“Therefore consider carefully how you live - not as unwise but as wise, taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15-16
* The verse above is a great motto to live by, especially nowadays. Read it again! We are easily swayed into believing that life is horrible, when in fact life is wonderful. If a person chooses to be pessimistic about life, and is only able to sees what is imperfect around him/her, then it becomes this person’s responsibility to deal with it.
* Life certainly presents challenges but when challenges and problems paralyze us, we will not be able to see what God is doing. We need to look at the “problems” that come our way as great opportunities to change our way of thinking… to change our way of dealing with the world around us.
* There is a saying in German that says, “Wenn Gott dir eine Tür zuschlägt, öffnet er dir ein Fenster.“ (When God closes a door to you, He opens a window for you!) Problems and challenges are opportunities of change of direction… take advantage for the betterment of ourselves and others.
* There is evil in the world, but God tells us to be wise as we deal with the troubles we face… using every opportunity to what is kind, what edifies, what is loving! In times of troubled waters we especially need to be creative and show God’s love… God gives us new opportunities every day.
* I want to give you an example of how that is done: The Irish Potato Famine (1846-1851) resulted in a 30 percent drop in the population of the west of Ireland. The prolonged suffering in Ireland had broken the survivors in body and spirit. John Bloomfield, the owner of Castle Caldwell in County Fermanagh, was working on the recovery of his estate when he noticed that the exteriors of his tenant farmers' small cottages had a vivid white finish. He was informed that there was a clay deposit on his property of unusually fine quality. To generate revenue and provide employment on his estate, he built a pottery at the village of Belleek in 1857. The unusually fine clay yielded porcelain china that was translucent with a glass-like finish. It was worked into traditional Irish designs and was an immediate success. Today, Belleek's delicate strength and its iridescent pear-like glaze is enthusiastically purchased the world over. This multimillion-dollar industry arose from innovative thinking during some very anxious times.
* Take the problems in life, even the pandemic, and be creative in using them as opportunities to be kind and loving to others. If you do so, you will be honoring God because that is “wisdom-living”!
Rev. Don Sonntag
* The verse above is a great motto to live by, especially nowadays. Read it again! We are easily swayed into believing that life is horrible, when in fact life is wonderful. If a person chooses to be pessimistic about life, and is only able to sees what is imperfect around him/her, then it becomes this person’s responsibility to deal with it.
* Life certainly presents challenges but when challenges and problems paralyze us, we will not be able to see what God is doing. We need to look at the “problems” that come our way as great opportunities to change our way of thinking… to change our way of dealing with the world around us.
* There is a saying in German that says, “Wenn Gott dir eine Tür zuschlägt, öffnet er dir ein Fenster.“ (When God closes a door to you, He opens a window for you!) Problems and challenges are opportunities of change of direction… take advantage for the betterment of ourselves and others.
* There is evil in the world, but God tells us to be wise as we deal with the troubles we face… using every opportunity to what is kind, what edifies, what is loving! In times of troubled waters we especially need to be creative and show God’s love… God gives us new opportunities every day.
* I want to give you an example of how that is done: The Irish Potato Famine (1846-1851) resulted in a 30 percent drop in the population of the west of Ireland. The prolonged suffering in Ireland had broken the survivors in body and spirit. John Bloomfield, the owner of Castle Caldwell in County Fermanagh, was working on the recovery of his estate when he noticed that the exteriors of his tenant farmers' small cottages had a vivid white finish. He was informed that there was a clay deposit on his property of unusually fine quality. To generate revenue and provide employment on his estate, he built a pottery at the village of Belleek in 1857. The unusually fine clay yielded porcelain china that was translucent with a glass-like finish. It was worked into traditional Irish designs and was an immediate success. Today, Belleek's delicate strength and its iridescent pear-like glaze is enthusiastically purchased the world over. This multimillion-dollar industry arose from innovative thinking during some very anxious times.
* Take the problems in life, even the pandemic, and be creative in using them as opportunities to be kind and loving to others. If you do so, you will be honoring God because that is “wisdom-living”!
Rev. Don Sonntag