Love, Civility, Graciousness, Self-Control - LACKING all too often? In INCREASING measure?

If you've been following recent news stories, you'll be familiar with the following PUBLIC outbursts, captured and already seen around the world...

• At the recent 2009 MTV music video awards show, Kanye West interrupts Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for a video award in front of a live audience, taking the microphone away, and claiming that Beyonce should have won the award.
• During the recent U.S. Open Tennis Championships, Serena Williams cursed at and berated tennis officials, costing her a penalty point that ended up being match point.
• During U.S. President Obama's most recent health care speech to Congress, South Carolina Republican Joe Wilson shouted, "You lie" at the President DURING the speech, prompting a reprimand from Congress.

And those are stories that have just happened in the past WEEK!

Examples like these seem to be happening more and more often. AND in this "YouTube/Internet" time in which we're living, these outbursts are captured on video and audio and are uploaded for the world to see almost IMMEDIATELY. Loss of self-control, a lack of graciousness and appropriateness, a growing lack of respect and civility...ALL of it stemming from a lack of LOVE...the love of GOD FIRST...which would naturally lead to putting others before yourself and thereby ALWAYS being FULL of GRACIOUSNESS, as was said about JESUS CHRIST in Luke 4:22 - "All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips."

BE CAREFUL THOUGH - As Gwen has always taught from the Word of GOD through this Ministry...we START with the "man in the mirror." Just because these featured politicians, athletes, and entertainers in the public spotlight have been put on display for the world to see doesn't "excuse" even an INTERNAL lack of these qualities in any of us. It is very UNloving towards GOD to overeat. It is very UNgracious before GOD to claim Him as GOD and then go right back out and disobey His beautiful commands, trampling the sacrifice of Jesus all over again. The LACK of civility that accompanies talking behind the back of the boss is appalling and offensive. OH, may we learn from these PUBLIC examples and pledge NEVER to lack the LOVE that comes from GOD...which equates to OBEDIENCE to His commands. "This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith" - I John 5:3-4.

TODAY on WDWB LIVE, at 3:30pm CST, we'll be discussing these traits, how to LEARN from what we see publicly, and how to put what LOVE really IS into our hearts and into practice. We hope you'll join us!

"Labor Day" - Who SHOULD it be honoring?

"LABOR DAY" history - first celebrated here in the U.S. in 1882 - From the U.S. Government's website information page...

"Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country."

ALSO from the same website page...

"Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."

Lastly, from the concluding comments on the same website page...

"The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership -- the American worker."

SO - here we are...the first Monday of September here in the U.S....another "Labor Day" will pass by in the next few hours. Here's a thought for you to ponder...& some perspective on what this day SHOULD be an HONORING of...as you consider the explanation and history listed above. NOWHERE in that explanation is there any MENTION of THE ONE Who is the TRUE and ONLY "CREATOR of so much of the nation's" (and ANY nation for that matter!) "strength, freedom, and leadership"...GOD ALMIGHTY!!! For those who want GOD to be glorified...GOD to be KING in your lives...GOD to be given "tribute"...there is ONE Who is worthy of this HONOR as the ULTIMATE "laborer." GOD created the heavens and the earth. He made mankind in His image. He doesn't sleep or slumber...

"By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing..." - Genesis 2:2a.

"My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working" - spoken by Jesus Christ and recorded in John 5:17.

May another "Labor Day" NEVER again go by when we do not stop, fall to our knees, and thank and praise our GOD for His never-ending LABOR. May we ALL do everything...EVERYTHING...with a motivation to make His job MORE pleasant. Seeing His tireless commitment to teach and train us to be led by His Spirit, may WE be DRIVEN, as He is, to see RIGHTEOUSNESS and TRUTH and PURITY and HOLINESS prevail in our OWN lives. He is SO GOOD and SO VERY MUCH DESERVING of ALL RECOGNITION! May His "labor" in our lives NOT be in vain. All thanks and praise and honor and "tribute" to GOD ALMIGHTY on this "Labor Day." NO ONE deserves it in place of HIM!