Scatter the flowers

  "Lord, make me an instrument of Thy Peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love." ~St. Francis of Assisi Today is Friday.  It's going to be a doozie.  In America it's National Escape Day, National Shut Down Day, and a day globally set aside to promote peace and non-violence in commemoration of Mahatma Gandhi's assassination in 1948.   Escape from what?  Shut down why?  Neither of those seems to promote peace and non-violence.  How are we to think and act?  I think it should be Opposite Day - a day Christians set aside to do opposite the world- "Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is- His good, pleasing and perfect will." Rom 12:2   The world slings at us movements and ideologies that suggest we need to presume a position and jump on a side.  Because of the online onslaught of people's opinions we are giv...

  I'm not sure who will have their life changed today by this news, but they have taken the harmful red dyes and artificial flavors out of Flaming Hot Cheetos.  They are called NKD Cheetos.  I'm sure it was a mistake that they were not placed on the new food pyramid now, because it must mean what is left in them is good for us.  What a time to be alive! Don't we wish the harmful and fake could be taken out of everything?  Could we just deal with the beneficial and authentic in this world?  No "likes" that supposedly measure our influence or worth, or AI that generates fake news stories or homework assignments.   Things are not always as they appear.  Clouds can keep us from seeing the sun shining, and things look dismal and we doubt God knows what's going on down here.   Though all this can, if we let it, ambush our confidence and security in our daily life, it actually is a great time to be alive.  While our world is changin...

  "A little consideration, a little thought for others,  makes all the difference." ~ Eeyore Liars. Deceivers. Murderers. Prostitutes. Cowards. Persecutors. Drunks. Abused.  Adulterers.  The daily headlines?  Nope - just a list of the type of people God chooses to use to accomplish great things for His kingdom.  Their personality tests would definitely reveal insecurity, fear, impulsivity, and feelings of incompetence and doubt.   Sometimes do you think what you do doesn't matter, or it never will?  Yea, me too.  But think for a minute back to people that have impacted your life positively, either through an encouraging word or a kind action.   Maybe a Sunday school teacher or a regular school teach er noticed something about you?   Did a neighbor drop off a bit of food during a challenging time?  How about a coach encouraging you or expecting more from you because you had talent?  A boss that knew you could...