kenlassblog

Have you noticed the latest trend on TV commercials? Many of them now include a small box in the corner of your screen. You can aim your phone camera at this box and it will take you to a web site where you can order the product being advertised immediately. As much as I detest the mentality of most commercials, I must admit this is quite brilliant. Get folks interested, and close the deal before they have a chance to think it over.

We get ourselves into a lot of troubles in life by acting and saying things rashly. Reacting immediately when something makes you angry, or sad, or euphoric, seldom results in a smart decision. Relax. Take a deep breath. Use a little time to think it through. You’ll be better off for it.

And those TV ads? Those products will still be available tomorrow. Put your phone down.

On a recent morning I woke up and peeked outside my window and saw the entire neighborhood covered with an incredibly thick fog. Shortly after, I had to try to drive through it to run an important errand. Turning on to the main road was terrifying. You couldn’t see a thing. Cars were literally coming out of a cloud and crossing my path. At some point, I just had to edge out and hope no one would hit me.

It has since occurred to me that a Christian walk can be like that. You can’t see what’s coming in life. Adversity can come suddenly, from out of nowhere, and strike you. Sometimes you just have to step out in faith and hope for safety and protection.

Eventually, the fog in my neighborhood did lift that day and the sun shone brightly. I was able to complete my errand safely. If life has you engulfed in a cloud of troubles and worry, don’t despair. Trust that God will lift your fog as well. You’ll get through it. The sun is still up there. You just can’t see it yet.

The hardest working part of your body is your heart. It will beat about 103,000 times today. You only get a certain number of beats. If you are an average human being, your heart will beat between two and three billion times. After that, it wears out, and will eventually stop. Chances are, you have already used up a good chunk of those beats.

So don’t waste them. Use this day to do something to make the world a better place. Be intentional. Plan it. Then go for it.

Put your finger on the inside of your wrist, or on your throat. Feel your heart beating. That is God’s way of telling you that you have been given another day on this earth to love and be loved. You only get so many.

The clock is ticking. Just like your heart.

Ever watch Judge Judy? She’s the cranky TV judge who rules her courtroom with an iron fist, and loves to tell off her litigants in a way that is far from politically correct. And she loves to say “My opinion is the only one that counts”. On her show, she’s correct. The participants have to sign a contract agreeing that her ruling is final.

That’s a TV show. In real life, God’s opinion is the only one that counts. We might find that inconvenient. It may make our lives a little more challenging. We may have to stop doing something we enjoy, or start doing something we find uncomfortable. But God’s Word instructs us to do so, and His decisions are always right. No one can or should question His authority.

Not even Judge Judy.

Autumn is the time of year when the leaves come tumbling off the trees and pile up in your backyard. We have a huge oak tree in our backyard, and it sheds a sea of leaves every late fall. I try my best to blow them and rake them and bag them, but for every leaf I dispose of, it seems ten more reappear. You never seem to make progress.

Life can seem like that. You work your way through one challenge after another, but instead of achieving peace, the problems just seem to multiply. Relax. Take a deep breath. Take a break. Have faith. Eventually your trees will run out of leaves, and you’ll get through this.

Make this a great day. Even if you have to spend it with a rake in your hands.

On November 12 the penny was officially discontinued. Pennies were the most part of American coinage for 232 years. But the government now says it costs too much to make them, and nobody uses them any more anyway.

I can foresee this as just the beginning of the extinction of cash completely. The credit and debit card have largely rendered cash obsolete. Money is becoming an abstract thing that only exists on a balance sheet. Cash had a good run, but it is fading out of style, soon to join the ranks of rotary phones and VHS tapes.

Most of us crave stability. Nothing about our culture will be stable forever, but God’s word is. It has survived as a lighthouse for living for thousands of years. Being a believer doesn’t cost you a penny. Which is good, because soon you won’t have any of those.

One of the most important things to work on as you enter your senior years is balance. Falling is the leading cause of injury in older folks. More than fourteen million people over the age of 65 report falling each year. A fall happens so quickly and, of course, you don’t expect it. It takes you by surprise and you can’t protect yourself.

The only answer is to try your best to keep from falling. There are exercises you can do to improve your balance. Don’t be too proud to use a cane or a walker if you need one. Hang on to the railing when you go up and down stairs. Be aware of pets and small children around your legs. Recognize wet and slippery floors and sidewalks. And for goodness sake, stay off of ladders and stools.

You need to keep moving as you age. Just move smarter and with more caution. Don’t “fall” into careless habits.

I went ahead and got my flu shot and pneumonia shot the other day. There’s so much debate about vaccinations these days. Are they really effective? Can they actually be harmful? Will the shot make you sick? Even folks in the medical field seem to have mixed opinions.

All you can do is read up on all the pros and cons and make your own decision. Most of the authorities I trust in the profession seem to be strongly in favor of immunization, so I am taking their advice. I like to think of it as an informed decision.

Kind of like deciding whether to accept Jesus as Savior. Read up on it in God’s word, then make a choice. It just might be the spiritual shot in the arm that changes your life.

We have a holly tree growing on the outside corner of our house. Every fall it breaks out with those attractive red berries that have become associated with Christmas. But if you try to pluck those berries off the tree to use for decoration, you’re probably going to get pricked by the barbs on the holly leaves.

Sometimes pretty things in our life attract us and tempt us to grab hold of them. But they’re not good for us and they will only lead to pain. Better to keep your distance and admire them from afar.

Let the real beauty in your life come from inside you.

I was stunned to receive the news recently that one of my closest friends had passed away. We have known each other for 42 years. He had been having a few health problems of late but there was no indication he was on the verge of death. His decline happened so fast. It was just months ago he was his old happy, energetic self.

It was a sobering reminder that life is so fragile. That opportunities have an expiration date. That today is the only time on this earth we can be sure of. It’s easy to take time for granted. To put important things off until you find a more convenient moment. Don’t regret that you didn’t tell someone how you feel about them.

My friend knew how much I loved him and treasured our relationship. I will miss him terribly. But I know I will see him again, and that will get me through.