Most people are about as happy as they make their minds up to be.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
I have heard that Abraham Lincoln suffered from what they called melancholy. Today we call it depression, so I am a little surprised to find him quoted in this statement. My question to myself today is can we make ourselves happy when we are going through some sort of depression? No doubt President Lincoln had to over look much that was said about him and make himself happy. We see the press give our presidents a critical view and many times what they report is very unfair, but no president has undergone the negative torture that was given President Lincoln. They referred to him as looking like an ape and gorilla, and had cartoons of him drawn as such. They said he was stupid, back woods, and crooked. Many people, and of course the things they said, were very cruel to Abe, especially when they called him a gorilla. Did he overcome all this negative press by his fellow countryman? I dont know, he was assassinated before he reached a ripe old age and could reflect back. At the present time I am again watching the PBS epic The Civil War. What a time that was in our young countrys history. What a hard time for an American president to lead his country. In Vietnam we lost over 58,000 men in a ten-year period. In the civil war they lost more than once, 20,000 within a day. I cannot imagine such deliberate destruction of human life. Spiritually both sides prayed to the same God and Savior, and prayers were answered on both sides. Do you think that Abraham Lincoln made up his mind to be happy during these times? I think he had to. Today I understand that happiness and joy are two different things. Joy is a spiritual force that makes its home deep within our spirit, and cannot be removed. Happiness is a state of mind that has been guaranteed by God if we trust in Him. I think that Abraham Lincoln understood this and made up his mind that he was going to be happy regardless of his situation in life. May I learn today that happiness is a choice that I must make in order for God to do for me that I could not do for myself .JRE
Blessed is everyone that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.
PSALM 128:1-2 KJV
I CHOOSE JOY .
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance.
I will refuse the temptation to be cynical ..the tool of the lazy thinker.
I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God.
I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.
MAX LUCADO
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
I have heard that Abraham Lincoln suffered from what they called melancholy. Today we call it depression, so I am a little surprised to find him quoted in this statement. My question to myself today is can we make ourselves happy when we are going through some sort of depression? No doubt President Lincoln had to over look much that was said about him and make himself happy. We see the press give our presidents a critical view and many times what they report is very unfair, but no president has undergone the negative torture that was given President Lincoln. They referred to him as looking like an ape and gorilla, and had cartoons of him drawn as such. They said he was stupid, back woods, and crooked. Many people, and of course the things they said, were very cruel to Abe, especially when they called him a gorilla. Did he overcome all this negative press by his fellow countryman? I dont know, he was assassinated before he reached a ripe old age and could reflect back. At the present time I am again watching the PBS epic The Civil War. What a time that was in our young countrys history. What a hard time for an American president to lead his country. In Vietnam we lost over 58,000 men in a ten-year period. In the civil war they lost more than once, 20,000 within a day. I cannot imagine such deliberate destruction of human life. Spiritually both sides prayed to the same God and Savior, and prayers were answered on both sides. Do you think that Abraham Lincoln made up his mind to be happy during these times? I think he had to. Today I understand that happiness and joy are two different things. Joy is a spiritual force that makes its home deep within our spirit, and cannot be removed. Happiness is a state of mind that has been guaranteed by God if we trust in Him. I think that Abraham Lincoln understood this and made up his mind that he was going to be happy regardless of his situation in life. May I learn today that happiness is a choice that I must make in order for God to do for me that I could not do for myself .JRE
Blessed is everyone that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.
PSALM 128:1-2 KJV
I CHOOSE JOY .
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance.
I will refuse the temptation to be cynical ..the tool of the lazy thinker.
I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God.
I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.
MAX LUCADO