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SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, APRIL 29, 2017
One simple way to increase your joy
I love God’s Word because it
is our instruction manual for
life. In fact, there is an answer
for every problem we face in
the Bible, including how to
make a bad day better...and
increase our joy every single
day.
For example, if you’re hav-
ing a bad day, one of the worst
things you can do is to keep
thinking about yourself and all
of your own problems. It only
makes things worse. The best
thing you can do is get your
mind off yourself and help
someone else.
The apostle Paul says in Acts
20:35: “In everything I did, I
showed you that by this kind of
hard work we must help the
weak, remembering the words
the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It
is more blessed to give than to
receive’” (NIV).
So, if I’m having a bad day,
this Scripture tells me I can be
happier by simply getting
myself off my mind and help-
ing someone else.
Helping others isn’t some-
thing you may feel like doing-it
requires a decision, especially
when you’re concerned about a
problem or just feeling down.
But making a choice to be good
to others has the power to help
you and them.
It’s actually amazing how
just a few words of encourage-
ment can change someone’s
entire day. Sometimes it can
even change their life.
It can be as simple as picking
up the phone and calling a
friend who’s been going
through a rough time, letting
them know you’re thinking
about them and praying for
their situation. Or maybe you
can send someone a text mes-
sage to let them know how
valuable they are and how
much you care.
If you’re wondering, “How
does helping someone else
make me happier?” then just
think about Christmas morning.
You’ve spent time shopping
for gifts, spending your money
and sacrificing financially.
You’ve also wrapped them and
placed them under the tree for
your kids or relatives. And now
it’s finally time to open them.
Sure, it’s fun to receive a gift
and open it; however, the best
part is watching others open
their gifts. Why? Because you
have sacrificed, spent your time
and money and really invested
something into this. So, as you
watch them open and enjoy
what you did for them, great
joy is released in your life.
I recently read a tremendous
story on this topic about
William Booth, the founder of
The Salvation Army. It was
Christmas Eve, 1910, and due
to sickness, he wasn’t going to
be able to attend the organiza-
tion’s annual convention. He
had become an invalid, and his
eyesight was failing.
Normally, Booth would
speak to the workers and share
an encouraging message with
these men and women who had
spent long hours in service dur-
ing the Christmas season. But
this year, knowing he couldn’t
attend, he decided to send a
message by telegram that could
be read to all those in atten-
dance.
Booth searched his heart and
mind and reviewed his years of
ministry, looking for a message
that would summarize his life
and the mission of The
Salvation Army. He wanted to
compose a speech that would
encourage these men and
women.
That night, when the thou-
sands of delegates met, the
moderator shared the news that
William Booth would not be
present due to his failing
health. They were naturally dis-
appointed; however, he con-
veyed that Booth had sent
something he wanted to share
with them in his absence.
The moderator opened the
telegram, then read William
Booth’s one-word message:
“Others.”
This story really speaks to
me. It’s so easy to always focus
on ourselves — what we want
and what we think. But we
often have it backward.
Remember Acts 20:35: God is
saying when we make others
our priority, then everything
else will fall into place ... and
we will end up incredibly
happy.
Here’s another scripture that
says it well: “Seek first his
kingdom and his righteousness,
and all these things will be
given to you as well” (Matthew
6:33 NIV).
God’s Word clearly shows us
that when we have a need in
our own life, helping others is
one of the most powerful things
we can do.
Are you going through a dif-
ficult time? Are you waiting for
a breakthrough in a certain
area? If so, Psalm 37:3 has the
answer for every problem you
will face:
“Trust in the Lord and do
good; so shall you dwell in the
land and feed surely on His
faithfulness, and truly you shall
be fed” (AMPC).
The bottom line here is:
Trust God and do good.
Because when you place your
trust and hope in the Lord and
commit yourself to helping oth-
ers and taking care of their
problems, you open the door
for God to do incredible things
in your own life.
Would you like to make
every day better? Would you
like to find joy even in the
midst of difficult times? Then
begin taking just a few minutes
every day to think about what
you can do to help someone
else.
You’ll find that when you
make others your focus, God’s
blessings will always come
back to you.
Joyce Meyer is a New York
Times bestselling author and
founder of Joyce Meyer
Ministries, Inc. For more
information, visit www.
joycemeyer.org.
City seeks advisory committee members
The City of Florence has
recently established a short-
term ad-hoc committee called
the Housing and Economic
Opportunities Committee.
This group will be a working
committee charged with com-
pleting the Buildable Lands
Inventory and Housing and
Economic
Opportunities
Analysis.
The committee will serve in
an advisory capacity to the City
Council and staff in matters
pertaining to affordable and
workforce housing as well as
economic development and job
creation.
The committee will review
work products and provide rec-
ommendations on key project
issues and decisions, providing
guidance on scenarios and pol-
icy options and guiding stake-
holder and community engage-
ment strategies.
The committee will meet at
approximately four meetings
over the course of six months
and will also be responsible for
FUUF to discuss Palliative care
On Sunday, April 30, at the
Florence Unitarian Universalist
Fellowship from 10 to 11 a.m.,
Dr. Stephen Kerner and Donna
Becker, medical social worker,
will be speaking about the
Palliative Care program in
Florence.
Starting a Palliative Care
program in Florence has been a
dream of Dr. Kerner’s for many
years. The program has had a
number of successes thus far,
even though the program is just
beginning. The program has the
potential to serve many med-
ically frail people in the
Florence community.
The ultimate goal of the
Peace Harbor Palliative Care
program is to enhance comfort
and to improve the quality of
life for people who have a life-
limiting illness.
This
presentation
will
include information about why
Palliative Care is so important
in our society and in this com-
munity. Specifics about the
Peace Harbor Palliative Care
program will be reviewed
including the objectives and
goals, the patients served, the
services provided, and the pro-
gram’s successes and chal-
lenges.
The UU Fellowship is locat-
ed at 87738 Highway 101 at
Heceta Beach Road and is
wheelchair accessible.
Each service concludes with
refreshments and a dialogue cir-
cle to explore the questions that
come up during that service.
Every Sunday evening at
5:30, Jim Tubesing leads
Peaceful Meditations at the
Fellowship Hall.
For more information call
541-997-2840
Mapleton
Foundation
seeks grant
applicants
The Mapleton Community
Foundation is currently
accepting grant applications
from non-profit organizations
for community projects with-
in the Mapleton School
District boundaries.
The applications should
demonstrate how the funding
would educationally, cultur-
ally, physically or civically
improve the students or resi-
dents of the area. Applicants
must be a not for profit
organization. Funds will not
be awarded to individuals or
operating expenses.
Grant applications can be
obtained at the Mapleton Post
Office, Siuslaw Public
Library in Mapleton or by
calling Kathy West at 541-
268-4665.
MOTHER’S DAY FLOWERS
PLACE YOUR ORDER TODAY!
For online or phone orders
use coupon code:
momluvsfl orenceinbloom
15% OFF YOUR ORDER
Excluding Delivery Charges
Offer valid April 24-May 20
www.fl orenceinbloom.com
Florence In Bloom
Full Service Flower Shop
1234 Rhododendron Dr., Florence
541-997-5391 • 800-914 -2305
research and community out-
reach in between meetings.
Applications are available at
Florence City Hall and can be
downloaded from the City's
websiteat www.ci.florence.or
.us.
For more information, call
City Recorder Kelli Weese at
541-997-3437.
Spirituali-Tea to feature
discussion of flowers
On Monday, May 1 at 6:30
p.m., at 875 Seventh St.,
everyone is invited to join a
group of friends from varied
spiritual paths to discuss
flowers.
The writings of the Baha’i
Faith say: “Consider the
flowers of a garden. Though
differing in kind, color, form,
and shape, yet ... this diversi-
ty increaseth their charm, and
addeth unto their beauty ...
“Diversity of hues, form
and shape, enricheth and ador-
neth the garden, and height-
eneth the effect thereof.
“In like manner, when
divers shades of thought,
temperament and character,
are brought together under
the power and influence of
one central agency, the beau-
ty and glory of human perfec-
tion will be revealed....”
The gathering will end at 8
p.m.with prayers for the
requests left in the Prayer
Pole in the garden of the
Florence Playhouse and those
shared by the group.
For more information, call
541-590-0779
or
email
JamesHeintz@gmail.com
2285 Highway 101 • Florence, OR 97439
(541) 997-8866
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