Dear Reader:

For all the thirty plus years I taught in the classroom and made presentations I was always aware of the number of participants not really listening…even when they pretended to hear. For teachers, everywhere, it is an on-going problem and cause for much frustration.

But then, when we remove ourselves from the classroom…do we do any better…listening to others in our daily lives?

President Franklin Roosevelt was known for his ready grin and his boisterous personality…but even he, a President, discovered that people aren’t really listening in long reception lines to shake his hand. So he decided to play a little trick on his guests one evening.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt got tired of smiling that big smile and saying all the usual things at those White House receptions. So, one evening he decided to find out whether anybody was paying attention to what he was saying. As each person came up to him with extended hand, he flashed his big smile and said, “I murdered my grandmother this morning.”

People would automatically respond with comments such as “How lovely.” or “Continue on with your great work.” Nobody listened to what he was saying, except for one foreign diplomat. When the president said, “I murdered my grandmother this morning,” the diplomat responded softly, “I’m sure she had it coming to her.

“It’s a funny story, but how often do we do the same? It seems that we have lot’s to say but we are not very good at listening. Think about it — how many language, speech and speaking courses can you find in your college course book? But can you find even one class on listening??

There is such a lack of good listening skills in this day and age that we have to pay someone a lot of money just to listen to us! More importantly, God has many things He desires to reveal to us — but we’re always talking, talking, talking!

Let’s strive to do less talking and more listening today. Let’s give the Lord and others a chance to be heard.

So guess what readers? God must have found this theme just for me to write on because my word for 2017 is LISTEN! REALLY LISTEN!

Ambika…at first I was thinking about the word TRUST too…and that is an area I could use improvement on this year. But I think listening takes priority over it.

I do listen and I think I am taking in most of what is being said….but I also realize, upon retrospect, that I am searching for an appropriate response more than listening to the speaker’s intent.

If I am doing that with my fellow man, friends and family, then what about God? This can’t be good…I am telling him about my problems, goals, hopes, and dreams…but then not staying quiet enough to hear what God’s response is to me.

In my one feeble defense, however, it is just not listening for an appropriate response that sometimes deters me from listening as deeply as I should…I am a “connection” nerd. My mind looks for connections everywhere…so if I hear another speaker mention anything or anybody…my mind is already trying to connect it to a little story I know or a joke, a quote, or line from a movie, or passage from a book…it is just the way my brain works.

There is another problem that we humans face, however, and that is knowing who and what to listen to as wise commentary and who not to listen to …because of the broken dreams these ‘advisers’ can impart upon us.

This is where we need God’s intervention to guide us to the right ‘sages’ we come across in our journey…

So until tomorrow…God give us the wisdom to know which advice is the right one…the one sent by You directly or by a messenger sent by You. Show us the way.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Janet Bender: My word for 2017 is “renewal.” It’s not as beautiful as last year’s “treasure,”but I’m not arguing with the One who spoke it into my heart.

One of our newest blog readers, Lynn from British Columbia, sent in her word with an acronym! Thanks for sharing Lynn!

Loved this blog today. My word for this year would be HOPE. As I think about this I’m also filled with thanks for the H — Heritage God has given O–opportunities that come every day to bless others; P–problems that come along every day to refine us E– expectation of an abundant life today and always when we “walk with the Lord in the light of His Word”. Blessings, Lynn from Aldergrove, British Columbia, Canada

Michele Robertson made a word from Jeff’s sermon Sunday (Dorchester Presbyterian Church) her “perfect word” for this year.

*Becky, I,  too have been searching for my word of the year. Yesterday in Jeff’s sermon he told a story about visiting at MUSC last weekend.( I apologize if you were there and I am repeating this). He met a man in the elevator and had a conversation with him outside in the beauty of God’s glory.)