HAVE I STAYED TOO LONG AT THE FAIR? There is an old song that asks the musical question, "Have I stayed too long at the fair?" The idea is that life is losing its luster, perhaps because we've overstayed our welcome, or expected things it failed to deliver. It is the song of someone older who is looking back at his youth with disappointment. "I wanted to live in a carnival city with laughter and love everywhere. I wanted my friends to be charming and witty, I wanted someone to care. I found my blue ribbons all shiny and new, but now I've discovered them no longer blue. The merry-go-round is beginning to taunt me--have I stayed too long at the fair? There's nothing to win and no one to want me - have I stayed too long at the fair?" If we buy into this world's system of priorities, eventually everything we've chased will disappoint us. Unless we're living for God in Christ, we will reach old age and say, "It's all meaningless. I've stayed too long at the fair." This happened to Solomon, or "Solo-Man" as I've called him. At the end of his life, he cut to the chase and said, "I've had it all--and none of it amounted to much." He pursued love, riches, knowledge, religion and power. He attained a measure of success in all of them, but none satisfied. Far too many of us could say with Solomon, "I've stayed too long at the fair." Maybe you've bought into the world's system, and all you have to show for your efforts today are depression, despondency, broken relationships and broken dreams. But for the man or woman who has spent a lifetime pursuing Jesus Christ, every day is sweeter than the day before. My friend Jane Elder, who pursued Him for 90 years, never sang "I've stayed too long at the fair." Jane's favorite song was "The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows." What about you? Which song would you rather sing in the twilight of life?

NOTHING MORE THAN NOTHING A sparrow looked at a dove and asked him this question: "How much does a single snowflake weigh?" The dove answered "Nothing more than nothing." Then the sparrow told this story. "Last week when the snow was softly falling, I was nestled in a fir tree's branch, as close to the trunk of that tree as I could get. As I watched the flurry from my hiding place, I began to count the snowflakes as they landed on the branch. I counted and counted until I came to three million, four hundred ninety-three thousand, seven hundred and twenty-one. Then one more snowflake fell--nothing more than nothing--and the whole branch broke off and tumbled down below." With that the sparrow flew away, and the dove thought and thought. Nothing more than nothing--a single snowflake--made a difference in the sparrow's story. I wonder if you might be that one person--nothing more than nothing--that might make a difference in your world, your home, today? Mom--what can you teach your children that no one else can? How many hugs can you give? Dads--how often can you play catch or checkers or Monopoly, or listen to your child's latest victory or struggle with your undivided attention? Husbands--how many acts of kindness can you show your wife? Wives--how many loving touches can you give your husband? You see, you and I can make a difference. A hundred couples with vibrant, God-honoring marriages could touch and influence a thousand other couples. Ten men who are devoted to their children before job or self could influence a hundred more. A handful of women who pray for one another's faithfulness to honor God could change a generation. How much does a single snowflake weigh? Nothing more than nothing? Or more than enough?