Got a Minute with John Ed Mathison

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.

Good Friday is what Jesus did for you to become a new creature in Christ.

At every age, make some signs indicating the goal of what God wants to help you accomplish—then go for the gold. 

Loving God and loving our fellow man are values that only get more important every day that we live. Those values won't change.

He is the only King who was victorious over the grave, and He is still victorious today and He lives.

Let those palm branches be a sign to you for His victory and claim Jesus is the Messiah by walking in the way of His suffering and His cross. He wins. Jesus wins.

He won't livestream your sins—He will just forgive them and forget them if you genuinely confess. God has never lost a lawsuit.

Live to the fullest while you are awake and get medical and spiritual help that you might need to give you a good night's sleep. Be careful what you do in your sleep.

What can you do today to help somebody you have known in the past find affirmation, encouragement, and potentially a lot of new friends and maybe even a new job?

How do you go about making tough decisions to be sure you make the right decisions?

Jesus brings stability with His ability to cause all things to work together for His purpose when we trust in Him. How stable is your life?

If a bee can do that, God will supply whatever I need to accomplish the task He has for me –Like the honeybee, I need to keep trying, working, and never quit.

Encourage them, complement them, and offer to give them a hand in accomplishing their tasks.  That strategy is far more productive than any drug.

Doing something good for somebody is within the realm of possibility for each of us.

How cool can you remain when you are in a dangerous situation? Be sure you handle it carefully with creativity and excellence.

You don't need a password to get into the Bible.  Read the Bible and get the right passwords to life!

Whatever your age today, what are you doing to prolong your life and improve your health, and don't hesitate to ask for your doctor's help.