the good old days

Sometimes on Sundays I like to wake up early

and watch Joel Olsteen.

He is a preacher who makes so much sense in today's world.

Today his sermon is about "It's all how you look at it"

As always, his sermon is simple but something that

changes the way you look at the complaints of the days world.

Perspective....

He goes through a list of things that could have you feeling negative

but then explains how it's all how you look at it.

For instance:

If you have only 15 dollars in your pocket then you are in the top

8% of the wealthiest people in the world.

If you have sore muscles are so tired at the end of the day,

be thankful because that means you had a job to go to.

Be thankful for the taxes you pay because that means you are employed.

Be thankful for the grass that needs to be cut, gutters that needs to be

cleaned because that mean you have a home to live in.

Be thankful for the woman who sits behind you in church who

sings loudly off key because it means you can hear.

He goes on to a list many things that are not hard to understand,

but some days hard to remember when we get caught up in

the "Poor me" attitude that kills.

He says one that struck me.

"Be thankful that you can scratch your own nose."

I think of Gina B. who has a hard time lately with this

simple task. I have pain every day.

I am thankful that I have such a great life that the

people who love me understand this and that there

are medications that can ease my pain.

Olsteen told a story of his brother who is a a physician.

At one time his brother was working 80 hours a week

to come home to 3 children under the age of 6.

He was tired but there were diapers to change, baths to be done,

bedtime stories to be told...

One day he went to work and one of his elderly patients took

a minute to ask him how he was doing, that he looked so

tired and stressed.

He shared with this patient a part of his life.

He spoke of how with the job and all the challenges of having to

do for his children had him wishing for the day that he

would not have so many fatherly duties to do.

His brother then remembered that this elderly woman had

recently lost her husband. He asked,

"I am sorry for going on, how are you doing since becoming a widow"

She with tears rolling down her wrinkled face shares:

"How I long for the days you now live.

For the pitter-patter of little feet, reading of bedtime stories,

going to bed so tired that you are asleep before your

head hits the pillow and then up in an hour to help a little

one who has had a nightmare. I would love to go back to the

season your are now living. You right now are living

your "good ol' days"

None of this was anything that any of us don't know in

our hearts to be true but we forget in the drudgery's

of living the daily grind.

Live your GOOD OL' DAYS to the fullest.

Do it for you, do it for the ones you love

and if you can't do it for those reasons,

then do it for all of those who can no longer do it for themselves.

This my friends, is our good old days