Service with a smile

"SERVICE with a smile." I'll never forget those words when I started my first "real job" working at Burger King. Whenever you were on the front counter, running the registers, it was always "SERVICE with a smile." Well, I smiled alright! I smiled until my cheeks hurt! I smiled when customers were yelling at me that it was taking too long and their fries were cold! I smiled when I was handing food out the drive-thru window and my hands were freezing from the cold and snow that was ever-present in good old Bradford, PA. I smiled when I had to wash dishes, and clean tables, and empty garbages. I smiled day in and day out. I was the epitome of "SERVICE WITH A SMILE." Today, I try and carry that sentiment with me as I SERVE the Lord and those around me. When I answer the phone, I hope the people can hear my smile instead of the frustration I might be feeling because I'm having a bad day. When I'm waiting patiently in the 20 items or less line at Wal-Mart, and the customer in front of me has a full cart, I hope that the cashier can see that I am smiling to help make their mood a little lighter. I hope that as I am a SERVANT in my daily life, whether in church or at work, or just getting groceries, that people know that my heart is full of love and that my smile is real and meant for them...

To-do list

Things to do today (in no particular order):
1) Clean house
2) Take down Christmas decorations
3) Eat
4) Shower/get dressed
5) Go to the mall and return/exchange Christmas gifts
6) Go to Wal-Mart for puppy food, milk, etc.
7) Prepare Sunday School lesson
8) Prepare media for Contemporary Service tomorrow!
9) Pray
10) Spend time with family

Look familiar? What was your to-do list for today? Do you make a new to-do list each day, or do you just add to the one from the day before and hope that today's the day you'll get it all done? When you make a to-do list, do you list it by order of importance, or just a random order of things you'd like to get done? My to-do lists are generally random, because I can't PRIORITIZE everything I'd like to get done - they're all PRIORITIES for me at this point! However, my first and foremost PRIORITY should be my time spent with God. Whether it be through reading the Bible, or a devotional, or just a book that puts me in a better place emotionally and spiritually. That should come first EVERY DAY no matter what else I have going on.
This year, if you aren't already putting God first in your life every day, make it your New Year's Resolution to do so. And keep it! So often we make resolutions that are meaningless, and we know they will never happen. Make it your goal for this year to make God your #1 PRIORITY and see how everything else falls into place.

This morning as we were eating breakfast, Ava was talking about sitting or staying or sleeping, I couldn't figure out which. I kept telling her I didn't understand and she would look up at me with those big baby blues of hers and ever so slowly try and tell me again what she wanted. I finally got it - "Say a prayer."
Over the past several years, since Allison has been able to talk, we've asked her to say the prayer at dinner time. Then, about 8 months ago, Ava started joining in or saying grace after Allison was done. Sometimes, she even reminds us that we didn't say it, and gets our attention so SHE can say it. This morning was one of those mornings. Don and I were preoccupied with thoughts of what we had to get done today - if you forgot, Christmas is only 9 days away and although we bought our tree last Saturday, it's STILL NOT DECORATED!!! (Neither is the rest of our house for that matter.) But Ava, in the innocence and with the pure love of a child, put God first (as it should be) and reminded us to pray before we ate. "Dear God, thank you for this food. Amen." Her prayer is simple, but never ceases to fill my heart with JOY, Peace, and Hope. This weekend, may you put God first in all that you do, and may your heart be filled with JOY, Peace, and Hope.