Got a Minute with John Ed Mathison

How do you handle things that are creating stress? A lot of people in China who are adults are using a pacifier to relieve their stress. I am surprised they are becoming popular. Some stores indicate that they sell more than 2,000 each month. The China Morning Post lists several testimonies of people who say it helps relieve pressure and how to deal with a stressful situation. Chinese adults are warned that you should not sleep with them for fear of suffocation. How do you deal with stress? You can get a pacifier and go back in time to act like a child, or you can stand up and face a tough situation as an adult, mature human being. Pacifiers are popular, but they are not the answer for the best way for adults to deal with stress. What do you use?

How high can you count? A Nigerian woman has recently set a new Guiness World record for the highest number counted out loud when she counted to 1,070,000. It took her 14 hours a day for 70 days. That's quite a tough thing to do. She said her daily routine was eat, pray, and count. She said that she was driven to break the limits of a record and achieve something nobody else has done. That's a noble attitude. I wish she had chosen something that would be more helpful to God's Kingdom and to other people. In the next 70 days, what are you willing to accomplish that will make a difference in the lives of other people. Be motivated to break the past limits you put on yourself in order to carry out God's plan for your life.

There is a Texas chain of MAGA-themed eateries called the Trump Burger. The owner was recently arrested by ICE and now faces deportation. This 28-year-old, Roland Beainy, came from Lebanon in 2019. He advertises the Trump Burger that is a “taste of American greatness.” Between the buns you will see TRUMP FLAMED-SEARED into each burger. ICE explained that his visa expired in 2024. When he thought that ICE might overlook arresting him, they said they were going to enforce immigration laws “regardless of what restaurant you own.” All of us would like to have some inside help with some things in life. The best thing is to obey all the laws and know that ultimately God is the perfect judge. If you know Him personally, you will receive the best reward that you can have.

If you are over 102 years of age, this message will not affect you. If you are under it, listen carefully. George Strausman is a Long Island native who wanted to continue an active life in retirement. He turned to pottery, after he gave up tennis when he turned 90. Now he spins bowls in weekly classes for a large group of women. His granddaughter surprised him one day and filmed him at work and put it on Facebook. The post had more than 3.1 million views and thousands of comments. When he was asked the secret to living to 102, he said, “Do something that keeps your hands busy. It will be great for you, and it also gets me out of the house". Are you getting out of the house today? How busy are your hands—whatever your age?

Sometimes people become so fascinated by the name of a town that they steal the road signs bearing that name. This has happened in the tiny Texas town of Bug Tussle. Bug is not a very big town-a population of just 15. Because tourists like that name, they steal the signs. The state transportation department has told the town that they will not replace the signs anymore. Over 17 have been stolen. When a visitor asked what do people do in such a quiet town, he was told, “We watch the bugs tussle.” Maybe they are going to watch something else, or change the name of the town or else 15 people are going to have to come up with more money to buy road signs. I guess it all depends on how important the name Bug Tussle is to the people who live there.

Creativity is a great asset in life. It also will help you in your business. Andrew Hiers is a car salesman in Cocoa, Florida. To advertise cars he wants to sell, he uses his skill as a classically trained opera singer. He makes a video of himself performing a robust aria in his bass-baritone voice while standing in the car lot. He makes up the words for the sale and records it. These videos go viral and you can imagine he has a lot of people who come in and want to hear him sing and look at a car. Andrew is not only trying to sell more cars, but he figures he might get some gigs for singing. Now that's a real creative way to promote your strengths as a salesman. How creative are you in doing your work every day?

How do you deal with your frustrations and stress? There have been several clubs pop up recently across the United States that are called scream clubs. It started in Chicago by a couple of folks who discovered that screaming outdoors helped them cope with their frustrations. Now there are several more groups that have come into being in places like Austin, Detroit, and Seattle. The members of the club get together and do a vocal warm-up and then write down the things they want to release on a slip of paper. They then put their voices together and scream three times. They say it's like putting your frustration to rest. Pro athletic teams might find some new cheerleaders in those groups. I expect that it might be helpful short term, but how long will screaming last? I'll let you answer that question.

One of the best ways to market an item is to have the President of the United States use it. I remember President Obama bringing back to the White House one day hamburgers from a certain chain, gave it to the staff people, and all of a sudden the sale of burgers at that chain rose dramatically. Recently, President Trump was quoted in the Wall Street Journal as falling in love with a brand of affordable leather dress shoes. I understand that he gives them away to a lot of agency heads, lawmakers, and VIPs. I'm sure a lot of people will buy them because the President has in essence endorsed them. God has endorsed the lifestyle of following His Son. I hope all of us will live that lifestyle because of God's endorsements. The lifestyle of following Jesus is love and commitment to do what our Heavenly Father is doing.

Things are being created to get people from one place to another more quickly. We recently witnessed the fastest form of travel with Artemis 2 carrying some astronauts places that nobody else had ever been. There is some footage that has come to light which shows Greg Phillips, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Office of Response and Recovery, stating that he had been involuntarily “teleported” on several occasions. He said that in Rome, Georgia, he was teleported to a Waffle House. I'll go with the experiences of astronauts before I would accept the validity of Greg Phillips. I have never experienced space travel or teleporting. How do you get from one place to another, and more importantly, what do you do when you get there?

Where have you been lately? A young 19-year-old boy, Arjun Malavlya, wants to set the Guiness World Record to be the youngest person to visit every nation. He has already visited 118 different countries, beginning in South Korea. He has two years left to visit the remaining 77 U.N. recognized states. He has a Google translate which helps him in remote villages. He has only spent $22,500. The biggest thing he has learned, “People are more similar than different.” I admire the young man for visiting every country, but I wish he was going to share the Good News about Jesus. You don't have to set a Guiness World Record—just share the Good News where you are, then go to a place and share where you haven't been before.

Shay Taylor-Allen was a janitor at the Yale New Haven Hospital where she was born. She finished high school and had no desire to go to college. So, she started working as a janitor at Yale New Haven Hospital. Through her work there, she started pursuing medical school. She said, “I want to build a bridge between doctors and other service workers.” She was able to get into Howard University College of Medicine and on Match Day on March 20, 2026 she landed an anesthesiology residency at the hospital where she worked as a janitor. Get that. From janitor to a medical residency. She said it was great news to hear that she was now coming home. She will be engaged in doing what she felt like she ought to do all of her life. How far along are you in reaching your goal?

In a French mayoral election recently, the two candidates have the interesting names of Hitler and Zielinski. I couldn't pronounce their first names. They had a bitter battle in campaigning. They said the biggest thing to overcome was the fact that people were not interested in their political platforms and what they thought as much as they were just interested in their names, Hitler versus Zielinski. In a town of 2,800, people hope the attention will help the town economically. Hitler said that he thought about changing his name, but wanted to show everyone that somebody with that name could make something good out of it. That is a noble cause. What are you doing to make your name carry a better reputation? That's better than winning a political race.

More of us ought to be more conscious of people who make life better for us and thank them for it in some way. In Richardson, Texas at the Moss Haven Elementary School, a crossing guard, Trecia Crawford, was honored by a group of dads whose kids she helps cross the road, discovered that her car had broken down and she was taking the bus to work. The dad wanted to thank her for keeping their kids safe, so they raised about $7,000 for a car, insurance, title transfer, and even a few oil changes. The school district said, “Community isn't just a buzzword. It's all those who show up in the smallest and biggest ways.” You might make somebody's day if you show up in either a small or big way. 

Kayla Kleine and her husband live in Vancouver, British Columbia. They have a little 6-pound Pomeranian, Scout. A big bear entered their home and walked into the kitchen. He started eating out of the little puppy's bowl when that tiny fluff ball came sprinting around the corner. When he saw the bear eating out of his bowl, he started barking and chased him out through the garden and over a fence. Kleine's security cameras caught the whole scene. A 6-pound puppy chasing a huge black bear. Please don't be fooled by the size of something. One little spec in your eye can make you awfully miserable. You can do a lot of little good things that can make life wonderful and blessed. A small bit of faith can chase off a big, huge bear-like situation. Little is a lot when God is in it.

Albert Einstein once said, “The world is too dangerous to live in, not because of the people who do evil but because of the people who sit and let it happen.”  Years ago, Edmund Burke said, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”  In the New Testament James says, “Whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”  Some people just go through life and always talk about things that ought to be done and never do them.  Evil overcomes when good people fail to act in a given situation.  Good never overcomes evil when people just talk about what should be done.  On this Memorial Day spend time thanking God and remembering those who gave their lives so you could have your life.

Just after the resurrection of Jesus and the early church was forming, Peter and John were arrested for speaking out for Jesus. They came before the Council Chamber and the Council commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. Peter and John said, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than Him. We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” Hey, do you listen to people or God? We have the same choice today. We can either obey what people tell us, or we can obey what God tells us. Peter and John chose to be bold in their speaking and to obey God. They faced tough times ahead but Christians are here today because men like Peter and John listened to God rather than man. Who do you listen to?

Years ago, many roads in the south were dirt roads and became muddy and a big mess during rainy weather.  One day a young boy was traveling down such a road with his father.  They came up on a neatly dressed man whose car was stuck in the mud.  The man was standing in the mud trying to get his car out.  The father stopped and asked the man, “How are you doing?”  The man looked at him, with a confident smile on his face and said, “Tired, oh so tired, but I'm still trying.”  The father and the boy got out of their car and helped him get unstuck and on his way.  The father said to his son, “Remember what that man said – tired, oh so tired, but still trying.”  That's a great lesson for life.  When you get tired, don't quit, keep trying.  You never know who will come along to give you help.

The whole world was shocked a few years ago when we watched Notre Dame De Paris engulfed in flames.  A huge cloud of smoke covered Paris.  People looked on in anguish and dismay.  It wasn't known if any of the valuable relics from inside could be saved.  The Chaplain of the Paris fire brigade, Rev. Jean-Marc Fournier courageously went back several times into the burning flames to rescue holy artifacts – including the crown of thorns, which many believe was worn by Jesus Christ.  People have dubbed Rev. Fournier as an absolute hero.  His fellow fire fighters who accompanied him said that he was their leader, and they went without fear.  Today, be courageous!  Be a leader!  Step out!  Take a risk!  Do something significant where you are.

We all have talents – we need to use them in a productive way that honors God and helps others.  Bill Waldschnidt loved working on classic cars.  Today he's working on another means of transportation.  He is a retired Minnesota engineer.  He had polio at age 4 and had to walk on crutches.  As an adult he had rehabbed enough that he could walk without crutches.  15 years ago, post-polio syndrome put him back in a wheelchair.  He has a new sense of purpose.  He's gone from classic cars to buying and refurbishing power wheelchairs which he then gives to people who can't afford them.  A disabled veteran, Don Johnson, who is a proud owner of one of Bill's chairs, said, “He's the kindest man on the planet.” How best can you use your talents to honor God and help people today?

Sometimes a joke is really appropriate and sometimes people don't get the joke. A Texas police officer had encountered a couple of men who were being questioned as suspects in an illegal operation. In order to sort of lighten the mood for their conversation, the Texas officer, who was on horseback, simply said that his horse was a “narcotic-smelling horse.” The suspect started running immediately in a panic. I guess the joke had accomplished a pretty good purpose because the poorly informed fugitive was quickly apprehended. I never thought of using a joke to solidify the conviction of a suspect. If you are trying to help people in society, think of a good joke that could be helpful in making society a better place to live. The joke doesn't have to be funny.

Think before you do something foolish. That would have been good advice for Nathan Remington of Yorkshire, England to have followed recently. He is a truck driver and really wanted to have some gummy candies. He lost all sense of discipline and ate seven pounds of cola-flavored gummies. He ate them over a three-day period. He started having intense pain in his stomach. He went to the doctor, who determined that the gelatin overload had given him an inflamed colon. He spent six days in intensive care. That's tough on a truck driver who counts on being able to work. He said, “It was my own stupid fault.” When you decide to do something, ask yourself the question is it really smart. Will it help fulfill God's purpose for my life? If not, avoid it. Don't do something stupid.

There is a new business in Japan. Funeral homes and spas have started a trend—coffin lying. You can rent the inside of a coffin and meditate about death. The cost is $13 and you can use an open or closed casket. Some of the people offering coffin lying will play music or visuals projected inside the coffin. It is designed to calm your fears about death. One owner said that designer caskets help people see that death is bright and not so scary. Hey, coffin lying will not solve the issue of dealing with death. Every person will die. Over 2,000 years ago, Jesus came back from the dead and only He can solve your fears and give you a promise of eternal life. There is no $13 charge.

God gives us financial resources and expects us to be good stewards of them. In 45 states last year, Americans spent over $100 billion on lotteries. Combining all of those would make U.S. lotteries the country's ninth most profitable company. The tragedy is that the poorest 1 percent of households spend an average of $600 a year on lottery tickets, which is 30 times greater than the percentage spent by the richest households. People who buy a ticket think they are going to win. What if Americans gave that $100 billion to non-profit ministries that are reaching out to help everybody achieve a better standard of living? Invest your money in something that's going to make a difference in this life and for eternity. Invest wisely.

As the early church started to grow, Luke records in Acts 4 how all of the leaders began to unite against Jesus and his servants Paul and John and the other disciples. He lists that Herod, Pontius Pilot, the Governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel who were united against him. Peter and John began to pray and asked for boldness in speaking out against the culture. God granted them that boldness, and they began to turn the world upside down. Hey, we live in an age today where many people do not believe in who God is and what His plan is for life. You and I have a choice—we can cave in and follow along with the culture, or we can ask for boldness. Make a good choice. Ask for God's boldness, and then get ready to experience the great things He has in store for you.

Every day we can complain about a lot of things, or we can be grateful that we are alive, that God has given us another day to live, that we have food to eat, and that we have a purpose for the day.  A 10-week experiment was conducted at the University of California at Davis where participants had to write down 5 things every day for which they were grateful.  Those who participated reported 28% less stress than those who did not participate.  Wow!  Today when so much is being written about stress and how best to deal with it, one of the best ways to relieve stress and increase joy is to have a grateful attitude.  Today say thank you a lot of times to God and people.  Start every day with an attitude of gratitude – and then wear it all day long!

Jesus never minced words. He called it like it really is. What He says is not to make you feel better, but to offer you a good choice for your values in life.

Being a beautiful person is not how you look in a photo that can be photoshopped. Real beauty is internal. Real beauty is not how you look in a picture, but how you live in fulfilling God's purpose for you!

Most of us want to do something good in life but we find excuses as why we don't start now.  We tend to think we will wait until another time.  Let me remind us, we do not have to have all our ducks in a row to start sharing with other people - not at all.

If you want to communicate something, don't make it too complex, too inflammatory, too simple—pick out the right words to communicate what you intend to communicate. A good translation is John 3:16 and all the parables that Jesus taught.

The most valuable words you have are God's words of faith, hope, love. Those are not negative and they do carry with them a possibility of something different. Let your actions today communicate the words of faith, hope, and love.

What are you going to do to improve the quality of your business?

Jesus can give peace of mind and all the support that anybody needs, including you and me.

Take something that is unexpected and considered bad and ask God to help you turn it into something good. God is in that kind of business.

The greatest thing you can be known as is a child of God who is obedient. You don't want to be anything other than who God created you to be. I hope you feel every day like living the life and identity that God gave you.

When you make a judgment about anything, be sure that you understand all the facts.

It might take a long time, but justice is in the very nature of God's rule. Micah 6:8 reminds us to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. That is the best way to live.

Be sure that you are on the right bus with the right driver when you are going somewhere. The wrong driver will take you to the wrong place. Do you need to change buses at the next bus stop?

Everybody needs something to help deal with the stresses of life, which we all have. How do you deal with stress?

The Bible is true regardless of how much or little we think that we study it.

Relating well with people and having partners can be good or bad. It depends on the partner that you pick.

Pack a good lunchbox for your kids, but more importantly pack their day with positive, encouraging, helpful, Biblical suggestions to help them live to fulfill God's purpose for them.

When God puts His approval on anything in life, it's more valuable than a signed etching by any great artist. Explore His Word today.

If all of us raised better children, such drastic means of disciplining a child would not be necessary. The best place to start is in our own homes, neighborhoods, and schools.

If you are a follower of Christ, I hope that you speak with authenticity and enthusiasm and believability as you live your life every day.

Don't treat people who you think are first class, and act a different way around economy class. God only sees one class of people.

How much integrity we have could be the most important measuring stick of our success.  How much integrity does your life show?

 Be alert and attentive to things around you today and you might have the chance to save a life from some person or some animal.

Then she shouted, “He ain't back in here? He's done gone already!” Hey friends, that is the story of Easter.

“Then, why send me to a religion whose leader is dead? Instead, send me to Christ who is alive.” He is alive, He is giving directions, and we can follow Him today!

He destroyed the sailing myth. Jesus destroyed the myth that death was the end. There is life after death. He is alive.