I recently came across this beautiful poem and thought I would share it with you:

For all that God in mercy sends;

For health and children, home and friends,

For comfort in the time of need,

For every kindly word and deed,

For happy thoughts and holy talk,

For guidance in our daily walk,

For everything give thanks.

For beauty in this world of ours,

For verdant grass and lovely flowers,

For song of birds, for hum of bees,

For refreshing summer breeze,

For hill and plain, for streams and wood,

For the great ocean’s mighty flood,

For everything give thanks.

For sweet sleep which comes with night,

For the returning morning’s light,

For the bright sun that shines on high,

For the stars glittering in the sky,

For those and everything we see,

O Lord, our hearts we lift to thee.

For everything give thanks.

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Once again, it is the Easter season and a special time to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the tomb. We remember the account given at Mark 16:1, which tells us that very early in the morning, more than 2000 years ago, Mary Magdalene and two other women went to the tomb of Jesus. In accordance with their customary burial practices, they had brought sweet spices to anoint the body of Jesus.

However, there was something of great concern to them. They said among themselves: “Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?” The Bible says the stone was very great and the women knew they could not roll it away, but they kept moving on, and as they came to the sepulchre, they discovered that the stone had been rolled away. 

Other Scriptures about the resurrection morn tell us that the stone was not moved by human hands but had been divinely rolled away by an angel.

Jesus’ entire life was one of teaching. He taught us by parables, precepts, and living examples. And we can find many lessons that He taught in the account of His resurrection that can be helpful to us today both in a practical and spiritual way. The resurrection morn speaks to us of the breaking through of a new dawn in our life-journey. It tells us about eternal life in Christ and newness of life — even today.

As followers of Jesus, His resurrection from the tomb is central to all our beliefs

His resurrection is gateway to eternal life but we walk through that gateway only as we believe in Him. Believing in Him and His resurrection, and following Him give us hope for eternal life, which is not merely length of days, but upliftment in life — even today.

And how does the Easter story speak to us today?

Besides the fact that believers in Christ gained eternal life through His resurrection, He taught us the lesson of spiritual breakthrough (Romans 8:11) and that we can have angelic assistance in our lives and affairs — even today.    

God sends His angels

We can have a breakthrough in our lives today, but how? By the wisdom, power and strength of God removing the hindrances and bondage from our everyday experiences. The rolled away stone can be likened to any difficulty in our lives that seems impossible to be removed but when God intervenes, He sends His angels to transform the situation and give us a breakthrough.

Are you facing difficulties today?

The same Spirit who sent His angel to roll away the stone from the door of the tomb can not only cause the stone that keeps you locked in to be rolled away from your life-experience but also raise you up to a new way of living today.

Do you have a prayer request?

We offer you our support in prayer. Write to us about your prayer needs or give us a call and we will come into agreement with you for the wonder-working power of Christ in your life.

Keep your eyes and ears open for our upcoming “Day of Prayer” in the month of June.

More details will follow...

Visit our other blog: www.thoughtsselected.blogspot.com      

We thank you for your support  and wish a happy and blessed Easter season to you and yours, and may the message of Easter be a lifelong reality to you.

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Yesterday, I read this quotation by Brother Lawrence, a 17^th century Carmelite monk: “The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer, and in the noise and clutter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God as if I were upon my knees at the blessed sacrament.”

And that quotation took me back to a long-past meditation on Psalm 92:12-15. I remembered how the Spirit of God dealt with me, leading me to understand more about being planted in the house of the Lord. I began to see that “being planted in the house of the Lord” does not necessarily mean to physically live in a church or temple but to live in a constant awareness of the manifest presence of God at all times.

And “flourishing” is not only reflected as material prosperity as we commonly think it should be, but can also be an expansion of insights and growth in a spiritual sense, as well as having a deep calmness of spirit.

More importantly, being planted and flourishing in the house of the Lord  speaks of being rooted, grounded and established in the Word and being able to witness the presence of God in our everyday activities, like it was with Brother Lawrence while he worked in the midst of the noise and clutter of his kitchen.

As we read more of Brother Lawrence’s works, we catch glimpses of his devoutness as a follower of God. He saw the presence of God in everything, especially in his chores in the monastery kitchen where he worked. To him, his service in the kitchen was as worshipful as being in the presence of the blessed sacrament. No wonder he flourished in the grace of God to live in a Christlike way.

Heavenly Father, help us all to be planted in your house and help us to flourish where we are planted. Amen.

"The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree...those

that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish..." (Psalm 92:12-13).

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Last night, the focus of my meditation was Matthew, chapter seven, verses fifteen to twenty and  I awoke this morning with the words “love, joy, peace” ringing in my spirit. And barely awake, my thoughts rambled on from one divine idea to another, until I found myself thinking of the fruit of the Spirit. The Spirit was echoing my meditation back to me in terms of wisdom and personal evaluation.

As I reflected on the fruit of the Spirit, I saw more clearly than ever that we, as humans, cannot escape the fruitage of the seeds we sow in our lives, whether they are truths or any other principles we choose to follow, for fruitage is an end result that depends on our choices in life.

I thought about an apple tree in my neighbour’s backyard that was laden with fruit in the summer and fall of last year and was reminded that at some point in time that tree was just a seed.

When we look at any fruit-bearing tree in the natural realm, we expect to see fruit upon it after its kind, for example, apple seeds produce trees and fruitage after the nature of apples, just the same with oranges and any other seed or tree. As always, Jesus was right when He said: “...by their fruits ye shall know them.”

And as we pay attention to spiritual fruitage, we see character, attitudes, aspirations and transformation. We see, too, that the principle of fruitage rests in sowing and nurturing.

What seeds are you sowing and nurturing in your soul? Whatever they are, they will grow  “first the shoot, then the blade—and after that, fruitage.” They will be seen in our lives some day like open books for everyone to read.

As we grow in the spirit, let it be that people can look at our lives and see fruitage after the God-kind: that which is recorded at Galatians, chapter five, verses twenty two and twenty three.

"Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them" (Matthew 7:20).

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Did you ever watch the Amazing Race show on television? It’s a race that takes its contestants, running helter-skelter, to various parts of the world, with intriguing clues to follow and innovative tasks to be performed.

It is amazing to watch the contestants in this race, eager and striving to follow the rules of the game. At times, it all seems like fun, yet at other times the race seems strenuous. Tempers flare, and anxious moments abound. Eventually, in the midst of it all, some people  win.

As I watched the show some evenings ago, it reminded me of life in general and how we all seem to be in a race of some kind with everybody running and nobody really winning.

I find that  though we sometimes seem to be on the mountain tops, yet that sense of victory can be short-lived; before long, we seem to be at a standstill, not feeling like winners at all.

Though we all have our goals in the natural realm, and we all want to be counted as winners, yet in the race that followers of Christ run, from a spiritual point of view, everyone is a winner. There is no competition, no contestants, and swiftness and skills do not count.

Our only skills for running well, and winning too, are persistence in prayer, walking by faith in God, and not by sight. These are the hallmarks of a winner in the race of life. And everyone can be a winner.

Consider the wise words of King Solomon: “...the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong...” This helps us better understand the spiritual race of life. Consider, also, that the apostle Paul, viewed the prize of the spiritual race as “the high calling of God.”

It is true that the most important prize we could ever strive for is a closer walk with God.

As we contemplate our goals and plans for the future, hoping to achieve them and be counted as winners, it would be wise to also give thought to winning the “prize” of gaining a closer walk with God by deepening our knowledge of Him and having Him direct our paths.

I counselled a young couple recently who are in thousands of dollars of debt. Their financial situation is causing much tension between them and they are both running to and fro with extra jobs, trying to make ends meet. I encouraged them to sit with pen and paper and examine each purchase that caused the debt to see if it was really necessary.

The result was that many items they bought were not really needed but it was a matter of not making themselves seem less among their friends.

They began to see that keeping up with family, friends and others, and stretching themselves to acquire things is a race of some kind, and there is a sense of one-upmanship behind it. They now see that where there is a keeping up with the Joneses, there is no peace of mind but a race that involves many hours of extra work and keeping up with the demands of the bank.

And at this time of year, when resolutions and goals are still fresh in our thoughts, it is timely to meditate on the wise words of King Solomon given below.

“I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong...” (Ecclesiastes 9:11).

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Last evening, on Larry King Live, Larry King interviewed two celebrity stars, back to back. Those stars were Dolly Parton, popular singer and songwriter, and Tyler Perry, the man who characterizes Madea in “Madea’s Big Happy Family” and other productions on the life of Madea, a middle-aged black woman, in movies and plays.

The questions that Larry King asked Dolly and Tyler were basically the same: what do you think of Obama, our president? What do you think of the recession? He also asked about their successes in their careers and how they managed to bring them about.

It was heartening to listen to the two-way conversations in both cases, but what was remarkable is that both Dolly and Tyler spoke of having faith in God and maintaining positive thoughts and attitudes. They both encouraged people to keep on keeping on and not be frightened of the recession. It was refreshing to hear such faith-filled statements coming out of Hollywood personalities.

Sometimes, we get hung up on the idea that resolutions are only for the beginning of a new year but truthfully, resolutions for better living can be made at any time of year.Today is only the third day of 2010 and it is still early enough for making resolutions about our lives for this new year.

We are making an offer to you FREE of charge—that you order our audio CD titled “Resolutions: What Value” offer  #1023-1024. Just send us your name and address and $2.95 for shipping and handling and we will rush that CD out to you. In this CD you will learn some principles about the making and value of resolutions, much like what Dolly and Tyler talked about.

Just go to our Home Page, click on the Revealing Word Series and follow through. May God richly bless you as you listen.

A happy and prosperous New Year to all.

“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as they soul prospereth” (3 John 2).

I just came in from a New Year’s Eve service that ended at midnight. The church was packed to capacity and we ushered in 2010 with much merriment and dancing in the Lord, complete with Auld Lang Syne.

I was very impressed with the pastor’s message for the evening, which highlighted Christianity as being supernatural. One of his Bible texts was Psalm 78:19-20, which says “Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?...He smote the rock that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can He give bread also? Can He provide flesh for His people?” Can you see here a  picture of speculation and doubt?

The beginning of a new year is always a time for reflecting on the past year, sifting the good experiences from the not-so-good ones and anticipating God’s best in the months to come.Now is just the right time for us to review the events that happened in our lives in 2009 and use this information constructively to plan the future. 

As we look back, maybe we see progress in some areas of our lives, maybe failure in others, but failure or rather “seeming failure” does not mean that we are to give up trying for the fulfillment of our desires as long as they are constructive to ourselves, our environment and to the Kingdom of God. 

Let us not be like the Israelites of old who lived  with a speculating and doubtful attitude, but be ever grateful that we serve a God with whom nothing is impossible and has promised us abundant living.

At this ministry, God has been good to us in many ways during the past year. He has blessed us with strength, courage, perseverance, new vision and this new website. We look forward to continued favour with Him and we trust, too, that He will favour you and yours with His best. May this year be your year of Jubilee.

May the Lord richly bless you with His peace, love and prosperity, this New Year and always.

“...I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

The Sunday school children did a small skit at our church this morning, complete with angels, shepherds, manger, a trough covered with hay, the baby Jesus, and the usual images of the Christmas story. And  though we all knew what to expect, yet it was intriguing to watch.

I visited another church this afternoon and there was also a skit about the Christmas story, this time, a little more sophisticated, but the story is the same. It was wonderful and it set me thinking...

Though we are all familiar with the images of Christmas story, viewing them never fails to bring in the Spirit of Christmas in a greater way to our awareness. What would it be if we were in a place where there were no pictures of Christmas and no re-enactment of the birth of Christ at this time of year? Though we know the story, we would have a sense of shallowness about Christmas. We might even forget the day and what it stands for. We would feel empty indeed.

And as I think about our Christmas activities, I realize it is God himself who is reminding us through others like ourselves of His greatest gift to mankind: His Son.

There’s something appealing about the Christmas story. It never goes stale. Though we know the story, a Christmas skit or play is interesting to watch or be a part of. This reminds me of an Old Covenant text that says we are to “lay up the Lord’s words in our hearts and souls and teach them to our children when we are in our houses or walking in the way, when we lie down and when we rise up, and write them upon our doorposts and on our gates.”

In other words, we are to tell our children and their children about the wondrous works of the Lord, over and over again, so that these stories are indelibly etched in our minds and the minds of our children.

My wish for you and yours is Life, Light and Love during this Christmas season, the coming New Year, and beyond...

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14).

A few evenings ago I drove along a street in a residential area of Toronto, and was captivated by the blaze of Christmas lights on homes in that neighbourhood.  Most of these homes were decorated on the outside with hundreds of Christmas lights in the popular icicle design, in various colours. 

As I admired the brightness and colours of the lights, they caught my imagination and reminded me of “the glory of the Lord that shone round about  the shepherds” as written in the Scriptures. That awesome sight impressed me to the extent that I meditated on “the glory of the Lord” and wondered what it was like. Was the glory like a brilliant sunrise or sunset? Bright, flashing lights? Or was it a steady, quiet glow, filling the atmosphere?

And what was the immediate reaction of the shepherds as they beheld that wondrous sight?

The Scriptures say that “the shepherds were sore afraid.” However, I wondered in what way did they show their fear? Did they bow their heads to the ground? Did they cover their faces with their hands? What did they think?

The glory of the Lord is the very essence of God’s nature, made manifest in a visible way on the night of the birth of Christ; it is the Light of Christ. And it is clear that the Spirit of God chose to manifest His presence in this manner as the angels. made their wondrous announcement to the shepherds. However, this manifestation is not only something to be seen, but also can be felt or sensed in our devotional times and as we keep in tune with the Spirit of the God.

As I think of the glory that shone around the shepherds on that awesome night, I can only reflect in my heart that it is the same glory or light that manifested in Christ at the time of His transfiguration before His disciples, and also at the time of His resurrection.

And though that glory might not be seen today, yet we know that same glory brings healing, renewal of spirit, discernment, guidance and direction. It breaks yokes of bondage, brings deliverance to captives, heals the brokenhearted, and sets at liberty them that are bruised. The glory guides us right, helping us to live in a way that pleases God, and gives revelation knowledge, too. Oh, the glory of His presence!  

It is my sincere wish that each of you will be touched by the glory of God in some form of manifestation during this Christmas season.

“And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid” (Luke 2:9, KJV).

One of the commonest scenes we see on Christmas cards and other pictures of Christmas is that of three men, either on camels or otherwise, bringing or presenting gifts to the Christ Child.  And the Scriptures tell us those gifts weregold, frankincense and myrrh.    

I have often wondered: “Who were these men?  Why did they bring  gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the Christ Child?  Were these gifts a silent testimony of the truth of the Babe they sought to worship?  Did they have an understanding of who He was and forever will be?  According to the nature of the gifts they brought, were they making a silent statement of what was to be the life of the Babe they worshipped?

As I reflect on this part of the Christmas story, I reason with myself that since these men were heavenly-led to follow a star which directed  them to the Christ Child, then it would be safe to say that through the wisdom of God, they were given glimpses of truth from God the Father about the divinity of that Child, and what the future held for Him. I reason, too, that their very act of worship was a confession in itself that there was something divine about that Child and that He was worthy of their attention and their significant gifts.

Gold.   We all know that gold is a precious metal of great value in the world, even among many uncivilized nations. It has always been and still is a gift fit for a king. When the wise men gave gold out of their treasure to the Christ child, were they recognizing Him as King of kings?

Frankincense.  This is a substance that rises upward as a sweet aroma when burnt. In presenting the gift of frankincense to the Christ child, were these wise men recognizing the life of Christ as a sacrificial, sweet aroma rising up to the Father on behalf of mankind?

Myrrh.   This is a substance that was used by the ancients in the embalming process to prevent decay.  In presenting the gift of  myrrh to the Christ child, were these wise men recognizing the indestructible body of Christ and the eternality of His life?

Wise men and women still seek Christ today by reaching out for “new life” in Him and still bring Him gifts in love and adoration. What gifts do wise men and women bring to Christ?

In place of gold, we could bring Him a heart filled with a strong faith in His divine Kingship.  In the place of myrrh we could bring Him a heart filled with hope...a blessed hope to share in His eternality.  In the place of frankincense we could bring Him a heart filled with charity for others who are needy, and have this gift rise up as a sweet fragrance to Him, for He said that even “ a cup of water given in His name is done unto Him” and will not be unrewarded.

Wise men and women still bring gifts to Christ—not only at Christmas time, but at all times—not of gold, frankincense and myrrh, but of faith, hope and charity.  

This holiday season, let us all bring Christ back into Christmas, and in all our gift-giving, let us remember Him with the incomparable gifts of faith, hope and  charity. 

“...There came wise men from the east...they presented unto him gifts: gold, and frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:1, 11).

Just a few weeks ago, I drove in an area where a  few trees were already beginning to change their leaves to golden yellow, brown and red, heralding the Fall season. And I thought to myself, how beautiful are the trees in the Fall season, but then again, I thought, how beautiful are the trees in every season of the year.

In the Spring, young leaves appear on the mostly bare branches, and are beautiful. And in the Summer, the trees are in full bloom and beauty. In the Fall, the leaves yet need no reminder to change their colour and eventually fall away, still maintaining a beauty of their own. And in Winter, they are still beautiful in another way.

At every change, the trees need no reminder to do what they are supposed to do. Truly, the soil and weather play an important part in the way the trees look, but nature works as a timer and does  its job in every way. As I pondered the transition of the seasons from one to another, and the effect they have on the trees, it reminded  me of our natural and spiritual seasons of change.

We go from being babies into our childhood years, then to young adulthood and then into our  mature years. And we need no reminders to make the change; it is automatic. And just as there is beauty in the trees at every change of season, so there is beauty in every change of season in our lives, naturally and spiritually.

And there is meaning and purpose in every change of season in our lives, as well.

God is the Author of times and seasons and the purpose of them all. And when I contemplate His omniscience and omnipotence as Creator of all that is in the heavens, the earth and the seas out of nothing, it make me humble in the presence of His intelligence and greatness.

Today, give some thought to the greatness of the God we serve and ask Him to help you accept the changing seasons in your life; also to see the beauty, purpose and meaning in every change.

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8).

Ever so often I find myself racing with time and have to pause, and remind myself of the need to take time to balance my activities. This has been one of the most challenging principles I have had to learn in my spiritual journey.

Today, take some time to pause and reflect on our foundation text, as well as the following words of an anonymous writer who took the time to give us “Take time...”

“Take Time...”

Take time to work...It is the price of success.

Take time to think...It is the source of power.

Take time to play...It is the secret of perpetual youth.

Take time to read...It is the fountain of wisdom.

Take time to be friendly...It is the road to happiness.

Take time to laugh...It is the music of the heart.

Take time to love and be loved...It is a God-given privilege.

Take time to share...It is too short a life to be selfish.

Take time to dream...It is hitching your wagon to a star.

Take time to pray...It is the greatest power on earth.

--Author unknown

I will like to add my two cents’ worth to the above, saying:

Take time to pause and reflect often on God’s Word...It is life and light to your soul.

Take time to rest...It is a God-given example.

Take time to smell the roses...It is a treasure to savour His presence in your life.

Dear Father, help me to take the time to taste and see that you are good, and help me to savour the good experiences in life, however simple they may seem. Amen.

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born...” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8).

I am still reflecting on Psalm 139 and understanding more about my connection with my Creator and His knowledge of me. Throughout  my life, God knows all about me. He knows who I am at the depth of my being, even my most secret thoughts. He knows my ways, all that I say and do, and intend to say and do. I can hide my thoughts and feelings from persons around me, but I cannot hide them from God. My life to Him is like an open book.

His knowledge of me is beyond my comprehension; it is too high for me to attain. He knows my darkest moments; He knows my shining moments too. Darkness and light make no difference to Him. His intelligence penetrates everything.

He knew me before I knew myself. Even in my mother’s womb, He knew me, and created me fearfully and wonderfully. He fashioned me in secret, even before the parts of my body were anything at all, and made those parts to function, and I do not know how.

Like the universe, galaxies and all things, seen and unseen, He created me out of nothing.

Where can I hide from God? Can I out-run Him and get away? He is every where I go. If I could ascend up into heaven I would find him there, and if I could descend into hell I would also find Him there. His eyes are upon me and His hand is upon me, always leading me gently in a closer walk with Him. His thoughts are upon me. And they are to me more precious than diamonds, and they are so many, even more than the sand on this earth

Like the psalmist David, I  praise God for His all-seeing, all-knowing and ever-present nature. There is none like Him.

Lord, help me to despise wickedness just as you despise it and help me not to call your name in vain. Search my heart and cleanse it, and lead me in your ways that are everlasting.

“Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?” (Psalm 139:7).       

This morning, my meditation was Psalm 139, and though the entire psalm is rich in meaning, yet verse 14 caught my attention in a special way. It is not the first time I am in knowledge of this truth, but today it has taken on a new significance and was riveted in my awareness for the day. It reminds me of the beautiful hymn “How Great thou Art.”

This meditation led me to remember the words of our Creator: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...” and the verse after that shows that He actually followed through His proposition.

This tells me that I was not created by chance, but by the definite desire and will of God. I have not descended from monkeys or apes, but have been deliberately created. I am of the highest creation of God on this planet and  was created by Him to have dominion over all the earth.

I was created to surmount obstacles, to be triumphant, and to have fellowship with God. I was created by God for His glory. I was created with the ability to reason, plot, plan and to communicate with God and other humans intelligently. I am God’s masterpiece.  I am a threefold being: spirit, soul (mind, will, and emotions) and body.  In short, like David, I can say: “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”

Think about it: When God created you and me, He placed in us a measure of every attribute that He is, for example, peace, love, truth, will, meekness, the power of choice and a conscience to know right from wrong.  He placed within us the capacity to know Him, to love Him, to serve Him, to worship Him, to communicate with Him, in this world and forever in the next.

We have an Indwelling Presence  that is ever fresh, ever uplifting and transforming, and It wants to do great things within us. It is always on  the rise, giving us inspirations and aspirations to bring about change in the world.

“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well” (Psalm 139:14, KJV).

Last Sunday, there was the dedication of a new-born baby at church and all the Sunday school children were gathered together, and they sang:  “He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands,” complete with actions and much joy. And it got me thinking deeply on the truth of that song.

As I sat listening to those words of truth, I thought of the magnitude of God: His omnipotence, His omniscience and His omnipresence, and I was reminded of David’s musing in Psalm 8, “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars...what is man, that thou art mindful of him?”

That song helped me to reflect as well on all the benefits we receive at the hands of God. It caused me to think of how God’s hands provide for us in the natural realm in the form of food, clothing, shelter and every physical need, and spiritually in the form of transformation.  Surely, Ezra was inspired when he wrote: “...the hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him...”

And as I thought of transformation by God’s hand, my thoughts rambled on to Jeremiah’s experience at the potter’s house. Just as the potter’s hands form his clay, God’s hands shape and mold us, re-creating us day by day into the persons He wants us to be.

I thought too, about another context in which God uses us in acts of kindness as His hands, even His feet, serving our fellow men as channels of His good in this life. 

This text came to mind: “As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, so we are to wait on God for His mercy.” Later, I found it at Psalm 123:2. This further inspired me, helping me realize that only God is the Giver of good and perfect gifts, blessing us with His grace even more than we deserve.

When we consider that only God is the Giver of all good and perfect gifts, we come to realize that in the b-r-o-a-d-e-s-t sense of the word, He is our Provider, Protector and Director, all because of His love, and it is of no use looking elsewhere for benefits but to God: our omnipotent Source. He has the whole world in His hands, that which we can see and cannot see.      

“...The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him...” (Ezra 8:22).

It was an early morning in last spring. I stood at my bay window, deep in unpleasant thought on an issue that seemed to overwhelm me. I was unhappy. My attention was drawn to some birds flitting to and from a pine tree on my front lawn, and they were chirping merrily. This went on for quite some time. A thought crossed my mind: "Here I am feeling unhappy and these birds are having a whale of a time, making themselves merry."

As I stared at them and listened to their songs, I thought to myself: "These birds must be happy!"

But what made them happy? What did they have that I did not? Then another thought crept in: What did I have that they did not? The answer came swiftly: "You have the power of choice. You too can sing!"

Then came the thought of the captive Jews in Babylon, saying: "How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?" I felt some sort of agreement with that. "How shall I sing when I do not feel like it?" Then came another thought, this time a confirmation: "Through the power of the Spirit within me, I have the ability to disperse darkness and I too can sing!" I reminded myself that I was created to surmount obstacles. Yes, I can be as merry as those birds even in the midst of how I feel. I began to sing and one song came after another. Some lyrics I made up as I went along. Next I was dancing, all by myself.

In my spirit I was transported to another place—a place where I was beginning to feel good about myself. I was feeling happy! We cannot buy happiness, we cannot lease or borrow it, but we can exchange feelings of gloom for feelings of happiness and cheer. We have access to a Power within us that can help us do it.

"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine..." (Proverbs 17:22)