Frankly Speaking
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
Are you happy with your life? Don't answer too quickly - stop and ponder that question for a moment and then be honest with yourself as you answer. If your answer was no, you are not alone - a recent Harris poll revealed that only one in three Americans admitted to being very happy. That means that roughly two-thirds of the rest us are either unhappy or indifferent. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” So, what gives? We are free and live in a nation of plenty, with a standard of living that is unsurpassed in world history, and still aren't happy. Growing up, I remember one of my Mom's favorite sayings was, "Money won't buy you happiness." She was right. So then, what is it that makes us happy? I believe that true happiness starts with thankfulness. We must learn to be thankful for what we have and where we are at. As Christians, even more so, we should always look for the good in our lives, thanking God for all that He has blessed us with. Whether you believe it or not, you have a lot to be thankful for. You don't have to look to far to see someone less fortunate than yourself. Think of all that you have to be thankful for and stop dwelling on the situations or people that bring you down. I challenge you to begin and end your day in thanksgiving to the Lord. This simple act of worship will turn your sadness into joy - I guarantee it.
"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever." Psalm 30:11,12
Pastor Frank Dodson
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
Are you happy with your life? Don't answer too quickly - stop and ponder that question for a moment and then be honest with yourself as you answer. If your answer was no, you are not alone - a recent Harris poll revealed that only one in three Americans admitted to being very happy. That means that roughly two-thirds of the rest us are either unhappy or indifferent. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” So, what gives? We are free and live in a nation of plenty, with a standard of living that is unsurpassed in world history, and still aren't happy. Growing up, I remember one of my Mom's favorite sayings was, "Money won't buy you happiness." She was right. So then, what is it that makes us happy? I believe that true happiness starts with thankfulness. We must learn to be thankful for what we have and where we are at. As Christians, even more so, we should always look for the good in our lives, thanking God for all that He has blessed us with. Whether you believe it or not, you have a lot to be thankful for. You don't have to look to far to see someone less fortunate than yourself. Think of all that you have to be thankful for and stop dwelling on the situations or people that bring you down. I challenge you to begin and end your day in thanksgiving to the Lord. This simple act of worship will turn your sadness into joy - I guarantee it.
"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever." Psalm 30:11,12
Pastor Frank Dodson