THERMOSTATS OR THERMOMETERS

Have you every started your day with a groan and a sigh? Your energy level low and you had rather be somewhere else and not face your immediate responsibilities? So many of us operate on feelings, we forget that we still have the power of choice. Do you operate your life as a thermostat or simply a thermometer?

By The Way there is a big difference between the two. A thermometer simply tells us what is but a thermostat tells us what we want it to be. It was mighty hot that morning in church. I have determined through much personal experience to not mess with the church heating and cooling system. I ask the custodian to check the thermostat and he said, “No wonder it is hot, someone has reset the thermostat on 80 degrees. I remember this morning checking it and it was set on 70.” The next Sunday the same thing happened. This time I went against my better judgment and checked it myself. What I discovered was that the custodian, who was new in that position, had checked the thermometer. It was 70 before the service began and 80 by the time we concluded. In fact the thermostat had not been set at all. All that was running was the fan. I punched a few buttons and the problem was solved. The custodian never did figure out the mystery.

I had the power to set the temperature not just tell what the temperature was. Choice is one of the wonderful gifts God has given to us. We do not have to be a slave to our feelings. We do not have to be satisfied with the temperature of our lives. It will take a conscience effort but we can set our thermostat. We can choose to see the good, to go after our goals, to rejoice instead of complain.

You may have physical or emotional problems you are dealing with and this will, admittedly, make setting your thermostat a little more difficult. But we have the help of the Lord who created and engineered our H/A system. (Heating and Air or it could represent our spiritual Health and Accountability system.) To use another analogy, “It is sometimes more convenient to curse the darkness than turn on the light.

The Psalmist declares in Psalm 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

We have a choice to rejoice. We have a choice to live this day, which is God’s gift, in a way that will glorify God, edify ourselves and bless those around us.

BLOGTHOT: IF YOU ARE HAVING A BAD DAY, DON’T FUSS AT THE THERMOMETER, RESET YOUR SPIRITUAL THERMOSTAT.

WHAT DO HIT MEEN TA'BEE SPURTULE?

Broco Jim reminded me that my last blog was growing moss. Well, the way he stated it, “It was ’smellin’ because of it’s age.” And I needed to come up with some fresh spiritual food.

Now that got me to thinking… sometimes a dangerous thing for me to do. But By The Way I did recall a sermon I heard one time preached by a “shore nuff” country preacher. He entitled his message, “What do Hit Meen Ta’bee Spurtule? And as I remember, he hit the proverbial nail on the head.

What Hit don’t meen:
1. Jest always beein in church … kaus most of the Christin livin that meens anythang is did out side the church walls

2. Allways coating Bible versis … kaus they is ment to bee lived and not jest spoutid off.

3. Condemin ever body else fer not talkin and actin like you … kaus when you got a fone poll in yore eyes you cant see to pull a toothpic outa the other fellers eyes

4. Hollerin and throin a ruckis and puttin yore brane in newtrule in church whiles you let yore motions go krazy… hit meens lovin God with yore hart and mind and havin some reel no-in and beelevin in the Bible.

5. Findly, hit don’t meen that you nos moren any body else bout how to figger out what the Bible meens … kaus if yore a shore nuff Christin then you gots the Holy Ghost in you fer a teecher like ever other Christin and they can figger out what hit meens with His hep.

What Hit do meen:
1. Lovin God with all yore hart, sole, mind, and strangth.

2. Lovin yore na-bore like you loves yoresef.

3. Talkin to God on a reglar bases… that meens prayin.

4. Doin what God tells you ta do … that meens readin yore Bible on a reglar bases.

5. And makin shore you got yore sins repented of sos nothins in betwix you and God that wood keep you from good fellership.

MAKES GOOD SENSE TO ME!!!

BLOGTHOT: IF YOU REALLY ARE SPIRITUAL, IT WILL BE OTHERS THAT KNOW IT, NOT YOU.