In the book of Philippians, chapter four and verse eleven, the Apostle Paul writes, “…I have learned to be content in whatsoever situation I am in.”

A little boy shared a story about his mom liking to fix breakfast now and then for the supper meal. One night, after a long and hard day of work, she fixed eggs, sausage and some very noticeable burnt biscuits in front of his dad. Was he gonna notice and say something? Everyone waited but nothing happened. His dad took the biscuit, buttered it, smiled at his mom and ate the biscuit. He ate every single bite, although it was smothered with butter and jelly. After supper was over, the mother apologized for the burnt biscuits but he heard his dad remark, “Honey, I never told anyone before, but I love burned biscuits.” He then gave her a big, sloppy kiss-one that assured her how much he loved her.

Later that evening before bedtime, the boy asked his dad if he REALLY liked burnt biscuits. Here is what he said, “Son, your mom works hard every single day of her life and she always does her best to make me happy, so a little ol’ burnt biscuit is just fine and never’s hurt anyone.”

As we approach the holiday season, remember that all of life is full of imperfect things and imperfect people. Let’s learn, as St. Paul so eloquently stated, “to be content in all situations.” Let’s learn to accept each other’s faults and choose to celebrate each other’s differences. This may be the most important key to creating a healthy, growing and lasting relationship. Let’s take the good, the bad and the ugly parts of your life and lay them at the feet of God. You see, in the end, He’s the only one who will be able to give you a relationship where a burnt biscuit is not a deal-breaker.

It simply means that we’ve decided to look beyond each other’s imperfections. So, what the heck, pass me a biscuit–and,yes, the burnt one will do just fine! This holiday season, let’s all learn to:

* Value where you are right now in life. Where you are is actually who you are.

* Act better than you feel. It might just make the difference between a good or bad day.

* Refuse to compare yourself with others. 6 billion people in the world and there’s only one YOU.

* Accept people the way they are. After all, you can’t change them

* Accept things the way they are. You simply cannot change everything about everything.

That’s the way I see it. Let me know what you think at jsheda@indytel.com or call me at 319.327.4640. Have a great week