Week Fifty, 2023
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. (1 Timothy 6:17-18).
His handshake was a firm grip, and he was neatly dressed in business casual. In all other respects he looked like anyone else as our eyes made contact. I enjoyed hearing his comments about generosity, as he, now advanced in age, shared his life story. He shared his sorrow over the recent death of his wife.
After a stint in the Air Force and then as electronic manufacturer representative, he told how he mortgaged his home in 1966 to open his stereo equipment store in St. Paul, Minnesota. His name is Richard Schulze. He opened a series of stores and re-named them Best Buy, now with 1138 Best Buy stores worldwide. His net worth is somewhere above three billion dollars, half of which he is giving to charities, in addition to all the millions he has already given away.
As I drove home from our meeting, I thought about shaking hands with a billionaire. His handshake was like any other. All of his money couldn’t have prevented or bring back the tragic cancer death of his wife. I thought of Proverbs 22:21, “The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the maker of them all.”
I thought of the Peanuts quote: If you are satisfied with all that you have, you have all you need. There are some things that money cannot buy. Like manners, morals and integrity.
How do you feel satisfied with what you have?
That’s not always easy, but here are some things that have worked for me:
1. Count your blessings. …
2. Stop, and remind yourself. …
3. Stop, and consider why you want something. …
4. Take time to appreciate your life! …
5. Show people you appreciate them. …
6. Breathe, and smile. …
7. Learn to enjoy the simple things.
We live in a me, me, me and a more, more, more world. It’s all about power, prestige, position and pocketbook.
We need to take time to smell the roses. “Stop and smell the roses” is an idiom that means to relax; to take time out of one’s busy schedule to enjoy or appreciate the beauty of life.
My wife planted a rose garden beside our driveway. It blooms constantly and I placed a sign in it that says to “stop and smell the roses.” I see it every day as I drive out. It sets the pace and perspective for the day.
What is your pace and perspective for your day?
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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES
That guilty-pleasure donut you love will soon get a healthy makeover.
Known as partially hydrogenated oil, or PHO, one type of trans fat commonly found in commercial baked goods linked to heart disease and other health issues for years is about to be eliminated from the U.S. food supply.
How Did We Get Here? The long road of removing trans fats from the food supply is about to end. It started in 2015 when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled that artificial trans fats were unsafe to eat. The agency gave the food industry three years to reformulate products and ensure an orderly transition in the marketplace. In August 2023, the agency issued a direct final rule, making the decision permanent and enforceable.
Starting Dec. 22, 2023, no products containing PHOs will be allowed on grocery store shelves. I feel healthier already.
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If you made a list from the past week of the people you have criticized and the people you have encouraged, which list would be the longest? Edgar Aponte
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A recent poll showed that 63 percent of Americans are very or somewhat pessimistic about “the moral and ethical standards in our country” while only 12 percent said they had “quite a lot” of confidence in the nation’s future.
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Two million people fled America’s largest cities from 2020 to 2022, new research shows, signaling that a retreat from urban centers to suburbs, exurbs and smaller cities in the early months of the pandemic has hardened into an enduring and potentially worrisome trend.
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One-third of Americans with credit card debt say no one else knows how much they owe, according to a new report. The nation’s credit card balance hovers around $1 trillion, and interest rates routinely top 20 percent. A typical American household now carries around $10,000 in card debt.
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QUOTES YOU CAN USE
When God fights for you, you don’t need supersonic missiles. God does everything by His Word. Stephen Bernard
The longer you serve the Lord, the more you will realize that His rules and His plans are totally different than ours or the world’s ideas. Dwight Short
The church’s job is to not to conform Christ to men, but men to Christ. Dorothy Sayers
Do not compromise the truth! Edgar Aponte
It is one thing to know of God, and quite another thing to know God. Dan Shock
Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid. President Ronald Reagan
The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! (Psalm 34).
When we approach God in prayer, do we usually approach Him with a request for something or help with something; or do we ever approach Him with a desire to praise Him simply for who He is? Scott Whitaker
Do we glorify God with our passion? Or do we glorify ourselves if we glorify anything at all? Marty Stubblefield
Every day’s news brings more examples of our society’s rejection of biblical morality. But like a river that erodes the shoreline we can see and the underwater banks we cannot, the cultural currents of our day are undermining our democracy in ways that are less apparent, but no less foundational. Jim Denison
Nothing brings greater peace and confidence to your life than when you recognize the lordship of Jesus, surrender to His authority, and place your life in His hands. Not only does that decision bring you peace and confidence, it also brings you strength and endurance. Dan Shock
God’s aim looks like it is missing the mark because we are too short-sighted to see what He is aiming at. Oswald Chambers
If you are always worried about the bees, you’ll never get to taste the honey!
Any parent or doctor who sterilizes a child before they are a consenting adult should go to prison for life. Elon Musk
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