Some wag has written a poem called, "The Worry Cow";

  The worry cow, would have lived till now, if she hadn't lost her breath;

  But she thought her hay, wouldn't last all day, so she mooed herself to death.

Friend of Dial Hope, worry can kill!  Worry can paralyze us!  It robs us of vitality, the ability to think straight.  It makes nervous wrecks of us, takes away radiance of living, makes us mere skeletons of our real selves.  To be sure, there is a good kind of anxiety that motivates us to be better than we are.  But needless worry takes the TA-DA! out of daily living.  Allow me to suggest three simple guidelines that apply the Christian faith to everyday living.

1.  First, we must learn to distinguish between the essential and the non-essential in life.  We major in minors.  One of the requirements for membership in the Coronary Club is to accept all invitations to meetings, committees, banquets.  Many of these things aren't wrong, they just aren't important.

2.  Get rid of things that cause anxiety.  Here are some of them - self-pity, greed, hatred, self-righteousness, the fear of failure, ingratitude.

3.  Live one day at a time.  Live it to the fullest.

Thanksgiving, joy, and service to others are antidotes for worry and anxiety.  The greatest cure for worry is trust in God.  Trust God!  Trust God!

Prayer:  O God of wonder and God of everyday, we thank you for the precious gift of today.  With your help, enable us to make it a masterpiece.  In everything, let us dance for the grace that is in us through Jesus Christ, who is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end.  Amen.