According to most psychological studies regarding worry.

40% of our worries never come to pass.

30% involve past decisions which cannot be changed.

12% of our worries focus on the criticism of others who spoke simply because they felt inferior.

10% of our worries are about our health. . .which gets worse with worry.

Finally, 8% of our worries can actually be described as legitimate causes for concern.

Let's look first at what worry actually is.

Worry is a state of feeling generally anxious and uneasy about something. We often refer to it as troubled thought.

If you were to look up worry in the dictionary, there is a meaning to the word worry that comes four or five descriptions down the list. It comes from the root word behind worry. It reads this way: "To seize or bite and hold on to!"

You might think of it as how a dog plays with a rag doll when he takes it in his teeth and begins to shake it until the stuffing comes out!

That’s a good example of what worry will do to you.

I asked the Lord if He had a word for His people for 2021 and led me to Psalm 121 which ignited in my spirit.

Psalm 121 in The Living Bible says:

“Shall I look to the mountain gods for help? No! 1 My help is from Jehovah who made the mountains! And the heavens too! 2 He will never let me stumble, slip, or fall.  3 For he is always watching, never sleeping.

4 Jehovah himself is caring for you! He is your defender. 5 He protects you day and night. 6 He keeps you from all evil and preserves your life. 7 He keeps his eye upon you as you come and go and always guards you.”

There are seven keys found in Psalm 121.

First, my help is from our great God Jehovah.

Second, He will never let us stumble, slip or fall.

Third, He is always watching us.

Fourth, Jehovah is always caring for and defending us.

Fifth, He protects us day and night 24/7.

Sixth, He will keep us from all evil and preserve our lives.

As the song says. . .”It’s the most wonderful time of the year.”

Seventy-four years ago this month the movie “It’s A Wonderful Life” premiered.

Philip Van Doren Stern had tried unsuccessfully for years to shop his short story “The Greatest Gift” but he couldn’t find an interested publisher.  So one year he printed up 200 copies of the story and sent it out as a 21 page Christmas card.

A Hollywood producer somehow got a hold of the card and purchased the movie rights for $10,000.  That was in 1946.

The movie was shot during the summer of 46 which explains why Jimmy Stewart was sweating in a number of scenes even though movie magic made it look like the winter.

Frank Capra, the director of the movie. . .who was an engineer by training created a new kind snow for movies.  It was a mixture of fire extinguisher foam and corn flakes.

Though the movie initially bombed at the box office it ended up as a Christmas time classic watched every year around the world.

One of my favorite scenes from the movie is when George Baily, played by the late great Jimmy Stewart, begins to pray.

He starts:  “Dear Father in heaven, I’m not a praying man, but if you’re up there and you can hear me….

At that moment, Stewart begins crying and then says:

          “Show me the way. . .show me the way.”

This is the time of year for Christmas lists…from the youngest family member to the oldest.

As our family members grew in age. . .so do the price of their toys.

Roy L. Smith, a renowned Methodist writer of Sunday School literature, once said:

“He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.”

During this season. . .we want to share with you seven things better than the new drones, a talking hamster, VR (Virtual Reality Glasses) and all sorts of other gadgets, gizmos and goofy gits produced by competing companies.

Cell phones are now toys. . .they have games, high quality cameras plus the ability to receive streaming media and so much more. 

I’ve had a iPhone for years. . .so I’m familiar with iToys.

Here’s my list of the seven things better than any gadget, gizmo or goofy gift.

1.      iThink.

Ecclesiastes 3:22 in the Contemporary English Version says:

^“We were meant to enjoy our work, and that's the best thing we can do. We can never know the future.”

According to a recent Gallup workplace study over 70% of American employees DO NOT like their jobs. . .and that was before pandemic layoffs.   Not liking your job is not good or for that matter…scriptural.

If we settle for a job just to earn a paycheck. . .with the attitude of doing just enough to get by. . .we’ll never be happy in the job.

To me, it’s really simple. . .if you don’t like what you’re doing or where you’re working. . .stop complaining and do something about it.

Here are seven must-read talking points for your success in the workplace or marketplace.