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I have a vivid memory of watching TV with my father in 1967 when this new show came on. It was called Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In. It featured rapid fire jokes, most of which were blatantly sexual in nature. A young Goldie Hawn was dancing suggestively in a bikini. The show definitely pushed the edge of what was then allowable on the air. I recall my dad exclaiming “I can’t believe this stuff is on TV!”.

Twenty years later, in 1987, I was flipping through channels on my own TV, looking for something to watch. Lo and behold, I came upon Laugh-In. The reruns were being shown on Nickelodeon, which was basically a children’s programming channel. I remember being stunned that a show that was considered cutting edge and extremely racy in 1967 had become suitable for a children’s channel by 1987.

It was a stark example of how quickly culture evolves. And how acutely we should be aware of it.

As I write this, I am surrounded by the sounds of pounding hammers and heavy footsteps. We are having our roof replaced after recent storm damage. Our house and the lawn around it is a complete mess of torn up shingles, insulation, gutter sections and roofing nails. It looks like a tornado blew through this place.

The workers started very early this morning and they have spread debris everywhere. But, by day’s end, they will not only have replaced the roof, they will have cleaned up all the trash, vacuumed the lawn, and have the property looking good as new. It’s really a pretty incredible transformation in one day.

Jesus can do that for you. If your life is a complete mess, He can clean it up and have it looking good as new in no time. But you have to give Him a chance.

Let Him climb up onto your roof.

I’m really working hard on speaking less and listening more. This does not come easily for me, since I made my living my entire life by running my mouth. I’ve always felt I needed to be an active participant in conversations by talking a lot. In fact, sometimes I was so focused on what I wanted to say, I realized I wasn’t really listening to what anybody else was saying. Later my wife Sharon, who is a very good listener, would refer to something somebody else said, and I would not even recall it.

There’s no telling what I’ve missed. Gradually, I am learning that, just because a thought pops into my head, doesn’t mean I have to verbalize it. It’s more important to actually hear and absorb what others are thinking.

Sometimes talking is okay, but usually listening is better.

It’s a shame that most of us miss the daily sunrise. We’re either still asleep, or busy preparing for our day. It’s our loss. There’s nothing quite like that moment when the sun begins to peak over the horizon, sending beams of light through the dust, smoke and clouds that have gathered in the atmosphere. The refraction of the light causes it to break into breathtaking reds and oranges and yellows. It looks like a magnificent oil painting come to life.

It’s pretty hard to watch a sunrise and still doubt there is a Master Designer of this vast universe. They will make a believer out of you. You are only given a certain amount of daybreaks in your time here. When you get a chance, try to get out and observe one.

There’s just something awe-inspiring about it that lifts you up, maybe because it makes you feel just a bit closer to your Maker.

Take a deep breath. You’ve probably heard that expression all of your life, but it actually works. When you are stressed, when you are angry, when you are frustrated, when you are afraid, try pausing and breathing deeply for about a minute. It slows down your heartbeat, stabilizes your blood pressure, and allows your lungs to function more efficiently.

It will help you calm down and maybe think a bit more rationally, instead of overreacting badly to a situation. Can’t fall asleep at night in bed? Deep breathing can relax your body and help you nod off. There’s even a right way to do it. Doctors say inhale through your nose, hold it in a few seconds, and exhale slowly through your mouth.

So next time you feel your blood beginning to boil, stop and take a few deep breaths. It may keep you from doing or saying something you will regret.

Whew! Sharon and I spent the morning laying down pine straw in our landscaping. Even though we got an early start, it was still brutally hot! Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth the effort. The pine straw is supposed to keep the weeds from coming up, and it does…..for a while. But eventually those dang weeds find a way to come through anyway. Clearly, covering them up is just a temporary solution. The permanent answer is to kill them off.

Uh-oh. I feel another metaphor coming on here. Life is like that. You can try to cover up your problems, but sooner or later they will resurface and spoil the look of your life, just like those weeds. The only permanent answer is to meet your problems head-on and get them resolved so they can’t grow back.

Sorry. I’m addicted to metaphors.

Walking is good for the soul. You can think deep thoughts while you walk. You can carry on a meaningful conversation with a friend. You can listen to music or your favorite podcast. You can take an important phone call. All while getting some much needed exercise and fresh air.

Running, biking and resistance workouts are also great forms of exercise, but you can’t send a text message while you’re doing bicep curls. You can while you are walking (although it does take a little practice). Walking can also help your general mood. Getting a smile and a friendly hello from other walkers tends to lift you up.

So go take a walk. It’s literally a breath of fresh air.

The most important day of your life is today. You have been given this day to accomplish something. Everything you have done in the past is done and in the past. You are not guaranteed tomorrow. None of us are. The only sure thing you know is that you are here today. You have this chance to love, to care, to minister and to serve.

Today is a day we have never seen before, and will never see again. You will never get this day back. Once it is gone you are another day closer to running out of days. You may not be able do anything momentous or dramatic, but do something important. It’s the reason you’re here. The reason you opened your eyes and got out of bed.

Don’t take days for granted just because they are all the same. What you may think of as routine is actually opportunity.

Culture never stays the same. It is constantly evolving. For example, in the middle part of the twentieth century smoking was considered elegant and even attractive. Movie stars such as Clark Gable and Betty Grable would stylishly light up a cigarette and puff away during an emotional scene. There were ash trays in every living room. It was okay to smoke in somebody else’s house. TV game shows were sponsored by tobacco companies, and consolation prizes were often a carton of cigarettes!

Flash forward to today. Smoking is banned at most all public places. Packs must contain a warning from the surgeon general. Even those who smoke admit it is a terrible habit and wish they could quit. Far from elegant and attractive, smoking is now broadly judged as disgusting and dangerous.

But it’s important to remember that, even though culture evolves, morality shouldn’t. Right is still right, and wrong is still wrong. Don’t let the fundamentals of godly living go up in smoke.

Are you feeling down and depressed? Sometimes the reason we get to feeling sad about our lives is that we set the bar too high for ourselves. It’s easy to do in this age of social media, where everybody else seems to post about how wonderful their lives are. You can fall into thinking that everybody has wonderful friends and exciting experiences except you. What’s wrong with me? Why is my life so routine?

You need to give yourself a break. Your blessings are your blessings. They may not be the same as those of other people, but they are there. Focus on gratitude. Make a list of things you can be thankful for. You have more than you might realize.

It’s not a competition. You don’t have to achieve somebody else’s life to be happy.