Isaiah 44, 1 through 5. But now here, O Jacob, my servant, Israel whom I have chosen,

thus says the Lord who made you, who formed you from the womb and will help you.

Fear not, O Jacob, my servant, Jesheron whom I have chosen, for I will pour water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground.

I will pour my spirit upon your descendants and my blessing on your offspring.

They shall spring up like grass amid waters, like willows by flowing streams.

This one will say, I am the Lords. Another will call himself by the name of Jacob, and another will write on his hand the Lords and surname himself by the name of Israel.

Do you know why it's easier to be nice to people on Friday than on Monday? Isn't it because hope is like a river that flows into us out of a bright future and fills our reservoir of joy which then

spills over in love or kindness on to other people.

On Friday, the rest and recreation that we love so much is right around the corner.

It's so close you can taste it.

And the taste of the power of the weekend to come flows back into your heart, begets hope. Hope gives joy and joy spills over in kind

deeds or love to other people so that you're always nicer to people when you're happy about your future

and you feel secure and you're not scared or discouraged about what's coming. It happens before vacations, it happens before

birthdays, it happens before Christmas, and therefore if you think that's on the right track, it won't be hard, will it, to explain to people why the Christian faith is just what the doctor ordered for the human heart.

Most people want to be happy.

Everybody wants to be happy. But not everybody realizes that they want something a little more than happiness.

What people want deep down, I think, is to be so full that they can make other people happy.

The real freedom and power of heart and soul

that you crave at bottom is to be so full you'll be like a spring and not a sponge. And until

you get to the point where your life is a spring from which others can drink,

I don't think you'll ever know fullness of satisfaction and joy.

isn't that why almost everybody, everybody that I ever heard of admirers Mother Teresa?

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