Deal of the Day.......

My Thought for this Day.....Every morning I wake up to an Inbox full of 'Deals of the Day'. They are from book people, clothes people, home furnishings people; the list goes on and on. What I don't get in my Inbox, but what is my Deal of the Day ....everyday....is attitude. It's my free choice. It's my Deal. Shall I be angry? Resentful? Grateful? Caring? Kind? Jealous? Thankful? The list goes on and on. My choices are endless. It's truly the biggest Deal of my Day. And yours.

Scab.......

My Thought for this Day......We all have emotional scabs of life. Some of us have superficial ones, and some have raw, deep, wide open wounds. And sometimes it is impossible to let them go. And so we pick at them and open them up and we are right back in the rawness. I pray that today, you can allow your wounds to heal. Maybe just for today. Don't try to fight the battle of life; fight the battle of today. And stop picking at your scabs, if even for an hour.

World.........

This is from two years ago.......it is long, and made longer as I have added at the bottom. My Thought for this Day.....I am headed west and I have left a large part of my heart in the Parkland NICU. I have held Titus, I have watched him have sweet baby dreams, I have seen him already get mad at his Daddy for moving him, and I was told by the nurses that he is so popular, they have had to ban the all the docs and nurses that aren't associated with the NICU from coming to see him. His mama is also a star at Parkland and Titus has joined that club. His mom and dad married 3 years ago this coming Monday and two days later she stepped into Parkland as an Ob/Gyn resident. This coming Wednesday she will begin her fourth and final year of residency as one of the Chief Residents. Now to my thought. This world is never easy, but always ours. Titus decided to join us early and is living in a Baby 5 star hotel....this according to his father. But he also is having to be strong and catch up to where he needs to be. He is getting the job done with a mighty heart and a courageous spirit. So tiny souls can teach us all to fight our own battles and not step over the stripes into judgement and criticism of whoever is driving in the lane next to you. We are meant to run a race...the human race. And while we must form our own values and while it is okay to disagree; it is not okay to hate. This little boy and all the other innocent children need a safe, strong world in which to flourish. Why can't we, as adults, understand it is up to us to build, not destroy. Emmie loves her Titus Dax Brannan with every fiber of her being. My prayer is that his future world is not built on the notion that 'I am right, and you are wrong!' My prayer is that in his life he will see people understand that it is okay to disagree; it is not okay to hate and kill and lash out in violent ways. My Thought for this Day........Titus won his battle; he is a rough and tumble two year old. Aly won her battle; she is now an established OB/GYN. Dax won his battle; he has an amazing family whom he loves more than even I have words to express. Yet, we have lost our battle. Today the world is more hateful and violent and irrational than anyone might have imagined two years ago. We are standing on the periphery of self destruction. We are living with the law of self promotion as king. We are blatantly turning our backs on the common laws of humankind and showing an ignorance in our existence that is mind numbing. We are, in a nutshell, eating the apple in the Garden of Eden. And this, my friends, is what is being handed to our children on a tarnished silver platter. I pray for us all. I pray especially for those who can not yet defend themselves. They will suffer the aftermath of our bitterness and self supremacy and violence and terrible spewing of hate. And it is more heartbreaking than I can fathom. And it is our legacy to our children, and grandchildren and those who deserve so much more. And it is, to me, heartbreaking. We are supplying the hand-basket and the paved road.

Foot....

My Thought for this Day........At the foot of which master do you choose to sit? Money? Power? Superiority? Grace? Kindness? Generosity? There is a telling in your choice. There is a lesson in your choice. For when you arise, you have become that choice.

First..........

My Thought for this Day........I think we live in days of firsts and lasts. We are pushed to be first. We internally want the last....the last word....the last insult....the last action. And because we dwell on the last, we miss out on so many firsts. So today, be the first to walk away from an argument, a situation, a destructive conversation. Just. Walk. Away. And then look at the beautiful vista of the day without having to stay connected to something or someone who causes you pain and anger. This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.

Sail.........

My Thought for this Day.......I think at times, if not all the time, women see themselves as the person responsible for holding everybody together. We take on problems; we try to solve situations; we put ourselves in the third road seat. Listen well, if you are always the anchor, you are drowning under the water of your world. Sometimes, you have to be the sail. Give yourself these moments of the sun and the sky and the wind in your hair.

Today.....

My Thought for this Day.......Let this day be the time for emptying your backpack of unnecessary people and things. Ease your burden. Lighten your load. Make room for the positive by turning loose of the negative. Life is beautiful when you carry the wonderful.

Pages.......

My Thought for this Day......Some days are blank pages filled with never ending questions and concerns. Yet there are also days when silence erupts into joyful noise and you are supplied just what you need, exactly when you need it. It is then you realize again, with that deep-seated, unshakeable knowledge, that there is a Master Plan written by the Master of Life.

Actions....

My Thought for this Day....Do you sometimes rationalize your behaviors? I think we all do. It's a human frailty . And a dangerous one. It's excuses. It's justification; it's convincing ourselves we are right when we very well may be wrong. It is weakness to hide unjust behavior. Be careful in your actions.

Mind.......

My Thought for this Day......You are not alone in your head. Crazy, I know. But the fact of the matter is you're not. People who are influencing or have influenced your life are sharing the rooms of your mind. Be very careful when handing out mental keys. It is your existence, your path, your character...seek the wise, the generous, the fair thinker to room in your mind dorm. Raise the rent on those who guide with opportunism, self-centeredness and retaliation. It is your Lodge of Living; be selective in your tenants.

Teacher.......

My Thought for this Day.....Everyday you're a teacher. With each word, action, gesture, you are holding class. Someone is watching and learning. What do you teach....anger, joy, humiliation, kindness, honesty? What are in your lesson plans today?

Kind.......

My Thought for this Day......Be kind! Is this so dang hard? Be kind to your kids, your mate, your friends, your animals, the elderly, the cashier at the grocery store. Just BE KIND! It's not a hard concept. Why can't we just be kind? Has life sucked the kind out of us? You are not entitled to anything that makes you superior. You are not better than your fellow man. In fact, if you aren't kind, you are far inferior. I'm not an idiot; I know there are situations where kindness is stupidity. But I will bet that 98% of your world deserves kindness. You can't control ISIS, or terrorists, or mad men, or abusers. And again, they don't deserve kindness. My heart aches for those people who live in fear, and there are plenty. But let's be clear, just maybe your kind word or action is the only thing that will be a sweet moment for them. I'm sick to tears, literally, of this damaged world in which we live. And I'm wise enough to know I can't control it. What I can control is me. Be kind!

Believe....

From the Past........because I think it bears repeating. My Thought for this Day.......I believe we are all given a life we waste. I believe that we allow minutes, hours and days to pass without true appreciation. I believe the earth is wondrous and the greatest art ever painted. I believe we possess more talent than we can ever imagine. I believe the Bible is the most read, respected AND neglected book on the planet. I believe we will never truly know the meaning of love in this life. I believe the human body is a machine so complex that no doctor, nor scientist can or will ever truly understand it, and its MAKER, the molder of life. I believe we don't give ourselves the chance to develop our true strengths, nor realize the hindering of our weaknesses. I believe if we all contributed what we are capable of sharing, the outcome would not be understandable. I believe we are living in a world of instantaneous rewards and regrets. I believe friends are absolutely, without a doubt, one of the biggest phenomenons in our lives. I believe families should at times unite and also at times separate. I believe children are the most mold-able creatures alive. I believe we are at the tip of the iceberg of what technology will reach and that none of us has the capacity to see what is before us. I also believe this technology is a blessing as well as a curse. I believe when we become robots, we lose our usefulness.I believe to open one's eyes to a new day is to have another chance to make a difference in ourselves as well as what surrounds us. I believe most of us squander this opportunity. I believe that the uniqueness of each of us, both separates and draws together. I believe faith is one of, if not the most, important emotions of life. I believe we owe not only ourselves but those who have come before and those who will come after the respect of taking care of our fellow man. I believe we, for the most part, are selfish creatures who turn our backs on needs that are in our own back yards. I believe no one lives the life of power of which they are capable. I also believe with 100 % of my heart that Ask with true Faith and Goodness and you will receive that which is meant for you......and then it is up to you to take that gift and share it with a world full of need. These are some of my beliefs. These are some of my faults. These are some of my biggest blessings.

May.........

My Thought for this day........May you look through the ugly to see the beauty. May you push through the mundane to see the spectacular. May you carry your burdens with strength. And may you never cease to realize that understanding is not necessarily the answer. Be blessed; be mighty; be delighted in your walk.

Joy......

My Thought for this Day.......And on the days when life knocks you to your knees, maybe that's where you should stay. On your knees, hands raised and opened, and let the Joy that comes only from above slowly drip from your fingertips to your heart. There is power in supplication. There is life in receivership.

Blessings.....

My Thought for this Day........When you count your blessings, don't miss the David's and only concentrate on the Goliath's. Its so easy to overlook the pebbles, as you dance from boulder to boulder.

Embrace......

My Thought for this Day......I wonder what you let change your heart? Do you allow gossip to weave its thorny vine around it? Do you look only at the superficial appearance of people and turn and walk away with a hardened heart? Do you stereotype your fellow man by race and ethnicity, thus missing out on a wealth of histories and cultures? Are you missing the melting pot of the human race? Does your mind cry out "Not like me, so not good"? Think long and hard about just exactly what you might be missing. You are a tiny speck in a huge eternal world. Can't you see that if you put blinders on your existence , you are overlooking the absolutely enormous gift of life in all its millions of facets? What a shame. Embrace yourself with a coat of many fabrics, and colors. Each thread is special. Each stitch God given.

Sing...

My Thought for this Day.......Each morning you awaken to a world that has revolved while you slept. Joyous things have occurred. Tragedies have happened. People have laughed and cried and fought, lost, or won. This morning I awakened to a son on his way to Urgent Care with the upper part of his body covered in ugly welts and hives, a nephew-in-law slowly making his way down a hospital hallway after a motorcycle wreck, and the news of the passing of a sweet friend's sister-in-law. Each happening a deeper degree of rawness, seriousness. So my Thought is trite and repetitive. You never know life's circumstances. But let's delve deeper, we aren't supposed to know. That is not our job, our task, our lesson plan. Our duty is to, in every situation, seek not the meaning, that is fruitless, but seek the humanness. No one is above life. No one gets a free pass. No one walks unscathed. And when you stand in your bright, shiny, sparkling light, realize that you are one breath away from darkness. I'm not being maudlin; I'm being realistic. You are a bird with a song. Sing it.

Right.....

My Thought for this Day......Doing the right thing. It's honorable. It's applaudable. But even more is thinking the right thing. No one knows your thoughts so applause is silent. This is the greater moral code.

God....

My Thought for this Day.....On this beautiful Sunday morning I hope you realize that God is not hiding around a corner. He is standing in plain sight wanting, oh so badly, to welcome you unto Him. I think many of us, from time to time, play the He's not here game. And we become so mired in our problems, we are truly blind. Open my eyes to see You. Open my ears to hear You. Open my heart to receive You. Rest is assuredly mine. How incredibly wonderful is this. I know that I don't usually send out Thoughts quite like this. I feel so inadequate in my pulpit. But for some reason this morning, this is my heart to yours. Have a Blessed Day.

Energy......

My Thought for this Day......Don't let someone else's negative erase your positive.

Feather=Treasure

Because it is summertime my Thought for this Day will not appear at 7a.m., nor most probably at 8a.m. I have turned into a slug. They will be serendipitous and not scheduled. Maybe I have no thoughts until I see something like this. My Thought for this Day.....A little feather was picked up out of our drive by Titus, our grandson, this past Sunday, and brought inside. Somehow his treasure was left behind and now it is our treasure. I can picture his chubby little fingers grasping it and then the serious look on that sweet face as he studied it for several minutes. And I am reminded that treasures aren't silver and gold; they are tiny fingers holding a new object and wonder on a precious face. Life abounds in the most simple circumstances. Don't let it pass you by.