New Beginning

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 it. Every day is a new day, a chance to start over. Yesterday is the past, tomorrow is the future, and today is a gift from God. It is up to us how we use it. We can choose to carry around our old baggage or harvest new joys. It is our choice. We can turn bad into good. Using a golf analogy, life is 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. A bad day is painful and certainly not wanted in life and may contribute to a bad week. However, it can be a bottom, and life can be all uphill. If you are reading this today, you are on the right track, 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. Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, we thank you for our many blessings, especially for a new day. We pray that we capture the joys of life you lead us to and help someone else find them. Amen

Looking Forward

Looking Forward Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me." (Philippians 3:12-14) Keeping your eye on the prize, the good life, and focusing on the positive events and memories is life's biggest challenge. In my mind, a long-term marriage, career, or presence in any group (specifically a church family) is the most formidable challenge placed before us by the Lord. However, what He asks is to stick it out, focus on the positive experiences, and learn from the negatives. No one is perfect. All the greats of history made errors and remember them, as do all of us. The other side is that everyone has had successes and done good deeds. A life focused on success feeds upon itself, leading to more success and happiness. The reverse is also true. "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead," Thought for Today: Let's become more open in our relationships- with our significant others, family, and friends. Let us look at our resentments, possibly share them, and resolve them so that we may "…press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me…." Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, we pray for the courage to be open and honest in our daily lives and relationships. We pray we may become closer and press on toward the prize together. Amen

Play Christ's Way

Play Christ's Way "Therefore, welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God." (Romans 15:7) We are faced with decisions every day regarding our relationship with others. Sometimes, there is aggressive behavior. In business, there is competition to get to the top; in school, there is competition to be the head of the class; in sports, there is competition to be number one, etc. It is the way it is. When growing up, I was taught that winning is not everything. It was how you played the game that mattered. In the seventies, I attended a business management seminar sponsored by Green Bay coach Vince Lombardi. The emphasis was on detail, being service-oriented, and planning. Over the years, the operating principles learned at that seminar have made my life very successful. They taught us to have a game plan and work it, but alter it as needed. To play by the rules takes faith in yourself and God and love and caring for people. Weekly recipients of my messages vary greatly from all walks of life and socioeconomic backgrounds. Two are very successful Christian CEOs, and their companies' behavior matters to them. Christian ethics take strong faith. No matter where or who we are, fairness and love of others are crucial to success. Then how do we deal with the aggressive ones, such as the inconsiderate neighbor? Cut-throat businessman? The ones that bend the rules? We need to pray for and love our competitors in life. John quotes Jesus in chapter 15:17, "This is my command, Love each other." Thought for Today: This week, let us practice unconditional love. If confronted with opportunistic or aggressive behavior, let us find a way to positively and lovingly navigate the situation. Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, let me reach out to people this week. Please help me understand them and care about them. We pray that we can improve ourselves and our surrounding world through our faith in your ways. Amen

Peace

Peace! Pray for world peace. I pray that you may find personal peace and joy in life. 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) Some people seem at peace. They avoided the rat race of life and found the happiness most sought. The interesting fact is they cross all socioeconomic boundaries. The common thread is always their faith. They believe things will work out. The strong message here is that the things that bring peace, serenity, and happiness to our lives are found in spiritual growth and can be found in yours. Thought for Today: Today, avoid the rat race by praying for serenity and doing what we need to obtain peace. Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, thank you for the opportunities before us. We pray for serenity, love, and the chance to promote peace in our community. Amen

Pride and Humility

00501 Pride and Humility "Before his downfall, a man's heart is proud, but humility comes before honor." (Proverbs 18:12) My mom used to use some interesting terms and expressions when describing humanity. One of her favorites was "foolhardy" when someone did something out of line. Another was, "It is better to be silent and thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." Somehow, when we are proud in the context of today's text, we are not paying attention. When we exhibit false pride, it helps us grow to appreciate the realities of life. We are often overconfident, especially when we are young. Somehow, that is God's way of teaching us. We constantly have to monitor our pride and confidence. The elders of society have knowledge and experience but are not always correct. Technology and culture are changing faster than fifty years ago. Therefore, many of the rules of life have changed. In our spiritual lives, the rules have not and will not change. The ethics, love, and traditions Christ taught us will endure regardless of technology changes and cash flows. We need to take inventory of our pride and be honest. We must uphold our values to serve the Lord in an ever-changing world. Thought for Today: Every day is the first day of the rest of our lives. The mistakes and experiences of our past are nothing more than learning experiences and enable us to move forward with confidence. Today, let us focus on being humble and dealing with the realities of our worlds. Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, we give thanks for the lessons we have learned and our loves. Thank you for putting it before us through all that Jesus taught us and what we learned from the past. Amen