22 October 2023
Two-Minute Features | 29 October 2023 | 15 October 2023

Not Getting Overhyped About Things, Part 1 (TMF:2210)

Friday, October 27, 2023
Peace to Live By: Not Getting Overhyped About Things, Part 1 (TMF:2210) - Daniel Litton
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       You see, that’s what most of us do, most of the time. When it comes to plotting and planning a vacation, we think only about the good things that we are planning on doing, the places we are going to see, the rides we are going to ride, and the food we are going to eat. We don’t think about the normal parts, or even the possibly worrisome parts. We have created an artificial outlook of the vacation in our minds. There is nothing wrong with this necessarily. It’s good to look forward to taking time off and getting away. It’s just that when we overhype something in our heads, we are only going to be faced with disillusionment when what we have planned is coming to pass. This can be done with all sorts of things. We might think of a special night out to dinner, a family reunion, watching the premier of our favorite TV show, or even our upcoming wedding. We know, deep down, in reality, that all that really matters is God. He is the one with whom, whenever we spend time with him, we are never disillusioned. But all other things, if hyped up too much, definitely give us a let down.

Having a Good Presentation Before Others (TMF:2209)

Thursday, October 26, 2023
Peace to Live By: Having a Good Presentation Before Others (TMF:2209) - Daniel Litton
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       It doesn’t take a lot of money these days to have good looking clothes. Whether it is the discount department stores, online retailers, or even a second-hand store, nice clothes can be had for much lower cost. Now, some people don’t think it’s right to dress too nice. They think the Scriptures forbid it. That’s a matter of one’s opinion. I will say that the people we know as ‘plain,’ the Amish, are oftentimes dressed nicer than most middle of the road Christians. They have better presentations than many, and they sew all their stuff at home. Most of it isn’t store bought. I know people who make a lot of money and yet don’t dress nice. They don’t even dress okay. They dress at a lower standard, one of which I think is too low. And what does that make we feel of them? Well, when I think of them I think ‘cheap.’ Being honest, it’s what first comes to mind. Or, perhaps it’s because they are out of order in some other area of their lives? Maybe their mortgage payment is too high, or their car payment, or they own too much of this or too much of that. That’s not a valid excuse, though.

Devotional Time in the Morning, Part 2 (TMF:2208)

Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Peace to Live By: Devotional Time in the Morning, Part 2 (TMF:2208) - Daniel Litton
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       And it’s not just great literature that helps us, but really it’s the time that we focus on spending with the most important person in our lives. And who is that? Well, that’s God. It’s our relationship with him that is the most significant thing that we have in our lives. All other things can change, can be gone in fact. But not that. If we spend time with God, we find that we feel better. We find that we feel more aligned with how we are, as people. We keep morality in check. It’s impossible to live immorally and then go fellowship with the Creator, at least, I don’t think I could do that. So, if we spend at least twenty minutes, some on Scriptural things, and some as time spent with God, I don’t think we can go wrong. I don’t see any better way to structure the day. I don’t see any other solid ground with which the days can then be built upon. We all have a tendency to forget the important things that have been taught to us. With the forgetfulness then, why not refresh the mind first thing?

Devotional Time in the Morning, Part 1 (TMF:2207)

Tuesday, October 24, 2023
Peace to Live By: Devotional Time in the Morning, Part 1 (TMF:2207) - Daniel Litton
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       Devotional time sometimes gets moved around for us because we do not want to become legalistic in our lives. There is the feeling, “I don’t have to do my devotional time in the morning. I’ll do it later. I’m too tired to do it!” And that is true. We don’t have to have our devotional time in the morning. I have found, however, that any day I haven’t, that day seems to go by in an aimless direction, like a dog let outside without a leash or, as it was said of old, a group of sheep without its shepherd. I like to have morning devotional time for a couple of reasons. For one, it sets my mind in the right direction for the day. Whether you read the Scriptures or read a good book focused on God things, on our character development, you are setting a structure for your mind for the day. You are working out your mind, much like the physical body is worked out in the exercise room or gym. We know our stomach needs food at some point after we wake up, well I think it’s also good to feed our mind something that will help it throughout the day.

Seeking Counsel on Big Decisions, Part 3 (TMF:2206)

Monday, October 23, 2023
Peace to Live By: Seeking Counsel on Big Decisions, Part 3 (TMF:2206) - Daniel Litton
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       This is because sometimes only clarity is gained by patiently thinking about a thing, or letting it sit a while not thinking about it, and then returning to it. Sometimes great clarity can be achieved by waiting to act for all the options to show their true colors. But it’s also important for us, as Washington demonstrated, that sometimes we have to turn aside from the opinion or solution that we had, and go with the advice of another. This is because we are not in possession of all the answers like we often think we are. Sometimes others can see things we can’t, and this may be from their own personal past experiences and failures. Other people have been through different types of situations in life, and have gained insight through those situations. It takes humility to go with another’s choice. We have to choose whether we will look bad for a moment while swallowing our pride and going with the other person, or whether we will look bad for a while later on when we arrogantly stuck with our choice and are now paying the consequences.