It's My Job

So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God.

Ecclesiastes 2:24 

 

I remember my very first job...I was a cook for Captain D's.  I didn't like the job because I would always come home smelling like fish and grease.  In fact, on Saturday's I had to spend the first four hours of the day hosing down the parking lot, then I got to go home for four hours only to come back and cook for another four hours.  

 

I found no joy in my job.  Until the day I was hosing off the parking lot when the garbage truck came in.  The stink was more horrible than the fish and grease, yet the guys working the truck were whistling, laughing, and having a great time.  Being curious, I asked how they could be so happy to be around that stink all the time.  The older guy smiled and said, "Son, to you, this is just a job.  To me, this is where God put me.  Who am I to tell God that He was wrong? I do this job with joy and will always be grateful that I have a job."

 

Needless to say, that got my young mind thinking.  On my way home, I heard a Jimmy Buffet song "It's My Job" which, I believe, God used to change my perspective.

 

It's been many (many, many) years since that day, and God has blessed me with a job I cannot imagine loving more. Each day I get to come in, enjoy interacting with those God brings my way, offering encouragement, hope, and perhaps a bit of wisdom.  How about you?  Miserable is a choice! Angry and Bitter are choices!  Happiness, Joy, Gratitude are Choices!  What will you choose?

Don't Harsh My Happy!

Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.”

Luke 11:28 

Have you ever heard someone say, "The Bible is nothing but a buzzkill!"?  I have.  People seem to have this idea that sinning is fun.  And, it's true, sinning IS fun.....for a while.  That is, until the consequences and repercussions start finding their way to us.  

When I as child, I would go with my Mom to the grocery store, and would beg her for some candy when we got to the checkout.  Finally, Mom gave in and got a roll of Lifesavers for me, and a roll for my brother.  Well....my roll didn't make it home because I ate them.  Later, I was playing in the back yard with our dachshund, and remembered there was another roll of Lifesavers on the counter for my brother, who had not come home from basketball practice yet.  So, the dog and I went into the house and got the Lifesavers and promptly went to our treehouse to eat them.

Everything was great until after dinner when Mom asked me if I had given my brother his Lifesavers.  The expression on my brother's face confirmed to Mom the truth, that I had not.  Needless to say, the consequences were swift and severe.  And when Dad got home, the repercussions got more made my sitting down quite painful for a while.  The sin of stealing the candy was fun...for a while.

Let's put it in more adult terms...an affair might be exciting and fun for a while...but lawyers will make sure the repercussions and consequences are severe.  Want another one, try abusing drugs....the high might be fun for a while, but there will be LONG term effects that will show up in your organs, not to mention the cravings your body will have and you will do more sinful things to get more.

Jesus reminds us that those who hear (listen and comprehend) the word of God and put it into practice are blessed.  Which is the better option?

Just Wanted You To Know

‘May the Lord bless you
    and protect you.
May the Lord smile on you
    and be gracious to you.
May the Lord show you his favor
    and give you his peace.’

Numbers 6:24-26

 

 This morning, I woke up early for no particular reason.  I went to sleep last night contemplating this blessing from the book of Numbers and it brought me peace, comfort, and gratitude.  Thus, I wanted to share this with you as a reminder that every single moment of every single day is a blessing if we choose to make it so.

 

Choose today for yourself to be blessed and be a blessing!  

What I Am Thankful For

Shout out praises to the Lord, all the earth!
Worship the Lord with joy!
Enter his presence with joyful singing!
Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us and we belong to him;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give him thanks!
Praise his name!
For the Lord is good.
His loyal love endures,
and he is faithful through all generations.

Psalm 100 

 

I am thankful for the opportunity to spend another day with my Bride.

I am thankful for the companionship of Woody.

I am thankful for the peace and quiet.

I am thankful to NOT be on Harbison Blvd this weekend.

I am thankful for those who love me, often in spite of myself.

I am thankful for the opportunity to have a job that I LOVE and for the bosses who let me do it.

I am thankful for God's blessing of having enough to each and enough to share.

I am thankful for elastic waistbands.

I am thankful for those who are protecting me today.

I am thankful for those who God has chosen to bring to mind us to discuss.

I am thankful for YOU!

I am thankful for a church home where the pastors are actually REAL people, without facades?

I am thankful for the chance to take a nap.

I am thankful for the little things like being able to turn on the faucet and have fresh water.

I am thankful for having coffee!  LOTS AND LOTS OF COFFEE!!

I am thankful for the chance to be thankful.

 

What are you thankful for?