Fresh

My favorite synonym for fresh is spanking new. It’s a reference to birth, as new as you can be. Solomon in total despair claimed there is nothing new under the sun but he was looking in all the wrong places. If we’ll focus on what’s beyond the sun, the One who placed it there and holds it in its place everything is new and not just once but a continual new, each day fresh and full of promise, each moment an opportunity to see and respond to the uniqueness God’s presenting. Born again and again… spanking new.

Outcast

Rejection is all around; we’ve all experienced it and know its pain. But how often do we look for those around us that could use a smile, a hug and a friend? Each day we’re given chances to counter the lies of rejection faced by folks near to us. Let’s not miss those chances today.

Looking Out, Not Looking In

“An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered.” — G.K. Chesterton

What inconvenience will come your way today and how will you see it?

Give and Get, Not Give to Get

There’s so much encouragement to be given, the need may be greater than ever before. Chances are good; you could use a little yourself. How about looking for the opportunity to lift someone up today? I’ll bet you find yourself uplifted as well.

This encouraged me this morning, again from E. Stanley Jones:

“If you look within you’ll be discouraged, if you look around you’ll be distracted, if you look back you’ll be paralyzed; But if you look at Jesus you’ll have peace.”

A Little Voice Inside My Head

“Said don’t look back you can never look back. I thought I knew what love was, what did I know? Those days are gone forever, I should just let them go but-” We don’t have to fall into the same old traps, habits and patterns that we fell into yesterday. This is a brand new day filled with the opportunity to receive and then give away the perfect love of our God. The choice is ours, let’s not keep making the wrong one(s).

This Day

This day has been set aside by the Lord. He’s filled it with opportunities for us to love the people around us. He’s going to reveal needs that folks have and equip us with what will bring them comfort and healing. Oh what a beautiful day it will be.

Stay Focused

Don’t let the busyness of the world around you keep you from taking the Lord into every aspect of your day. Slow down enough to listen, He wants to share with you. The day God has planned for you is far better than the day you have planned for yourself. Don’t be afraid of getting off the beaten path and don’t get frustrated by interruptions that alter your well planned day. Chances are they are opportunities He has brought your way. Love those near you well.

The Power of a Smile

If you’ve visited here regularly you’ve probably come across something I’ve written about smiling. Yesterday I had the opportunity to test out my belief in the power of a smile. We were around a ton of people from every walk in life and from all over the world. We must have heard twenty different languages. Never was a smile not returned and in many cases you could see a drastic change in countenance as returning a smile seemed to release the concern of the moment. I’m going to try it again today.

Choosing

Today most of us have the opportunity to choose our attitude. Will today be crappy or will we find the good amidst the rubbish? There’s never a shortage of things to complain about and sometimes we have to look really hard to find the beauty. But it’s there and well worth finding.

In the Beginning

God loved you. There’s never been a moment since when that’s untrue. No matter how well we might know His love there’s even more to be known. Today is an opportunity to realize His special affection for you in a new and deeper way. Let Him show you.