Thank You

Thought for Today: Today let us pause when we are stressed out. Take a break from the hot weather, the office stress, the youth sports playoffs, the back to school issues and think about our blessings. Let us take a time out to thank the Lord for who we are. 

From Randy Staton:

"THANK YOU is the BEST PRAYER that anyone can say. I say that one a lot. Thank you express extreme HUMILITY, GRATITUDE and UNDERSTANDING"  "In order to attract the BLESSINGS that life has to offer , you must TRULY APPRECIATE what you ALREADY have." 

“In the name of our Lord Jesus,

Always give thanks for everything to God the father.”

(Ephesians 5:20)

Commtiment

“Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do…”

(Deuteronomy 23 vs. 23) 

            One of the ways to be successful in life is to keep all of your commitments. If you say it, make sure you do it; even after having second thoughts. Become known as one hundred percent reliable.  It is probably impossible to be 100% but the closer you are the more you will benefit.

            I have a friend who coached youth soccer and had never played. He told the league that he was unqualified but would be available if they could not find someone else. They called and he managed a team and with the help of two assistants that could teach skills they worked things out. He managed the team rather than coached and the kids had fun. This same guy also managed a youth hockey team and could not skate. You see, the people with the skills did not (or could not) make the time commitment.

            In the business world one of my jobs was training people new to sales. Trainees working with me heard the word commitment a lot. Fortunately in sales, most of the competition lacked the passion or desire to be fully committed. If you were the one that got back to the customer first, if the customer trusted you would be prompt, if your information was reliable, you would get the first call and the most orders. It was a simple task and the most important.

            At some time in your life you made a commitment to God. These messages are an opportunity to review that commitment and recharge your batteries; a way to keep committed and stay on track in a world of distractions.

Thought for Today: Today let us be committed. First to God and then to ourselves by being the best we can be! 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, today we give thanks for our many blessings. Our families, friends and people that we do not know yet. We give thanks for being Godly people that will be accepted and liked by others.

Be Happy!

Thought for Today: Let us keep joy at the forefront of our thoughts. When

challenged with life, let's use our shield - the Lord.

 

If we are ever to enjoy life, now is the time,

Not tomorrow or next year-

Today should be our most wonderful day.

Thomas Dreier 

“The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart trusts in him and I am helped.

My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song."

(Psalm 28:7)

 

 

Birthday Special! Spirit, Mind and Body

August 21- Birthday Special

“Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens,

always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Jesus Christ.”

(1 Thessalonians 5:15-15) 

Each year on my birthday, I give thanks to something that I learned in my youth as a YMCA brat. The symbol for the Y is a triangle, each side has a meaning, “spirit, mind and body”. Each year I give thanks for my role as a father, son and my place in society. But let’s talk a bit about what it takes to be in a good place with ourselves. It is selfishness. Yes, being selfish in pursuit of a healthy self: mentally, physically and spiritually.

 

In each of our lives, we must fit into some basic places in society; a family, a workplace and a social setting. We fit best when the three sides of our personal triangle are in a healthy balance. That is to say we focus on each a little every day so that we minimize life’s problems. 

In all areas of our lives, it is important to demonstrate the forgiveness and love that comes from a strong spirituality. We need to be physically fit enough to deal with the long days without being fatigued and run down. Also, we need to be mentally sharp enough to make the decisions that are expected of us. That is a lot to ask of mortals and not an easy task. So be a bit selfish, take care of yourself so that you may be all that

 God wants you to be and be capable of doing God’s work when the opportunity presents itself to you. Take care of yourself so that you can be all that your family needs you to be. Remember the logo of the YMCA, spirit, mind and body. Keep totally fit and enjoy life! 

Birthday Thought: Today is the day the Lord has made, a day for me to enjoy. Friends will recognize it, family will celebrate it and I will enjoy it. It is a blessing that we all have and a great day to give thanks to the Lord for all of our many blessings. 

Birthday Prayer: Heavenly Father, today is a very special day, the day that you brought me into your service. Throughout this day, I give thanks for all the opportunities that you have given to me; the opportunity to have a healthy relationship with family and friends. Today I will often hear the words “happy birthday.”

To those words I say, “Thanks be to God.”

Amen

 

 

Winners R Us! In God's Image!

Thought for Week: This week we will have battles we do not expect. With God’s help, let us be winners no matter which way the battle turns out! Plus: We have the parts and the image to be of value. Enjoy your week! 

From Reverend Michael Miller: “…My theology and values are centered on the conviction that because we are created in the image of God, each of us is valued and has deep within us the potential to reflect the goodness and beauty of our Creator. Therefore, being of Norwegian or German descent, African or Korean, tall or short, gay or straight, rich or poor is not a determining factor in our worth as a human being. We are valued because we are created in the image of God.”

Michael Miller is a retired Methodist Minister in Minnesota.

This is used with his permission. Note: Mike is my spiritual advisor and blessed friend. 

(Psalm 139 vs. 13 & 14) 

“For it was you who formed my inward parts;

You knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”

(Psalm 139 vs. 13 & 14)

Letters?

Good News 030111 Letters?

“You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts,

 known and read by everyone.

You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry,

written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God,

not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”

(2 Corinthians 3 vs. 2&3) 

            Wow, it sure is scary to think that we are a letter from Christ. Are we really qualified to represent Jesus in our everyday lives? That is certainly a challenging thought and Paul was certainly challenging the people of Corinth. Was he challenging us or can we discount his word here as too ancient?

            I really want to talk today about the difference between qualified and certified- two words that are not interchangeable but are often used in the same context. In the world of the spirit, when it comes to representatives of the Lord, there is a strong difference. Ordained pastors are certified to give communion, Baptize and I am sure many other things that I do not even know about. However, we are all ministers of the gospel and through our spirituality; we are the light, the message and the Spirit. We are qualified through our covenant to shine that light. 

Thought for Today: Today I recognize my qualifications given to me by my covenant to my faith. I will share them and use them through the spirit given to me.

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, for today help me live as an example of you, as a window into the spirit. For today let others see you through my eyes.

Amen

 

 

 

           

Patience and Perseverance

Thought for the Week: We are all living through trying times. There is too much to do, too much work, not enough playtimes. However, we have God and through Him we have our Christian friends. Let's look toward the future knowing that patience and perseverance will bring us tranquility and happiness.

St James said this about Perseverance:  "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance .Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial,

because when he has stood the test,

he will receive the crown of life that God

as promised to those who love him."

(James 1 verse 12)

Live in Peace

“Now we ask you, brothers,
to respect those who work hard among you,
who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.
 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.
Live in peace with each other.
 ...be patient with everyone.
Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong,
but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.
 Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances,
for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
(1 Thessalonians 5; 12-18)

        Each week our pastor starts out with similar words. Something like, "We gather together to celebrate what we know is true; Our God is a loving and caring God who loves all humanity."  Hold that thought and realize that we were made in his image.

        If we accept those statements as truths, then why are we sometimes resentful, angry, depressed and concerned?   Certainly, none of us are perfect and we have these emotions and thoughts. Truly, if we could "...Live in peace with each other.  ...be patient with everyone…" we would be meeting God's expectations and free ourselves of many of the anxieties of life. Paul in his letter tells us how, "...Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances...”

Thought for Today:  Today things will not always go in our favor. We will have opportunities to be resentful or angry. We must choose to be thankful, caring and joyful. In the words of Nike, "Just do it"!

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, our world seems to have slipped into a hate driven society. Around the world there are wars, terrorism and discrimination based on too many issues. We are confused by it all. Today we pray for some understanding, for knowledge of your role in this and insight on how we should react.
We pray that each of us may find a way to contribute to a joyful and peaceful society.
Amen

Fitness

Thought for the Week: Fitness! This week let us focus on our physical selves. Let’s park a bit further from the door, say no thanks to the desert tray, walk the stairs as we are able. Let us be as fit as we can be.

Abe Lincoln put it this way:   I do the very best I know how, the very best I can, and I mean to keep on doing so until the end. 

The Psalmist said:

“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit them together in my mother’s womb.

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex…

Your workmanship is marvelous.”

(Psalm 139, Vs 13 & 14)