An unfiltered life

 It’s your outlook on life that counts. If you take yourself lightly and don’t take yourself too seriously, pretty soon you can find the humor in our everyday lives. 

                                          And sometimes it can be a lifesaver. –Betty White


I have a friend on Facebook who posts many, many pictures, every single day. Pictures of family, pictures of the city, perfect sunrises and sunsets—whatever strikes their fancy. They’re great pictures—and maybe that’s part of the problem: The pictures are always perfect!

 A child with a missing tooth suddenly has a full, perfect smile—and beautiful, perfect makeup, as well. The stain on their shirt: gone! That sunset that was so gorgeous in person now has a couple added clouds, or a bird—so unnecessary—making the image look straight out of Hallmark.

Now, if this makes them happy, great. But I believe when we document the less than perfect moments in life, it isn’t embarrassing; rather, it reminds me of our deep humanity, and the fact that while life may not be perfect, it’s awfully, awfully good.

 And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

 One of God’s greatest gifts to God’s children is laughter. Allow yourself to see the humor in everyday living. Laugh!


Monday Look closely in the mirror this morning. Take a look at what makes your beautiful face unlike anyone else’s. Give thanks and smile. Judges 4:1-2

Tuesday As the seasons continue to change, listen for unusual sounds outside your window. Some days, even the animals seem to be laughing! Enjoy! Psalm 123

Wednesday Today is Veterans Day in the US. If you know a veteran or see one today, thank them. We may never know how they saved the world. Judges 4:3-7

Thursday As the pandemic continues and school looks different for many children, pray today for teachers, for students and for those who keep them all safe. This is a strange and difficult world. Zephaniah 1:7; 12-18

Friday Are you triskaidekaphobic? Today is your day! Go ahead—knock on wood, step over that crack—and laugh at the ways we make sense of nonsense. Psalm 1

Saturday As you pray for yourself today, relax. You are perfect in God’s eye, and that’s what matters. Thanks be to God! 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Sunday Praise and worship in silence today. Spend time listening for God’s voice. Matthew 25:14-30

 

Laughter is the best medicine. –Proverbs 17:22

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stepping back. . . .

Image
Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and with a calm spirit.  Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever,  even if your whole world seems upset.  –St. Francis de Sales This week, I invite you to simply sit in a quiet space with words of hope and promise, and to remember, as Julian of Norwich knew, that all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well . It has been a long, difficult season. Advent and the coming of the Christ is just around the corner. Peace and comfort to your spirit. Monday   “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” Matthew 11:28-30 Tuesday  “Is this not the kind of fast I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” Isaiah 58:6-9 Wednesday  “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the
Read more

It's that time again. . . .

When the seasons shift, even the subtle beginning, the scent of a promised changed, I feel something stir inside me. Hopefulness? Gratitude? Openness?  Whatever it is,  it’s welcome. –Kristin Armstrong No matter what part of the world you call home, this time of year brings big changes. While my friends Down Under are watching sings of new growth emerge from the earth as temperatures rise, here in Ohio, the leaves are turning from green to gold and orange, red and brown. The winds have taken on a chill; clouds hang heavy, like soggy cotton, reminding us that soon and very soon, we are going to see the snow . Always different, yet somehow, the same. We depend on God’s eternal ways, and trust that again this year, winter will follow autumn, just like it should. So why is it, as we anticipate and appreciate changes like these, when it comes to so many things in life we pull up short, wrinkle our noses and say No! No change! I like things just the way they are! It’s t
Read more

Starting again

“This, then, is how you should pray:" --Matthew 6:9a I have been really sensing lately that there is another blog inside me, one focused on prayer.  Oh, I know-- those elephants are all about prayer. Heck, they  are  prayer. And I will continue there, as well. But what I've been feeling is that people-- maybe you--  have always been told, "You should pray," or "Pray about that." But maybe you feel your prayers aren't "good enough," or that it's just too hard, too embarrassing, too [fill in the blank] to pray. Maybe it feels like no one really talks about how  to pray-- except, of course, for Jesus, in Matthew 6 and a couple parallel passages where we are given what's come to be known as The Lord's Prayer. And it is a great prayer. And there are other great prayers, and other ways to pray that do not involve rote. So "my plan" here is to share, hopefully on a weekly or semi-regular basis, a lot of
Read more