Faith

Money can’t buy happiness

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In this world so
much emphasis has been put on monetary wealth that a person’s worth and success
is often gauged by how much money and possessions they have accumulated. Even
some religious groups have claimed that this is a sign of God’s blessings. No truer proverb
has ever been coined than “Money can’t buy happiness.” Genuine contentment and
peace of mind must come from spiritual means. The root came from Rousseau’s Discours in Spain in 1750.     
“Money buys everything, except morality and citizens.”

The Bible makes
it clear that our hearts must not be set on riches, and that a rich man can’t
enter into the kingdom of God.

Love

Love will find a way

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I used a version of
this in my newspaper article yesterday. I felt it appropriate for my fellow
Templars as well. On Valentine’s
Day our hearts turn to what should be our daily focus: Love. This old maxim means
that people who are in love will overcome any adverse circumstances in order to
be together. It was the title and topic of a popular 1983 song by Lionel Riche
on his ‘Can’t Slow Down’ Motown studio album, and other songs, both before and
after, by various other artists.

Faith

We shouldn’t blow our own horn

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“Don’t blow your own
horn, or trumpet,” is metaphor found originally in the Bible. In Matthew 6:2,), in
the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns against the practice of proclaiming our
own virtues to be praised by others for our charitable gifts using strikingly
similar phraseology. The New World
Translation is closest on this:

“…When you go making gifts of mercy, do not blow a trumpet ahead of you, just
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be
glorified by men…” Remember that the
original text on this was written in the early 1st century, so
naturally the wording would be slightly different, but the meaning is the same. So let us be humble and
thankful for all God has blessed us with and give of ourselves without
self-glorification.

Faith

Attitude of gratitude

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As
members of this holy order we all surely realize that our attitude at all times
is an important factor in our success. And being thankful is a virtue which we
are told in Scripture to have as Christians.   

The
universal cliché, ‘attitude of gratitude’ is an admonition to think positive
and be grateful for all one has. These two words have been used in relation to
one another for hundreds of years, but the earliest citation known of them in a
very similar connection is from Historical
Sketches of the Ten Miles Square Forming the District of Columbia by
Jonathan Elliott, 1830, on page 116 under ‘Landing of the Pilgrims on Plymouth
Rock,’ in regard to the carving over the door leading to the Eastern Portico on
the Capitol Rotundo:

“Behind, in the boat, looking towards heaven, with an eye and attitude of devotional gratitude, for deliverance
from the sufferings and hardships of the voyage, stands his wife…”

In
The Science of Getting Rich, 1910, by
Wallace D. Wattles, page 29, he wrote what may be the earliest exact citation
of the current saying:

“The more gratefully we fix our minds on the Supreme when
good things come to us, the more good things we will receive, and the more
rapidly they will come; and the reason simply is that the mental attitude of gratitude draws the mind into closer touch
with the source.”

We know that the true
source of all good is God. May He give you an attitude of gratitude at all
times.

Faith

Make the “short rows” count

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I used a version
of this in my last newspaper column. I believe it is also appropriate here. I suppose a lot
of you, like me, were brought up on a farm. Younger ones likely still can’t
relate to it because methods of tending crops have changed. Back in my day, we
grew large fields of corn and big gardens which were hand planted and weeds
were periodically removed using a hoe.

Devotional

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

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Upon this
proverb many religions have built their philosophy. It is one of the oldest
sayings known to man. This particular version comes from the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:12. It first
appeared in English in 1535 in the Miles
Coverdale Bible. “Therfore
what soeuer ye wolde that men shulde do
to you, eue so do ye to them.”

In various
forms, the principle expressed in this proverb is conveyed in the classic
literature of ancient Greece, Rome and the holy writings of Islam, Taoism, Sikh
and other religious texts.

Faith

The battle is not yours, but God’s

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In my newly released
book, Turning Point at Gettysburg, based on the true story of my
great-great grandfather who was severely wounded and captured in Pickett’s
Charge, the most highly proclaimed conflict of the American Civil War, the main
character was captivated and influenced by a sermon he heard while AWOL to see
his newly born son who was ill. It was from II Chronicles 20:15 “…for the
battle is not yours, but God’s.”

That verse stuck with
him through all of his suffering and incarceration in a prisoner-of-war camp. It helped him to see the sovereignty of God, and realize that he and our nation
must heal, and that he could be a part of the solution. We are in a similar
position right now in our politically divided nation. Our loyalty must be to
God and our faith must be in Him to bring us through to ultimate victory.

Devotional

Turning over a new leaf

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At the beginning of a
new year there is a lot of talk about making resolutions, and perhaps ‘turning
over a new leaf.” First, let’s look at where that came from. As you know, this
expression has to do with beginning anew, making a fresh start. It comes from
turning over a new page, formerly known as leaves, in ‘the book of life.’  Though it was obviously in use before this,
the earliest known citation is from Saducismus Triumphatus: Or, Full and Plain Evidence
Concerning Witches and Apparitions by
Joseph Glanvil, 1581, page 223:

“…l am now come to tell you, That there is a God and a very just and terrible one, and if you do not
turn over a new leaf
(the very expression as is by the Doctor punctually remembered) you will find it so (the Captain
proceeded)…”

As
Christians we know that new starts have to begin with a true desire to do
something differently. Even then, it is almost impossible to do it without help
and inspiration. Our greatest source for help in is God.

Devotional

For Auld Lang Syne

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For some of us
the New Year can’t come too soon. We must all admit that the past year has not
gone the way that any of us expected or hoped for. In keeping with my motto,
which I have previously declared is “like my blood type, B positive,” I am
trusting that ‘wrong shall fail and right prevail.’

On New Year’s,
likely the most popular tune year after year has been “Auld Lang Syne.” But I
would wager that many of us have no idea what those words mean, and some don’t
know the origin of the song itself. Let’s start with
the words. The literal translation of the Scots Gaelic words is, “old long
since.” 

Our version of
the song is from a poem accredited to famed Scottish bard, Robert Burns, in
1780.

Devotional

The Christmas Star

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Tonight Jupiter and
Saturn will align in a way they have not done for 800 years, causing the
formation of what will appear in the heavens much like we imagine the star
looked like that was followed by the Magi to find the Christ Child over 2,000
years ago. We know now that Jesus was
not born at the exact time that the Gregorian calendar starts over measuring
our years, months and days. We also know that it is highly unlikely that His birth
was in December. But the star was real. Around the time of His birth there were
some alignments in the heavens which could have been used by God to announce
the birth of our Savior.