1st Christian Men’s retreat
Oct 2000
Nice Intro..
Sometimes I’d like to give a speech on speaking experiences.. Pilot Club.. forgot Illinois College.. Cerro Gordo.. famous authors Been introduced as Ray Bradbury twice. Drove to Metropolis (Please.. we’ve heard so much about you) one night after school… a long drive.. Bank President: “I’ll be damned if I can remember his name, but here he is. “
Proverbs.. “The cheerful heart has a continual feast.” Let me prepare you for Thanksgiving. For the feast of your life.. a cheerful heart.
I’ll admit, sometimes we guess wrong as to what will make us happy. .. what will give us joy. Two nights ago.. a “revolving dinner” designed so that a certain group would get to know each other. The longest night of the month. I thought I’d be happy. I was miserable. Salmon. People tell me it’s wonderful. I’ve tried salmon all my life… even at gourmet restaurants … even in the middle of a Salmon hatchery in Alaska. I still don’t like it. But I want to. I want to be happy. I want the JOY. I wanted to buy a Chrysler PT Cruiser this year. I didn’t. I bought a Pontiac Grand Prix. I’m not happy about it. It’s not terribly important, but I’d rather have the PT Cruiser.
Simple test: think a moment.. the two happiest Christians you know… Now: a magic trick: I’ll tell you about them. They were either a man or a woman. (How am I doing?) Their life was probably tougher than yours. They spend a good many waking minutes thinking about the happiness of others.
They are secure enough to laugh….they’re confident. Surprises delight rather than bother them. They seem to be at home and comfortable nearly everywhere. They tend to think that what they do is important.
Proverbs: “The cheerful heart has a continual feast.” Let me tell you how to have a continual feast.
Helen Dickens.
LET ME TAKE THESE IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER: (And some I won’t mention at all.)
1st: IF YOU WOULD HAVE A CONTINUAL FEAST OF JOY… ACCEPT CHANGE AND SURPRISES AS A PART OF YOUR JOB. Matt J: Baritone. A simple question, how can God work in your life unless you are willing to welcome the surprises He sends your way? Living for Jesus is many things but “comfortable” or “predictable” are not among them. If you want a feast of joy, be prepared to not always be prepared when God says go. My testimony….
2nd: IF YOU WOULD HAVE A CONTINUAL FEAST OF JOY BE FREE TO BE YOURSELF. A simple premise: God made You. .. not the person you pretend to be. I’ve had many heroes .. spiritual and otherwise, and often I’ve learned from them, but I keep coming back to being myself.
Quest Happiness Test.. two fingers… Loretta LaRoche in her JOY OF STRESS...says we all go around with this committee in our head..the infamous “they”...they who are always watching us... in our head. “What would they think?” Put that committee on a bus and take it for a ride tomorrow morning.. Tell them “I’m drivin’ and we’re goin’ for a ride.” ...My friend: Myron Strubbe...sings full-voice to the songs playing in Walmart.
...Jeff W: Always backed through the Drive up at McDonnalds.
Bob Large.. “Amen! Halleluja!” “Could you tone it down a little?” NO
NUMBER 3: You’ve got to be sold on the importance of what you’re doing to be successful at it. Some of us lose our joy because we’ve lost your sense of importance.
Nursing home: the real tragedy.. the depression, comes not so much from disease and infirmity and simply uselessness. Lost my mother two years ago.. My Dad’s companion for 54 years.. in his words, “I was just getting used to her.” Dad is 81. Healthy. Works every day. Mows every widow’s yard within a ten mile radius. My brother and I have found that the most important responsibility we have toward my Dad is not seeing to his health or physical well-being, but simply letting him know how important he is to us. We went 40 years without tell him. We must be convinced of our importance.
In the last three days.. dealt with two suicide threats. I’ve found in dealing with young people, my greatest task is making them feel important and needed. Christ did this over and over, asking us to be His hands and His feet. Asking us to do His will. How can you have a more important job than that?
Lieberman: “Every day of my life I make a choice. I can believe my critics or trust that God will show me how to help my fellow man.”
NUMBER 4: TO HAVE JOY, YOU MUST KEEP FIGHT THE TEMPTATION TO DO THE SAME THINGS OVER AND OVER IN THE SAME WAYS. Best way to do this, constantly reevaluate how you do things. Lady… ham… pan….
I decided that the moment I started doing things because I’ve always done it that way, I’d quit teaching. Grammar to 7th-graders.
It must be that way with our service to the Lord.. with our method of worship. Large church in S’field.. asked me to come in.
I’ve urged every church I’ve known to see exactly which parts of their worship are mandated by scripture, keep those then throw everything else out and start from scratch. The church is famous for being at least one century behind the world’s needs. We’re famous for what we’re against rather than what we’re for. We’re famous for worshiping tradition instead of God. One of my favorite books… God: “Help, I’m a prisoner in a stained glass jail.” “Who said that I wanted to be worshipped with 18th century hymns among 17th century using a liturgy from the dark ages?” “I’m trapped in your church! Please let me out!”
If we are to have a continual feast of joy, we must stop worshipping tradition and look at Jesus Christ as the fresh, living, vibrating, earth-shaking, ground-breaking Savior that he is.
5TH: To have joy in your worship, you need to keep your perspective. Lighten up. You are not the end of the world. Most of what you do can be corrected by someone else. Leave your anxieties at home. Most of us brought ours with us and we don’t need yours.
Sometimes we just need to lighten up. 3 things are important: When you’re born, when you die, and when you make a difference in someone else’s life.. in everything else, lighten up.
NUMBER SIX: You cannot have joy in your worship while you play the blame game. I do morning calisthenics.. wake up feeling good then I start putting weights on myself.. I think about teachers who I disagree with, administrators who I disagree with….. irresponsible parents… I’m so heavy by the time I get to school, I can hardly get out of the car. Your job will never be fair. Get over it. If you don’t, you’ll suffer more than those you’re angry with.
Someone will always be paid more than you for doing less. Get over it. Someone will always seem to have an easier workload. Get over it. If you had their schedule you’d become less of an employee, not more. 90% of the work in the world is done by people who don’t have time to do it. I hope that’s you.
The moment you assign blame, you lose the power of God within in you. (repeat)
Christ was a servant.. You all know that the happiest times of your lives have been when you have served others. You don’t even have to look for opportunities.. Simply begin each day by praying to be of service.
NUMBER SEVEN: To have joy in your worship, you must remind yourself that you are not the best at everything. Give credit even to those who irritate you. There are people who are better than you at some things. Big deal. We’re in this together and they are helping you by being great. Tell them so. Appreciate each other. The most valuable teacher in my building.. I’ve never been in his classroom, I’ve never asked kids about what kind of teacher he is although they’re always quick to tell me he’s great. He’s the most valuable person in the building because he’s an encourager. Ed Anderson. He encourages the teachers. He encourages the kids.
Quest.. self-confidence class. Last week I asked them: 1) Name someone who gave you money at least two years ago. Few could remember. THEN.. 2) name someone who gave you a compliment two years ago that you still remember.
Encouragement is the cheapest and the most valuable gift we can give one another.
Face it, sometimes you’re just wrong. Airport.. cookies.. Face it, sometimes we’re wrong.
EIGHT: To have joy , you have to realize You will never get the credit you deserve. Most people don’t. Doctors in show… lonely, no social life. People intimidated by them. Lincoln show with lawyers.. truly hurt by lack of respect.. If you think you have it tough as a teacher… trying listening to lawyer jokes. Recent email from Gus Gordon.
A simple test, if you received as much praise as you give, would that be enough? Conway Twitty.
Proverbs: “The cheerful heart has a continual feast.” You can do God’s work without joy, but boy it’s hard. Let God out of the stained glass prison you’ve built for Him. “The cheerful heart has a continual feast.”
I urge you.. eat hearty!
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