Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me!
— Matthew 25:40,

Ye Have Done it Unto Me

My friend just sent this to me on Facebook.

“I had a wonderful experience this afternoon. A young woman at the checkout line behind me paid for my items when my debit card was rejected at the Dollar Tree. She said she was unemployed and understood what it was like to be short of cash. I was moved practically to tears. I hugged her and assured her that her kindness would be returned to her multiplied!!”

Remember my friends, in this time of crisis and every day, “pay it forward” whenever possible! What goes around comes around!

Thank You God!

Rev. Dr. Rainbow Johnson
ADAAP Clergy Counselor

Good News

It often seems every headline, viral commotion or public uproar encountered today, reveal another scandal, catastrophy, or tragic event with negative outcomes. Do not dispair, because the human conditions is NOT solely one of Doom & Gloom! Recently, the New York Times reported that “The World IS Beating Disease, Poverty & Illiteracy”. Here are some of the more positive statistics from the article.

• In the 1990s, approximately 90% of the world’s population suffered from extreme poverty (less than $2 per person/per day). Today, only 10% of the world languish under similar economic hardships!
• Every single day, World Bank statisticians estimates:
  • ~250,000 more people graduate from extreme poverty.
  • ~300,000 experience the benefits of electricity, for the first time.
  • ~285,000 gain their first easy access to clean, drinking water.
• The United Nations estimates that more than 85% of the world’s citizens can now read.
• More than 100 million children’s lives have been saved through family planning, vaccinations, improved nutrition & medical care. Over the past 30 years, many routinely lethal infant & children diseases have been virtually eradicated.
• Experts anticipate to eliminate leprosy deformation in humans, by 2020.

All may not be well, but there are many reasons to rejoice, & be thankful for….
Thank you God!

Rev. Dr. Rainbow Johnson
ADAAP Clergy Counselor

Keep your face always toward the sunshine & shadows will fall behind you — Walt Whitman

Complain or Give Thanks? It’s Up to YOU!

It seems there is always something to complain about: the weather. Right now it is hot. But I am grateful that while it might be hot where I am, there are other places where it is hotter. I am grateful that I can sleep in a cool room. I am grateful that I don’t have to work outside in the hot weather. I am grateful I have air conditioned transportation to take me from place to place.

Or I might complain about my body, how my knees creak when I go downstairs. And I am grateful that I can go up & down the stairs, that my legs & creaky knees work together getting me from floor to floor effectively & fairly efficiently. All those stairs are probably keeping my body healthier, too.

Instead of complaining, what if we gave thanks for what is, even if it is a challenge. I give thanks for this challenge in my life today, knowing there is a lesson for me to learn in it. Our spiritual path is strewn with flowers (blessings) & rocks (challenges) & we can choose how we look at each of them. I choose to look at the rocks as stepping stones to more flowers.

AFFIRMATION
I am alive & embrace sobriety! Thank you God!

Rev. Dr. Rainbow Johnson
ADAAP Clergy Counselor

…for God loveth a cheerful giver.
— II Corinthians 9:7

A 400 Percent Tip

Have you ever heard of The Law of Circulation? One of the main principles of the Universe is circulation. If our blood or our breath did not circulate, we would soon die. This holds true for all aspects of life. When the Law of Circulation is retarded, stagnation results.

My daughter, has continued to be one of my greatest teachers ever since she arrived on earth. She was totally born with an abundance consciousness. Lately, she has acquired the habit of throwing all kinds of coins on the side-walk. When I asked her why, she responded immediately, “Oh, I just know people will be thrilled to find them!”

One day in Austin, we went out to a restaurant, & her bill for a cup of tea & a small snack was $2.00. She put a ten dollar bill down on the table & got up to leave. “Don’t you want your change?” I asked. “Oh no,” she answered sweetly. “Table servers in Austin get below minimum wage, & they have to raise their families on that.” That was the end of the conversation.

She has never, ever lacked for anything . People are always showering her with gifts including money. She was gifted with a $113,000 college scholarship, & when she graduated, she received $3000 for a trip to Europe! But she is unaware of this. Her focus has always been looking for places to give. “Look at everything God has given me” she says. “I’m just returning the favor.” So the next time you find a coin on the sidewalk, it may very well be God blessing you through a cheerful giver.

AFFIRMATION
Today I totally give up worrying about where my next dollar is coming from. I focus my attention on what I can give to others. And I am at peace.
Thank you God!

Rev. Dr. Rainbow Johnson
ADAAP Clergy Counselor