Ignore The Weekly Reader

Growing up as a baby-boomer and attending West View Elementary School in Rockford, Illinois, one of  the highlights of any week of the 1960s was the distribution of the Weekly Reader. The Weekly Reader was a current events newspaper geared to elementary aged kids. I always enjoyed  the articles until "that day." That day when I opened up my Weekly Reader I stumbled on to an article with a chart that clearly defined annual family incomes as poor, low, middle and upper. I sort of knew what I thought my dad made per hour so I multiplied that out time 40 hours a week and 52 weeks a year. I did the math, looked down on the chart and came to the shocking realization that our family was low income according to the Weekly Reader editors.

I was shocked and was sure my parents had no idea about how dire our situation was. Surely this fact had slipped by them or how else could they be so happy? I was sure not going to break their hearts by letting them know. Dinner time came that night and I was much quieter than normal. Concerned my mom asked me, "Is everything OK? You seem so quiet tonight."  I could not hide my fear for them any longer. I pulled out the folded periodical I had stuffed in my back pocket and pointed to the chart. "Look at this. We are low income. We are on the verge of poor. The Weekly Reader says so!"

My wise mom smiled and asked me, "Did you get new jeans this year for school? Do you have a nice house and warm room to sleep in? Don't you have a nice bike and a baseball glove to play with your friends?"  I nodded and said, "Well, yes." "Then I think we are going to be OK," she said, and suddenly all was right again with the world.

It is interesting that the Bible tells us who we are and who we can be in Christ and we should be fine with that, but along comes the internet, media, commercials and self defeating comparison and we forget who we are and whose we are. Don't let this world define you as poor, inferior and defeated. Listen to the One who made you, knows you best and loves you most. Learn to count your blessings and ignore your Weekly Reader.

Don't Worry. Choose Happy!

“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln

Old honest Abe got it right. Do find yourself worrying about whether or not you are making this person happy or that person happy as if it was your duty to make others happy? Well here is some good new! Give it a rest. You do not even have the ability to make other people happy. Happiness is a choice and you and others have to choose to be happy in the midst of what is happening. The Bible calls it joy. A peace that cannot be understood because others base happiness on what is happening, while wise people realize joy is a choice in the midst of what is happening. So take the advice of honest Abe and don't worry, choose happy!

Sympathy or Solution?

It is really important to know when people want a solution from you, versus when they simply want sympathy from you. This is especially true for guys. If you are not convinced just check out this video and I think you will agree. I think the video hits the nail on the head or well, you get it.

Not lonely is not the same as in love

Young adults who leave the excitement and energy of so many friends from high school and college can often find themselves lonely and alone. Along comes someone that fills the gap of alone and POW!, that person may think they are in love. Don't make the simple mistake of thinking that the absence of loneliness is the same as love. You can be alone and not lonely, but you can also be lonely and not alone. Real love will put your best interest first (and by the way if you love them you will do the same). Many a lonely heart that found a partner thought they had a found a soulmate. Make sure as you leave college and launch out into the real world that you take time to be picky and choosy in your relationships even if they are harder to find than they were on campus. What you got ain't no nicknack! Don't trade love for simply not being lonely.

Maturity is the ability to postpone pleasure

Need a definition of maturity? Today's title is a pretty good one. The person who takes their own lunch to work instead of daily eating out chooses to pass on the Happy Meals in favor of a memorable feast of Filet Mignon. The person that keeps driving their used car just may be able to pay cash for a new ride down the road. You get the idea. Whether it is financial, moral, educational, spiritual or other; the person who postpones temporal pleasure in the short term gives them-self the opportunity to claim the greater and higher pleasures later. Many a senior wishes they had hit the books a bit harder as a freshman. Pay now and play later or play now and pay later. Maturity IS the ability to postpone pleasure.