God Needs Your Help
Think about your friends, relatives, acquaintances, colleagues and neighbors . . . For two or three of them, life is difficult right now:...
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BLOG BY JIM KOK
Thoughts from Jim are the musings and teachings of Dr. Jim Kok.
His writings range over a variety of topics,
but all are enlightenments in his mission of motivating people
to be more intentional in their offering kindness
to people around them.
- Sep 15
Your Smile Can Heal
I was walking in the shopping mall, pondering over a couple of discouraging encounters that I had had earlier in the day. Suddenly, a...
- Sep 1
Thank Someone Today
. "Thanksgiving" cards are great. What an appropriate time to sit down and think of a number of people who have given us something, or...
- Aug 18
How Can I Show Up?
You've heard me frequently repeat one of my fundamental beliefs: that 90% of Helping Is Just Showing Up. Let's explore that concept more...
- Aug 4
Being Kind to Yourself
We’ve been considering the role of kindness in our lives. Our Care and Kindness Campaign seeks to raise people’s awareness of how...
- Jul 21
What is Your Kindness Quotient?
What is your kindness quotient? There are various tests you may have taken — an I.Q. test (intelligence quotient), perhaps a Risk...
- Jul 7
Listening Is Kindness
Listening is kindness. It provides healing. Showing love by taking time to listen is a wonderful thing. There is a Bible story that tells...
- Jun 23
Just Be There
Permitting Yourself To Be Uncomfortable I am an introvert. How many of you recognize yourself as being the same? It is hard for me to do...
- Jun 9
The Role of Enthusiasm
I love that word enTHUSiasm. As you may know, the 'thus' in the middle comes from the Greek word Theos. Theos means 'God' in the Greek...
- May 26
A New List of Kindness Suggestions
Readers of my books and my blog postings are all familiar with my message that we can offer acts of kindness daily as we go about our...
- May 12
More Things I Forgot
I Wish I Had Remembered When she was crying over her sudden loss, I hesitated to ask her questions about how it happened. I forgot she...
- Apr 28
Choices
Are You Making the Best Ones for Your Happiness? Every day we make countless choices. We decide whether to have a cup of coffee, or to...
- Apr 14
Stupid Phrases for People in Crisis (Part 3)
9. Maybe it happened for a reason. Remember what I said about punching someone in the face with a knife? Yeah – that. 10. Just call me if...
- Mar 31
Stupid Phrases for People in Crisis (Part 2)
5. God is good – all the time. Another one that is technically theologically correct. But is it helpful to say this when someone has just...
- Mar 17
Stupid Phrases for People in Crisis (Part 1)
The following blog was written by Marilyn R. Gardner on her page (communicatingacrossboundariesblog.com) and we are appreciative of her...
- Mar 3
Theology from an Astronaut
Getting away from it all works wonders, experience teaches us. Quiet-time, being alone, solitude, creates space for reality to regain...
- Feb 17
Life Is God's Gift
Disbelief, shock, then anger are the initial responses to a personal announcement of imminent death. It is rarely an acceptable...
- Feb 3
Things I Forgot
Things I Forgot When My Friend Was Hurting I forgot that when her crisis occurred, she needed someone right away, not hours or days...
- Jan 20
A Most Important Guideline
Not too long ago, I read a letter to Dear Abby that touched directly on some lessons I have repeated frequently from my 13 Secret...
- Jan 6
Be Responsive
Here are the final two suggestions from my 'thirteen secrets', which we began last month. Remember, however, that these ‘Secret...
- Dec 23, 2022
When Are the Twelve Days of Christmas?
We love to sing that joyful and slightly humorous song at Christmas time. But does anyone know what those twelve days are about? Is it...
- Dec 9, 2022
A Kindness Suggestion for Christmas Time
Last night, at about 8:00, I stopped at a home, the residents of which were strangers to me. I rang the door bell and a man came to the...
- Nov 25, 2022
Focus on People
We've been building a list over the the previous two blogs. Here are more to add to the list — you're getting the idea. Acts of kindness...
- Nov 11, 2022
We're On A Roll Here
We started talking in the previous blog about those little things that you can do daily . . . but, more importantly . . . INTENTIONALLY....
- Oct 28, 2022
Don't Be Misled!
Don't People Do These Things Automatically? Well, yes they do. They smile; they pay compliments; they act friendly. But mostly . . . they...
- Oct 14, 2022
Can You Believe It's So Simple?
Yes! It is so simple — so simple that we don't realize the impact of doing these things. People all around us are hungry for a touch of...
- Sep 30, 2022
Act Like You're Glad To See Me
There are at least six major supermarkets to choose from when I contemplate my weekly foray into the grocery world. Sales and specials...
- Sep 16, 2022
How To Deal With Your Aging
At my 80th birthday party, I was honored very pleasantly and humorously. Then I was asked to make my own responsive remarks. Among my...
- Sep 2, 2022
Beware of the Infection of Self-Centeredness
As we grow older, there is a tendency to drift into preoccupation with ourselves — our health, our physical problems, our sleep, money,...
- Aug 19, 2022
More Thoughts on Retirement
Is it a good thing? In my previous comments on this topic, I mostly addressed those who are now of an age to consider themselves...
- Aug 5, 2022
Thoughts on Retirement
Is it a good thing? I remember a conversation with a man who had been nominated to be an Elder of the church. He had served before, but...
- Jul 22, 2022
Kok's Recommended Antidote
The amount of stress that everyone is feeling these days can be overwhelming without having the right attitude when dealing with it, nor...
- Jul 8, 2022
Theology From An Astronaut
Getting away from it all works wonders, and experience teaches us. Quiet-time ... being alone ... solitude ... all create space for...
- Jun 24, 2022
The Price of an Unpaid Traffic Ticket
In 1958, I left Kalamazoo, Michigan, where I was working as a vocational rehabilitation counselor, to go to seminary in...
- Jun 10, 2022
An Angel Experience?
Or a Coincidence? We were sleeping at a cottage at Cobmoosa Shores, near Stony Lake, and facing Lake Michigan. Only Linda and I were...
- May 27, 2022
Noticing the Good in Life!
. I made a quick mental run through my week just ending and made a striking discovery. Although intensely involved in some important...
- May 13, 2022
You Are Far More Than You Think You Are!
The newly installed hospital chaplain, a middle age pastor, exclaimed, "I don't have anything to offer her." He said this as he talked...
- Apr 29, 2022
10 Tips for Helping a Hurting Person
Sadly, well-meaning people often feel awkward when dealing with a friend who is deeply hurting. And in their awkwardness, they grope for...
- Apr 15, 2022
Giving Improves Your Health
Hold on a minute! Hear me out! You are approached with requests that you give or donate to something or other all the time, right? You...
- Apr 1, 2022
How Tall Are You?
Here is an interesting experiment you can try. I have done this before groups of people, and the results are quite interesting. Stand,...
- Mar 18, 2022
Big Smile, Long Life
People who smile a lot are usually happier, have more stable personalities, more stable marriages, better cognitive skills and better...
- Mar 4, 2022
EGO DETACHMENT: A Lesson We All Need
An inability to speak your opinions and ideas in public is often due to a simple problem — ego attachment. What that means is that you...
- Feb 18, 2022
A Major Mistake When Helping the Hurting
When visiting someone who is in grief, or who has recently been hit by a distressing or unsettling event there is a major temptation. It...
- Feb 4, 2022
Finding a Coin - Part 2
Goodness is from God. So when good times pass our way, we are being caressed and nurtured by God, whether we know it or not. Such times...
- Jan 16, 2022
Finding a Coin Can Trigger Love
Positive experiences are spiritual events. That is, something heart-warming or supportive that happens to us is more than just something...
- Dec 27, 2021
The Correct Perception of Humility
Humility is seen in the capacity to do what needs to be done. Humility includes not thinking oneself greater than others, but the...
- Dec 10, 2021
Life Is God's Gift
Disbelief, shock, then anger are the initial responses to a personal announcement of imminent death. It is rarely an acceptable...
- Nov 26, 2021
This is Thanks-giving Month
START A GRATITUDE JOURNAL Much is now known about the benefits of practicing intentional thankfulness. It isn't just a high-level...
- Nov 12, 2021
More Acts of Kindness
#1. I had just led the funeral of a dear woman. We were invited by her husband, Dave Cook, to come to their house after the general...
- Oct 22, 2021
Intentional Acts of Kindness
Our Care and Kindness Campaign is to urge people to make INTENTIONAL acts of kindness part of their life-style. Everyone is familiar with...
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