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| << December31, 2003 - Sand Dollar: Needed - a January Thaw |
January06, 2004 - Sand Dollar: A Silent Prayer >> |
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Good morning, Doves. "If a man cannot be a Christian where he is, he cannot be a Christian anywhere. -- Henry Ward Beecher." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nothing to Worry About by Roger Campbell Early last week, I found myself sitting in a medical reception area awaiting my call into the office of a Dermatologist. It wasn't the first time. I've sometimes been troubled by pre-cancerous conditions that have required treatment or removal, so when an irritation developed around a spot hiding beneath my left sideburn, I made an appointment with my doctor to see what it was all about. At the call of the doctor's assistant, I made my way into a small, sterile, suspense room to wait again; this time for the doctor himself, the man who, with one educated look, would be able to give me a good idea of what was ahead. Thankfully, when the doctor arrived, and examined me, his verdict was good news. "This is just a little weed in the garden of your life," he said, adding four wonderful words: "nothing to worry about!" Less than thirty minutes later, I was on my way home, less my sneaky sideburn concern, with only a thirty-day check-up remaining to be sure I'm home free. There was a time when worry, like an old friend, traveled with me every day, ever keeping me occupied with what might lay ahead. No more! Life's too short to be imprisoned by fear. I listened astonished as a man described the limits fear had placed on him. He had lived and raised his family in a large metropolitan area, but, for some reason, had set a twelve mile radius around his home as his "safe zone." Outside those borders, panic set in. He was so afraid to travel that he refused to go beyond this boundary, even to work. Traffic jams were so terrifying to him that he kept a small motorcycle in his van so he could use it to escape in the event he was boxed in by surrounding vehicles. He was a captive on an island of his own making. And the guards keeping him from breaking free were his fears. A man from Southwest Africa once wrote to tell me how he had moved from panic to peace, even though he and his large family lived in a perilous place. He said he had learned to start each day giving thanks that he is alive and able to enjoy the beauty of the morning, instead of worrying about what might happen to him that day. Our Lord called for living in faith one day at a time (Matthew 6:34). Still millions will spoil today being occupied with fears about imagined events that will never happen. Most things that make us fear and fret are those that haven't happened yet. No one has enough information about the future to worry intelligently about tomorrow, so why not trust God for today and enjoy it? What are you anxious about that you're not absolutely sure will take place? If you're not sure the worst will happen, don't waste your time worrying about it. I begin each day quoting a Bible prescription for overcoming worry that says if we stop worrying and start praying, the peace of God will guard our hearts no matter what's going on around us (Philippians 4:6-8). It works for me. Join me and my correspondent from Southwest Africa as we start each day thanking God we're alive and rejoicing in the basic blessings of the moment. You're sure to have a better day. (c) 2003 Roger Campbell ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ May your day be richly blessed. Go and spread 'good will and peace', as does the dove in the legend of the Sand Dollar. Bob Johnston Sand Dollar Publisher Minneapolis <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> To subscribe: visit the Sand Dollar page at www.ripplemaker.com or send a message to Bob@Ripplemaker.com with "Subscribe" in the subject. Please include your name and state & country of residence. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To cancel your subscription" Send a message to Bob@Ripplemaker.com with "Cancel Sand Dollar" in the subject. Your cancellation should take effect before the next mailing. |
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| << December31, 2003 - Sand Dollar: Needed - a January Thaw |
January06, 2004 - Sand Dollar: A Silent Prayer >> |
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