Got Any Greatest Life Achievements?

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him...And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward. "   --- Colossians 3:17, Matthew 10:42

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So last week a much-respected man announced he considered  ______ one of his life's greatest achievements.

Now, I'll not fill in the blank since it's rather controversial and who needs folks scrambling down rabbit holes, missing your whole point?

But simply stated, the guy said 'no' when everyone else said 'yes'. He followed only his convictions, not the fear-inducing information swirling over the Internet and tv.

And in this case, his convictions proved right, for him, and now he feels relieved, grateful, and considers that choice one of his life's greatest achievements.

Wow. For a week, that hasn't budged from my mind. 

I even asked myself, "What if one of my life's greatest achievements is that I've decluttered over 2300 items these past 5 years? You know, so that--when Tom and I are gone--Naomi won't have to mutter in a pile of old clothes and trash, "Why did they keep all this junk? It's gonna take me months to clear things out!"

I mean, what if a Life's Great Achievement doesn't have to shake or change the world? Or be appreciated by crowds or remembered in History? What if it doesn't alter the course of your familial bloodline or become something for which you're remembered?

Instead, perhaps a greatest life achievement is anything God and you did together. You know, an act of obedience, probably one you didn't even understand at the time or deem important even a tad.

Your encouraging words to someone who'd planned to end their days, but went on to live thousands more in gratitude.

Recipes you created and handed-down to family generations.

The times your words gave folks hope for the future instead of dread.

The way your consistent faithfulness gave people something to count on and a glimpse of Jesus' loyalty.

The gifts you created which made friends feel loved in a time they'd felt  unlovable.

The instances you used social media to encourage, uplift, warn, inform, instruct, all at Jesus' leading and in His timing, perhaps changing others' course of history.

The times you loved your family well.

This past week? Similar thoughts were mine, all because someone did not hide away and avoid us all, but instead, shared words from his heart regarding a choice he made.

Oh the power of our words and actions as directed by almighty God! 

And most likely, not until Heaven will we realize the majority of our greatest life achievements, what they even were and the difference they made. Even those appearing the most insignificant of all.

"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver... A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit... Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person... The power of Life and Death are in the tongue..."

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."

Leo Buscaglia

Are we using social media the way Jesus would if He was sitting at our computer or phone, for peoples' benefit and good?

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After Tom came down with gout the first time, we had to change his/our diet. 

He's always loved pastries, but now, well, forget those. But never fear! Alternatives exist. We just have to be willing to search for them. To discover what is safe. 

Generally, if we want to feel well, we can't be lazy.

Anyway, here's an alternative pumpkin pie recipe I make a couple times a month, even having it for breakfast (why not?). Tom loves this and has experienced no gout flare-ups with it.

One 15 oz. canned pumpkin

2 eggs

1/2 can evaporated milk 

1/4 c. sugar

3 envelopes Stevia

2 tsp. cinnamon (or to taste. Extra spices make up for the low sugar, we've found)

2 tsp. allspice  (ditto)

1/4 tsp. ginger

pinch of salt

1 graham cracker crust

Add first 9 ingredients to a bowl. Mix well. Pour into graham cracker crust. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. (I bake this in our toaster oven and mine doesn't always finish cooking in the middle, but we like it that way. heh.)

        (Instead of whipped cream, we add plain Greek yogurt.)

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"I woke up this morning and found this in my backyard." 

---@WendellTalks

"Be the kind of person that makes people believe this kind of story could be true about you even if they don't know for sure."

Boris Spider ----------

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Please remember: My posts are always about more than they appear to be. 

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 "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ... Matthew 6:14,15