Daily Rules
“Daily Rules from God” arrived via
the internet. Perhaps you have seen it.
I had not, but thought it worth sharing.
Not bad counsel for our lives and it
just seemed to fit summer time. I hope
you enjoy, and practice, these Daily
Rules:
1. Wake Up!! Decide to have a
good day. “Today is the day the
Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Psalm 118:24
2. Dress Up!! The best way to
dress up is to put on a smile. A
smile is an inexpensive way to improve
your looks. “The Lord does
not look at the things man looks at.
Man looks at outward appearance; but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7
3. Shut Up!! Say nice things
and learn to listen. God gave us
two ears and one mouth, so He
must have meant for us to do twice
as much listening as talking. “He
who guards his lips guards his soul.”
Proverbs 13:3
4. Stand Up!! … For what you
believe in. Stand for something or
you will fall for anything. “Let us
not be weary in doing good; for at
the proper time, we will reap a harvest
if we do not give up. Therefore,
as we have opportunity, let us do
good…”
Galatians 6:9-10
5. Look Up!! … To the Lord. “I
can do everything through Christ
who strengthens me.”
Philippians 4:13
6. Reach Up!! … For something
higher. “Trust in the Lord with all
your heart, and lean not unto your
own understanding. In all your
ways, acknowledge Him, and He will
direct your path.”
Proverbs 3:5-6
7. Lift Up!! … Your prayers.“Do not worry about anything; instead
PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING.”
Philippians 4:6
I’ll see you at the “Practicing
Place” this Sunday!
**** **** **** ****
The Lake Wobegon Man
on Methodists
I am a fan of Garrison Keillor of National
Public Radio fame (The Writer’s
Almanac and Prairie Home Companion).
Keillor has a way of saying things that
get us to look at ourselves. His perspective
on we Methodists has been around
for a while and still gets sent to me now
and then by folks who apparently like
Garrison as much as I do. Keillor portrays himself as a Lutheran on his Saturday
evening Prairie Home Companion
show, but he might just be a “closet”
Methodist. As you will see, he knows us
pretty well. He writes:
“We make fun of Methodists for their
blandness, their excessive calm, their fear of
giving offense, their lack of speed, and also
for their secret fondness for macaroni and
cheese.
But nobody sings like them. If you were
to ask an audience in New York City, a relatively
Methodistless place, to sing along on
the chorus of “Michael Row the Boat
Ashore,” they will look daggers at you as if
you had asked them to strip to their underwear.
But if you do this among Methodists,
they’d smile and row that boat ashore and
up on the beach! And down the road!
Many Methodists are bred from childhood
to sing in four-part harmony, a talent
that comes from sitting on the lap of someone
singing alto or tenor or bass, and hearing
the harmonic intervals by putting your
little head against that person’s rib cage.
It’s natural for Methodists to sing in
harmony. We are too modest to be soloists,
too worldly to sing in unison. When you’re
singing in the key of C and you slide into the
A7th and D7th chords, all two hundred of
you, it’s an emotionally fulfilling moment. By
our joining in harmony, we somehow promise
that we will not forsake each other.
I do believe this: People, these Methodists,
who love to sing in four-part harmony
are the sort of people you can call up when you’re in deep distress. If you’re dying, they
will comfort you. If you are lonely, they’ll
talk to you. And if you’re hungry, they’ll give
you tuna salad.
Methodists believe in prayer, but would
practically die if asked to pray out loud. Methodists like to sing, except when
confronted with a new hymn or a hymn with
more than four stanzas.
Methodists believe their pastors will
visit them in the hospital, even if they don’t
notify them that they are there.
Methodists usually follow the official
liturgy and will feel it is their way of suffering
for their sins.
Methodists believe in miracles and even
expect miracles, especially during their
stewardship campaigns or when passing the
plate.
Methodists think that the Bible forbids
them from crossing the aisle while passing
the peace.
Methodists drink coffee as if it were the
Third Sacrament.
Methodists feel guilty for not staying to
clean up after their own wedding reception
in the Fellowship Hall.
Methodists are willing to pay up to one
dollar for a meal at the church.
Methodists still serve Jell-O in the
proper liturgical color of the season and
think that peas in a tuna casserole add too
much color.
Methodists believe that it is OK to poke
fun at themselves and never take themselves
too seriously.”
OK. So we have our idiosyncrasies.
It makes us who we are and the Body of
Christ is more complete because there
are people called Methodists.
I’ll see you at the “Methodist Place”
this Sunday!
**** **** **** ****
The 100 Thing
Challenge
Lisa McLaughlin wrote in the June
16, 2008, issue of Time magazine
about a new movement in America:
The 100 Thing Challenge. I share a
portion of the article here for those of
you who are trying to live a more simple
life.
“Excess consumption is practically
an American religion. But as anyone
with a filled-to-the-gills closet knows,
the things we accumulate can become
oppressive. With all this stuff piling up
and never quite getting put away, we’re
no longer huddled masses yearning to
breathe free; we’re huddled masses
yearning to free up space on a countertop.
Which is why people are so intrigued
by the 100 Thing Challenge, a
grass- roots movement in which otherwise
seemingly normal folks are pledging
to whittle down their possessions to
a mere 100 items.”
The Challenge was begun by Dave
Bruno, who one day realized that his
family’s belongings were weighing him
down. He started to purge. As of early
June he is down to five dress shirts and
one necktie. Bruno is not down to the
magic 100 items yet, but he has given
up his guitar, an iPod and a baseball
jersey signed by Pete Rose.
“It comes down to the products vs.
the promise,” says organizational consultant
Peter Walsh. “It’s not necessarily
about the new pots and pans but the
idea of the cozy family meals that they
will provide. People are finding that
their homes are full of stuff, but their
lives are littered with unfulfilled promises.”
I am not sure I want to pare down
to 100 items in my personal inventory. I think I have more than 100 baits in my
tackle box and I am convinced I could
not do without each of them! Still, it is
intriguing to attempt to live more simply;
to do with less; and to discover
that, indeed, “less is (sometimes)
more.” My wife, bless her, has gotten
us down to four towels and only 2 sets
of sheets. Maybe with her help I will
make some real progress toward simplicity.
Our church is collecting “stuff” to
benefit Connections for Life. You can
bring your items to the church on Sunday,
June 29 (we will even unload your
car). Give it a shot—it may be a great
way to help the summer feel better and
you will have the satisfaction of helping
a wonderful ministry.
I’ll see you at the “Uncluttering
Place” this Sunday!
