Category: Happy Thoughts

Why Not Smile?

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Lined up, engines running, we sat in our cars at the intersection waiting for the traffic light to change. To my left, a middle-aged male driver stared ahead with a dead pan face. On my right, the female driver scowled reminiscent of my cat. 

What do people see when they look at me? Does my face appear frazzled or irritated because I’m running late today?  

I studied my tired face in the rear-view mirror and intentionally SMILED!

Like magic, my reflection became prettier and younger looking.

When the traffic light turned green, the other drivers sped ahead, but I got a wild hair and challenged myself to…

SMILE, all the way to my destination.

Can I smile for twenty-minutes with no other reason than to look happy?

Here’s what I discovered.

It takes fewer facial muscles to smile than to frown, but after five minutes, my cheek muscles ached. Maybe I should exercise those babies more often.

I glanced in the mirror at the fake smile pasted on my face. How do those beauty pageant contestants smile throughout a contest even when they lose?

 To keep smiling, and look genuine, I had to think happy thoughts. “What a lovely day. The sun is breaking through the rain clouds; the field grass is turning green.”

Sure enough, my smile grew bigger, brighter.

If  I allowed somber thoughts to slip into my mind, my lips instinctively sagged. So I HAD to control my thoughts.

Whenever a car passed me in the left lane, I’d turn my head and flash my pearly whites hoping someone would return the smile. But people didn’t look my way … which my husband would say is a good thing … because that meant THEY were concentrating on the road.

My concentrated effort to smile paid off.

I showed up to my destination ten minutes late. But, instead of resembling Dwarf Grumpy and making excuses when I walked into the room, I smiled and greeted everyone as though I’d won the lottery.

So why am I surprised?

God knows my thoughts affect my moods, perspective, my words and actions.

The Bible says “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).

Don’t wait for the feelings to come. Think about such things.

And when necessary, choose an action that will lift thoughts heavenward.

IMG_2642An action as simple as a SMILE can make all the difference even in this…..

Ears to Hear

My daughter, the bride, had been gone all day shopping for her wedding when I text-ed her from home: “Be sure to Stop and Eat.”

She returned my text: “How did you know?”

I replied, “Because the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

IMG_5693Since Thanksgiving, wedding plans in addition to getting ready for Christmas and out-of-town guests, made me feel like Santa who’s “making a list and checking it twice.” Only the list never seemed to end.

I had to make myself STOP and FEAST on God’s Word. With my soul fed, I was able to continue the race for one more day. I admit my running took greater priority as the month wore on, but still, I’d attempt to grab a morsel of scripture, breathe a prayer.

My husband calls me a Jack Russell Terrier. Like those dogs, my personality leans towards hyper when I have an agenda. When I take the time to “Be still” and sit at my Master’s feet, I’m calm, but only momentarily. The doorbell rings, and I’m running and yapping again.

Knowing I would get overwhelmed, hosting a wedding and Christmas dinner within three days of each other, I did not want to be a Jack Russell Terrier. I prayed to have “the mind of Christ,” to be loving, kind, humble, have a servant’s heart.

I even embraced the advice of a Safeway clerk who told me “major on the majors and minor on the minors.”

“People won’t remember what you served for dinner,” she said, as she handed me a two-foot grocery receipt. “They’ll remember being together, and how you welcomed them into your home.”

She was right.

The wedding day was beautiful beyond words even for this author, but by Christmas day, I was running on empty. I could only “major on the majors.”

Whenever my pride pointed out my shortcomings, minor things became major in my head which led to fear of what others thought about me.

Pride and fear are NOT the “mind of Christ.”

So instead of listening to the tape of accusations in my head, I asked God to breathe for me and listened to the …

Laughter in the room as the bride and groom’s two families became one.

Twelve voices singing  carols to celebrate our Lord’s birth.

Spoken prayers and stories shared.

Love and joy fill the air.

By God granting me ears to hear, the Jack Russell Terrier within me remained more calm even in this.

“He keeps in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusts in thee.” Isaiah 26:3

Here Comes the Bride

BoquetBreathtaking! That’s the word that popped into my head when my daughter walked out of the dressing room wearing her bridal gown.

Standing tall, face aglow, she caressed the ivory gown which minutes earlier had hung limp, lifeless on a plastic manikin. As my daughter studied her image in the mirror, her countenance was transformed like Cinderella rising from the ashes. The bridal gown, an organza symbol of true love found, and girlhood dreams come true.

Looking for my approval, my daughter noticed the “mother of the bride’s” dry tissue. But I was too stunned for tears. Love, pride, and flashbacks to a new-born daughter wrapped in a pink blanket, and later, at the age of six, wearing a princess costume, squeezed my heart just like the child who once squeezed my fingers with her tiny hand.

And while I sat there silent, grinning, hoping my daughter read in my eyes what words could not convey, I thought of the Bride of Christ and how splendid His church will look when Jesus, the Bridegroom, returns for us some day.

Which led me to wonder: Am I longing for Jesus to return like my daughter longs for her groom to return to California for the wedding?

Do I search God’s Word each day, the way she savors the groom’s hand-written letters?

Am I faithful, keeping myself pure for the One who loves me with an everlasting love? Or do I run after other gods I think will satisfy my heart?

Am I ready for Christ’s return, busy about my Heavenly Father’s business? Or do I only pursue my earthly agenda?

In Revelations 19: 6-9 we read about Christ’s return:

“Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’”

Preparing for my daughter’s wedding has been all-consuming, and often robs me of quiet time when I could be still and enjoy the intimacy of knowing God.

And yet, God has used this wedding to remind me that one glorious day, the bride of Christ…..we fellow saints ….will rejoice at the wedding feast of the Lamb.

“I will take delight in you,” He says to us, “as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so I will rejoice over you,” (Isaiah   62:5)

So that we might say, “I am my beloved’s, and His desire is for me.” (Song of Solomon 7:10)

Speaka da English?

 A monster-size banana split sits on the middle of the table between my husband and me. With metal spoons, we divide and conquer heaps of ice cream covered in hot fudge, lathered in whipped cream. Words aren’t necessary to communicate our pleasure.

At another table in the ice cream parlor, two men laugh as their nimble hands create words in the air; their visual conversation public to anyone in the room who knows sign language.

Reminds me of a Starbucks café in southern California where a community of the hearing impaired congregate on Friday nights. Varied in age and ethnicity, they drive from miles away for the opportunity to talk with each other, and know they’re not alone.

I understand the craving to communicate. On a recent trip to Italy, it was easy to imagine being at the ancient Tower of Babel.

“Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad….” (See Genesis 11:1-9)

Not only did I not understand Italian, a throng of international tourists around me spoke in their native tongues. I felt as helpless as a kindergarten kid looking for pictures to decipher business signs and menus. Even my infantile attempt to speak a few Italian words did little to bridge the communication gap.

So imagine how my ears perked up whenever I overheard someone speaking English. Even the broken English from a stranger’s lips seemed like a welcome mat in a foreign land.

I experience these same emotions when I meet other born again Christians particularly abroad. There’s an instant bond that defies explanation. As brothers and sisters in Christ, we speak the same language. Issues like culture, wealth, education, and occupation (that might otherwise divide us) shrink in light of who we are in Christ.

I’m grateful for the fellowship of the saints, the body of Christ throughout this world that reminds me ….

I’m a sojourner on Earth. My citizenship is in heaven. And I am not alone.

 “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26-28).

I’d Rather Be a…

As I was rocking in my bench swing this morning, I overheard a private conversation in my flower bed. Sounds ridiculous, I know. Who’s ever heard of talking flowers unless of course one reads Alice in Wonderland? Anyway, I hated to eavesdrop, but their words struck a chord. Here’s what they said:

 

“I don’t like being a Day-lily. I’d rather be an Iris.”

“Seriously? Don’t you know people call you the perfect perennial plant? Your flowers are dazzling. In fact, the name lily translated in Greek means beautiful. That’s why the woman planted you in her garden.”

“She also planted Irises. The Greek name for those perennial plants is rainbow. Their fan-shaped flowers come in a variety of colors. And they’re prolific. Have you noticed how quickly they multiply?”

“They’re not perfect. Did you see their tall flowering stems last month? The woman had to stake the poor things because they couldn’t stand erect. What’s the point of blooming, if you’re lying on the ground and no one can see you?”

“Admit their sword-shaped leaves are unique.”

“Yes, and God could have made you a weed, but He didn’t.”

“But if He did, I could grow up between the cracks of cement. Trust me, weeds are hearty. The woman fusses because they invade her garden. It’s a constant battle.”

‘The point is God created you as a Day-lily; not a weed or an Iris. “Consider the lilies…not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.”(Luke 12:27)

“But if I’m meant to be a Day-lily, why can’t my flowers be yellow like those other Day-lilies?”

“How can you grow and not recognize your blessings? You have full sun and plenty of water.”  

“Is that the only tune you hum? Be thankful. What’s wrong with wanting more from life? Maybe I want to be in the County Fair Flower Exhibit.”  

“You’re right Day-lily. You  should have been an Iris. Now you’re only a discontent and envious plant. Pray you get a fungus so you can bloom and die like your flowers that typically last 24 hours.”

“Your attitude is horrible! I’m not listening to you, Marigold. You’re an annual flower. You won’t even be here next year.”

Their talking ceased. I could hear a pine needle drop….

Until a chirping bird said,. “I don’t like being a Finch? I’d rather be a Hummingbird.”