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~ J Clay Norton, Ed.D.

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Category Archives: Jesus

For There Was No Room – Christmas Thoughts 2022

16 Friday Dec 2022

Posted by The Book Chamber in Christmas, God, Jesus

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Merry Christmas everyone… Christmas Thoughts 2022

We will pick back up in 2023.  See you then. 

If you would like to download a printer friendly version of this year’s thoughts with a washout watermark background, click here: For There Was No Room

Screen Shot 2022-12-15 at 7.56.17 PM

 

To view previous year’s Christmas thoughts, download here:

2017 In The Fullness Of Time

2018 Born As A Babe

2019 Let There Be Light… The Light of the World

2020 Our Gift of Truth

2021 Deliverance – Coram Deo “The ‘Living’ Presence of God”

Let’s go fight the good fight of leadership. Someone has to…

Go be a great educator and leader today… Our future needs it…

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2022 J Clay Norton

Want more Leadership Thoughts? Follow me on… Twitter @thebookchamber or follow the blog directly.

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Knowing Joy Beats Someone Telling Me I Should Be Miserable…

02 Friday Dec 2022

Posted by The Book Chamber in Actions, Attitude, Christmas, Deciding, Decisions, Emotion, Encouragement, Inspiration, Intentions, Jesus, Joy, Kindness, Leader, Leadership, Misery, Thankful

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Ok… I am always excited when I learn something new, and boy, did I? The other day listening to talk radio on the way to school, I heard a segment on the reporting of the US Misery Index. I was like, what? Are you serious? There is an index out there that is supposedly going to tell me if I am miserable or not? Maybe not me specifically, but our nation as a whole.

So, I got to school and looked it up. Guess what? It’s real. Here’s the website: http://www.miseryindex.us

In short, here is the description… “The misery index was initiated by economist Arthur Okun, an adviser to President Lyndon Johnson in the 1960’s. It is simply the unemployment rate added to the inflation rate. It is assumed that both a higher rate of unemployment and a worsening of inflation both create economic and social costs for a country. A combination of rising inflation and more people out of work implies a deterioration in economic performance and a rise in the misery index.”

dont-be-miserable-orlando-espinosa

Yes, inflation is high. I’m not going to get into the unemployment rate and all of the other political stuff. However, inflation does not discriminate. I don’t like the price of milk and eggs right now, but I’m not going to make myself miserable over it. I like money in my pocket just as much as the next person. What I don’t need is an index gauging my thoughts for it. But… ultimately, I decide if I am miserable or not.

So, where’s the leadership in this? It all depends on you, I guess. My joy depends on these things – family, close friendships (that circle grows smaller as I get older), enjoyment of my work, and when it does not rain on Saturdays (so I can play golf), and foremost, my relationship with Christ.

As we are now in the Christmas season, if we listen to everything out there, we almost have no choice but to make ourselves miserable. Some small part of me believes that is what society wants; for us to be miserable, so we will depend on someone or something else. I am not going to sign up for that. You shouldn’t either.

Regardless of what the US Misery Index says, at any time of the year, I’m going to choose joy. Now, I have bad days; I’m sure we all do. However, the joy we should feel at Christmas, we should feel all year. Especially knowing the reason for Christmas, for that brings “Joy to the World” within itself.

And as for leadership… I get to choose that also. I get to decide what type of leader I want to be. I definitely do not need an index for that, either. As we begin the month of December and the Christmas season, focus on the joy that we have. If you have a chance, which we all do, spread some of it around.  It sure beats being miserable because somebody said, “Misery loves company.”

Let’s go fight the good fight of leadership. Someone has to…

Go be a great educator and leader today… Our future needs it…

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2022 J Clay Norton

Want more Leadership Thoughts? Follow me on… Twitter @thebookchamber or follow the blog directly.

Want to share this leadership thought with others? Click on one of the social media sharing buttons below and help spread the good…

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The Victory of Christ

14 Thursday Apr 2022

Posted by The Book Chamber in Easter, Jesus

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Screen Shot 2022-04-07 at 9.57.11 PM

If you would like to download a printer friendly version of this with the above picture as a washout watermark, click here: The Victory of Christ

The Victory of Christ


Eden's thorns twisted into a crown,
A cruel symbol of death,
Placed upon His head - in mockery.
The crowds calling him King,
Not knowing that He really is.

A walk none of us could make,
A walk to the wondrous cross.
A cross none of us could ever carry,
A cross to death…
Into the presence of God.

Knowing He would face death,
The Lamb, slain before the foundation of the world.
Doing something we could not do,
Taking back life from death.
Because He lives, I live!

We search for peace…
A peace the world cannot give.
A peace found only in Jesus,
"Peace be with you..."
For it is.

His sacrifice,
We are made Holy.
Our trust in Him…
Gives forgiveness of our sins.
Drawing near to God without fear.

Losing much because of sin,
Gaining more because of Christ.
His death, His resurrection…
The restoring power of God's grace.
…The Victory of Christ…

Happy Easter

© J Clay Norton, 2022


For previous Easter thoughts, click the link…

2021 resurrection-morning2

2020 The Lamb’s Precious Blood

2019 The Cross I See…

2018  The Cross and The Grave

Go be a great educator and leader today… Our future needs it…

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2022 J Clay Norton

Want more Leadership Thoughts? Follow me on… Twitter @thebookchamber or follow the blog directly.

Want to share this leadership thought with others? Click on one of the social media sharing buttons below and help spread the good…

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Deliverance – Coram Deo “The ‘Living’ Presence of God

17 Friday Dec 2021

Posted by The Book Chamber in Christmas, God, Humility, Jesus

≈ 1 Comment

Merry Christmas everyone…

Manger in Stable

If you would like to download a printer friendly version of this year’s thoughts with a washout watermark background, click here: Deliverance

Deliverance 
Coram Deo – “The ‘Living’ Presence of God” 

Promised in Genesis,
Foretold in Isaiah,
The Seed, The Messiah!

O Holy Night it was,
An interruption of Heaven on earth,
A cosmic event changing time.

Traveling far, so we could be near,
The Love worth giving came down,
Arriving in a stable’s manger.

The Nativity brought to life,
A perpetual sight to be remembered…
An essence to stir hearts.

God the Son - in His majesty,
Took on flesh,
To tabernacle with mankind.

Sent by God to a world He loved,
To save us from ourselves,
The everlasting presence of Christ…

Mindful of us…
Our sin and error pining,
A visit of intimacy for our souls.

The Gift of the Father,
The clarity of Immanuel,
The sealing of the Spirit.

God with us indeed.

What we find at Christmas time,
Is Christ, our thrill of Hope,
A weary world rejoices.

…Merry Christmas…

© J Clay Norton, 2021

To view previous year’s Christmas thoughts, download here;

2017 In The Fullness Of Time

2018 Born As A Babe

2019 Let There Be Light… The Light of the World

2020 Our Gift of Truth

Go be a great educator and leader today… Our future needs it…

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2021 J Clay Norton

Want more Leadership Thoughts? Follow me on… Twitter @thebookchamber or follow the blog directly.

Want to share this leadership thought with others? Click on one of the social media sharing buttons below and help spread the good…

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