Birthdays can bring out the party animal in adults and kids. A particularly exciting celebration in the past inspired this dignified birthday cartoon.
When a birthday comes, we try to find new and unique ways to express our good wishes. Here are a few, dignified examples if you came here, searching for the right words for a birthday card. After all, birthdays are great ways to put someone in the spotlight who rarely gets recognition.
The problem with improvement programs is that we really need assisted self-help. We need others to help us see our blind spots and improve. I drew this cartoon when I thought about this quandary. How do we get the help we need while still taking responsibility for our own actions?
It isn’t easy! It takes humility to admit we need help. If we could have solved the problem before, we would have done so by now. Yet, we need determination and commitment from ourselves to improve any situation.
Every time we say or write something, we are in danger of starting a fire. In the book of James, chapter 3, the apostle gives us a big warning on why it’s so hard to control the tongue.
“Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!”
James 3:5 (KJV)
There are times I wished I followed the actions of this kid.
As I get ready to teach kids today, I’m thinking about how important it is to choose wise words. I pray I will do okay, or at least avoid damage. A flippant or insensitive comment can cause a lot of damage.
So I’ll keep it short today. Let’s use our words carefully and wisely.
We have scores of entertaining thoughts each day. But do we consider which one we should and should not entertain?
We all have random thoughts. Some of them are good and they motivate us to do better. Others can knock the wind out of our sails and make us wonder what is the point? This quote made me consider the implications of our thoughts today.
“What do you hang on the walls of your mind?”
Eve Arnold
Eve Arnold Quotes. BrainyQuote.com, BrainyMedia Inc, 2022. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/eve_arnold_489359, accessed January 26, 2022.
What thoughts do we keep and allow to affect our day? Most of us don’t consider that not all of our thoughts are useful. One minute, we could be telling ourselves that today will be a great day. The next, a random news story or negative coworker can steer us into dark territory.
Not all our thoughts are good ones. Our self-talk can build us up or tear us down. We have to watch those words and thoughts! I had a few tips in a previous blog. In it, I mentioned a Bible verse that has helped me so many times. Psalm 19:14 reminds me that our words and thoughts matter greatly.
What entertaining thoughts do we let hang on the walls of our minds? The quote reminds me of a refrigerator door. On it, we hang artwork our children have created, photos of loved ones, and various notes.
It is a place where we have mementos we like to be reminded about. The sundry scraps of paper give us a smile and remind us of good old days and loved ones that have grown.
Our mind is like a refrigerator door. What entertaining thoughts are we hanging there as a reminder? May it be something that inspires us to lift our heads a little higher, causes us to smile, and put a little extra effort into today.
This morning, I get to talk to kids about self-control. It centers around this Proverb:
A person without self-control
Proverbs 25:28
is like a city with broken-down walls.
It’s a topic we know we all need, but rarely want to talk about. After all, it is much easier to blame others for our lack of willpower, than take responsibility. As a parent, some of the most humbling times were when it was obvious to my kids I wasn’t exhibiting strong character. It usually involved a bag of chips.
We all have issues with self-control. Whether it’s a weakness for tasty food, idleness, or something much harder to control, we all struggle with something. Why do I suddenly feel hungry this morning?