"If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap.
If you want happiness for a day, go fishing.
If you want happiness for a week, get promoted.
If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune.
If you want happiness for a lifetime, help others."
Monday, December 14, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
You're Still a Good Man, Charlie Brown, by Chris Glazier
When I was a kid, I remember hearing adults complain about the holiday season. They would whine about how busy they were, how difficult traveling was and how tight finances were. I also remember thinking these people were insane. How could you complain about Christmas?
Of course, the older I get, the more I understand. When I was a kid, I didn't realize how busy, expensive and complicated this time of year gets. I didn't know how painful this time of year can be for lonely people. I didn't know about debates over politically correct phrases or that Santa and Jesus could be competing for our attention.
Few things about Christmas seem to be as special as they were when I was a kid, but there's one little pop-culture Christmas tradition that seems never to get old and remains special: A Charlie Brown Christmas.
There's something about good ol' Chuck's take on Christmas that seems to never age. For one thing, it's a great little movie. It's clever, well-written and features the timeless jazz recording from the Vince Guaraldi Trio, possibly the best Christmas music out there.
But, of course, the reason A Charlie Brown Christmas manages to stay fresh and powerful since its debut in 1965 is the fact that it features the real Christmas story. Every time Linus gets up to perform his poignant reading of Luke 2:8-14, I get the same chills that I got when I was a kid. It's a profoundly simple message delivered by an untrained child actor, but it somehow manages to convey the love of God every time I see it.
It's amazing that the little movie even managed to make it to the tube at all. When it was first made, producers balked at the child actors, jazz music and especially the Bible reading. They thought kids would be bored. But creator Charles Schulz, a Christian, was adamant about the movie, particularly the reading. A behind-the-scenes feature said that when producers talked to him about removing the scene, Schulz remarked, "If we don't tell the true meaning of Christmas, who will?"
Thank goodness he did. Now the good news of Jesus Christ humbling Himself and taking the form of human flesh gets aired to a national audience year after year, completely unedited. It still makes me feel like a kid every time I watch it, but more important, it reminds me what all this hubbub is truly about.
http://www.newmanmag.com/newmanreport/2009/12/youre-still-good-man-charlie-brown.html
Of course, the older I get, the more I understand. When I was a kid, I didn't realize how busy, expensive and complicated this time of year gets. I didn't know how painful this time of year can be for lonely people. I didn't know about debates over politically correct phrases or that Santa and Jesus could be competing for our attention.
Few things about Christmas seem to be as special as they were when I was a kid, but there's one little pop-culture Christmas tradition that seems never to get old and remains special: A Charlie Brown Christmas.
There's something about good ol' Chuck's take on Christmas that seems to never age. For one thing, it's a great little movie. It's clever, well-written and features the timeless jazz recording from the Vince Guaraldi Trio, possibly the best Christmas music out there.
But, of course, the reason A Charlie Brown Christmas manages to stay fresh and powerful since its debut in 1965 is the fact that it features the real Christmas story. Every time Linus gets up to perform his poignant reading of Luke 2:8-14, I get the same chills that I got when I was a kid. It's a profoundly simple message delivered by an untrained child actor, but it somehow manages to convey the love of God every time I see it.
It's amazing that the little movie even managed to make it to the tube at all. When it was first made, producers balked at the child actors, jazz music and especially the Bible reading. They thought kids would be bored. But creator Charles Schulz, a Christian, was adamant about the movie, particularly the reading. A behind-the-scenes feature said that when producers talked to him about removing the scene, Schulz remarked, "If we don't tell the true meaning of Christmas, who will?"
Thank goodness he did. Now the good news of Jesus Christ humbling Himself and taking the form of human flesh gets aired to a national audience year after year, completely unedited. It still makes me feel like a kid every time I watch it, but more important, it reminds me what all this hubbub is truly about.
http://www.newmanmag.com/newmanreport/2009/12/youre-still-good-man-charlie-brown.html
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Self Emage
All of us have three images: projected image, perceived image, and actual image. Your projected image is the way you desire others to see you. Your perceived image is how others see you. Your actual image is who you really are.
For so many, their perceived image is what matters most. Their reputation is of greater importance to them than the true motives of their hearts. This causes them to project themselves in the way they desire to be perceived. Their efforts are focused on appearances, status, titles, saving face and so forth.
Consider Jesus—He was rejected by many, slandered by the influential, lied about by the rulers, and viewed by the establishment as a heretic or even demon inspired. His perceived image was not favorable in the eyes of many, especially the notables. Yet His actual image was quite different, for Scripture states that He is the express image of the Father (see Hebrews 1:3).
Jesus was a person of integrity—He was the same with the people He met as He was with His Father. He did not boost His reputation and did not seek the accolades and approval of men. He only cared for what was important to His Father. That is our Father's goal for us, and it should be our goal as well.
"We must all appear and be revealed as we are before the judgment seat of Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:10, AMP). We must remember that our projected or perceived image is not what will be revealed before the entire assembly of heaven. Rather it will be our actual image, our true heart motives and intentions.
Paul continues: "It is because we know this solemn fear of the Lord that we work so hard."
(2 Corinthians 5:11, NLT). The fear of the Lord keeps us in touch with our actual image. The opposite is true as well: The more we lack the fear of the Lord, the more we lean upon our projected image.
You will serve who you fear. If you fear God, you'll obey God. If you fear man, you'll ultimately obey man's desires. For this reason, Proverbs tells us it is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you. (see Proverbs 29:25).
(John Bevere Chrisma newsletter, December 8, 2009)
http://www.charismamag.com/index.php/newsletters/daily-devotionals/live-extraordinarily/25547-self-image
For so many, their perceived image is what matters most. Their reputation is of greater importance to them than the true motives of their hearts. This causes them to project themselves in the way they desire to be perceived. Their efforts are focused on appearances, status, titles, saving face and so forth.
Consider Jesus—He was rejected by many, slandered by the influential, lied about by the rulers, and viewed by the establishment as a heretic or even demon inspired. His perceived image was not favorable in the eyes of many, especially the notables. Yet His actual image was quite different, for Scripture states that He is the express image of the Father (see Hebrews 1:3).
Jesus was a person of integrity—He was the same with the people He met as He was with His Father. He did not boost His reputation and did not seek the accolades and approval of men. He only cared for what was important to His Father. That is our Father's goal for us, and it should be our goal as well.
"We must all appear and be revealed as we are before the judgment seat of Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:10, AMP). We must remember that our projected or perceived image is not what will be revealed before the entire assembly of heaven. Rather it will be our actual image, our true heart motives and intentions.
Paul continues: "It is because we know this solemn fear of the Lord that we work so hard."
(2 Corinthians 5:11, NLT). The fear of the Lord keeps us in touch with our actual image. The opposite is true as well: The more we lack the fear of the Lord, the more we lean upon our projected image.
You will serve who you fear. If you fear God, you'll obey God. If you fear man, you'll ultimately obey man's desires. For this reason, Proverbs tells us it is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you. (see Proverbs 29:25).
(John Bevere Chrisma newsletter, December 8, 2009)
http://www.charismamag.com/index.php/newsletters/daily-devotionals/live-extraordinarily/25547-self-image
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