Thursday, March 28, 2013

Focus on Ourselves!


Thought for the Week: Let us focus on ourselves and our talents. Let us recognize that we have special gifts, given to us by the Lord to use for Him. 

John Wesley said it this way: Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.

 

Romans 12 verses 10-13, NIV

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.
Honor one another above yourselves.
Never be lacking in zeal,
but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and
faithful in prayer.
Share with God’s people who are in need.
Practice hospitality

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Spring


It is hard to think about spring this year because we still have 10 inches of hard packed snow on the ground. For you friends in warmer climates please remember that I write in Minnesota. 2012 was our first snowless March in over 100 years and we northerners are paying the price this year. 

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for
and certain of what we do not see.
This is what the ancients were commended for.
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command,
so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
(Hebrews 11:3, NIV) 

Spring is a test of our patience and vision. We are tempted to believe that summer has arrived only to be brought back to reality. We will often get a week of cloudy, cold and windy weather after several weeks of warm weather. Bulbs pop through the ground and get covered with frost or even snow. Our hoses are on the reels and we worry they will freeze. The lawn needs to be mowed but it is too cold to sit out and enjoy it. 

June and I have been remembering some of our late spring weather happenings, the cruelty of it all. In 2010 on the last Saturday in April, Get In Gear race day, we had 6 inches of snow and 30 mph winds. On April 10th in 2006 we altered our evening plans because on a blinding snow squall that evening. Those are two recent events that closed golf courses, challenged our psyche and left no doubt who was in charge! 

A friend used to say “Spring has come the grass has riz, I wonder where the flowers is.” English teachers may shudder on that one, but it has a good message. We do wonder where the flowers are and are generally impatient while we wait. We buy flowers in pots and find warm places for them. We want to rush the season. There needs to be a prayer called “Hurry up God.” Spring is also a great time for visions. We know that at His pace, God will make things green and colorful. The frost will go away, the buds will open up and the color will return to nature. We know this will happen and we trust in it as we trust in our faith.  

Thought for the Week: This week let us stop and smell the roses that aren’t there yet. Yes, they have not come out yet, but we know that they will. Spring is a great example of God’s power and wonders, let us enjoy it. 

Prayer for the Week: Dear Heavenly Father, Hurry Up! Yes, we on earth need you to step up the pace! Bring us our spring flowers, warmer weather, fishing season and all that we enjoy.
While you are at it, let’s eliminate the hungry, the poor and have world peace! Now let us ask for how we may help. This week we pray that we can contribute to these tasks, that we may find a
place to help serve your will in our world.
Amen

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Happiness Is


Thought for the Week: This is the day (week)  that the Lord has made, let us rejoice! We will experience ups and downs but with the hope of God in our hearts, the downs can be short, the ups can be high it can be a week of joy. It is our choice.
Aristotle said it this way: “Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.” 

Romans 15verse 13, NIV
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace
 as you trust in him,
so that you may overflow with hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Monday, March 18, 2013

Trust


I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me.
Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
 (Philippians 4 vs. 10-13) 

            It always amazes me and reinforces my faith when something Paul said 2000 years ago applies directly to today’s world. For several years our free world economy has been flaky. Trust in government has faded as the leaders of America and the world have become polarized. The advent of Ponzi schemes and fraud by high powered executives have hurt the trust we need in our financial markets for them to be strong. Even at low levels of government doubt in their ability to perform are stronger than ever. Frankly, it is scary to me because our country is built on trust. Look at your money, “In God We Trust.”
            My Good News is not meant to be political and that seems to be the case today but I promise to turn this around! You see, Paul is pointing out a simple truth and we need to pay attention to it. In a recent telecast televangelist Joel Osteen put it this way, “We do not know what the future holds but we do know who holds our future.”  Hmmm, there is something to think about. 

Thought for Today: Today and always let us take time to focus on our savior. Let’s take a few minutes to appreciate and welcome Him into our life. 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, today we give thanks for Paul’s words and encouragement. We pray that we may accept his advice graciously and lean on you to get through our daily stresses.
Amen

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Make a Difference!


Thought for the Week
 We will encounter bad news this week and is important to overcome it and make a positive contribution to those around us. Today let us show others our hope for future generations. 

John F. Kennedy said it this way: "One person can make a difference and every person must try."  

In Psalm 19, the psalmist says:

Psalm 19 verses 1-4, NIV 

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
 There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.”

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Success


 “I saw that wisdom is better than folly,
Just as light is better than darkness."
(Ecclesiastes 2:13NIV) 

In our democratic society, we are pressed into a competitive market place for our goods
and services. That is supposed to be what makes America great. Success is often a
matter of having more "stuff". We are building 5,6 and 7,000 square foot houses, owing
bigger boats, luxury cars abound etc. All this is very good for the economy, but is it good
for our souls? 

Aristotle Onassis definition of success was to "... keep climbing higher and higher-just for
the thrill."  

Barbra Streisand said, " success for me is having ten honeydew melons and eating only
the best part of each."  

Because you are reading this Good News today, I pray that your definition is more
closely better represented by Dr. Gary Rossberg's perspective:

    " Success is not just a matter of money, power and ego, but also issues of the heart-
like compassion, bravery, generosity and love. It is an issue of character, not
performance. ...of being the person God wanted you to be, not how much salary you can
pull down. ...".  

If we sit in our homes surrounded by our "stuff" and still feel underachieved; If we sit on
the couch next to our spouse and still feel lonely; we should go back to the simple things
we learned growing up and search our faith for the definition of success. We will find that
Rossberg is very close to the answer. 

Thought for the Week: This week, let us look at our calendars and try to evaluate
where our efforts are taking us. Let us review our goals and our interactions with others.
Let us fit our lives into Rossberg's perspective rather than the more material views of
success. 

Prayer for the Week: Dear heavenly Father, in our world terror seems to be taking over well beyond faith and love. Somehow we pray for an answer as to how it all fits Your plan. We pray for your guidance and somehow for the ability to keep the power of your light above the darkness that seems to be closing around us.

Amen

 

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Scientific Reductionism Vs Human Mystery


I crime from a family that spends a lot of time debating and disclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ. I like what Sir John Eccles has to say:
 
I maintain that the human mystery is incredibly demeaned by scientific reductionism, with its claim to promissory materialism, to account eventually for all the spiritual world in terms of patterns of neuronal activity. This belief must be classed as superstition... we have to recognize that we are spiritual beings with souls existing in a spiritual world as well as material beings with bodies and brains existing in a material world.   (Sir John C. Eccles - 1903-1997)
John's Bio: Sir John Carew Eccles, AC FRS[4] FRACP FRSNZ FAAS (27 January 1903 – 2 May 1997) was an Australian neurophysiologist who won the 1963 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on the synapse. He shared the prize with Andrew Huxley and Alan Lloyd Hodgkin.
 

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Paul's Macro


“the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law….Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
(Galatians 5 vs. 22 & 24 NIV) 

            Please do not take this as a political piece but I am feeling a lot like my life is out of control. Not the daily issues but in computer terms it seems my macro is not what I would like. I guess I am looking for the land of milk and honey, the golden years or to live happily ever after. We are trained to look for that in all those books our mom’s read to us when we were growing up.

            Well, another old time expression is “life begins at 40”. It may not seem like that as you approach that milestone but at 70 or 90 looking back it will feel that way. It is all a matter of perspective. Believe it or not, age 50 through 70 are most often the best years of our lives; enjoy them.

            My macro issues are with what I call the new world economy and what I see happening in the world. I feel quite helpless. It seems that whoever I talk to feels the same way. We all want to end war, be at peace, reduce taxes and live happily ever after. That is the challenge.

            The solution to my issue is that I need to focus on the correct Macro; the spirit of our Christian Faith as opposed to the Government/Political macro. The politicians around the world certainly have changed things with the new world economy and making war over WMDs.  

            They have not impacted the words of the Lord- The real Macro was written by Paul. It is and ever shall be the Macro to live by. 

Thought for Today: We need to focus on our daily lives for survival, there is no truer fact. With that said, today let’s do what we need to do to survive but keep Paul’s letters and the word of our Lord in our daily lives. It will fit in if we let it. 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, today we pray for our world and country. We pray that we can find a way back to Jesus word and Paul’s macro.

Amen