BECOME LIKE A CHILD AGAIN

               POSITIVE DAILY INSPIRATION
                            July 20, 2007 


               BECOME LIKE A CHILD AGAIN

  Jesus talks to the disciples about true greatness,
  in Matthew Chapter 18:1-3,

   At that time the disciples came to Jesus and
   asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of
   heaven?” 
   He called a child, whom he put among them,
   and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change
   and become like children, you will never enter
   the kingdom of heaven.”

   Imagine for a moment, this happening in the board
   room of a corporation, or even a church. The
   members of the board are all eagerly asking who
   is the greatest, who will be promoted, who will
   receive the largest compensation. And the CEO,
   brings a child inside, from off the street,
   and says to the entire group, “This one is the
   greatest !”

   To be like a child, is to go through life with a 
   feeling of excitement and adventure.
   To be like a child is to be teachable.
   To be like a child one is no longer cynical.
   To be like a child a person is full of play.
   To be a child is to have the vision and
   perception to see the wonder in the ordinary.

   Jesus teaches that play is as important,
   in spirituality, as work. He  said as strongly
   as He could, you MUST become like a little child
   again or you will NEVER enter The Kingdom of
   Heaven.

   The Kingdom of Heaven that he was talking about
   is more than an after death proposition; it is a
   state of consciousness; it is a heaven on earth,
   in your own life, in this moment of time.

   I often get a lot of concerned letters about how
   hard I work, I do work hard, harder than I've
   ever worked, and it's easy to see the evidence
   of the work in prayers, the Positive Daily
   Inspiration and Positive Written Sermons.
   But what people do not see is how hard I play.
   I play continuously and so should you. I travel,
   I ride my motorcycle, work on the cars, love to
   go to the movies, and go down an occasional slide
   in a playground.

   Life is GR8 !!!!

   This e-mail was sent on this Friday for a reason,
   because I challenge you to make this Saturday a
   play day. Follow Jesus in becoming like a little
   child again. It will recharge you to accomplish
   twice as much in half the time when you're back 
   into your adult role.

   Below, is an official document that I invite you
   to copy and give to your overly serious friends:

         I TENDER MY RESIGNATION AS AN ADULT

I am hereby officially tendering my resignation as
an adult. I have decided I would like to accept the 
responsibilities of an 8 year-old again.

I want to go to McDonald's and think that it's a
four star restaurant.

I want to sail sticks across a fresh mud puddle and
make a sidewalk with rocks.

I want to think M&Ms are better than money because
you can eat them.

I want to lie under a big oak tree and run a
lemonade stand with my friends on a hot summer's
day.

I want to return to a time when life was simple;
when all you knew were colors, multiplication
tables, and nursery rhymes, but that didn't
bother you, because you didn't know what you didn't
know and you didn't care.

All you knew was to be happy because you were 
blissfully unaware of all the things that should
make you worried or upset.

I want to think the world is fair.

That everyone is honest and good.

I want to believe that anything is possible. I want 
to be oblivious to the complexities of life and be
overly excited by the little things again.

I want to live simple again. I don't want my day to
consist of computer crashes, mountains of paperwork,
depressing news, how to survive more days in the
month than there is money in the bank, doctor bills,
gossip, illness, and loss of loved ones.

I want to believe in the power of smiles, hugs, a
kind word, truth, justice, peace, dreams, the
imagination, humankind, and making angels in
the snow.

So … here's my checkbook and my car-keys, my 
credit card bills and my 401K statements. I am
officially resigning from adulthood.

And if you want to discuss this further, you'll
have to catch me first, cause……..

       ……”Tag! You're it.”

 (If this Saturday is already taken by serious
  adult commitments, agree with me to make an
  appointment with yourself, for one full day,
  within the next seven days, JUST for a play.)
  The cell phone will be off. The Blackberry will
  be turned off. So is the computer (I can't believe
  what I just told you to do) but you will find
  Positive Daily Inspiration waiting for you when
  you return. 

         God Bless You! Make it a GREAT day!

         Reverend Christopher Ian Chenoweth




   “O Lord, give me a place at Thy Lotus Feet.
     Keep me always in Thy company.
     Give me sincere and pure love for Thee.”