Addie’s Random Ramblings

by Max Lucado

Quiet heroes dot the landscape of our society. They don’t wear ribbons or kiss trophies; they wear spit-up and kiss boo-boos. They don’t make the headlines, but they do sew the hemlines and check the outlines and stand on the sidelines. (more…)

LOOKING FOR THE SAVIOR / by Max Lucado

Once there was a man whose life was one of misery? The days were cloudy, and the nights were long. Henry didn’t want to be unhappy, but he was. With the passing of the years, his life had changed. His children were grown. The neighborhood was different. The city seemed harsher. He was unhappy. He decided to ask his minister what was wrong.” Am I unhappy for some sin I have committed?” Yes,” the wise pastor replied. “You have sinned.”“And what might that sin be? “Ignorance,” came the reply. “The sin of ignorance. One of your neighbors is the Messiah in disguise, and you have not seen him.” The old man left the office stunned. “The Messiah is one of my neighbors?” He began to think who it might be. Tom the butcher? No, he’s too lazy. Mary, my cousin down the street? No,
too much pride. Aaron the paperboy? No, too indulgent. The man was confounded. Every person he knew had defects. But one was the Messiah. He began to look for Him. He began to notice things he hadn’t seen. The grocer often carried sacks to the cars of older ladies. Maybe he is the Messiah. The officer at the corner always had a smile for the kids. Could it be? And the young couple who’d moved next door. How kind they are to their cat. Maybe one of them …With time he saw things in people he’d never seen. And with time his
outlook began to change. The bounce returned to his step. His eyes took on a friendly sparkle. When others spoke he listened. After all, he might be listening to the Messiah. When anyone asked for help, he responded; after all this might be the Messiah needing assistance. The change of attitude was so significant that someone asked him why he was so happy. “I don’t know,” he answered. “All I know is that things changed  when I started looking for God.” Now, that’s curious. The old man saw Jesus because he didn’t know what he looked like. The people in Jesus’ day missed him because they thought they did. How are things looking in your neighborhood?
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From A Gentle Thunder
Copyright 1995 , Max Lucado

TODAY I WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE by Max Lucado

Today I will make a difference. I will begin by controlling my thoughts.
A person is the product of his thoughts. I want to be happy and hopeful.
Therefore, I will have thoughts that are happy and hopeful.
I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances. I will not let petty
inconveniences such as stoplights, long lines, and traffic jams be my masters.
I will avoid negativism and gossip. Optimism will be my companion,
and victory will be my hallmark. Today I will make a difference.I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me.
Time is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time
I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom.
I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage
of a giant. I will drink each minute as though it is my last.
When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever. While it is here,
I will use it for loving and giving. Today I will make a difference.I will not let past failures haunt me. Even though my life is scarred with mistakes,
I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures. I will admit them.
I will correct them. I will press on. Victoriously. No failure is fatal.
It’s OK to stumble… I will get up. It’s OK to fail… I will rise again.
Today I will make a difference.

I will spend time with those I love. My spouse, my children, my family.
A man can own the world but be poor for the lack of love. A man can own
nothing and yet be wealthy in relationships. Today I will spend at least five
minutes with the significant people in my world. Five quality minutes of talking
or hugging or thanking or listening. Five undiluted minutes with my mate, children, and friends.
Today I will make a difference.

Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through
my trash heap of failure. I will admit them. I will correct them. I will press on.

From On the Anvil
Copyright 1985 Max Lucado

Touches of Tenderness
by Max Lucado

My child’s feelings are hurt. I tell her she’s special. My child is injured. I do whatever it takes to make her feel better. My child is afraid. I won’t go to sleep until she is secure. I’m not a hero. I’m not a superstar. I’m not unusual. I’m a parent. When a child hurts, a parent does what comes naturally. He helps.Moments of comfort from a parent. As a father, I can tell you they are the sweetest moments in my day. They come naturally. They come willingly. They come joyfully. If all of that is true, if I know that one of the privileges of fatherhood is to comfort a child, then why am I so reluctant to let my heavenly Father comfort me?Why do I think he wouldn’t want to hear about my problems? (”They are puny compared to people starving in India.”) Why do I think he is too busy for me? (”He’s got a whole universe to worry about.”)Why do I think he’s tired of hearing the same old stuff?Why do I think he groans when he sees me coming?Why do I think he consults his list when I ask for forgiveness and asks, “Don’t you think you’re going to the well a few too many times on this one?” Why do I think I have to speak a holy language around him that I don’t speak with anyone else?Why don’t I let my Father do for me what I am more than willing to do for my own children?I’m learning, though. Being a parent is better than a course on theology. Being a father is teaching me that when I am criticized, injured, or afraid, there is a Father who is ready to comfort me. There is a Father who will hold me until I’m better, help me until I can live with the hurt, and who won’t go to sleep when I’m afraid of waking up and seeing the dark.
Ever.
And that’s enough.

From The Applause of Heaven
Copyright 1990, Max Lucado