Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Our Daily Bread
The poem in the devotional is a verse from one of my favorite hymns: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.
I have always wondered what an "ebenezer" is in the second verse.  I finally looked up to find it is a stone, like the one Samuel used, or other item that represents a fresh beginning, a reversal of course for God's people. It also said something important about God: his mercies are everlasting; his covenant is forever.  And I thought it was just Scrooge's first name!  Actually, knowing the meaning of ebenezer adds more meaning to The Christmas Carol -- a new beginning!  But I digress...

I don't know about you, but I seem to raise my Ebenezer every day asking God for a new beginning.  Too many times have I "invited temptation in for dinner" and fallen to it.  Not just once, but over and over again.  I realize I am only human.  Like the devotional yesterday said, letting God change the inside will result in more holy activities on the outside!

Do you have a "pet" sin?  Something you know God doesn't want you to do, but you do it any way?  These can be different for folks, though there are some basic sins that no one should do!

Lord, help us know our sins, even our hidden ones, and turn them over to you!

Teaching Tuesday
Secret number 3 From the 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People
You don't have to win every time.

I read this secret and thought: "Seriously?!?  That is crazy talk!"  Oh well.  I guess I need to work on that one!  Why does the book say that this attitude is not good for people who want to be happy?  It says that ultracompetitive people judge themselves by unrealistic standards.  When they win, they expected to win and don't get much happiness out of it.  When they lose, they are devastated!  They can sometimes rate their successes lower than some folks rate their failures!

I have also seen this behavior with folks who never want to be wrong (or called on the carpet for something).  U lookin' at me?  Yes, I can be this way, too.  Heavy sigh...  I am much better about it than several years ago.  ;-p

Are you an ultracompetitive person?  Can you tone it down a few notches?  Do you have to be right every time?  Yeah, these things are hard for me, too...

Don't be ultracompetitive or always have to be right...  Be happy...

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Let go, my friends!  God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!