“My life is so complicated, one of these days my head is just going to explode.”  That was the comment a lady made to me in a mid-January counseling session.  “I thought it would get better after Christmas was over, but it’s getting worse.  I just can’t keep up!  What am I going to do Pastor?” 
    I think she was treading in well-charted territory for most people.  Every year many, many people promise themselves ‘This year I’m going to slow down. Cut back.  Make fewer commitments.  Loose some weight.  Spend more time with my family.  Make do with less.  Take things easier and keep my cool.’   Sound familiar?  Rededicating ourselves to the pursuit of the simpler life is an annual rite it seems. 
     The ironic thing is that if/when we fail at those resolutions, that stresses us out even more.  Before the month is over (let alone the year) we’re right back in the same old rush-rush-rush and spend-spend-spend we promised to leave behind.  Why? 
     In an intriguing book called ‘The Simple Life: Plain Living and High Thinking in American Culture’, David Shi traces this craving for simplicity down through American history.  It’s been with us since the beginning, and it never seems to go away.  We recognize the foolishness of the hamster wheel and want to get off—but commercialization and greed are formidable foes.  Even some of the first residents of the United States realized that.
     The Puritans found that once their first harsh years in the New World were over, people couldn’t see the point of continuing to do without.  To keep them in line, the Puritans enacted ‘sumptuary laws’, laws that prohibited extravagances like hair ribbons and ruffled sleeves.  The Puritan leaders believed a simple lifestyle would set people free—as long as it was forced upon them relentlessly.  Nobody seemed to catch on to the obvious flaw in this approach.
     Later simplicity advocates even included Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson lived in considerable luxury.  Yet, he proclaimed long and

Something to Think About…   How we see things
    A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet.  He held up a sign which said, ‘I am blind, please help.’  There were only a few coins in the hat. 
     A man was walking by and threw a few coins in.  He thought for a moment, picked up the sign and pulled out a pen.  He wrote a new saying on it.  He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words. 
     Soon the hat began to fill up.  A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy.  Later that afternoon the man who changed the sign stopped by to see how things were going.  The boy thought he recognized the footsteps.  He asked the man if he was the one who changed the wording.  He wanted to know exactly what the man wrote.
     The man told him that he only wrote the truth.  “I said what you said but in a different way.  I wrote ‘Today is a beautiful day, but I cannot see it.’”
    Both signs told people that the boy was blind, but the first sign simply said that the boy was blind.  The second sign told people that they were blessed that they were not blind.  Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?
     The moral of the story: Be thankful for what you have!  Be creative.  Be innovative.  Think differently and positively.  When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a thousand reasons to smile.  Face your past without regret.  Handle your present with confidence.  Prepare for the future without fear.  Keep the faith and drop the fear.  And most of all—Remember GOD IS IN CONTROL!  The most beautiful thing is to see a person smiling… and even more beautiful is knowing that God is the reason behind it. 
         Pastor Dave Rosenbaum
         Cal. Lutheran High School

    
    

 

BIBLE QUIZ… on a Gentile of Faith    (Matt. 8:5-13) 1.    The Centurion (commander of 100+ men) came to Jesus asking for his help.  He wanted Jesus to A.    Help prevent a riot and innocent blood-shed B.    Heal his suffering servant C.    Instruct him in the ways of heaven D.    Make his house payment for him. 2.    The Centurion told Jesus he was not worthy to have Jesus come under his roof.  He said this because A.    He was too much of a sinner to have Jesus come there B.    He believed Jesus could heal his servant from where they were C.    Whatever Jesus said would happen D.    His house was a mess from the wild New Year’s Eve party 3.    Jesus said of the Centurion that A.    He had not found anyone in Israel with such great faith B.    He was sent only to the Jews C.    He was a great man who deserved a favor D.    Even though he was underwater on his house, he would talk to the bank for him. 4.  Then Jesus said, “Many will come from the east and the west and will take their place at the feast with Abraham, Isaac & Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven.  But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”    By that Jesus meant A.  Those living in Jerusalem will be excluded and thrown into the garbage dump B.  The Kingdom of Heaven will have all the Old Testament heroes living there; while hell has everyone else C.  Heaven is not just for Israelites.  The Israelites who rejected him would be cast into hell where there is nothing but pain and suffering. D.  Dentist who use no pain-killer and haven’t paid their light bill rule hell      Answers are on page 4.

WORLD MISSION Hong Kong Lutherans in Hong Kong recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of SALEM (Southeast Asia Lutheran Evangelical Mission).  This church body consists of eight congregations and 750 souls.  Asia Lutheran Seminary has completed three years of operation and is poised to faithfully teach the next generation of Chinese Lutheran Christians.  Visiting professors have complemented a veteran and learned faculty. Taiwan Taiwan has seen the number of expatriate missionaries diminish to one.  However, that is a good thing in that the national pastoral core will soon increase by 300 percent (one retired national pastor to three active ones).  Taichung will soon have its own permanent worship /education /fellowship facility.  This is possible through  the generous gifts of the Taiwanese people and the Board for World Missions Building Fund.  Mission work continues in two congregations in the capital of Taipei as well as the faithful small band of Christians in the original Taiwan church at Lukang.  WELS Kingdom Workers’ volunteers have provided English instruction as well as Bible instruction that have attracted many visitors to the gospel of Christ. Nepal Nepal has a vibrant Scripture Learning Program where students eagerly sit on dirt floors all day and are taught the sweet truths of the bible and their savior.  Fur training workshops/missions have been provided in this mountainous country over the past two years.  Since January 2006 the Scripture Learning Program has distributed more than 28.000 pieces of Christian literature.  Four thousand students are enrolled in the program. Humanitarian aid supports orphans and free clinics.  There are 800 baptized members in Nepal with more than 1,500 other nationals under spiritual care.  The average weekly worship attendance in Nepal is 2,200 to 2,300.  Because of political unrest this country is served with an alternate mission strategy and consists of no resident missionaries in the field. DON’T FORGET, We still recycle cell phones.