Month: January 2024

In this part of Florida, it gets cold in January.  We can even have a freeze on occasion.  But normal January temperatures around here hover in the 50’s and 60’s.  Now I know to  northerners, that is NOT cold, and I would agree, having lived most of my life in the north.  But when you live in Florida, 50 degrees is COLD!  And if you are a native Floridian when the temperatures drop below 50, chances are you have on your winter coat, hat, scarf, gloves, and boots! 

The temperature disparity between the north and south is often a source of friendly banter.  Southerners like to tout their good fortune of having mild winter weather compared to the bitter cold and snow up north.  While northerners snicker at Floridians for wearing winter coats in temperatures that they would be wearing shorts and T-shirts.  And in the blistering swelter of Florida summers, the northerners like to tout their mild summertime temperatures.  We Floridians do not dispute that point, but we take full advantage of the ocean, lakes and swimming pools that are plentiful down here to mitigate the extreme summer  temperatures.  And we find that a much more pleasant solution than all the things the northerners must to do combat the extreme winter conditions they face.  But whether you live in the north or the south, both have seasons that make staying indoors, a desirable option. 

All of this is to say that people are adaptable.  When we move from the north to the south, or vice versa, our bodies eventually acclimate.  Adaptability is an innate quality of mankind.  People’s genetic make-up allows them to adapt to their habitat.  That’s why people can live in the deserts or the artic circle.

We understand and appreciate physical adaptability. But there is also mental adaptability.  We can find ourselves in new or different situations that we must adapt to in our minds.  And just as our bodies acclimate to new surroundings, our minds can adapt to new situations.   

Adapting in its simplest description is the ability to change.  Adapting in our minds is more than just acclimatizing like our bodies do; it involves purposeful changing.  Being adaptable in our minds is challenging ourselves, adjusting our thoughts, and working to establish a successful outcome.  Mental adaptability includes things like harmonizing, accommodating, flexibility and communication in certain situations.  And determination, stamina, and fortitude in others.  In every situation it requires patience.  It is becoming who we want or need to become.  Adapting in our minds is not ‘gritting our teeth and bearing it’, nor is it ‘just going with the flow’. It is NOT accepting a negative situation as permanent.  Adapting is being willing to change our minds and make the necessary adjustments in our actions to achieve the desired result. It is learning to deal successfully with the circumstances we cannot change, and having the gumption and patience to change the ones that we can.  Adapting can involve compromising, but never on our convictions. 

There are many new situations in life that require our minds to adapt.  A prime example would be marriage.  Two separate and distinct individuals make a commitment to live together as one flesh.  They must learn to adapt to one another, and that involves all the things listed above.  Having children is a life changing event that requires a lot of adapting.  Even a getting puppy entails being adaptable.  Getting a new job, moving, or other lifestyle changes usually require some kind of mental adaptability. 

Physically adapting is a response of our bodies to our environment.  If my body would not have physically adapted to Florida temperatures, I would be miserable every summer.  But it is acclimating, so the heat is not as oppressive to me as it was.  (It’s still HOT, but it doesn’t bother me as much as it did at first.)  Mentally adapting is a choice we make.  What if I had refused to mentally adapt to my husband or he to me?  We wouldn’t have a very happy marriage!

Sometimes we are faced with negative or even devastating situations.  How do we mentally adapt to those?  Firstly, by not giving up nor giving in!  Adapting to those kinds of situations in our minds is choosing to fight to achieve a successful outcome.  It is pursuing the actions we can take to receive our deliverance.  It is overcoming by becoming who we want or need to be.  It is being patient.  It is not accepting the situation as permanent nor is it allowing the situation to rob us of our convictions.

I know a beautiful young lady who was paralyzed in a freak accident in college.  Right after the accident, she could not breath on her own, eat, feel or move any part of her body from the neck down.  But she did not give in to that situation.  She worked very hard toward her recovery, believing God every step of the way.  Despite what the circumstance looked like to the 5 senses; she remained undaunted in her efforts to get better.  And God has provided her with remarkable healing that has far exceeded many doctors’ expectations.  She is happily married, has earned a master’s degree in English, and is working on her PhD. These, among many other impressive accomplishments, have paved the way toward her desired outcome.   She adapted to her situation by NOT giving up, but by pushing forward with God’s help to progress her improvement.  And by keeping her confidence in God’s ability, she expects to receive complete deliverance from her injury and is well on her way to getting it.  She is an inspiration to all!

So, the conclusion of the matter is…  God designed human beings to be adaptable (able to change) so that we can grow and thrive.  Both our physical bodies and our minds react and adapt to what they are fed.  There are multi-million-dollar industries that cater to what we feed our bodies.  But what about our minds?  We must consider their food as well.  Just like the food we put in our mouths gets processed to provide nourishment to our bodies; the food we put in our minds gets processed to provide nourishment to our hearts (the innermost part of our mind – the seat of our unwavering convictions).  Now to the best part!  When we feed the truth of God’s Word to our minds, that truth nourishes our hearts.  Then the truth in our hearts directs our minds, and our minds direct our bodies.  So, bottom line – our minds and  bodies will adapt to the truth we know! 

John 17:17  – Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

God gave us free will.  Which means that our minds can adapt, but it is up to us whether they do or not.  People accomplish many things by the determination of their will.  But the truly remarkable accomplishments entail trusting God and the power of His might.  With God’s help, we don’t merely get by, we flourish! 

Note to my readers:  We can face any situation without fear, because with God’s help, we can adapt!  Thanks for reading. 

When our kids were young and we would play games, if one of their efforts failed, they would want a ‘do-over’.  They did not want to accept their wrong answer or bad move, and they thought they should get a chance to make it right.  Even as grownups, people often want an opportunity for a do-over when they are faced with challenges. 

My Christmas dinner this year didn’t turn out well.  It seemed that everything I made was overcooked.  My ham was tough, my rolls were burned, my veggies were mushy, and cheesecake was dry.  None of it was inedible, but it wasn’t my best effort.  I wanted a do-over! 

And that got me thinking…  What is a do-over, really?  Well, Merriam Webster says that a do-over is, “a new attempt or opportunity to do something after a previous attempt has been unsuccessful or unsatisfactory.”  

Kids may experience do-overs in school.  They could have chances to fix an answer or enhance an assignment before it gets a final grade.  And all through school and even in the workplace, submitting a “first draft” for review is common practice.  Doing a second, third or fourth draft is basically a do-over.   Perhaps a child (or adult) is learning to play a musical instrument or a physical sport.  Those are full of do-overs – they’re called “practice”. 

Life changes can be do-overs.  Life changes can happen by choice or by circumstance.  Either way, big changes offer chances for big do-overs.  Life changes can be things like moving, getting a new job, getting married or divorced, or having a baby.  A life change by choice is a decision we make.  We want a change in our life, so we choose a do-over.   A life change by circumstance is a change that is forced on us and we must determine how we are doing to deal with it, which generally means a do-over.  In either situation , a do-over can have unexpectedly wonderful results. 

There is yet another kind of do-over that affects both children and adults alike, and that is TIME.  We can consider each new day as a do-over.   Have you ever laid down at night after a really crummy day and thought, ‘Boy, I’m glad this day is over’?  Waking up in the morning qualifies as a do-over.  It is a chance to have a better day – a chance to try again.  A new day can’t change what happened yesterday, but it can give us a chance to move on, get a start fresh, regroup, or change our minds.  It automatically provides a new opportunity. 

People often celebrate the new year with the expectation that the new year will fix all the ills of the last year.  That is basically making the new year, one great big do-over!  Now, I’ve seen a lot of new years in my life.  And some of them were better than the previous year, and some were not.  But I still look at each new year as a new beginning – a do-over.  Why not have positive expectations?    

Any mistakes can have do-overs.  I can’t go back and redo our Christmas dinner, but I could make another dinner that is cooked properly.  Or I can make Christmas dinner again next year.  I can learn from what went wrong so I don’t do it again.  Any of those would be do-overs. 

We cannot change the past by a do-over, but we CAN do things today to make things of the past better, or sometimes even go away.  For example, if we say something hurtful, a sincere apology can be a do-over.  An apology cannot un-speak the words, but it can pull a cover over them.  And should the recipient accept the apology, those words can be forgotten. But unfortunately, they cannot be unspoken.   

We can think of do-overs as opportunities to learn, or chances to do better next time.  We can consider do-overs as steppingstones for growth, because really, some of our greatest learning and growing come from fixing our mistakes. 

Our lives are full of opportunities for do-overs, but there is one DO-OVER we cannot ignore.  There is one, “new attempt or opportunity to do something after a previous attempt has been unsuccessful or unsatisfactory”, which is essential for a victorious life.  And that do-over is getting born again.  It is the ultimate do-over!  It changes everything!  It offers us the best avenue for success because it provides us with God’s solutions.  It puts our past attempts where they belong – in the past.  And it gives us a brand-new life full of promises and rewards.  It gives us access to God’s heart and His guidance.  It allows God to have a relationship with us!  And it gives us eternal life!!  What more important do-over could we do than this? 

Romans 10:9 – 10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

When we are saved, we have God’s power and authority to live a more than abundant life.  And we can live that life free from satan’s deception and oppression because Jesus Christ paid the full price to secure our redemption and reconciliation to God. 

Galatians 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Even though we have this marvelous new more-than-abundant life, we still subsist in this world with all its trials and temptations.  We still make mistakes, and sometimes bad things happen.  But we can always seize the opportunity for a do-over, and with God on our side, we can claim that “the future is as bright as the promised of God.”

Note to my readers:  Enjoy all your do-overs.  And if you don’t like your do-over, do-it-over again!  Thanks for reading!