FACEBOOK FORGIVENESS

As a newcomer to the world of Facebook, and being a male, I launched into the social network without reading any instructions or directions. I just figured it out as I went; which led got me into a little trouble.

Having started up a ‘group’ (The group is “1st Monday”. Please join.) I sent an invitation and whaalaa…members!! Also, being a little old school and from the South, I thought it kind to send every new member a “Welcome!” letter. So, I started sending everyone a nice little note of welcome along with a few words of instruction about the group. Which, all this worked well for about 200 members. That’s when all of a sudden a big red WARNING popped up on my screen!

Seems I’d broken some rule and my messages were viewed as spam. Yikes! I didn’t intend it that way. But Facebook saw it that way and I’d offended the beast. Now, what to do? I instantly stopped sending out the welcome letters, yet still every time I touched the screen with a click the warning popped up. It bothered me to be considered a ‘law breaker’. I felt a little heart sick in fact. And instantly the thrill of Facebook was gone. I didn’t know if I could be on it any more or not. Honestly, I didn’t want to be on it because “they” thought I was a rotten guy. So, I turned it off and walked away for awhile.

After several hours I tried again to see if they’d forgiven me yet. They hadn’t—the warning flashed again. So, it took awhile, but I found a way to communicate with one of “them” and explained the situation, offered not to do it again, and asked for them to fix the problem. The next morning…all was restored to normal. Suddenly, the joy of Facebook was back and I felt much better!

Work matters out with whomever you’ve an issue. It may take some work, but talk to them. Communicate your mistakes and ask for forgiveness. Then let it sit with them. If they forgive you it will recharge your whole life, and joy you’d lost will return. It’s the way society is truly networked.



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Facebook

I signed up last night. Within 30 seconds of clicking the button to invite friends I'd gotten my first one; within two minutes I was up to 8! Day two and I'm around 140; almost instantly finding friends I'd lost as long ago as 28 years. It's mind blowing.

This whole internet thing is mind blowing, isn't it? I mean, my son is in Nepal sending me daily notes and pictures—I remember when it took 2 weeks for a letter to cross the earth and film took at least a week to develop! Mind blowing to me…..but not to the generations under me.

The naughty little secret to all of this awesome techno-wizardry is it the frail foundation upon which it rests. The computer gurus? No. Electricity, you may think. No again. It is more fragile than either of those. Everything rest, ironically, on our being friends—true friends.

When we can no longer be global friends the whole thing will crumble. Wars, sabotage, nuclear disasters are elements powerful enough to pull the plug on it all. The thin wall between us and those is our continued friendship.

Half a century of living continues bringing me back to a core truth: it is critical to life that I love my neighbor.

MIDNIGHT, PLUS 27 MINUTES

The ball just dropped in Times Square.

It’s a new day. Your shot at improving on yesterday.

It’s a new year with a new chance to improve, to avoid past mistakes, to do better than you’ve ever done before.

Imagine what a new life would mean!

Really……imagine.

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SPACE FOR GRACE

Passed a van parked in front of a handicapped children's center. A sticker on the window had the symbol of a wheel chair on the sliding door and it read, "Please, leave extra room." Knowing that the people on board need extra space enables me to give it to them when I pull along side them.

If, somehow, we could look into each other's heart, and if we then realized that everyone wears a sticker on the inside with a wheelchair and the message, "Please, leave extra room." Wouldn't it be easy to give more space. And wouldn't we all be better neighbors, and employees, and husbands, and friends, and even enemies?

"Come to me," Jesus said, "All of you who have wheelchairs, and hang ups, and handicaps, and issues, and problems, and are outcast for whatever reasons.....I'll give you extra room."

That's grace...and we all need it. Today. Be gracious; leave extra room.



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GOOD INTENTIONS.....BAH AND HUMBUG!

I’ll never buy another chicken wing at KFC! Not because they were poorly cooked; not out of any loyalty to PETA, not because I’m feeling ‘green’ these days, and not due to a sudden dislike for chicken. No, my reasons are quite personal, but maybe not unique to someone my age……

Last night Daniel and I made a dash to KFC to grab a couple of bucket of wings and strips for about 15 hungry guests. The lady who helped us was courteous and efficient; even offered us a free drink because we had to wait (A whole 2 minutes! America is great.) She rang up the order. I signed the receipt and headed for the door. No problem so far.

“Daniel, I think we need another bucket. Don’t you?”

“Yeah. Probably.”

So, back to the counter. “We’d like another bucket of strips, please.”

A half-minute later the clerk, a young man this time, rang me up. "Thank you, Sir.”

Don’t know what caused me to notice, but I did. My eyes focused. I blinked and re-focused in disbelief! Quickly, I opened my wallet to examine the receipt from the first clerk, and compare--the same ERROR had occurred! Both had included a charge….or…actually, it was a sort of ‘credit’. I know they intended well, but bah and humbug on their good intentions! Normally, I’d not feel such, but this was over the top, they’d crossed a line. The last line on each receipt read, “SC DISC”. Arrrrggggghh!

I laughed. (Better than tears.) Daniel laughed. Donna laughed. Our guests laughed, and you’re probably laughing too. I’m happy, I suppose, to spread a little Christmas cheer. Ho, ho. Nooooo!

God bless and boycott KFC!!! (Just pulleting your leg.)

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SAVING THE MASSES, BUT NOT.

On a walk today, I mused about my recently deceased Mother.

So much I wish I had said. More that I wish she knew. Regrets. Failings. Short-comings; all of them mine.

Saving the world, building empires, serving the great masses we can fail at our primary mission—the loving and blessing of those nearest us. But failures are just that--failures. Nothing alters the past. We have only today and perhaps, tomorrow, to do better.

Who should I notice today? Who might I be overlooking as I gaze upon the masses? "My wife and my children," is my heart's silent reply. And certainly, obviously, they are the PRIMARY mission of my life.

So, to avoid regrets, failures, or short-comings I will love and bless them today…and tomorrow….and the next day....BEFORE and IN PREFERENCE TO the great masses. We should all lay aside our empires, step down off our stallions, and think this through very carefully.

If we'll sit in the sand box with our children, or stand beside our wives at the kitchen sink, and listen sincerely and caringly to their hearts I believe we will have no regrets. I have a hunch that putting family first, will ironically and ultimately, somehow, lead to saving the masses and the building of empires.

At least, this is what I thought and prayed about today on my walk.

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HUMILITY

We easily recognize the actions of humility, but what might be the words of humility?

The words of arrogance aid our understanding of the words of humility.

Words we think (or say) when we're arrogant are:
"I give", "I do" and "I am".

Opposite to them are the words of humility:
"I need", "I can't" and "Would you"

Come to think of it...Jesus illustrated this in the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in Luke 18:9-14.

Compare and contrast their words:

The Pharisee who was arrogant said,

"God,
I give (a tenth). I do (fasting). I am (better than these others types.)"

Then the Tax Collector said,

"God,
I can't (do right). I need (forgiveness). Would you (have mercy on me)?"

May God help us all because we can't, and we need, for God to give, and do because He is "I AM".





All material copyrighted by Stephen Meeks