I Yam What I Yam (Popeye)

I Yam what I Yam "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," (Philippians 4-13) Was Popeye a philosopher? Cartoonists often are. When confronted with difficult situations, Popeye would say, "I yam what I yam?" gulp down his spinach and defend right. We are not all Popeyes, and we are expected to conform, often to standards below our Christian faith standards, and may face difficulties if we do not. It is necessary to understand who we are and what we are and keep the Lord in our daily lives. We need our "spinach." . In many ways, we are continually fighting image syndrome. Quite often, we get flack because we don't fit in. Conformity is the word, and clones are the result. How did some prophets or John the Baptist fit in with the rest of their society? Probably not too well at times, and they were special. The truth is you are you. You are who God created you to be, and he wants you to know who you are and understand your individual characteristics. No one else is exactly like you. God created you and then broke the mold. You are unique, and it is all right to be you. Don't let others shape you. That is God's task. He started with you, will finish with you, and will be with you. He is our spinach. He does want you to be you. Thought for the Day: Let us search for the person God wants us to be to serve him better. Prayer: Heavenly Father, as we travel through our weekly chores, we need to see a way to help You. We often lose track of our plan; sometimes, we are too busy and do not understand it. This week, we pray that we may find a better way to serve You and make life better for everyone. Amen.

Don't Fake It

Don't Fake IT "Woe to you …you hypocrites! … on the outside, you appear to people as righteous, but on the inside, you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness." (Matthew 23v27) One of my favorite themes is being true to our faith by being open and honest. Too many people in the world have a different reality than Christians. Openness comes with some social consequences. As Christians, we are taught that the world has an abundance supplied by God, and I believe that is true, but there is a significant distribution problem. It is as if the resources are limited. In America and throughout most of the world, life is competitive. Dealing with the wealth of Western civilization and how it relates to Christianity is scary. Recently, when discussing a stewardship campaign at our church, it was mentioned that we would not need the government to run social programs if all Christians would tithe. That would be great. Each of us needs to be as good as we can be to contribute to the positive factor in society. We need to take social risks to reach our real rewards. "He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior." (Psalm 24v4,5) Thought for Today: We must choose today to be straight and true or hold back a bit. We must make tough choices and keep a pure heart to improve the world around us. Prayer for Today: Dear heavenly Father, thank you for the many blessings and opportunities you bring. This week we pray for the chance to demonstrate our faith to others, to help. We pray to be able to do your will here on earth. Amen