Tag: Charity

Rose Garden?

In 1973, I remember hearing a Lynn Anderson song with the lyrics, “I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden.”

And while writing five blogs a day, I never want to promise you any thing that can’t be delivered to you.

The Tiger Woods saga was noteworthy at jeff noel.org because it challenged all of us to decide one way or another. (And even if you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice)

A jeffnoel.org reader emailed a valuable insight – none of us are in a position to forgive Tiger Woods. God and Tiger must handle this.

However, a point you may want to consider – the one that came immediately to mind – as you live your daily life, is this:

God will not withhold forgiveness to anyone who asks to be forgiven.

And if this is so, who is it in our lives that needs to be forgiven, but we have never offered them hope and encouragement?

Pray Without Ceasing

Life is hard for many people this time of year. Add to that unprecedented times, and we have an overwhelming number of people who are struggling in one way or another right now.

And I mean struggling at a greater intensity than many generations can recall.

It sure seems that way to me.

Can you imagine being Tiger Woods right now, or President Obama, or even the Pope?

Can you imagine being the average American who can no longer put food on the table, when a year ago they could quite easily?

I worry about a lot more than I used to. So, now more than ever, the phrase, “Pray without ceasing“, has a special meaning.

And also a special obligation.

Just One Penny

Driving home from Gold’s Gym at dusk yesterday, there was a man holding a cardboard sign at a huge intersection.

His cardboard sign message began, “Just One Penny”.

It happened so fast I couldn’t catch the whole message. It seemed like the next part was, “Makes a big difference”.

In fifty years my wife and I have never owned an ATM card. We don’t carry cash.

However, I keep a few dollars in the glove compartment, which we use to pay the three dollars it costs each time our son is at the Kiddie Gym.

I rolled the window down and handed him something. It was more than a penny, but it was probably not more than enough.

But at least I tried. Can you imagine begging for something as insignificant as a penny?