THE PURSUIT OF A SMILE

This month, two hundred and thirty-three years ago,  Congress finalized the wording on the United States Declaration of Independence.  At the heart of that document is the statement; "they (all men) are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."   

So there it is - confirmed for us by the government: Our Creator (God) has given us the right to pursue happiness.   "Unalienable" by the way means that they cannot be taken away from the one to whom they were given.  You are I were given the right by God to seek happiness, and problem, power, principality, nor people can take that away from us.  

I saw a friend this weekend, and though I didn't say anything, they seemed to have lost the smile that I remember.  I fear this is not an isolated situation.

But the Source of the right to the pursuit, is the Power for the capture!  Read the promises!  Ephesians 3:20!  Psalms 30!  Psalms 27! Psalms 40!

To you my friend - please don't let relationships (even the broken ones), or money (the lack of), your job (or no job), science (it's attack on there even being a Creator), or anything separate you from the Giver of smiles. Remember it is "unalienable" - a right that cannot be taken away.

As Grandpa Henry (who died smiling) sang:

You can smile when you can't say a word,  You can smile when you cannot be heard;  You can smile when it's cloudy or fair,  You can smile anytime, anywhere. As for a few visuals: This is on the 10th hole.  Pastors can get out of the rain and order something warm to drink. Working with the earliteens at campmeeting can be a blessing... when you HAVE to take them to the lake. I was privileged to be ordained as a minister of the gospel, by the Seventh-day Adventist Church on June 21, 2009.  It was a double privilege to be ordained with 3 other friends and colleagues.

HE RECALCULATES

So... I have spent a day in NYC's Central Park and was completely fascinated.  My legs wore out before my curiosity did.  Except for trying to find street parking... it was fun. 

Last week I had a birthday and the 3rd and 4th graders at our church school invited me to their class for breakfast.  Some very cool people!

I went kayaking this weekend with some more cool people - as you can see... we paddled all the way across the lawn.

Living in a complicated commute community along with the special deals offered by the closing Circuit City I bought a Global Positioning System (GPS).   Now I spend less time lost and more time trying to convince the British accented computer voice that I really do know a better way.  The system is intriguing with 24 satellites circling the earth at 12,000 miles, each with a wingspan of 17 feet and weighing almost 2,000 pounds.

Here is what I have found out after all of the wrong turns I have made, either by accident or on purpose: I have never been able to drive off of the center of the GPS screen.  As soon as I take a turn not included in the purple highlighted route, the system recalculates.  It gets more amazing.  Even after I take a wrong turn after taking a wrong turn (that’s two wrong turns back-to-back) it still recalculates.  I have even forgotten to reset it and have been driving to a completely different location in the almost opposite direction and it will persistently be recalculating at nearly every intersection to help me get on track to what was my goal. It doesn’t forget about me.

Could it be this is the truth of God working out His will for our lives!?  We choose our destination when we choose Jesus, from there He highlights His will and where He wants us, and what He wants us to do, and when He wants us to do it.  But what happens when we make a turn not “highlighted?”  We remain in the center of His will as He recalculates to get us to His/our destination. What about someone’s defiance in living the opposite direction?  I believe at every intersection of life, a very persistent God will be recalculating to give a chance.

So know, you will not drive off the screen of God knowing and caring where you are at, and even if you make a right where He thought left, you remain in the center as a God of persistent love, recalculates so you and I arrive at His goal.