Protect Our Hearts

Protect Our Hearts "Finally, be strong in the Lord and his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes..." (Ephesians 6:10-18) Today, we need to protect ourselves from our self-induced stress and the negativity in the World that we cannot control. The question is, how? Mac Hammond from the Living Word Christian Center says, "We need to protect our hearts." Over the years, I have often heard the expression, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." In business and sports, this meant that when the pain sets in, run harder; when it is a breakpoint, put the ball away; when the order is being lost, dig deeper. In each instance, "I" assumed full responsibility for correcting "my" problem. My male ego would come into the issue and apply pressure to the situation. I changed my thoughts on that in the 1980s. I needed help from someone with more power, God. Think about that for yourself. Thought for Today: Today is the first day of the rest of our lives. Let us move forward through daily prayer and let the Lord help us through it. Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, life is good. The kids have food and shoes, there are two cars in the garage, and TV sets in every home- we are genuinely "fat cats" living under your domain. Today, we would like to thank you for meeting our physical needs, which we often rely on daily, and for helping us meet our spiritual needs. Amen

He Comes Through!

He Comes Through “Praise the Lord, I tell myself, “With my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, I tell myself, And never forget the good things He does for me.” (Psalm 103 v 1 & 2) Every day the Lord gives us blessings. It is easy to forget the role He plays in our lives in our busyness. Here are three events that made me think of the Lord this week. Early in the week, a friend and I discussed what we prayed about. They were guidance, support, internal peace, and several others. It was apparent that neither of us prayed for favors or help. We realized that through prayer, good things would happen. One week, a twenty-nine-year-old hockey player died from a skate-related injury. Why? That is a big question and certainly something that makes people doubt. When the final reports are in, somehow good will come from his young life. It is too soon for mortals to understand. The third event that brought the Lord to the forefront was a Good News buddy from San Diego, who corresponded about his return home after a firestorm that ravaged his neighborhood. There were 15 of 47 houses destroyed on his street, plus the sanctuary of his church. Here are the words he used in closing his correspondence: “Truly, God is good. Many lessons are to be learned, and many prayers are answered. To God be the Glory.” Thought for Today: Today will be just like many others. Our calendars are crowded, we will have unreasonable demands on our time, and we will need to focus on making it all happen. Let’s take a few minutes and think about the Lord’s role in our lives with that in mind. Let’s let Him into our day. Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, today we pray to see the results of your participation in our lives and the ability to accept what we do not understand. We trust that good things will happen. Amen

Halloween

Halloween 1991 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Philippians 4 verse 6) On October 31st, 1991, Halloween was a significant event in the northern part of the United States. We had two events to prepare for: children trick or treating and June's departure to the UK for a family visit on November 1st. Mother Nature also had a plan she had not consulted with us on; the great Halloween three-day blizzard in Minnesota was a piece of what is now known as "The Perfect Storm." Paul told the Philippians, "Do not be anxious about anything…" but millions of Americans were anxious that weekend. People died on lost ships on the Grand Banks, and Minneapolis had 30 inches of snow. But it was not all bad on our end. Let me explain. We had a temperature drop in the early afternoon, and a snowstorm started. There were six inches of snow on the ground, and we prayed for the children's safety. That is not unusual in Minnesota in the fall, and we did not expect it to be anything but a fun Halloween. We had already decorated the outside of the house with Christmas lights, so we turned them on. The lights drew a large group of Halloween revelers. We met them with a special greeting, "Ho Ho Ho, Happy Halloween." There were 15 inches of snow in the morning, and the visibility was near zero. A trip to the airport seemed impossible. We decided to depart after lunch for a 6:30 flight, and the twenty-minute drive took over two hours and was very dangerous. June's flight departed 3 hours late, and I had a three-hour ride home. Happy Halloween. Tonight is Halloween; enjoy it with your neighborhood goblins. Thought for Today: Halloween is special, and we should enjoy it with the revelers. We should also think back to 1991 and be prayerful. Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, this week, we pray for children on a day they look forward to each year. We pray that they are safe and have a great evening. We give thanks for their presence in our lives. Amen

Harvest

Harvest "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." (2 Corinthians 9 vs. 6-8) Since retirement and downsizing in 2006, June and I have not had the benefit of gardens as we had at our home for twenty-seven years. We spent long hours tending them, and we had a bountiful harvest. We do not miss all that work because we have other harvests. As apartment dwellers, we have forty to fifty days a year to fill that used to be spent gardening. We now spend those days together, sowing seeds in our relationship, spending time with others, and helping where we did not have time before. The crop is now a closer relationship with each other and friends. This different harvest is a blessing. Paul's analogy of reaping crops in his message to the Corinthians is still valid. We all need to sow seeds daily in relationships, our minds, and each other to reap the harvest of love and friendship. Thought for Today: Let's take a quick look at our calendar and see where we can sow seeds for our future, our worldly lot, and the Lord because He is our real future. Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, we live in a world of hate and anger. This week, we pray that we may sow seeds of love that will temper negativity and help spread love in our world.

Testimony

Testimony “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord,” (2 Timothy 7 & 8) Paul traveled the world in a constant testimony for God through Christ. He did an easy time in prison once he followed what could only be stated as a hard time. The message above was written while on a kind of death row. Paul knew the end was near; even then, he was testifying and true to his faith. We had a pastor who used to say that the average Methodist invited a guest to church every 12 years. He was being critical of our ability to testify and invite. He wanted to start including an occasional personal testimony in the Sunday service, so he extended an open invitation to the congregation. No one responded. OOPS! That was a hint as to why we were a declining church. We are very nice but private people. One of my character defects is that I love to talk (often way too much!). However, that’s in my world of family, business, and especially sales. I was way too quiet regarding my faith journey and had a spirit of timidity in that area. Pastor Rick changed that. Thus, now there is this book and weekly messages. In our world today, we are often in places where testimony regarding our faith is a challenge. We are hushed by rules; at school, scouts, sports, and just about everywhere we go; talking trash is in; talking faith is out. There is hope; we need love and self-discipline to testify and invite people to join us. WE CAN DO IT. Thought for Today: Let us look for an opportunity to discuss our faith. If we are uncomfortable with that, let’s find an opening to invite someone to join us this week. Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, we pray for the strength to represent you, your ideals, and your will here on earth. We thank you for the opportunity to be at peace and do your work. Amen

I Yam What I Yam (Popeye)

I Yam what I Yam "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," (Philippians 4-13) Was Popeye a philosopher? Cartoonists often are. When confronted with difficult situations, Popeye would say, "I yam what I yam?" gulp down his spinach and defend right. We are not all Popeyes, and we are expected to conform, often to standards below our Christian faith standards, and may face difficulties if we do not. It is necessary to understand who we are and what we are and keep the Lord in our daily lives. We need our "spinach." . In many ways, we are continually fighting image syndrome. Quite often, we get flack because we don't fit in. Conformity is the word, and clones are the result. How did some prophets or John the Baptist fit in with the rest of their society? Probably not too well at times, and they were special. The truth is you are you. You are who God created you to be, and he wants you to know who you are and understand your individual characteristics. No one else is exactly like you. God created you and then broke the mold. You are unique, and it is all right to be you. Don't let others shape you. That is God's task. He started with you, will finish with you, and will be with you. He is our spinach. He does want you to be you. Thought for the Day: Let us search for the person God wants us to be to serve him better. Prayer: Heavenly Father, as we travel through our weekly chores, we need to see a way to help You. We often lose track of our plan; sometimes, we are too busy and do not understand it. This week, we pray that we may find a better way to serve You and make life better for everyone. Amen.

Don't Fake It

Don't Fake IT "Woe to you …you hypocrites! … on the outside, you appear to people as righteous, but on the inside, you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness." (Matthew 23v27) One of my favorite themes is being true to our faith by being open and honest. Too many people in the world have a different reality than Christians. Openness comes with some social consequences. As Christians, we are taught that the world has an abundance supplied by God, and I believe that is true, but there is a significant distribution problem. It is as if the resources are limited. In America and throughout most of the world, life is competitive. Dealing with the wealth of Western civilization and how it relates to Christianity is scary. Recently, when discussing a stewardship campaign at our church, it was mentioned that we would not need the government to run social programs if all Christians would tithe. That would be great. Each of us needs to be as good as we can be to contribute to the positive factor in society. We need to take social risks to reach our real rewards. "He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior." (Psalm 24v4,5) Thought for Today: We must choose today to be straight and true or hold back a bit. We must make tough choices and keep a pure heart to improve the world around us. Prayer for Today: Dear heavenly Father, thank you for the many blessings and opportunities you bring. This week we pray for the chance to demonstrate our faith to others, to help. We pray to be able to do your will here on earth. Amen