Happy

A Perfect Night for Sand Volleyball

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I had a blast playing sand volleyball tonight. Even though my teams only won once and I sweated like the pig that knows he’s about to be dinner.

It’s not about my mad volleyball skills. In fact, none of us are all that good. Well, maybe one or two. But we have fun and we cheer each other on and we laugh with each other instead of at each other. It never gets overly competitive and no one gets mad at anybody about a bad hit or that occasional moment when someone forgets that they’re in the middle of an actual game.

My favorite to watch (and my new friend) is a girl named Katie. She has an infectious joy and is one of those people who smile with their whole face. It’s hard to not be happy around her. I love the way my friends J.D. and Julie exhibit what a good marriage is and how two married people can be best friends too. Troy is one of the most consistent players who’s as good as any player out there yet able to laugh at himself when he messes up.

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The best part is that we root for each other, even if we’re on opposite teams. I don’t mind losing if I see the people on the other team enjoying themselves and getting in a good hit or two. As long as it’s not a complete blowout.

I love more than anything watching people who get better each time they play and really start believing in themselves. There’s nothing better for somebody than a little taste of success.

I like to think that Jesus roots for His children that way. He knows we’re frail and too often choose badly and fall down. He knows that we still have that old sin nature that sometimes comes out when we make poor decisions and know something is wrong yet  do it anyway.

I heard in church today that we don’t need empathy. We don’t need someone who feels bad with us when we feel bad. What we need is Somebody who knows what we’re feeling but also has the power to do something about it. Somebody who has the power to transform us and our choices.

Jesus is the best because not only does He root for us, but He sees us not as we are but how we could be at our very best. Not only that, but He is changing us into our very best selves. That is, changing us to be just like Jesus.

Lessons From an ER

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ER

I never thought I’d be spending my Friday night at the ER. . . again. This time it wasn’t for me. It was for my grandmother (who is much better, by the way). But it got me thinking about life.

Emergency Rooms are for.  . . wait for it. . .  emergencies. Profound, I know. But you never know when an emergency will strike. You never know when your life will be forever altered. So I’m offering up a list of a few things I was reminded of tonight.

1) Life is short. Too short to spend it with bitterness and unforgiveness. It’s still true that holding back forgiveness and harboring bitterness against someone is like drinking poison and expecting someone else to die. It only affects you. So forgive, especially since you never are guaranteed that you will get the chance tomorrow. I think it’s easier to bite the bullet and forgive someone than live with the regret of not doing it.

2) Don’t pass up and opportunity to let those in your life know how much they mean to you. Don’t assume a person knows you love them. Say the words, “I love you.”

3) Take chances, Go for broke. Step out in faith. And all of those other cliches. Don’t wish you had taken risks. It’s better to try and fail miserably than look back near the end of your life and wonder what would have happened had you tried.

4) Don’t just spend your days living for the next weekend or the next holiday or the next big event in your life. Savor each day and relish each moment in your days. God is in this moment, speaking to you now and you will miss Him if you’re too busy looking ahead.

5) Take care of yourself. Exercise, eat healthier, give up those bad habits, and so forth. Nothing tastes as good as healthy feels. I didn’t say skinny, I said healthy. Your goal is not to look like the cover of a fashion magazine. That’s not realistic. Your goal is to be healthy and happy in your own skin, regardless of the numbers inside your jeans. Oh, and pay attention to what your body is telling you. Don’t neglect warning signs or pain. Take care of yourself.

6) The next time you see an ER nurse or doctor, be sure and thank him or her. They earn their pay. In fact, they probably don’t get paid enough for all the crazy they have to deal with on a daily (or nightly basis).

All of that from six hours in the ER, I think that turned out to be time well spent.

Shiny

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Sometimes, the best theology lessons come from old kid’s TV specials. I saw Rudolph’s Shiny New Year again tonight and was reminded of a few things, thanks to Happy the Baby New Year.

Happy was just like every other baby new year except for one thing. He had big ears. Like Dumbo-sized big ears. And he was ashamed of them.

Whenever he took off his hat, he got laughed at. Even in the Archipelago of Last Years, where you would think people would be more tolerant, considering that they’re stuck in a time warp.

But as in all children’s programming, there’s a good moral lesson. Happy learns that not everybody is making fun of him. Some people are so filled with joy that they can’t help but laugh when they see him. And everything works out in the end, thanks to Rudolph and the gang, not forgetting Santa’s timely arrival.

The happiest people are the most content people. And the most content people are the ones who have learned to accept themselves as they are, not wishing they looked different or that they were somebody else. They have found what makes them tick and what makes them come alive and they are pursuing that.

The key is knowing who you are in Christ. It’s knowing how he sees you, not as a dirty rotten sinner but as a beloved child who was worth dying for. The one he calls precious and beloved.

May the best gift you get this year be the ability to love yourself as you are and the ability to love others the same. May you know how much you are loved by Abba Father himself. May you live out of that love every day.

I recommend watching an old children’s Christmas TV special or two. Especially the old ones. Those are the best.