On the first Monday in September Americans celebrate Labor Day, which became a federal holiday in 1894.
The Dignity of Work
"The LORD God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it." Gn 2:15
With Labor Day, a day dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers, fast approaching the Spiritual Direction Certificate Program would like to offer some of the reflections the Church offers about work and human dignity.
First, a quick glance at when it all started. The U.S. Department of Labor states that the first celebration of the holiday was held on Tuesday, September 5, 1882 in New York City following the dictates of the Central Labor Union. On June 28, 1894 President Grover Cleveland signed it into law, making the first Monday in September of each year a national holiday. While there are theories about who founded the idea of Labor Day, it is undeniable that it came about at a time when major intervention was needed to protect the rights and dignity of all those who work regardless of sex, color or creed.
The Catholic Church has spoken out about the right and privilege of human work. How proper work allows for a person to develop and grow to the fullness of his potential. How the human capacity and call to create is a gift of our being made in the image of God who worked and created in the beginning. This weekend can be a perfect opportunity to brush up on what Mother Church has to say about dignified work. You can read some social teaching and an examples of Catholics who lived out the teachings in modern times below.
All of us at the Spiritual Direction Certificate Program wish you a happy and blessed Labor Day.
Catholics who shaped the way we work
Updated: 12 hours ago
"The defense of our rights and our dignity, as well as efforts to never allow ourselves to be overcome by the feeling of hatred- this is the road we have chosen." Lech Walesa, co-founder of Solidarity Movement.
"Our rule is the works of mercy, it is the way of sacrifice, worship, a sense of reverence." Dorothy Day, co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement and creator of Catholic Worker newspaper.
The Church and her members have always believed in the value of work. St Paul exhorted Christians to follow his example and live by the work of their hands, Jesus Himself lived and worked in Nazareth, many saints through the centuries have written about the spiritual benefit of work for our sanctification. Below are two modern day examples of believers who have fought for the right to dignified work.
Solidarność
The Solidarity movement spawned from a labor strike in August 1980, referred to as "the Polish August" when workers shut down the Gdansk shipyard over new limits on wages. After successful negotiations with the government, the strike leaders, led by Lech Walesa and Anna Walentynowicz formed Solidarity on September 17, 1980, making it the first independent labor union behind the Iron Curtain. Yet Solidarity was not simply a trade union; it was a social and political movement that strove for human dignity and full citizenship, rights and freedoms for all Poles.
It formed almost 14 months after the election of Karol Józef Wojtyła, better known as Pope John Paull II, as a movement uniting many workers and intellectuals in pursuit of the aspirations articulated by the Pope- the re-establishment of a society where Poles could freely embrace their national and religious identity. It was the first trade union in a Warsaw Pact country that was not controlled by the communist party. Solidarity gave rise to a broad, non-violent, anti-communist social movement that, at its height, claimed some 9.4 million members. It's establishment is considered to be one of the great factors in the fall of the Iron Curtain.
Catholic Worker Movement
The Catholic Worker Movement started with the Catholic Worker newspaper, created by Dorothy Day to advance Catholic social teaching and stake out a neutral, Christian pacifist position in the war-torn 1930s. Day attempted to put her words from the Catholic Worker into action through "houses of hospitality"and then through a series of farms for people to live together on communes.
Most people define Labor Day as the first Monday in September, a creation of the labor movement dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. Constituting a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. And of course they would be right.
However, for me the entire idea of Labor Day changed 21 years ago. And unbeknownst to me that 21 years ago was actually the conception of Working Moms Only.com!
It was 21 years ago that Mikaela, my oldest child was born on Labor Day. After 23 hours and 45 minutes of labor!
At that exact moment that she was born – everything changed.
I had such mixed emotions. I was never happier yet more scared. I was holding the most precious gift in my arms and I had no idea what the future was going to bring. And I was right, as there were many triumphs and tribulations.
But 10 years later, I realized that hubby and I did a pretty good job with this beautiful gift from God. You see she was 10 years old when she came home from school and asked me to read the story she had written that day. And now 11 years after Mikaela wrote this story, it still brings tears to my eyes.
So in admiration of my lovely almost-21-year-old daughter, I would be honored to share this essay that she wrote when she was just 10 years old.
It is my sincere hope that you get has much out of it as I did not only the 1st time I read it – but the 100 times since!
Cheers,
MaryEllen
PS - Happy Birthday Mikeala, and thank you for helping me continually strive to be a great working mom!
"Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world.
For, indeed, that’s all who ever have.”
~ Margaret Mead
What I Would Do with an Available
Piece of Land
By Mikaela Tribby
What I would do with a piece of available land is provide shelter for people that need it.
I would provide shelter for people who need it because there are people in the world that are homeless and helpless.
Also in the shelters, I would also make sure that they have beds to sleep in, food for them to eat and a roof over their heads. I would do this because I know how fortunate I am and how less fortunate they are.
People deserve to be able to be comfortable in a house and have food to eat. If I were homeless, I would want someone to help me to.
I could also provide clothes for them to wear, shoes and for girls hair- ties. I would also provide a toothbrush and toothpaste for everyone there.
I would also make sure that everyone had healthcare available to them in case someone gets sick.
So don’t make fun if you see homeless people roaming around because if that were you, you would not like people laughing at you.
So be nice and care for everyone you see even if you don’t know them. You should realize how fortunate you are and try to help the less fortunate.
FAITH DURAND
I am firmly in the camp of people who feel that September, not January, is the spiritual start of a new year
January is cold and soft and sleepy; September is when the heat breaks and I feel freshly invigorated to be in the kitchen. I’m writing to you quite literally surrounded by slithering piles of cookbooks, trying to figure out what to make tonight for a back-to-school party for my husband’s grad students. It’s the time to try something new, get a fresh start on food. And in that, you need to make sure that your kitchen is ready for you.
This month at Kitchn we’d like to help you do that, with a whole month devoted to Your Kitchen, But Better. After all, you’re probably not engaged in a kitchen renovation of your dreams (if you are, congrats! Send pictures!) but instead living in the same space, trying to see it with fresh eyes, clean up a dirty corner, organize a drawer, beat your pantry into submission. I just vacuumed out my baking drawer and whew, it felt good! We have a month of inspiration and fresh ideas for you in making your kitchen a better place to live and cook, from cleaning to organizing to clever hacks to inspiringly lovely kitchens.
Some of this just takes elbow grease, but some of it is finding the right stuff. And speaking of that, have you signed up for our new newsletter yet? It’s one of my favorite things we’re doing right now: Cook/Shop, a weekly newsletter stuffed with sales, good finds, and thoughtful picks for the things that will genuinely make your life better, not clutter it. Sign up below.
3 Things I’m Loving Right Now
Here are three things doing that for me right now, as I embark on a month, with you, of making my kitchen all mine, and a little bit better.
A very good grill basket: When in doubt, grill your vegetables is my motto lately, and this absolutely perfect basket has been the key. It’s large, with a fine mesh so the veggies really get some color and flavor.
Truck Dust seasoning mix: I’ve been putting this on absolutely everything! A local spice purveyor makes this mix of smoked onion salt, brown sugar, cumin, and other spices, and it’s dynamite on practically anything (pork tenderloin, steak, grilled chicken, veggies). The right spice mixes free you from recipes, and this is one of those.
A kitchen “learning tower” for my kids: I have two small girls, and this “learning tower” was a lovely big gift from my in-laws two Christmases ago and we’ve never put it away since. They stand in it and watch me cook, grabbing for things on the counter, and eat their meals standing up when they have the wiggles. If you have little ones it’s a really wonderful investment that lets your kids be a part of your kitchen life in a new way.
And then, a bonus: Don’t kill me, but I have to share my current favorite laundry basket. HOW is that kitchen-related, you ask? Well, it is, because my laundry room shares a space with my pantry, and both are constantly open to the kitchen. My kids love to rummage through and pull the laundry out and these baskets are neat, modern, light, and good at keeping it all corralled. A tiny upgrade that has made such a difference.
Buy my favorite laundry basket: Infinity Laundry Basket, $14.99 and exclusively available at The Container Store
And then one more thing: If you’ve made it this far I want to tell you a little secret, ahead of Friday. Kitchn is starting a cookbook club! If you have books, like me, that you admire but have never cooked out of, or if you’d like to be coaxed to try even more new things, then this is for you. We have a really fun program up our sleeves and if you want to be an early adopter, you can join our secret Facebook group here.
We’ll announce our first cookbook pick this Friday, September 6.
As always, thank you for reading and cooking with us. Tell us below if there’s anything you’d love to see more of this month and beyond.
Faith
Editor-in-Chief, Kitchn
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.
PUBLISHED: ABOUT 5 HOURS AGO
QUOTES FROM THE EXPERTS
Mastery
“Mastery is not something that strikes in an instant, like a thunderbolt, but a gathering power that moves steadily through time, like the weather.”
— John Champlin Gardner, Jr.
“Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain cool and unruffled under all circumstances.”
— Thomas Jefferson
“The truly liberated human being is not always fighting against something, but more frequently is fighting for something or someone.”
— Denis Waitley
“With more success, comes greater problems along with greater ability to solve them.”
— Mark Victor Hansen
“Challenge everything you do. Expand your thinking. Refocus your efforts. Rededicate yourself to your future.”
— Patricia Fripp
“A professional is a person who can do his best at a time when he doesn't particularly feel like it.”
—Alistair Cooke
“We have not wings we cannot soar; but, we have feet to scale and climb, by slow degrees, by more and more, the cloudy summits of our time.”
— Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
SEPTEMBER 8
GRANDPARENTS DAY
GRANDPARENTS ANSWERING MACHINE
Good morning . . . At present we are not at home but, please Leave your message after you hear the beep.
beeeeeppp ....
If you are one of our children, dial 1 and then select the option from 1 to 5 in order of "arrival" so we know who it is.
If you need us to stay with the children, press 2
If you want to borrow the car, press 3
If you want us to wash your clothes, press 4
If you want the grandchildren to sleep here tonight, press 5
If you want us to pick up the kids at school, press 6
If you want us to prepare a meal for Sunday or to have it delivered to your home, press 7
If you want to come to eat here, press 8
If you need money, press 9
If you are going to invite us to dinner, or taking us to the theater, start talking we are listening!!!!!!!!!!!"
WHAT IS A GRANDPARENT?
(Taken from papers written by a class of 8-year-olds)
Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of their own. They like other people's.
A grandfather is a man, & a grandmother is a lady!\
Grandparents don't have to do anything except be there when we come to see them They are old they shouldn't play hard or run. It is good if they drive us to the shops and give us money.
When they take us for walks, they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillars.
They show us and talk to us about the colors of the flowers and also why we shouldn't step on 'cracks.'
They don't say, 'Hurry up.'
Usually grandmothers are fat but not too fat to tie your shoes.
They wear glasses and funny underwear.
Grandparents don't have to be smart.
They have to answer questions like 'Why isn't God married?' and 'How come dogs chase cats?'
When they read to us, they don't skip. They don't mind if we ask for the same story over again.
Everybody should try to have a grandmother, especially if you don't have television because they are the only grownups who like to spend time with us.
They know we should have a snack time before bed time, and they say prayers with us and kiss us even when we've acted bad.
GRANDPA IS THE SMARTEST MAN ON EARTH! HE TEACHES ME GOOD THINGS, BUT I DON'T GET TO SEE HIM ENOUGH TO GET AS SMART AS HIM!
It's funny when they bend over; you hear gas leaks, and they blame the dog.
Send this to other grandparents, almost grandparents, or heck, send it to everyone. It will make their day.
Judy Asuncion Canada Correspondent
How long do you worry about your children?
Forever!
Carmela Campanon Arizona Correspondent
WORRY
Is there an imaginary cut-off period when
Offspring become accountable
For their own actions?
Is there some wonderful moment when
Parents can become detached spectators in
The lives of their children and shrug,
'It's Their life,' and feel nothing? When I was in my twenties,
I stood in a hospital corridor
Waiting for doctors to put a few stitches
In my son's head and I asked,
'When do you stop worrying?'
The nurse said,
'When they get out of the accident stage..'
My Parents just smiled faintly
And said nothing. When I was in my thirties,
I sat on a little chair in a classroom
And heard how one of my children
Talked incessantly, disrupted the class,
And was headed for a career
Making license plates.
As if to read my mind, a teacher said,
'Don't worry, they all go through this stage
And then you can sit back,
Relax and enjoy them.'
My Parents just smiled faintly
And said nothing. When I was in my forties,
I spent a lifetime waiting
For the phone to ring,
The cars to come home,
The front door to open.
A friend said,
'They're trying to find themselves.
'Don't worry!
In a few years, they'll be adults.
'They'll be off on their own
They'll be out of your hair'
My Parents just smiled faintly
And said nothing. By the time I was 50,
I was sick & tired of being vulnerable.
I was still worrying over my children,
But there was a new wrinkle..
Even though they were on their own
I continued to anguish over their failures,
Be tormented by their frustrations and
Absorbed in their disappointments..
And there was nothing I could do about it.
My Parents just smiled faintly
And said nothing. My friends said that
When my kids got married
I could stop worrying
And lead my own life.
I wanted to believe that,
But I was haunted by my parent's warm smiles
And their occasional,
'You look pale. Are you all right' ?
'Call me the minute you get home'.
Are you depressed about something?' My friends said that
When I became a grandparent
That I would get to enjoy
The happy little voices yelling
Grandma! Papa!
But now I find that I worry
Just as much about the little kids
As the big ones.
How can anyone cope
With all this Worry? Can it be that parents are sentenced
To a lifetime of worry?
Is concern for one another
Handed down like a torch
To blaze the trail of human frailties
And the fears of the unknown?
Is concern a curse or is it
A virtue that elevates us
To the highest form of earthly creation? Recently, one of my own children
Became quite irritable, saying to me,
'Where were you?
I've been calling for 3 days,
And no one answered
I was worried.'
I smiled a warm smile.
The torch has been passed.
The United States and China are in a trade war. What does this mean for American businesses and consumers? How will these tariffs potentially unknit the global econom
Transcript:
The United States and China seem to be embarking on a full-blown trade war. The United States has been levying tariffs on Chinese imports over the past year or so. China has retaliated with tariffs to counterbalance or countervail, and the United States has retaliated to the retaliation right up until last weekend or just a few days ago where the Chinese announced tariffs on a wide array of U.S. products and the administration announced that it would retaliate. So, the administration has embarked on a course of trying to pry open the Chinese market to try to secure fairer treatment for American goods and services in China. That's a correct and necessary and in fact, imperative goal and has chosen this tariff, this tit for tat tariff war as its principal tool.
So we will see over the next several months as businesses adapt. Businesses, both US and other businesses will have to adapt, and they'll change where they procure, and they'll change where they buy the things that they need, and that will have cost implications, and that will start to work its way through to the consumer. And then we'll see how the government's continue to respond.
Both governments are calculating that they have the stronger hand, that the U.S. government seems to believe that the Chinese government wants access to our markets so badly that they're going to back down. The Chinese government seems to believe that it has a deeper political support domestically, and it, of course, isn't facing an election in 11 months time. So, we'll see what the end result is. In general, raising tariffs on trade is not a good idea. It raises the cost of not just trade but other things, and it tends to unknit the global economy in ways that will prove to be costly over the long- term for American consumers and for consumers all over the world, and therefore it's unlikely to be the best approach.
Matthew Rooney joined the Bush Center in June 2015 following a career as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State. At postings in Washington and abroad, he focused on advocating market-driven solutions to economic policy challenges in both industrialized and developing countries, and on protecting the interests of U.S. companies abroad.
In Washington, Rooney was on loan to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to create a high-level private sector advisory body for the Summits of the Americas, working closely with the U.S. private sector and with companies and business associations from throughout the Americas to negotiate an agenda to promote economic integration in the region. Previously, he was Deputy Assistant Secretary responsible for relations with Canada and Mexico and for regional economic policy. In prior Washington assignments, Rooney worked for then-Senator Fred Thompson, and supported negotiations to open global markets to U.S. airline services.
Abroad, Rooney was Consul General in Munich, a Consulate General providing a full range of Consular and export promotion services, supporting a permanent presence of 30,000 U.S. forces in two major base complexes, and carrying out a media and public relations initiative in support of U.S. diplomatic objectives in Germany. As Counselor for Economic and Commercial Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in San Salvador, El Salvador, he laid the groundwork for free trade negotiations between the United States and the five countries of Central America, and promoted market-based reforms for electrical power. Prior to this, he served in various posts in Germany, Gabon and Côte d’Ivoire.
Rooney studied Economics, German and French at the University of Texas at Austin and received his Master’s Degree in International Management at the University of Texas at Dallas.
Chris Cade
HUMOUR
Psychiatrist vs Bartender
Carmela Arizona Correspondent
As a child, I always had a fear of someone under the bed at night. So I went to a shrink and told him: I've got problems. Every time I go to bed I think there’s somebody under it. I'm scared. I think I'm going crazy.”
“Just put yourself in my hands for one year,” said the shrink…. “Come talk to me three times a week and we should be able to get rid of those fears.” “How much do you charge?” “One hundred fifty dollars per visit,” replied the doctor.
“I'll sleep on it,” I said.
Six months later the doctor met me on the street. “Why didn't you come to see me about those fears you were having?” he asked.
“Well, $150 a visit, three times a week for a year, is $23,400.00. A bartender cured me for $10.00. I was so happy to have saved all that money that I went and bought a new pickup truck.”
“Is that so?” With a bit of an attitude he said, “and how, may I ask, did a bartender cure you?”
“He told me to cut the legs off the bed. Ain’t nobody under there now.”
We all face times in our lives when we are rushed and not living as fully as we would like. With increasing demands, it can be hard to slow down even if we want to. But, what’s more problematic, is that when we do have the time to stop and smell the roses, many of us simply don’t. Over time, this fast pace can lead to health consequences.
I encourage you to use these final days of summer to slow down, turn off the news, and reconnect with yourself and your loved ones. I also encourage you to take stock of what no longer serves you, including any “safe” drugs that you are taking.
Of course, sometimes medications are helpful and necessary. But, when an entire population has been led to believe that finding and taking the right drug for every ill is the Holy Grail of health care, we have a problem—especially since most health conditions respond so beautifully to holistic treatments.
Learn which drugs I won’t take—including a newly-approved drug for women—and what you can do to stay healthy at my latest blog.
Flourishingly yours,
Vince Lombardi once said…
And you know what? He was right.
The truth is that we all experience getting knocked down in life. In fact, life itself is about the ups and downs…
But what’s most important is how we pick ourselves up when we’re down, so we can move on to greater things…
So the question is…
How do you start over? How do you pick yourself up and dust yourself off?
Here are 2 quick, yet super effective tips to help get you started:
Tip 1. Remember you’re not alone.
Regardless of the situation you may currently be struggling with (going through a painful divorce or break up, suffering from an illness or a career setback), remember that other people have gone through similar situations (which are sometimes worse than yours), and guess what? They have been able to come back stronger because of them.
Tip 2. Reconnect with your true self.
Oftentimes people will identify so deeply with their partner, career, or social status, that when they experience change in any of these areas of their lives, they feel lost, as they find it hard to recognize themselves without a label. If this sounds familiar, I encourage you to reconnect with your passion and realize that you still have a purpose to fulfill… which is to be YOU.
Now, as I mentioned earlier, we ALL experience setbacks, challenges or trauma in our lives - the difference is how fast we bounce back from these adversities.
So I’d like to know… If you could learn from a true ‘Bounce Back’ expert exactly how to overcome any adversity in life and come back stronger, and more successful than ever, would you be interested in being coached by her?
If your answer is YES, then I have great news for you!
Personal Development Guru and #1 best selling author, Sonia Ricotti, will be teaching you all her BEST strategies and arming you with her most powerful tools to transform your life into one filled with financial abundance, great health, love, happiness and fulfillment. \
Sonia’s phenomenal trainings, programs and webinars have helped millions of people around the world create extraordinary lives beyond their wildest dreams.
If you’d like to be one of these people, then take action now!
Because this is your LAST chance to claim your FREE spot at this amazing event. Hurry! Click on the yellow button below!
To your greatest year yet,
Natalie ~ Mind Movies
P.S. It really hurts when things are crumbling all around you and you have no idea what the future holds, why it's all happening, or how you're going to turn things around. It makes you feel beaten, bruised, and sometimes even hopeless.
Life becomes much more interesting once we let go of our quest for perfection and aspire for imperfection instead.
It is good to remember that one of our goals in life is to not be perfect. We often lose track of this aspiration. When we make mistakes, we think that we are failing or not measuring up. But if life is about experimenting, experiencing, and learning, then to be imperfect is a prerequisite. Life becomes much more interesting once we let go of our quest for perfection and aspire for imperfection instead.
This doesn't mean that we don't strive to be our best. We simply accept that there is no such thing as perfection--especially in life. All living things are in a ceaseless state of movement. Even as you read this, your hair is growing, your cells are dying and being reborn, and your blood is moving through your veins. Your life changes more than it stays the same. Perfection may happen in a moment, but it will not last because it is an impermanent state. Trying to hold on to perfection or forcing it to happen causes frustration and unhappiness.
In spite of this, many of us are in the habit of trying to be perfect. One way to nudge ourselves out of this tendency is to look at our lives and notice that no one is judging us to see whether or not we are perfect. Sometimes, perfectionism is a holdover from our childhood--an ideal we inherited from a demanding parent. We are adults now, and we can choose to let go of the need to perform for someone else's approval. Similarly, we can choose to experience the universe as a loving place where we are free to be imperfect. Once we realize this, we can begin to take ourselves less seriously and have more fun. Imperfection is inherent to being human. By embracing your imperfections, you embrace yourself.
Entrepreneurs Are Not Normal
by Darren Hardy
You’re a freak.
That’s right. A freak. And so am I. Don’t be offended—it’s a compliment. Every single person you have seen on the cover of SUCCESS is also a freak. In fact, they’re super freaky, and that’s probably how they got on the cover.
Let’s define freak.
freak |freek| noun: a person who is obsessed with or unusually enthusiastic about a specified interest
If that’s not a definition for an entrepreneur, I don’t know what is. No doubt you have to be “unusually enthusiastic” and pretty freaky to get on this roller coaster. Most don’t have the courage to even step into the car of this thrill ride. But you do, and that is exactly why they will call you a freak.
Not only are you rare in your courage, but it turns out you’re unusual for even wanting to ride in the first place—only about 10% of people are entrepreneurs. That means the other 90% are “normal.”
Let’s define normal.
CONTINUE reading below
Thoughts/Thinking
“It takes but one positive thought when given a chance to survive and thrive to overpower an entire army of negative thoughts.”
— Robert H. Schuller
“Both poverty and riches are the offspring of thought.”
— Napoleon Hill
“Wealth is built... one thought at a time...”
— Doug Firebaugh
“Think continually about the things you really want, and refuse to think about the things you don't want.”
— Brian Tracy
Entrepreneurs Are Not Normal CONTINUED from above
normal |nawr-muh| adjective: conforming to the standard or the common type; usual
Yuck! The “usual,” “common type,” or “standard” societal normal (that big, herd-like 90 percent) don’t like it when a “freak” steps out of line. That kind of nonconformity threatens them. It challenges their choices and identity. Rather than step out themselves, it’s safer for them to scorn your choices and attack you, in hopes of dragging you back into the herd so they can feel better about themselves.
So, yes. They will call you freak. They will call you crazy.
And that is good.
“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” —Apple Inc. ad, 1997 after Steve Jobs returned to Apple.
So hello, crazy one! Welcome to the freak show! The good news is you don’t have to catch cannonballs, swallow swords, or breathe fire in order to join this freak show. (Unless, of course, your business actually is running a circus.)
Receive Jesus’ Shalom
A heart at peace gives life to the body.
Proverbs 14:30 NIV
The best way to know if you are embroiled in the things of the world is to be objective and ask yourself this: “Is my heart troubled?” I believe that the number one killer in the modern world is stress. Medical doctors in my church have told me that if a patient has high blood pressure, they can advise the patient to cut down on sodium. They can also advise their patients to cut down on other excesses such as sugar or cholesterol. But as doctors, there is one thing that they cannot control in their patients, and that is their patients’ stress levels.
I personally believe that the physical root cause of many medical conditions today is stress. Stress can produce all kinds of imbalances in your body. It can cause you to age prematurely, give you rashes, cause gastric pains and even lead to abnormal growths in your body. To put it succinctly, stress kills! Doctors tell us that certain physical symptoms are “psychosomatic” in nature. That’s because these symptoms are brought about by psychological problems such as stress. Stress is not from God. Peace is from Him!
I trust that you are beginning to understand why Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). Now, Jesus would not have used the word “peace.” The Greek New Testament renders “peace” as eirene, but since Jesus spoke Aramaic-Hebrew, He would have used the word “shalom”—“Shalom I leave with you, My shalom I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.”
In the Hebrew vernacular, “shalom” is a very rich and loaded word. There is no English word that can accurately encapsulate the fullness, richness and power contained in the word “shalom.” Hence, English Bible translators were only able to translate it as “peace.” But while the word “shalom” includes peace, it means so much more. Let’s look at the Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon to get a better idea of what Jesus meant when He said, “Shalom I leave with you.”
The Hebrew Lexicon describes “shalom” as completeness, safety, soundness (in body), welfare, health, prosperity, peace, quiet, tranquility, contentment, peace used of human relationships, peace with God especially in our covenant relationship and peace from war. Wow, what a powerful word! This is the shalom that Jesus has bequeathed you: His completeness, His safety, His soundness, His welfare, His health, His prosperity, His peace, His quietness, His tranquility, His contentment, His peace in human relationships, His peace with God through the covenant made at the cross, and His peace from war. All these, my friend, are part of your inheritance in Christ today!
Can you picture the full implications of what it means to experience Jesus’ shalom in your life? Can you picture your life being free from regrets, anxieties, and worries? How healthy, vibrant, energetic, and strong you will be! Thank Him for this blessing today and start enjoying Jesus’ shalom in every area of your life.
Joseph Prince
CARP - Canadian Association of Retired People
Questions and Answers from CARP Forum
Q:Where can single men over the age of 60 find younger women who are interested in them?
A:Try a bookstore, under Fiction.
Q:What can a man do while his wife is going through menopause?
A:Keep busy. If you're handy with tools, you can finish the basement. When you're done, you will have a place to live.
Q:Someone has told me that menopause is mentioned in the bible... Is that true?
Where can it be found?
A:Yes. Matthew 14:92:
"And Mary rode Joseph's ass all the way toEgypt..."
Q:How can you increase the heart rate of your over-60 year-old husband?
A:Tell him you're pregnant.
Q:How can you avoid that terrible curse of the elderly wrinkles?
A:Take off your glasses.
Q:Seriously! What can I do for all those wrinkles on my face?
A:Go bra less. It will usually pull them out..
Q:Why should 60 plus year old people use valet parking?
A:Valets don't forget where they park your car.
Q:Is it common for 60-plus year olds to have problems with short term memory storage?
A:Storing memory is not a problem, Retrieving it is the problem.
Q:As people age, do they sleep more soundly?
A:Yes, but usually in the afternoon.
Q:Where should 60-plus year olds look for eye glasses?
A:On their
foreheads.
Q:What is the most common remark made by 60-plus year olds when they enter antique stores?
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Joseph Prince
