Do You Want Happiness or Joy?

Happiness	Unhappiness	Joy
Red Lamborghini	Totaled Corvette with a $15,000 unpaid note	A walk in the park
Corner office in Petronas Towers	Windowless basement office	Contentment in all things
Night with a desperate housewife	Sexually transmitted disease	A wife of noble character
Executive power	Servitude	A willing and obedient heart
Fully funded 401-K	Bear market at retirement	Generosity
Fame and fortune	Harassed and helpless	Humble and grateful service
Tequila Sunrise	Hangover	A fruitful vine
Beauty and splendor	Unattractive and bitter	Righteous and pure
Intelligent and knowledgeable	Ignorant and apathetic	Wise and discerning
Superiority	Inferiority	Selflessness
Possessing worldly things	Craving, lusting, boasting	A virtuous life
Pride in accomplishments	Arrogance and hubris	Warm-hearted appreciation

What Is Joy?

Pretend you paid cash for your favorite vehicle—a Mercedes perhaps, or a Lamborghini, a Ford-150 maybe. You included every accessory you ever imagined--leather seats, a 22-speaker sound system, outside sound suppressing sonar. Jumping into your bright new car brings delightful happiness.

As you are driving out of the dealership, an out-of-control garbage truck crushes into the left side of your car, spilling smelly trash all over your shining exterior. Suddenly you are shocked, angry and decidedly unhappy. In a nanosecond your mood changes from elation to dejection.

This thought experiment tells us that happiness depends on happenings. When our life glides on silky waters as smoothly as a sailboat in a soft, summer breeze we radiate happiness. When our life resembles a busted flush we exude unhappiness.

Joy transcends happiness. Steady and certain, joy comes from the confident assurance that God loves us and seeks to help us act according to his good purpose. While happiness depends on happenings joy depends on the conviction that God strengthens us in our weaknesses even though his presence remains unseen.

Now comes the part that is hard to understand. Joy comes only with personal surrender. We can never have joy when we put ourselves first. Selfish ambition and vain conceit steal our joy.

A great paradox presents itself when we seek joy. Joy’s victory comes from surrendering our self-will to a higher power. The very self-centeredness that makes us need to surrender our conceit to God causes our inability to submit. 

If we are unable to turn our lives over to God what can we do? We can ask the Holy Spirit for help. When we seek the Holy Spirit's assistance he gives us the power to glorify God and enjoy him forever.

When we take time to listen, to help, serve and  encourage others we love like God. When we give our prayers, our gifts, our presence and our service for the betterment of others we love like God. God-like love brings joy, a joy that allows us to endure adversity without bitterness and abide prosperity without conceit. 

A Thankful Ditty

Blissful thoughts this Thanksgiving
Of simple gifts for lively living
Burbling waters of mountain brooks
Shakespeare sonnets and classic books
Hiking trails, city Park
Hugs and kisses in the dark
Cotton candy at the Texas Fair
Haunted houses, a squeaking stair
Warm blankets, acoustic guitars
Moon beams and winking stars
Watermelons and picnic tables
Slate roofs and gothic gables
Romantic poets and Wesley hymns
Working out in fancy gyms
Summer grass in valleys growing
Autumn leaves in oak trees blowing
Soft snow falls on winters' day
Spring showers, kids at play
Football, baseball and basketball
With each season we love them all
Hook 'em horns, cheering Ags
Lone Star State for Texan brags
Texas Christian Horn Frogs
Marshmallows and hotdogs
Slowing down, wasting time
Shiner Bock and fancy wine
Hamburgers, steaks, barbecue
Catered lunch with a movie crew
Sense of humor, witty jokes
Liberal arts, country folks
Camp fire songs and butterflies
Cozy nights and loving eyes
High school dances, hay rides
A rocking chair mesmerize
Robed choir,  church steeple
Exhorting preacher, praying people
Second chances, humble resolution
God's good grace, blessed absolution

Today in My Eyes

I saw a younger friend today looking so nice and neat that I just had to say, "Just look at you. Sharp and spiffy. Blue blazer, paisley tie, shined shoes. Snazzy."

In a flash as I stood there admiring his fresh-faced smile of appreciation I realized that sooner or later I wouldn't be there. His life would go on, but mine--my earthly life--would end. I wouldn't be there to enjoy his life with him.

Then, as you would imagine, I thought of Vicki, my daughter and son and their families and my friends and things done and undone. In an twinkle these images shimmered by as a morning mist in the great green forest of a sunlit valley.

The mystical moment wasn't because he and they, my family and friends, would miss me when I am gone but because I would miss them.

I'll wager that the Lord has already shown Himself in the eyes of those we love and if we look carefully we will see him in the everyday moments of every passing day. I vow to seal those fleeting moments into my soul and so live that I can leave this world with today in my eyes.

A Weighty Challenge

This summer I went to Joseph A. Bank to update my wardrobe and found, much to my astonishment, that my waist line had expanded from 36 inches to 42 inches. The scales confirmed that I was overweight: 210 pounds on a 6"2" frame = 27.2 BMI. (A BMI over 25 is considered overweight; a BMI of 30 or above indicates obesity.)

A waist circumference of greater than 40" in men and 35" in women indicates a risk for developing  metabolic syndrome (increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels that lead to heart disease, stroke, diabetes and most chronic illnesses including some cancers).

No wonder I had trouble getting out of a chair without pushing with my arms. I noticed I got slightly out of breath when tying my shoelaces. I was easily tired and fatigued. My joints were stiff. Although I am 74-years old, age couldn't explain these symptoms. Excess weight could.

I immediately decided to make the following lifestyle changes:

• 30-45 minutes of high intensity yoga on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays alternating with DVD instructions from Baron Baptiste (Power Yoga),  Jillian Michaels (Yoga Meltdown) and YouTube workouts with Sean Vigue. Caveat: Jillian Michaels is a sadist. Those without masochistic tendencies should avoid her. 
• A brisk 60-minute walk on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays
• On Sundays I did no formal exercise program.
• Adapted a Mediterranean diet eating primarily plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts. I replaced butter with healthy fats such as olive oil and canola oil and used herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor foods. I ate fish three times a week and chicken twice a week. I limited red meat to one meal each week.
• Avoided snacks, soft drinks and sugars
• Weighed myself daily and measured my waist line every Monday
• On Mondays I recorded my weight and waist line measurements on my computer calendar to track my progress

After 5 months (20 weeks) of this program I weighed 190 pounds, my waist line deceased to 38 inches and my calculated BMI decreased to 24.4. 

Almost all of my readers are above the norm in intelligence. They are sophisticated and refined. Therefore most likely the vast majority of those reading my blog maintain a normal weight. 

Sometimes, however, weight inches insidiously upon us. Just in case you might be one of the rare readers who have gained a few pounds here are some comments that might help you.

• Notice that I lost on average one pound a week. This slow progressive weight loss alters habits. The lifestyle change has been inculcated, instilled, implanted and imprinted into my daily life so that deviating from this program is like not brushing my teeth. It has become a favorable program from which  benefits far supersede toxic habits.
• Almost all diets offer quick results. It is true that fad diets can result in a 20-50 pound weight loss, but the demands are so severe that a lifestyle change never develops and the weight  returns rather quickly. 
• Caloric reduction almost always result in a quick 5 to 7 pound weight loss, most of which is water. That rate cannot be retained and people become frustrated and discouraged.
• Aerobic exercise is so essential to weight loss that caloric reduction alone is useless.
• Recording weight and waist measurement weekly helped me keep steadily on course. For several weeks my weight would plateau or I might gain a pound occasionally but the average over 20 weeks was 20 pounds lost. 
• It was interesting that with this lifestyle change I rarely became hungry except for an occasional snack attack around 10 PM. The next day my weight would increase a pound because my metabolism had changed. This increase encouraged me to avoid nighttime snacks. Weighing daily reinforces lifestyle change. 
• Week-end trips proved disastrous because I would eat all sorts of salty and sugary snacks while driving and gorge on pizza, ice cream and other unhealthy foods upon arrival. On Monday I would weigh 3 pounds heavier, mostly due to water and salt. The weight increase would get me back on track. I'm still working on how to change my lifestyle when on trips and vacation. When successful I will let you know how I did it. 

65% of the United States residents are overweight, half of whom are obese. This weight problem causes astronomical increases in health care cost. Question: How can we stop this drain on our economy? Answer: one by one. If each of us dedicate ourselves to lifestyle change perhaps our example can influence others to do likewise.

Appreciation Reigns Supreme

Our daughter, Wende, is a production coordinator for commercials and films. Last week she worked with an eleven-camera television crew. As she sat with the director in the production booth she was amazed by his ability to keep-up with eleven monitors and give rapid fire instructions to the camera operators.

She was even more impressed with his sincere concern for the crew. When a camera got an especially good shot he would praise the operator: "Beautiful shot, Paul"; "Wonderful approach, Sally"; "You made those colors bounce, Frank."

He was effusive with praise when merited and withheld comments when a shot did not meet his expectations. He took the blame when something went wrong.

Many years ago there was a study in which employees given a choice between a raise and an appreciative manager opted for appreciation over money. This study has been replicated several times with the same results.

We all crave appreciation, but how often do we praise and thank others?

I suspect that the electronic gadgetry that pervades our lives has reduced our sensitivity to the civil needs of others. As expressions of gratitude diminish so do compassion and respect.

But wait! Our civility is not crumbling. Just as in Wende's example I can recite many encounters of thoughtfulness and kindness motivated by an empathetic regard for the feelings of others. Bitterness and vitriol is not nearly as pervasive as social media comments would make us think. 

Generosity, gratitude, appreciation, kindness and consideration outnumber vile remarks and rancor at every turn. And I am grateful for that.

Attacking Alzheimer's

Bad news: Little meaningful progress has been made in finding a drug that will prevent or treat Alzheimer's disease.

Good news: A growing number of research physicians believe that lifestyle changes may be the best medicine for Alzheimer's prevention.

Combining research from multiple sites Dale Bredeson, UCLA professor of neurology has developed an Alzheimer's prevention protocol to reverse inflammation, insulin resistance and destruction of vital brain structures all of which are thought to contribute to disease development. Here is a summary of his recommendations:

• Sleep 7-9 hours each night, no more, no less
• Fast at least 12 hours daily by not eating after 7 PM until the next morning (improves insulin sensitivity) 
• Regular yoga and meditation sessions to relieve stress
• Aerobic exercise for 30-60 minutes at least five times weekly
• Brain training exercises for 30 minutes, three times weekly
• Eat mostly a plant-based diet
• Avoid high-mercury fish: tuna, shark and swordfish
• Drink 8 glasses of water daily
• Eliminate gluten and sugars

An excellent summary of recent Alzheimer's research that explains to reasons for these recommendations can be found in Discover Magazine, December 2018, pp. 32-40

Disagreeing Agreeably

Lately I've been thinking about the anger that seems to infiltrate our daily lives.  

Are the social, political and religious conflicts in our country worse now than in the past 70 years? I doubt it. 

Consider Joseph McCarthy instigating brutal attacks on Americans with divergent views; contemplate the conflicts over civil rights; ponder the Viet-Nam upheaval; reflect on the assignations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy. 

I am certain you can think of other national disruptions, but those are some "top-of-the-head" events that came to me before an early morning cup of coffee. 

Nevertheless, rather than focusing of problems, let us contemplate solutions.

How can we disagree agreeably? Here are some ideas:

• Focus on values--love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control--rather than opinions.
• Realize that, overtime, opinions are subject to change.
• Listen to divergent views with an open mind.
• Avoid associating ideas with personalities, i.e. an abrasive person may have reasonable opinions.
• Remember no one wins an argument. 
• Find social and political common ground.
• Never bully, attack, demean, degrade or humiliate another person.
• Avoid generalizations, cliches and inflammatory statements. 
• Walk away from name-callers and those who make personal attacks on others.
• Use social media for socializing, not politicalizing.  
• Sustain from judging or condemning another person.
• Consider that you could be wrong.
• Cultivate humility.
• Read or reread Dale Carnegie's classic, How to Win Friends and Influence People
• Finally, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise focus on these things. Philippians 4:8

Condemn Not

Lately I’ve been thinking about our country’s political rancor: the vexing vile, vulgar, vacuous, violent, venomous, vicious, vilifications and vindications we perpetuate on each other. (Is that the longest alliteration ever recorded?)

These perpetuations stem in part from a social Newton’s third law: when hit we hit back; when attacked we attack in return.

We have no power to prevent crack-brained rhetoric in others, BUT we can control our responses. We can refuse to participate in barbarous rancor.

Just as churlishness can be contagious so can benevolence propagate. Let us condemn not so that we may not be condemned.