Daily Stop & Thinks

From home to home and heart to heart, from one place to another, the warmth and joy of Christmas brings us closer to each other. (Emily Matthews, poet and writer)

Many families celebrate the holiday on Christmas Eve. While there may be a confusion of gifts being opened, wrapping papers covering the floor, new toys being tested—yet there’s a calming warmth because joy surrounds the loving family. Take a bit of time, during those moments to recognize the reason for the real, lasting joy that Christmas offers.

I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! (Luke 2:10-11)

Love the giver more than the gift. (Brigham Young, late religious leader)

With Christmas just two days away, the excitement may be building—especially in the hearts of the children as they anticipate the gifts they’ve asked for. Parents hesitate to remind them to be thankful, hoping their children will be spontaneous in showing their appreciation. Have you given thanks to the One who initiated Christmas? He was the original Giver.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son. (John 3:16)

You can observe a lot just by watching. (Yogi Berra, late All-Star major league baseball player).

Berra was known for his malapropisms (misused words), but sometimes there’s wisdom in them. As he implied, we often see but don’t fully comprehend what we’ve seen. It may take concentration to really see what you’re looking at. Do you see just a beautiful sunset or do you see a variety of colorful lights in the clouds? Yogi is right, you know.

Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. (James 1:23-24)

Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them. (Albert Einstein, late world-renowned scientist)

Though we are created equal (US Declaration of Independence), we don’t all have equal skills or talents. We experience certain limitations when we try to do something beyond our ability. Unlike Einstein, who seemed to have unlimited intellectual abilities, most of us would do well to realize that when we know our limits, then we can strive to achieve more.

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. (1 Peter 4:10)

Not knowing how or what could fill the deep longing of our soul is a gnawing ache. (Lysa Terkeurst, Devotional writer)

“Empty is a heavy load to bear,” Terkeurst writes. She says that such “a search can seem both futile and shattering at times.” So many people appear to be looking for something to soothe the ache in their heart—or the emptiness they feel within. Other writers remind us that such longings are an indication that we were created for more than an unsatisfying physical life.

Let them no longer fool themselves by trusting in empty riches, for emptiness will be their only reward. (Job 15:31) For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. (1 Peter 1:18)

Do for someone what you wish you could do for everyone. (Andy Stanley, pastor & TV preacher)

We live in a troubled world, and whether it’s somewhere across the oceans or in our own neighborhood, we see many people with great needs. We wish we had unlimited resources so we could help them all. But we don’t, so we can’t. However, we can and should do something to help, even if it’s only one person in our own little world.

Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them. If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord—and he will repay you! (Proverbs 3:27; 19:17)

At Christmas, all roads lead home (Marjorie Holmes, late columnist and author)

It’s just one week till Christmas, and many folks are planning their trips “back home” to join their families. Christmas stirs many memories, and we often long to bring back those good ol’ days. But, it isn’t families or memories, as pleasant as they are, but the coming of Jesus that is central to Christmas joy.

For God … made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)

The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you. (John H. Southard)

Getting even seems to be an innate reaction when we’ve been mistreated or hurt in some way. Of course, we don’t try to just get even; most often we want to get back at the offender with a greater hurt or pain. How much better life would be—and our spirit helped—if we would try to help those who have helped us and try to forget our personal hurts.

Do not take revenge . . . for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. . . Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:19-21)

The unexamined life is not worth living. (Socrates, 4^th century B.C. Greek philosopher)

We often hear a lot about accountability, but we don’t see much of it. Is it because so many people seem to be living their lives with their own agenda and no fear of reprisal? It’s part of Americans’ DNA to have an independent nature. But, as Socrates suggested a long time ago, if we’re not accountable for our actions, our lives may count for little.

People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart. (Proverbs 21:2)

Hope: a wish or desire supported by some confidence of its fulfillment. (American Heritage Dictionary)

“I hope so” is often what we say when there’s something we really want to happen. It might be just a wish, or it could be something we have our heart set on. Either way, we can’t be sure we’ll get what we want. The dictionary’s definition, however, is far more reassuring. It sounds a lot like biblical faith. Confidence in what we’re hoping for makes waiting easier.

Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. (Hebrews 11:1)

Embrace the current season of your life. (Gabrielle Blair, designer and author)

Some people long for another time or circumstance that they think would help them to be happy and more productive. Looking forward to another season rather than working hard in your current status is to squander time and opportunity. Yearning for the future while ignoring the present almost guarantees current failure and dismal prospects for tomorrow.

So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. (Matthew 6:34)

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand it’s at the end of your arm. (Audrey Hepburn, late British actress)

An attitude of entitlement seems to be a growing trait today. We think the world owes us something. Some folks always seem to be looking for a “free lunch.” Hepburn, however, encourages an attitude of self-help. Of course, we want to help those who truly need assistance, but maybe that should not be in a hand out but a hand up.

Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them. (Proverbs 3:27)