out of things to do with my hair!” ATTITUDE is everything! Let’s be grateful for the things God has given us and have a wonderful day!

Father, thank-you for life. remind us to be thankful for what we have, and not sad for what we don't. In Jesus name, Amen.

Concentric Circles

In Geometry, concentric circles are defined as circles that have the same center point. You can create concentric circles by tossing a rock into a pond. After the rock hits the water, ripples or waves form and flow out from the center. These circles grow larger as they continue flowing away from the center. This is precisely what happens during a tsunami. The waves from a tsunami can travel up to 500 miles per hour and thousands of miles from the center. These waves travel out in all directions with incredible energy. I guess we will never forget the tsunami of 2004 that killed thousands of people. The power created by these concentric circles is unbelievable!

When we put Jesus in charge and at the center of our lives, many things change for the better. We become happier, live more peacefully, and gain tons of hope. Like ripples on a pond, these changes flow out from us in all directions and have the power to change others. Have you ever known someone who had such an electric personality that you were drawn to them? You can also have that kind of personality that draws people to you. And when people are drawn to you, they will see Christ as the reason. Just toss the Solid Rock that is our Savior into the center of your life. The ripples that result can be very powerful!

Proverbs 3:6 says, "In all thy ways, acknowledge Him and he shall direct thy path."

Father, I am proud to have You at the center of my life. I ask you to help me win souls for Your Kingdom, according to Your perfect will. In Jesus name, Amen.

Peter Or Judas?

We all make mistakes. We go through stages of strengths and weaknesses. I guess that is what it means to be human. Like a football or baseball team that plays in a game, there will be some winning and some losing. The key is not if you win or lose, it is what you do after the game that matters. When you lose a game, it most definitely hurts. I have played sports my whole life and have been on more losing teams than winning ones. I know the feeling of getting beaten badly. But each time I had to make a choice. I could either give up, or I could move on to the next game. It is impossible to do both. One must make a decision, and then put their whole heart and soul into that decision.

In the New Testament, we learn a little about Judas and Peter. Both were disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ. Both were eager to learn all about Jesus. But both also made a terrible mistake. Judas betrayed the Lord, and Peter denied Him, even after he said he would never deny Him. The difference, though, was in what they did after their mistake. After both men realized they failed the Lord miserably, they took different paths. Judas gave up and committed suicide. But Peter decided to learn from his mistake, and as a result, he became an even stronger follower of Jesus. We, too, are faced with two options when we fail miserably. We can either learn from the experience like Peter, or we can wallow in our sin and never grow spiritually like Judas. Which one will you choose?

Revelation 21:7 says, "He that overcometh shall inherit all things."

Father, teach us to be like Peter. We can't avoid mistakes. But through Your perfect Power, we can overcome our mistakes. In Jesus name, Amen.

One Pink Sock

Tuesdays and Thursdays are my long days, as I teach at the college at night after teaching all day at the high school. I got home last night around 9. I was pretty sleepy but decided to get a load of red clothes started in the washer. I did not notice the white sock that also went in with the load of reds. Needless to say, I now have one bright pink sock! So I either have to throw that sock away, or wash another white sock with reds so I can have a match. Since Pink is not my color, I think I will just toss that one "pretty" sock.

When we want to have a positive attitude, hanging around negative people is like being the lone white sock in a load of red clothes. Their negativeness will bleed over on us, causing us to also be negative. Like everybody else, I have a few co-workers with a very negative attitude. I don't think they are happy unless they are fussing about something. As I hang around them, I do find myself taking on their attitude. It is best to avoid them as much as possible, but sometimes you just can't. That's when we have to be extra careful not to copy their bad habits. Yes, we are all negative from time to time. But we need to limit this behavior as much as possible. As a Christian, what is there have a negative attitude about anyway? God's alive and Jesus saves! If a negative attitude can rub off on positive people, then a positive attitude can rub off on negative people. Negative or positive? It's completely our choice.

Philippians 4:12 says, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."

Father, help us to remain positive even when we have to encounter those people who are negative. Help us to bleed over on them, and not the other way around. In Jesus name, Amen.

Capture The Enemy

It was on this day in 1945 that U.S. marines raised the American flag on Iwo Jima. The 36-day assault saw heavy casualties on both sides. Of the 22,000 Japanese fighting soldiers, just a little over 1000 survived. Although there were many American deaths, over 6800, the battle campaign proved successful, as Iwo Jima was a very strategic location. It was occupied by the U.S. until 1968, when it was returned to Japan. To be successful, the American marines had to become experts at capturing their enemies. The Japanese dug thousands of underground tunnels and trenches. It was hard for the Americans to even find the Japanese soldiers, let alone capture them. But the training and expert command of the Americans proved the difference in the battle.

We are all fighting a spiritual war today. The war is raging on the battle fields of our minds. What is our enemy? Negative thoughts. Have you ever been around somebody who was always negative? It has a way of rubbing off on us. The opposite of that is also true. I just love to be around positive people. For us to remain positive, we must capture all our negative thoughts before they take root. God is our Battle General, and He has trained us well for this war. Today, let's make a true attempt at capturing our negative thoughts. It won't be easy. In fact, sometimes it will be very difficult. But we have a secret weapon....prayer! Are you ready to let God transform your thoughts? Are you ready to win this battle?

Proverbs 16:7 says, "When a man's ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him."

Father, please help me fight off negative thoughts today. I know that through You, I can do all things. In Jesus name, Amen.