Christian Devotionals and Scripture Applied to Everyday Life

Throughout the years people have developed different types of maladies. Take writer’s cramp for example. Thousands of years ago this was not a problem as our forerunners preserved history orally and the average person did not know how to write. Since then we have suffered from a plethora of discomforts like tennis elbow, trigger finger, and carpal tunnel syndrome, which have all developed as a result of new activities. Even recently I heard of an even newer problem: text neck is neck pain and damage stemming from looking down at modern devices for too long. This is the way of our world now and we are suffering for it.

The words, like angry racquetballs, bounced off the four walls of the neat little home. Harsh dialogue spoken from the depths of raw emotions ripped back and forth – the competition was on. Raised voices shouted wrongs from the past and hearts ripped to shreds on both sides. In the heat of the moment, all that mattered was winning. But the satisfaction of the “I’m Right” game lasted only briefly, and a moment of smug glory ended poorly. An important relationship was damaged. What a price to pay for being right!

Life at one hundred miles an hour – that’s what each day feels like sometimes. We rush and worry about all that needs to be done, constantly running and thinking ahead to the next thing. Usually in all the rush we miss the joy of the moment. This weekend Dad and I spent some time away in the heart of Amish country. We love to retreat to a quiet inn we found a few years ago. From this special place we find rest that we don’t often get in the busy life of family business, church and school activities and home responsibilities. Things slow down and it’s easier to focus.

When faced with difficult tasks, it is always helpful to look past the hardship and focus on the benefit to come. When I was growing up, Grandma would console me when I didn’t want to face an unpleasant, but paying, job by saying, “Just think of the money!” By saying this she was encouraging me to move past the unpleasantness of the task at hand by keeping my reward in mind. Focusing on the wages was a great motivation to get moving and finish what I needed to do.

A good teacher is often hard to find. Anyone can get up and share facts about a particular subject, but a gifted teacher knows how to motivate her students. A good teacher knows how to give life to a subject and stimulate a pupil to think. Thinking, problem solving, and reasoning are skills that are necessary all through life. These abilities will guide you, help you to grow, and protect you. Without a good teacher a person is headed for big trouble.

Yesterday was a big day! John-Keith had a birthday and this year he turned twenty-one. Twenty-one is the year a kid is officially considered an adult. It is the year one’s driver’s license is printed sideways instead of up and down. It is the year of new beginnings and greater responsibilities. Congratulations, John-Keith! You made it!