Put a smile on your face

If you are a person who listens to the news, be it TV, radio, newspaper, or Internet, chances are you are discouraged and probably somewhat worried and apprehensive. Reporters make their living digging up the worst they can find and putting the worst possible spin on every situation. Good news does not sell! Case in point, the little girl from Utah who was recently found alive after nine months. This is great news, yet the media is concentrating on whether or not she had sex with her kidnapper. They take a positive story and put a dark spin on it. The same is true with capturing the mastermind of the 911 attack. Five minutes is spent heralding the success and fifty minutes is spent lamenting the fact that Usama Bin Laden is still hiding in a cave somewhere…No small wonder people are depressed. We are bombarded with a frenzy of bad news daily.

I used to have a guy that worked for me that was negative about practically everything.One day we received a huge amount of money. I was beaming and happy as a lark. He was scowling with dark furrowed eyebrows. I asked, “What is up with the depression we just received a huge amount of money?” “Yeah”, he replied, “but that just means tomorrow’s deposit will likely be terrible!” My comment to him was that when you are on the peak, bask in the sunshine. There will be time enough to scowl when we are in the valley.

I attended a board meeting last night and one of our board members was as negative about the economy as one could imagine. He did not think that getting the war over with in Iraq would make much difference to the economy and he more or less seemed to think that we are pretty much doomed to tough economic times for as far as the eye can see… My outlook is more optimistic. I think many people are waiting to get the war over with to see how things end up. If the war is hugely successful perhaps it will remove the uncertainty, energize everyone and things will begin to get back to normal.

Things will not get betteruntil good attitudes make things better.It is all but impossible to maintain a good attitude if we concentrate on the negative instead of the positive. Opposing political parties and the news media thrive on the negative and disproportionately portray every subject and situation into something that it is not to further their personal agenda. Christians should look through the hype and concentrate on the good things that God has provided to us even in these tough times. Otherwise our attitudes will be adversely affected like most everyone else on this planet. We have plenty to celebrate and the good news is right before us. His name is Jesus Christ.

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Phil 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord always
Again I say rejoice!
Let your gentleness be known to
all men. The Lord is at hand.
Be anxious for nothing, but in
everything by prayer and supplication,
with thanksgiving, let your
requests be made known to God;
and the peace of God which
surpasses all understanding, will guard
your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus.
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How well do you know the Bible?
When the Pharisees and guards came to arrest Jesus prior to His crucifixion, one of His disciples drew his sword and cut off the right ear of one of the high priest’s servants. Jesus rebuked the disciple and healed the servant’s ear. Who was the disciple? What was the servant’s name?
John 18
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