Love and Hospitality

  

Love and Hospitality

 "Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears re-lieved;
how precious did that grace appear
the hour that I first believed.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
and mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
a life of joy and peace."
(Amazing Grace, Vs 4 & 5)
(Words by John Newton, 1779)

           There are almost as many ways to find joy and peace as there are people. It can be found anywhere at any time. It is something that we all measure in our own way. As Christians we have the tools to and knowledge to reach out and find it.
            However, often we let our every day tasks and challenges disturb our peace. This past week it seemed that the traffic situation was a threat to many people's tranquility. The construction season combined with heavy rains slowed things down to a crawl. Frustration seemed to replace grace on the highways.
            A Good News friend wrote a book called Finding Grace. In regards to traffic his comments were "...leave early, take the pretty route and listen to good music." He is right on.
            As Christian's when we find our tranquility threatened, we need to use our tool kit; prayer, meditation and even a chat with a friend. They all will work. God did not put us here to be frustrated. Experience grace as He wants you to.
Thought for Today: This week let us all keep grace at the forefront of our daily prayers. Let us expect the daily challenges and be ready with our tool kit. This week let's experience grace and joy every day.
Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, we recognize that your joy and tranquility are always available and you are always with us. This week we need you to help us daily. This week we pray that we may keep you on our mind and in our thoughts as we work through the challenges of our Christian lives.

New Beginnings

New Beginnings

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,

he is a new creation;

the old has gone,

the new has come!”

(2 Corinthians 5:17)

            Today is the first day of the rest of your life; believe in it. We have a great chance every day to start over. Yesterday is past, tomorrow the future and today is a gift from God. It is up to us how we are going to use it; carry around our old baggage or go out and harvest new joys. It is our choice.

            To use a golf analogy, life is like match play, hole by hole versus day by day. A bad golf hole in match play does not cost you the match, it counts as one of eighteen! In life, a bad day is painful and certainly not wanted and may contribute to a bad week. However, it can be a bottom and life can be all uphill from there, or not. We can turn bad into good.

            One of the benefits I get out of writing these is the phone calls and emails from readers. A year ago my mobile rang and it was a non-recorded number. I was way too busy to answer a call from someone I did not know and was going to let it ring through. The old softie in me answered after four rings and it was from an old friend and Good News buddy. She was having a really bad day and visited the God is My Spinach blog looking for relief. She found my messages and the first one she opened applied to her issue. She made my day by calling to say thanks for being there.

            If you are reading this today you are on the right track and giving yourself the opportunity for a better day. Meditation and prayer will jump start your day and open the window to the light of our faith.

Thought for Today: Today let us start a new beginning and reach out and help another do the same.

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father we give you thanks for our many blessings and especially for a new day. Today we pray that we capture the joys of life that you lead us to and that we may help someone else also find them.

Amen

Honor Them!

 Honor Them

“Here is a trustworthy saying:

If we died with him,
we will also live with him;

…Keep reminding God’s people of these things.”

(2 Corinthians Verses 11 & 14)

Celebrate Memorial Day, pray for all who served; who went before us and all those that we love.

            For several years my son-in-law Rick played in the 451^st Fort Smelling Army band. We went to a lot of parades and concerts and had a lot of fun. At each concert they traditionally played the military anthems of the Coast Guard, Army, Marines and Navy while the veterans in the crowd stood and saluted. Each time my eyes teared up with emotion when I thought what these people had done for all of us.

            There are places in the world where my writing these messages would be prohibited and criminal. That is not the case here. What makes America great is our freedom of speech, the ability to express ourselves in a common language and to hear from the other side. Abraham Lincoln said it like this:

“I am nothing but truth is everything.

I know I am right because I know that liberty is right,

for Christ teaches it, and Christ is God.”

Thought for Today: Today let us remember all who have gone before us and be thankful.

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, today we give thanks to all of those who have gone before us; those who have contributed to our lives today. First all of those who fought in our military that contributed to our freedom; second to our family ancestors who built or traditions and lifestyle; and last to Jesus who gave us grace. Amen

Navigator

The Navigator

"The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail."
(Isaiah 58:11)

            Often when we wake up in the morning we do not have a plan. Sometimes we are energized and happy other times we are stressed and depressed. Many times we need to adjust our thoughts to the spiritual side of the balance scale. We need to open the windows to our mind and allow God's fresh breeze to liberate us when we are down. This morning I am waiting for the breeze.

        When waiting for the breeze, there seems to be a need. In my case that need is often met with strong coffee, sugar and perhaps some Ibuprofen. That is not the best solution. It has a physical and temporary lift, but the need is better met spiritually.

        This morning the need was met through prayer. The breeze that arrived came through Isaiah 58:11. Sometimes we forget what we need. We forget that God is with us; we leave Him in the back seat rather than use Him as navigator for the day.
As navigator He will take us to places that we would not have gone on our own.

Thought for Today: Today there will be stress, problematic decisions and times of anguish. We need to focus and remember that "God is with us" and we need to let Him lead. We need to pray over the tough decisions and focus on following His will.

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, we pray for your guidance. We need to understand our immediate world and area of control and also understand the happenings around the global World. Neither seems very well organized today. We pray that we can find a way to contribute through you to help your will prevail in tough situations.
Amen

Temptations?

Temptations?

Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
 (Proverbs 4:vs.23)

           

            Oh yeah, here we go again on being good, not succumbing to temptation. We sure get tired of that don’t we?  In twelve step programs there is a lot of talk about the goal of spiritual growth rather than spiritual perfection.  I guess that means we will never be perfect. I am OK with that.

            This proverb goes on and on about being good by mentioning “…guard your heart, your lips, look straight ahead etc.” I did not print it all because we all know that!

            I ask but do not want to know your specific temptations and I have no intent on sharing mine. The bad news is we all have them. The good news is that the Lord is with us. . Purity, ethics, commitments and standards begin in our hearts.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

(Mathew 6:21)

Thought for Today: Each day we need to be the best that we can be. Today we will make choices. Let us make them from our heart- in purity with ethics, commitments and high standards.

Prayer for Today: Today we give thanks for your presence in our lives and the way that you guide us. Today we pray that we will rise above our temptations and represent your will here on earth.

Amen

Young at Heart

Young at Heart

"Be happy, young person, while you are young,

and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth.

Follow the ways of your heart..."

(Ecclesiastes 11:9)

           

           

            Throughout our lifetime, June and I have met people that seem at peace, people that have never quite joined the "rat race" of life, people that had something that we were looking for. The interesting fact was that they crossed all socioeconomic boundaries. The common thread always seemed to be their faith. They always believed that things would work out.

            The strong message here is that the things that bring peace, serenity and happiness to our lives are found in our spiritual growth and it will be found in yours.

Thought for Today: Today let us avoid the rat race by praying for serenity and doing what we need to obtain peace.

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord we give you thanks for the opportunities you have placed before us. Today we pray for serenity and peace in our lives and the opportunity to help the cause of peace in our community.

Amen

Finishing Again

Yesterday was my favorite spring fitness event, Get in Gear. I managed to be there several hours and visit friends and feel the energy of @ 5,000 people. I needed to post this one from my book today, "Finishing Again",
Finishing Again
"It is better for you to finish now what you began last year. 
You were the first, not only to act, 
but also to be willing to act. 
On with it then and finish the job."
2 Corinthians 8:10-11
In the spring my thoughts gravitate toward the good old days when my friends and I trained 10 -14 hours a week for endurance events. The camaraderie or the group, the support offered by the group when one of us was having a bad day and the feeling of spirituality in the early mornings as we traveled on our way was priceless. WE developed a closeness and an interesting bond.
As an unranked runner but former elite masters swimmer and Triathlete, there were many times that finishing a running event near the bottom of the pack was more rewarding to me than a swimming or triathlon trophy. A trophy is a nice memento, but over time becomes unimportant dust collector. As an elite you are supposed to be near the top, but that really is not what it is about.
In the early 80's my friend Billy and I ran a half marathon. He finished a good half hour ahead of me and felt great. I was not ready and thought I was going to die out there. The following year, Billy was again a half hour ahead of me but I met my personal goals and expectations. I fondly remember that day and have that finishing picture on my office wall. It reminds me that being at the bottom of the pack is not a bad thing when you are at the top of your game. The goal is personal, to be the best YOU can be. Neither of us won that event or our age group. Both of us were proud winners because we finished. Life is like that- when we finish what we start, we win.
Thought for Today: It is spring, a time of renewal. God brings us flowers, green grass and warm temperatures. It is easy to be busy enjoying it all and put a few serious issues on that famous "back burner". Today let us identify what we need to finish; who we need to help; who needs our prayers; who could use a visit. Let us complete the tasks that the Lord has put before us.
Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, we need your guidance on how to use your love to succeed. In our cities, our neighborhoods and the world we pray that we can find a way to contribute so that your love will somehow "finish" the race for peace and security.
Amen