What Would Cat Do

I am not a cat person, but the following video is ... well something.




If you just watched the video you will see that cats can offer more than the typical disinterested glance.  I thinks cats typically are selfish and disinterested in us humans; however the previous video clearly shows that even cats can be a better version of themselves.  I conclude with this thought... please do not be outdone by a cat.  If you see something that needs to be done then do it.  If you see an opportunity to help or even be a hero, then jump in and save the day! -vic

Whatever

Back in college I worked at a furniture store delivering beds to customers.  For whatever reason, employee morale was always low.  Whenever there was a disagreement among employees, it seemed as if the issue would go on and on until someone in the argument would say “whatever”; As if to say “I’m done with this conversation, I’m moving on.” 

Twenty years ago “whatever” really seemed to be an effective way to end disagreements.  Not only that, the “whatever” response also gave a pseudo edge to the one saying it.  However, the use of “whatever” as a response also gives the idea that the one using it seems to be disrespectful and immature.  The Apostle gives us a better “whatever” response to negative situations in Philippians 4. 

“8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8-19 NIV

A word that ended arguments with a negative receives new life when attached to the character of Jesus.  Jesus did not just put an end to negative confrontations; in place of the negative He offered the benefits of truth and goodness.  It’s not just “whatever” to anxious what ifs; it is now “whatever is true”.  It is no longer “whatever” to the over reaction of others; it is now “whatever is noble.”  It is no longer “whatever” to the bad behavior of others; it is now “whatever is pure or lovely or praiseworthy”.  The word “whatever” is an incomplete response to a negative situation if we leave Jesus out of it.  However, when we involve Jesus in all of our responses, we then have the ability to rise above the negative and the anxious and finally then enjoy what so many people desperately want, the peace of God.  Think about such things and the peace of God will be with you. -Vic

MISSION

Something happened a few weeks ago.  I was looking at my cluttered bulletin board in my office, and I decided to clean it off.  As I did I noticed a piece of paper that had been lost, covered up by other things on the board.  This paper caught my attention, because at the top of this paper was a statement that was circled (highlighted) for some reason. So I inspected it, and this is what it said:

 

OUR MISSION: To present the gospel of Christ to the world, to prepare God’s people for works of service, to assist those who are in need, and to keep ourselves unspotted from the world. 

 

There it was our mission.  Not just my mission, but our mission; the mission of every member of the Holly Hill Church of Christ.  I was reading this being reminded of our mission, and I had a thought.  The mission was on my board all along, right there in my office.  But it was covered up with so much stuff that I could no longer see it.  That is not just true about bulletin boards, it is true about life.  If we are overextended; if we are involved in too much of the world, we will miss the important stuff, like our purpose, our mission, our reason for living.  We need to refocus, to remember that we are God’s people; that we have a mission to do His will.  It is amazing what we find when we unclutter our lives.  When we simplify and get rid of the unnecessary and the negative, we might just find something useful.

Vic