A Norvell Note for November 1, 2021

Vol. 24 No. 43

Serenity

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change,

the courage to change

the things that I can,

and the wisdom to know the difference.

Most of the frustration, disappointment, discouragement, and anger I experience result from trying to change the things that I cannot change. So here is my partial list of things I cannot change: People. The past. Life events. Weather. Who lives or who dies. Other people’s attitudes, actions, words, or thoughts. People (Oh, I already mentioned people).

The longer I live, the longer my list.

The list of things I can change is much shorter: Me.  

I can adjust my attitude, actions, words, thoughts, how I treat people, how I respond to other people, how I react to life events, and how I arrange the furniture in my study.

I can change myself.

Just in case you have similar lists tucked away in the back of your mind, here are a few attitudes I need to apply as I begin to change myself. Maybe these will help you too.

Be kind to yourself. Change is hard. Some changes take time. If I mess up, I need to forgive myself (not make excuses) and start over. I am my worst critic.

Trust God to help you make the changes. I must trust God to help me accept the things that I cannot change, to change the things that I can change, and the wisdom to know the difference. Trusting God is the key to everything. As we used to sing, “Without Him, I can do nothing.”

Ask for help when I need it. I am not very good at this. I tend to think that I can, or should be able, to handle anything that comes my way. I have learned and trying to accept that sometimes I need help. That word trust shows up again. I must trust that it is okay to ask for help.

Repeat this prayer often.

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change,

the courage to change

the things that I can,

and the wisdom to know the difference.

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2021 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved

You may read past articles at A Norvell Note. 

A Norvell Note for October 25, 2021

Vol. 24 No. 42

Peace Be With You.

I opened my journal and wrote, “Father, I am listening.”

I turned to my reading for the day, and He responded, “Peace be with you.” (John 20:21)

I took that phrase, inhaled deeply, and exhaled, saying, “Peace be with you.” I repeated the simple exercise multiple times throughout the day.

What did I learn from this simple mediation?

A meditative pause is healthy. Pausing for meditation throughout the day calms my spirit, heart, head, and body. It works if I am in traffic, eating a meal, drinking a cup of coffee, or taking a walk.

Peace is possible. Even amid chaos and crisis, moments of peace is achievable. The pause can be brief and may not last long, but even a momentary pause makes a difference.

God wants me to have peace. He is the initiator of peace. He modeled peaceful pauses, is the giver of peace, and knows I need these moments of relaxation.

God’s peace is more than just being quiet. His peace involves trust. His peace leads to wholeness. His peace reminds us that we are not alone.

When Jesus spoke these four words, His followers were trying to process His death, then His return. They were about to move into the most incredible adventure of their lives. Jesus knew they needed His presence and peace.

On any given day, we may face death and unimaginable heartache. He responds with, “Peace be with you.” Accept it. Embrace it.

[Keep up with Norah’s updates at Tom on Facebook]

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2021 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved

You may read past articles at A Norvell Note. 

A Norvell Note for October 18, 2021Vol. 24 No. 41 

I Know You Are Near

Lord, I know You are near because Your word says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18, NIV)

I may not always feel Your presence in a meaningful way, but I know You are near.

I cannot always hear Your voice with other voices telling me what to think, what to do, how to feel, and what to say. But I know You are near. 

I do not always understand what You are saying to me or what lesson You want me to learn from this experience, but I know You are near. 

I am not always aware of what You are doing behind the scenes or why you are doing it, but I know You are near. 

I do not always want to pray, but when I do pray, You find ways to assure me that You are near.

You do not always answer my prayers as quickly as I want You to, or the way I want You to, but You find ways to remind me that You are near. 

I often do not understand why you do what You do, and I don’t always like it, but I always know You are near. 

I marvel at Your love. Your blessings humble me, and I am thankful that you are near.

Lord, I know You are near because Your word says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18, NIV)

[Keep up with Norah’s updates at Tom on Facebook]

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2021 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved  

You may read past articles at A Norvell Note.  

A Norvell Note for the week of October 11, 2021

Vol. 24 No. 40

No Longer a Big Deal

When all this started, I wrote Everything Just Changed. Five months later, one of the many things that have changed is that some things do not matter as much as they once did. Let me offer a few examples.

Having car trouble can be very frustrating, but car trouble does not seem like such a big deal anymore.

The outcome of a sporting event was once a big deal. Whether my team wins or loses is no longer such a big deal.

Getting to see the latest blocker buster movie as soon as it hits the theater is no longer a big deal.

Being one of the first to get the latest technology device was once important to me. However, it doesn’t seem worth getting upset about today.

Knowing the inside scoop on a favorite celebrity might seem significant to some people. But, unfortunately, or fortunately, it seems trivial to me now.

Winning or losing an argument might have given me satisfaction at one point, but not anymore.

Staying up to date on a favorite television show once seemed like a big deal. It’s not a big deal anymore.

Many things once seemed worth making a mountain out of a molehill. Fortunately, there aren’t many molehills worth getting upset about anymore.

Oh, don’t get me wrong or give me too much credit for being enlightened or spiritually advanced. There are still things that I still find very important and consider big deals.

Spending time with my family is a bigger deal now than ever before. It has always been crucial, but more so now.

Reminding my children and grandchildren that I love them and am exceedingly proud of them is now a bigger deal than ever.

Staying in touch with and spending as much time with my extended family is more important now than it has ever been.

Communicating with friends who live far away has always been very important to me, but it’s even more critical now. If you are waiting for a call from me, please understand that it is also difficult and very emotional to do right now. I will call. I promise.

Being good of a husband, dad, and Papa, has always been near the top of my list of priorities. However, it seems to be essential now.

These teachings seem more important now.

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. (John 15:12 NIV)

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23, NIV)

Some things are not as big of a deal to me as they once were.  Some things are more of a big deal than ever.  

Lord, help me be who I need to be, do what I need to do, and let that be enough.

[Keep up with Norah’s updates at Tom on Facebook]

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2021 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved

You may read past articles at A Norvell Note. 

A Norvell Note for October 4, 2021

Vol. 24 No. 39

Get Back Up

In this video LE MOULIN JAUNE the dancer starts climbing a flight of stairs, he falls off onto a trampoline, then bounces back up onto the stairs, he falls, leaps up, he falls, and he bounces back up. The dancer reminds us of an important life lesson we learn early: when you fall, you get back up.

When a child is learning to, she falls a lot. Our parents would gleefully say, “Uh oh. Try again. Hop up. You can do it. Keep trying.”

When we first started learning to ride a bike, we crashed more than we cruised. Whoever was helping us would cheer us on with words like: “Ooooh. You almost had it. Try it again.”

Learning a new skill involves trying and failing and trying again.

Any great artist will likely tell you how they tried and tried and tried before they mastered their craft. Likewise, athletes, musicians, writers, public speakers, singers, medical professionals, public servants, and anyone who has ever struggled to achieve their dream have two things in common: they failed a lot and always got up and tried again.

Falling and failing are not fatal. Not getting up can be. Every remarkable comeback is a story of an individual or team who did not quit.

Living as a Jesus Follower is no exception. We try, we fail, we try again. We grow, we fall, we get back up.

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. ⁹ We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.¹⁰ Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. (2 Corinthians 4:8-10, NLT)

There are times when the dancer in the video struggles to reach his goal. Each bounce propels him a little bit higher until he finally reaches the top. That’s what we must do. Keep trying. When you fall, keep bouncing back up.

There will be times when you don’t feel like getting up. There will be times when you don’t want to get back up. There will be times when you are not sure you can get back up. Please, please, please get back up anyway.

[Keep up with Norah’s updates at Tom on Facebook]

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2021 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved

You may read past articles at A Norvell Note.