Happy New Year

 Happy New Year 

"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.
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 heavenward in Christ Jesus. “
(Phillipiens3:12-14; NIV) 

        Happy New Year. For the next few weeks, athletic clubs will be filled with "New Year’s resolutionists". Diet programs will come and go, self-improvement books will be purchased or at least the dust will be blown from last year’s cover! Does that sound familiar? Have you had a few resolutions fall by the wayside? Paul would not have written the above on New Year’s Eve, but it is appropriate. There are a lot of new goals today: weight, fitness, financial goals, etc. Paul is asking us to look at our spiritual goals. "...Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize.” Hold that thought as you proceed through the New Year.

Thought for Today: Let us look ahead at the opportunities that exist for us.

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father as this New Year begins, hear our serenity prayer:

"God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference." 

Hear this for all the world's people so that your love and peace may dominate this New Year.
Amen

AA This Week- Let Go!

Let Go 

“But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.”

(1 Corinthians 6 vs. 17) 

            Thousands of people that did not believe have taken a step to believe a power greater than themselves would restore them to sanity; people that were so down and out that the concept of God was beyond them. That is how someone in AA starts their journey to sanity. It is a process of turning over control and trusting; one of spiritual growth. 

            More people than not fail and are not capable of grasping the concept, even when God was referred to as a higher power. They are afraid to let go of control and their dependency wins. Let’s face it, we all desire to be in control and live in fear of letting go!          

  Thursday night is New Year’s Eve and many are making resolutions and setting goals. It was a year of COVID fear, shut-downs, and fear. For next year I ask you to think about something other than exercise and weight. Think about adopting the slogan “Let go and let God.” Make that your New Year’s resolution, seek spiritual growth, and you will have a great year!

Thought for Today: Today let us think about what we can turn over to God so that we may have a less stressful New Year!

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, today we pray that we may trust in you and allow your control and spirit into our daily lives.

Amen

Christmas!

 

 Bottle? 

“There is a time for everything,
   and a season for every activity under the heavens”

(Ecclesiastes 3 v1)           

            Today we awaken a week before the Christmas celebration. We are tired, weary, and excited. Our hearts are full of the joy and spirit that this wonderful season creates. It would be great if we could bottle it all up so we could drink it year-round.         

            Several years ago, good friend Paige said it well on her Facebook site, “I wish it could be Christmas every day..... I'm getting the best present of all this year.” She was moving into a new home near her daughters and grandchildren and they will celebrate Christmas together.

           

            This year our family is having a COVID Christmas. We are busy scheduling small group family visits. We will be masked, socially distanced with knuckle and elbow bumps replacing hugs! The smiles, tears of joy, love, and spirituality will still be there. It will still be warm inside of us on a cold week in Minnesota. 

            Each year one of my best gifts is you; what I like to call my Good News buddies. (Those of you that put up with my weekly emails!) You drive me to read, write, and consider what Christ means to me and the world. Wow, that is a great gift-Thanks. 

“Down in a lowly manger

the humble Christ was born

And God sent us salvation

That blessed Christmas morn.”

(Verse 3, Go Tell It on the Mountain)(John W. Work Jr. 1907) 

Thought for Today:  Today let us all enjoy the celebration. The birth of Christ is fast approaching. Today let’s focus on the excitement, blessings, and spiritual meaning of it all. Also, let us remember that this spirit can be with us all year long- we do not need a bottle, it is in our hearts! 

Prayer for Today: Today we pray for the many families that are experiencing holiday loss. It is sad when there is an empty place at the Christmas table. We also need to pray for peace and give thanks for our friends, loved ones, and the joy of the season.

 Amen

A COVID Christmas

 Problems? 

“From them will come songs of thanksgiving
and the sound of rejoicing.
I will add to their numbers,
and they will not be decreased;
I will bring them honor,
and they will not be disdained.”

(Jeremiah 30 vs.19) 

            Every day is a day to rejoice. We are between our formal day of Thanksgiving and Christ’s birthday celebration. Most of us are enjoying what we call the holiday season. The message above tells us that God wants us to rejoice; to be happy. We need to pay attention to that. 

            An additional reason to rejoice is the pending COVID 19 vaccine. It is great that there is hope, a light at the end of the tunnel. Also, yes this year there is an “also”; we need to keep in mind the losses suffered during the time of COVID. Christmas 2020 will be different because most will not be assembling in large family gatherings and there will be an unprecedented number of empty plates at the table; people who passed due to COVID. We need to pray about that!           

Thought for Today: Today we will be happy! We will work through the busy schedule, deal with the CIVID style holiday stress, and in the end, we will rejoice! 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, today we rejoice in your name while not forgetting the COVID months, past, and future. We pray that the scientists have the vaccine correct and that by Summer we can look back in relief.  The next two weeks we celebrate the birth of Jesus and the gift of grace, love, and spirit he brought to us.

Amen

Infamy 

“Surely, as I have planned, so it will be,
   and as I have purposed, so it will happen.”

(Isaiah 14:24) 

            Today is a famous day described as a Day of Infamy. It is one of the most famous days in the history of war. There are a lot of famous battles described in our history books, David and Goliath, Troy, Gettysburg…and the list goes on. I need to wonder and ask why. Most wars since WWII have been un-Godly nobody wins situations that do not seem to resolve anything. After the treaties are signed there has been as much tension as before and does not make a lot of sense to me.           

So where is God in all of this? What would Jesus do? How come both sides can think God is with them? These are great questions and I am not even going to try to answer but refer them to Abraham Lincoln as he analyzed God’s presence in war.           

In Abraham Lincoln: A History by Nicolay and Hay, Lincoln is quoted: “The will of God prevails. In great contests, each party claims to act following the will of God. Both may be, and one must be, wrong. God cannot be for and against the same thing at the same time. In the present civil war God’s purpose may be something different from the purposes of either party—and yet the human instrumentalities working just as they do, are of the best adaption to effect His purpose…God wills this contest, and wills that it shall not end yet. …He could give the final victory to either side any day. Yet the contest proceeds.”           

            Today we need to remember Pearl Harbor, a day in infamy. We also need to pray for an end to all conflicts, we need to contemplate world peace. 

Thought for Today: Contemplate world peace. 

Prayer for the Day: Dear Lord and savior today we are wondering where it will all end. Throughout history, the world’s people have found ways to battle. Today we pray for some understanding as to your role in all of this. We pray for understanding so that we can represent your will in search of peace.

 

December 2020-Christmas Time!

 

Happiest Season

 

“Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi.

On the way, he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist.

others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”

(Mark 8 vs 27-29)

            It is a great time of the year when we look forward to celebrating Christ’s birth. We are blessed because we believe and are warmed by His presence in our everyday lives. Amongst the daily stresses that our society places on us, we have a God-given relief. 

            Interestingly, 30 plus years after his birth Jesus was asking who they believed he was. My thoughts are that the Christmas story would be enough. But then, nothing in this world is ever easy; not then and certainly not now. 

            So what is Christmas really about? Gifts, material giving, and recharging of our spiritual batteries. It is a great time of the year, the happiest time of the year. We need to enjoy the season while we recharge our batteries, reinforce our beliefs, and prepare for the New Year ahead. 

             Katharine McPhee said in her song:

“Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light
From now on our troubles
Will be out of sight” 

Blessings to you all for a great season of Joy! 

Thought for Today: The Christmas season is not all joys. We will encounter stress, financial hardships, bad weather, and all the events of winter life. They are all blessings that are part of our lives. We need to keep Christ as our focus and our stresses will be overcome. 

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father we give thanks for Christmas and all the festivities. We give thanks that “our troubles will be out of sight” through prayer.

Amen

A COVID Thanksgiving!

 

We are celebrating a COVID Thanksgiving. Let's pray that holiday travel and celebrations do not triple the infections as happened in September. Below is my Thanksgiving Devotion from God Is My Spinach.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

 

01123 Thanksgiving 

"As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord,
so live in him, rooted and built up in
him and established in the faith,
just as you were taught,
abounding in thanksgiving".

(Colossians 2:6-7) 

            June and I are especially thankful for a family running event we started in 1990, now called the Turkey Day 5K. Each year we are tearfully proud when 10,000 plus runners, walkers, pets, and wheelchair participants enjoy their Thanksgiving morning in downtown Minneapolis. As an aside, but probably more important, will be the contributions of food and cash that will be received by the Second Harvest food shelf. We both feel blessed that the Lord inspired us to start this event and placed people in our path who have made it special. 

             Thanksgiving is the traditional start of what we call the holiday season. While giving thanks we must be aware and focus on the good rewarding parts of our lives.

 

In his book, With All My Strength, H. Norman Wright puts it this way, "Thanksgiving is not to be limited to only the times when we are aware of blessings. Let us give thanks even when we have a problem to solve when there are difficulties to be met.  At these times, we give thanks to God for unconditional love and goodness, for unlimited wisdom and abundance. When we give thanks continually, we are rejuvenated- spirit, mind, and body."

    Let us hold those thoughts and be thankful for all of our blessings.

Thought for Today: Let us focus on giving thanks to God for the love we have for each other and the support we both give and receive.

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, we give you thanks for our friends, families, and our troubles. Yes, we give you thanks for our financial crises, our family stress, and the waves in our seas of tranquility. Through our troubles, we learn to pray and appreciate the many blessings that seem greater when compared with the ripples of life. We give you thanks for our lives, your love, and your Grace. 

Amen