Do you read Dear Abby in the newspaper? I do. I’ve been reading her every day for years. I always find the editorial and advice columns the most interesting items in the newspaper — can you tell?

Although I like Dear Abby, I don’t agree with her much of the time, unfortunately. I wish a columnist with a Christian worldview could be the most-read syndicated columnist on earth. Much of Abby’s advice carries a hidden agenda that is NOT from the Bible — and her solution for most people with severe problems is to go see a counselor.

While that’s very important, many people need help quicker than that. They’re on the verge of complete despair. People should be taught to pour out their hearts to God, to pray for His strength and mercy to get through the day. That should come first. THEN they may need to seek help from professional Christian counselors — not psychobabblers who don’t understand the condition of the human heart from a Biblical standpoint — and are too quick to dole out prescriptions that may lead to addictions.

Well! I could go on…of course! But I did clip something from the newspaper that I wanted to keep — and I’ll lose it if I don’t let Google cache it for me in my blog — so you can read it too.

Dear Abby’s List of New Year’s Resolutions:

“JUST FOR TODAY, I will live through this day only. I will not brood about yesterday or obsess about tomorrow. I will not set far-reaching goals or try to overcome all of my problems at once. I know that I can do something for 24 hours that would overwhelm me if I had to keep it up for a lifetime.

JUST FOR TODAY, I will be happy. I will not dwell on thoughts that depress me. If my mind fills with clouds, I will chase them away and fill it with sunshine.

JUST FOR TODAY, I will accept what is. I will face reality. I will correct those things that I can correct and accept those I cannot.

JUST FOR TODAY, I will improve my mind. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration. I will not be a mental loafer.

JUST FOR TODAY, I will make a conscious effort to be agreeable. I will be kind and courteous to those who cross my path, and I’ll not speak ill of others. I’ll improve my appearance, speak softly, and not interrupt when someone else is talking. Just for today, I’ll refrain from improving anybody but myself.

JUST FOR TODAY, I will do something positive to improve my health. If I’m a smoker, I’ll quit. If I’m overweight, I’ll eat healthily — if only just for today. And not only that, I’ll get off the couch and take a brisk walk, even if it’s only around the block.

JUST FOR TODAY, I will gather the courage to do what is right and take responsibility for my own actions.”

What a beautiful list. We can all hang in there for just one day. I know January can be an overwhelming time for many people. We just found out about a suicide from someone in our town who was very well liked and successful. It’s a complete shock. I don’t understand what kind of problems this person had — but I say a lot of it is the post-holiday crash — the expectations that weren’t met, perhaps overwhelming bills are coming in, and physically — we’ve eaten too many rich foods and need a break.

About this list, notice that all the strength and courage come from within — but Paul in the Bible says, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation…I can do everything through Him [Christ] who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). And I’ve already mentioned before how powerful Psalm 143 is for me — here’s the advice someone needs: “Answer me quickly, O Lord; my spirit fails…Show me the way to go, for to you I lift up my soul” (Psalm 143:7a,8b).

If you haven’t gotten going with a Bible reading plan this year, here’s my post from New Year’s Eve where I listed several links that have reading plans you can download. No offense to those who only read the King James Version (I love it too), but I think reading a modern language version can bring the Bible to life, especially if you haven’t read it in years. The words will jump off the page at you!!

P.S. If you’re feeling desperate and need to talk to someone right away, the best place to start is Focus on the Family. You can talk to someone on the phone who can lead you in the right direction.