The Extra Degree: Versus

Have you ever been to the eye doctor for an exam? As the doctor is trying to figure out what prescription of lenses are best he will use this contraption with lots of lens types in it. You will go through a series of combinations. During that part of the examination he will ask questions like "1 or 2? 2 or 3? A or B? B or C?" Some combinations will be noticeably different where others will not be that different at all. (on a personal note, I love having the eye exams).

So, it is "A vs. B" or "1 vs. 2"...which one are you going to choose? In lenses it will be the one that you can see better. But which menu item are you going to choose when so many choices look good? Or which choice are you going to choose when it comes to moral versus immoral? Fun versus disciplined? Integrity versus compromise?

There can be some tough choices in life when the concept of "versus" is presented. That concept is what we focused on during our lesson on Sunday. Here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

• Say "No" ~ Sometimes people can just expect so much out of you that you don't have time anymore for the important things. In those times, saying "no" to people can be a way to go the extra degree. Other times, people can ask or tempt you to do something you know you shouldn't do, so saying "no" may keep you out of a lot of trouble for the future.
• Chin Lift ~ When life hands you some overwhelming challenges - peers, finances, self-esteem, affairs - it can be hard to pick yourself up and take that next step. Even with that next step you may be just wanting to walk through life with your chin down. Go beyond that and lift the chin. It makes me think of the the song "Tomorrow" in the movie Annie, "just pick up my chin and grin and say, 'Tomorrow, tomorrow, you're only a day away.'" Keep going! Lift the chin!
• Kill 'em With Kindness ~ Has someone knocked you down a few notches? Was it undeserving? Fight back with kindness. They will most likely hate that, but you will be doing good things after they were doing bad
• Pray Ahead of Time ~ You never know when you will be faced with an important "versus" decision. So, pray in advance that you will be able to make a good decision, even if you do not know even the capacity it will show itself in.

I wish things could be easy in life and I'm sure you'd agree. Though it is not easy, getting over the hump of the hard decisions will give closure to matters. As you go through life, consider the freedom and joy that will come from going the better way when you are met with a "versus" situation.

Now it's your turn...what "versus" situations have you encountered in the past two weeks? Maybe that you gave in to or you won over?

Math Alternative

Learning arithmetic has a natural progression. Start off with addition, then its counterpart, subtraction. Then, you learn multiplication, then its counterpart, division. Within each of those are learning to handle fractions and decimals. After that, algebra creeps up on us. If you're "lucky" you get into calculus. There are many areas that I didn't even mention which are incorporated in mathematics.

How did you do with math in school? Did it not take very long to arrive at your ultimate frustration point? Was it the "tables", the proofs of geometry, or the unknowns of calculus? As much as we use math in every day life, there is a math alternative which is mentioned in this week's quote...

The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings. ~ Eric Hoffer

Blessings are the areas of math we take for granted. They are the "knowns" of the equation. We "know" they are supposed to be there. We "know" we should be receiving them. However, we often overlook them; treating them like the "unknown" variable(s).

You know the blessings are there, in the equation of life, but just can seem to locate them...why is that? May I encourage you to look harder. Asking the question, "What is good in your life" can be like asking a child "What did you learn today in school?" They often say, "I don't know" or "Nothing."

Write down or make a mental list of all the positives in your life. You have life, that is one. You fill in the rest.

As a math alternative, add up the blessings...they're often the hardest, but the most worth it!

Adding them up...

E-mail Encouragement: Becoming a Prophet

Some may define it as a pessimist, where others, a realist. Either way, unfortunately, I tend to look at some things in such a way as to not get my balloon popped. I am thankful that my wife is an optimist and can keep me from being a rut when it comes to goal setting.

With that being said, this week’s quote hit home with me…

If you keep on saying things are going to be bad, you have a good chance of becoming a prophet. ~ Isaac Bashevis Singer

Recently, I gave a group of people an article that starts off with the sentence “Fear kills vision!” When it comes to doing things for God, if we have fear about it, then we will stop looking for the possibilities it will bring if we do it. If there was someone you were wanting to share Jesus with, but you kept saying negative things about trying – you wouldn’t have the vision to see past your fears. It would also make you a pretty good prophet – because you would talk yourself out of trying.

Who will be in your path today that you can share Jesus with (in whatever way)? The answer for most is “I don’t know.” The response, then, is to pay attention to everyone you come in contact with – they may be the one you were meant to share with that day. But, if you say bad things about sharing with someone, then you will most likely, and unfortunately, become a prophet!

Especially in this case, don’t become a prophet by saying negative things about the opportunities God gives to share about Jesus! Instead, say positive things about those opportunities, and become a prophet that way!

May God richly bless the end of your week!!!

Looking forward to today’s open doors ~