The Pursuit of Happiness

Happiness means something a little different for each of us, and yet it is something we all desire and expect. A famous line from one of the most popular comic strips of all time was the statement Charles Schultz attributed to Charlie Brown: “Happiness is a warm puppy.”   If you’re not a dog-lover, you’d probably prefer a human relationship. Socrates said, "By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you'll become happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher." 

Some of us think happiness comes as a result of education, a good job, a husband/wife, enough money to buy all the things we want, constant entertainment, physical beauty, a perfect body, fame, prestige, position, power, or any number of things. But if we think these things will bring happiness, we need to think again.

If you don’t agree, don’t take my word for it. Read for yourself about King Solomon, the richest, most powerful, wisest, and most coddled man who ever lived. With his choice of women, he chose 700 wives and 300 concubines. Crazy man!

Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes 2 that he had more money than he could spend and bought himself anything he desired. He had beautiful homes and grounds with gardens, cattle, horses and stables, pools, and luxurious furnishings. He had oodles of servants, including some who played music and entertained him. He had great wisdom more than any man. As king, he had absolute power and control over his life and the lives of others. He also had health and youth, yet none of these things satisfied him.

Solomon’s conclusion in 2:17 was that nothing satisfied him and he “hated life,” because everything was “vanity” (emptiness) and “vexation of spirit” (troublesome). In verse 18, he admits that he actually hated all the things he had worked to achieve, because he didn’t want to leave them for someone else to enjoy after he died. What selfishness!   

The very things that Solomon (and many others have) sought after only bring emptiness and depression. It’s a fact of life that things simply do not satisfy. Part of the human condition is that, no matter how much we have, there is still an insatiable desire for more. Why? Because we are spiritual beings, and only God can fill the emptiness of our hearts and satisfy our souls.

What we are really seeking is fulfillment. To be fulfilled, our lives must have purpose. Some people never determine what their life's purpose is, or even consider that they should have one. They simply drift through life waiting for the next thrill, with no real goals or achievements. Others may find a purpose, but when they come to the end of life, they realize they've lived for the wrong purpose. They only regret having spent their lifetime on things that brought no satisfaction and had no real value. The happiest people on earth are those who know why they are here, and they are determined to live out that purpose.

A worthwhile life is the one spent doing things that have meaning and eternal value: For instance cultivating friendships, building character, helping those in need, meaningful work, sharing knowledge and wisdom gained over time, and establishing a personal relationship with God.

Happiness can be an elusive dream or a reality. It’s something we cannot find by struggling and grasping for it. Rather, it comes as a result of applying our time and effort toward achieving worthwhile goals. Having a sense of accomplishment is what gives life meaning and fulfillment. If we pursue happiness, it will continue to evade us. But when we set out to make others happy and fulfill God’s purpose for our lives, happiness comes automatically, without a struggle.

You see, happiness a gift, rather than a feat. It is the by-product of a living a balanced life—the balance of accomplishment, good relationships, a spiritual connection, and emotional stability.

The best things in life really are free: Salvation, love, family, friendship, truth, work, character, the beauty of the natural world, health, etc. But we must be willing to accept these things as God’s gifts and appreciate them rather than casting them aside as though they are not valuable enough for us.

What makes you happy? If you think about it, you may realize that your happiness is connected to your spiritual health. That's the conclusion Solomon eventually reached after a life time of struggling to find happiness. 

After discussing everything that he had achieved, Solomon’s conclusion of the whole matter was: “Fear God and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”  Ecclesiastes 11:13 

I think we should learn the easy way...from King Solomon's experience.  Remember, he WAS the wisest person who ever lived!

What do you think?

One Father’s Impact

William Jackson Smart and his wife Ellen Victoria lived a simple life in Arkansas in the late 1800’s. Smart was a member of the First Arkansas Light Artillery unit which fought in the Battle of Pea Ridge during the Civil War. As new land began opening up in the west, the Smart family moved to Spokane, Washington, where William worked as a farmer.

Their oldest child Sonora was sixteen when her mother died in childbirth. She helped her father raise her five younger brothers, including the newborn baby. She saw what a heavy load her widowed father carried, and held him in great esteem. While listening to a sermon in 1910 about the newly recognized Mother’s Day, Sonora felt very strongly that fatherhood should also be recognized and celebrated. She approached the Ministerial Alliance of Spokane with her idea and suggested June 5, her father’s birthday, as the day to celebrate.

The Alliance elected to use the third Sunday in June instead, and on June 19, 1910, Sonora Smart Dodd’s idea became a reality. The first Father’s Day was celebrated, with the mayor of Spokane and the governor of Washington officially supporting the event. But Father’s Day didn’t begin as a national holiday.  It began in ONE town, with ONE father. You could even say it began in the heart and mind of ONE daughter whose father’s impact in her life was overwhelming.

Back when women stayed home and did all the cooking and housework, there was an old saying, “Man may work from sun to sun, but a woman’s work is never done.”  I can imagine that Farmer Smart’s work was truly never done, because he was both father and mother to his children.  

Imagine being a “stay-at-home” dad in 1898. Anyone who knows anything about farming knows it is a sun-up to sun-down, seven days a week, 365 days a year job. And as if farming wasn’t enough, Smart had six young children to provide for and look after in addition to his farm.

To measure the impact of fatherhood, we only have to consider the negative side, the children raised in fatherless homes. According to the Center for Disease Control*:

·         85%  of children with behavioral problems are in fatherless homes.

·         71%  of high school dropouts are in fatherless homes.

·         85%  of all youth in prison were in fatherless homes.

·         75%  of all youth in chemical abuse centers were in fatherless homes.

·         63%  of all youth suicides are children from fatherless homes.

Fathering a child may be easy, but being a real father is something quite different. With marriage on the decline, so many men live elsewhere and are absentees in the lives of their children, creating a void that seemingly nothing else fills. Living without a father breeds insecurity and rebellion in the lives of kids.

The spiritual impact of fatherlessness is also a problem. A father should give us an example and a perception of what our Heavenly Father is like. But so many children are deserted by their fathers. They have no concept of a Heavenly Father because they don’t have a loving, nurturing father who is present to provide for them, guide them, and help them deal with the issues of life.

I am proud of my husband Jim, who is a wonderful father, grandfather, and role model. I am in awe of all the things he has done over his lifetime and still does. He was a great pastor for 40 years; served on local, state, and denominational boards; built church buildings; and more importantly, has built lives. He has been a faithful provider, guide, and positive influence on our three children and seven grandchildren, all of whom think he hung the moon!

I want to honor my son Randy and my son-in-law Scott Berglan, both great fathers, pastors, and spiritual leaders of their families. They each serve as a wonderful example to their own three children. I also applaud Steve Keiffer, my grandson Adam’s dad, who is a Christian and a positive role model. Of course, I can’t let Father’s Day pass without celebrating the life of my Dad, Cecil Combs whose influential life story is detailed in my book, Living by Faith.

Fourteen years after the first Father’s Day celebration in Spokane, President Calvin Coolidge publicly supported plans for a national Father’s Day. It would be another 32 years before it was recognized by a joint resolution of Congress in 1956, and President Lyndon Johnson made it official proclaiming an official national holiday in 1966. More than sixty years after Sonora Smart Dodd’s idea was presented, President Richard Nixon established the first Sunday in June as Father’s Day by law in 1972.

Today, Father’s Day ranks as the fifth most popular card-sending holiday. Before the days of cell phones and free long-distance calling, it was the holiday with the most collect phone calls – kids calling their Dad’s and letting them pick up the tab. I doubt there was a dad out there who ever refused a call, or a kid who doubted that they would do so.

If you are a successful, or even a semi-average, functioning adult, your success is greatly due to the impact and  influence of ONE father. So tell him that on June 19.

“Hello, Dad? Just wanted to wish you a Happy Father’s Day, and tell you that I love you and appreciate all you’ve done for me!” Say it now, while you still have your father with you.

* Article Source - statistics: http://EzineArticles.com/2441660

Life Without Limits

As you can see in the space above left, I have a link to the website Blogging for Books. The book I'm reviewing here was sent to me in exchange for sharing my review on their website. I found it to be such a blessing that I wanted to share it on my blog as well as sharing the review on their site. Here is my review:

“Nicholas, you need to play with normal children, because you are normal. You just have a few bits and pieces missing, that’s all.” That’s what Nick Vujicic’s mother insisted when he was very young, instilling in him “…the belief that I had every right to life free of labels and restrictions.”

“My parents held onto the conviction that my life would have no limits,” Nick writes in his autobiography Life Without Limits, subtitled: Inspiration for a Ridiculously Good Life. To say his story is inspirational is a huge understatement, and he seems to love and appreciate his ridiculously good life more than the average person.

The thing that makes Nick’s mother’s comment so incredible is that Nick was born without either arms or legs. And despite the almost impossible odds against it, he has gone on to live a relatively normal life. He sees himself not as handicapped, but rather as a person who has to figure out a way to do things that other people can do easily. In keeping with this attitude, he produced a DVD entitled, “No Arms, No Legs, No Worries.”

Nick is a motivational speaker and the director of a nonprofit organization he founded called Life Without Limbs. He has traveled the world and spoken to hundreds of thousands of people, inspiring them to focus on what they have, not what they are missing.

Some of his accomplishments are astounding when you consider his missing limbs. Using a tiny foot that is attached to his lower body, he navigates his world via a motorized wheelchair, and even uses a computer. He swims and has been SCUBA diving. He even learned to surf in Hawaii with Bethany Hamilton, the famous surfer and subject of the movie Soul Surfer.



Surfing on Waikiki Beach with Bethany Hamilton



One of my favorite parts of the book is the story of a bully who kept threatening him in grade school. Amazingly, they agreed to settle their argument by fighting it out. Even more amazing, was the fact that Nick beat “Chuckie” and left him crying on the ground, with a bloodied nose. He was worried about going home and facing his parents, expecting to be punished for fighting. He had no need to be worried, as he recalls, “They simply did not think it possible that I’d beaten up a bigger, older, and fully-equipped bloke.”

After navigating the tumultuous years of early adolescence and wanting to commit suicide, Nick accepted Christ at age fifteen. He asked God to forgive him, direct his life, and give him purpose.  He quotes Helen Keller, who said true happiness comes through “…fidelity to a worthy purpose.” After seeing the reaction of his classmates when he shared his testimony, he knew he wanted to be a speaker. God answered Nick’s prayer and gave him a speaking ministry that fulfils his purpose and inspires people of all classes, races, and religions.



Baby Nick with his first wheels

In a chapter called Attitude is Altitude, Nick says that attitude is like a remote control for your life. If the program you’re watching doesn’t uplift you and help you, then change it. He says we can “pick a ‘tude,” and suggests that some of the most powerful and positive ones are: gratitude, action, empathy,  and forgiveness.

Reading the wise words this handsome young man his written is so empowering. It helps the reader to see how truly amazing God’s grace is, even though we sometimes feel we have nothing to offer Him. He can use whatever we have when we make it available to Him. Nick Vujicic is a wonderful example of someone who lives life to the limit and makes the most of his talents and abilities. His story will leave you with wonder, tears of joy, gratitude for all you have, and an amazing resolve to live up to the best you can be.

If you'd like to read this book or another and write a review, you can do so by signing up for the program at http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks/

Nick Vujicic's website http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/ offers DVDs and other products that tell more of his story. I think this man is simply amazing...tell me what you think!