Love with your Heart; Live with your Faith!

Thought for the Week: Every day and every week is in some way a milestone. There will be ups and downs; expectations will be met and we will sometimes fall short of our goals. With our faith in the forefront we can overcome the low points and move forward in a positive way.  

From friend in Christ Randolph Staten: :"LOVE is too STRONG and LIFE is too SHORT. (Much TOO short) You have to LOVE with your HEART and live with your FAITH"

 (Isaiah 40 vs. 29 & 30)

“He gives strength to the weary
       and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,
       and young men stumble and fall;”

Also Ran!

Then the LORD said to Joshua,

“Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

(Joshua 8 vs.1) 

            Being an also ran is a way of life. We rarely finish first. As many of you know I detest the famous Vince Lombardi quote, “Winning isn’t everything it is the only thing.” Here are some examples: My friend Pat McNamara qualified in four different Olympics and did not win a medal; my brother Wayne swam for years and was a national top ten in four events but never had a national championship; Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski played years for the Red Sox and never received a world series ring; and the list goes on! None of the above is a loser and all were or are proud of their accomplishments.

            In my personal instance, I have three triathlon trophies out of 28 races; a second, a third and an only! There was always someone faster until last Summer when no one else my age competed. Did I lose? Never. In each Triathlon that I did, in the last mile of the run I would well up with tears of joy from the shear pride in my accomplishment. The pain experienced during the run would go away, the legs would seem fresh again and the finishing sprint would feel and look great. Second, Third or twentieth did not matter; I was winning inside!

            Clint Purvis, the team chaplain for Florida State University’s football team under Bobby Bowden put it like this after a tough loss to Miami, “There is a huge difference between getting beat in a game and being a loser.” Clint reminded the team of the characteristics of being a winner: 

1.      A winner still remembers that God never forsakes his own.

 

2.      A winner must remember that it is always painful and costly to claim victory again.

3.      A winner will always remember the source of all his blessings.

(from Bobby Bowden’s Called to Coach, Howard Books, 2010” 

            We rarely are number one but since God is always with us, we are always winners. 

Thought for Today: Today we will have battles we do not expect. With God’s help, let us be winners no matter which way the battle turns out! 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, today we thank you for being with us at all times in every place. We thank you because when you are along we will be winners.

Amen

 

Overcoming Negatives.

Thought for the Week: We need to recognize the internal conflict in our lives. The conflict between our over committed “to do” lists and the time required to have personal growth. The concept is simple, we all want to be better in spirit, mind and body but we do not have the time. Our wants look like needs and our stress builds. Today let’s try placing the Lord first for a few minutes a day and try to feel the difference as we go through the day.

From Hope Solo, goaltender for the US women's soccer team: "I've always found myself to come out stronger than before. If you don't let something break you, you're going to come out stronger in the end."

(Proverbs 1:32/33)

“For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,

and the complacency of fools will destroy them;

but whoever listens to me will live in safety

and be at ease, without fear of harm.”

Independence Day in the US

Thought for this Week: Let’s celebrate our independence by obeying the Lord’s commandments. 

Independence Day in the US 

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.
Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves
be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

(Galatians 5:1) 

            Independence is what makes America great and our many freedoms make this a great place to live. Our constitution is based on our ability to self govern. Below is what James Madison, our fourth President, had to say about our system.
"We have staked the whole of all our political Institutions upon the capacity of mankind for Self-Government, the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God." 

Pray about where we were then and where we are now. 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, our country celebrates its independence. Our freedoms are based on your laws and our abilities to obey them. Today we pray for spiritual growth, honesty, integrity and ethics.

Amen

Enjoy our Long Days of Summer!

Thought for the Week

We are experiencing the longest days of the year in terms of daylight. It is easy to burn the candle at both ends and become over tired. That has a great sound to it so let’s enjoy the summer season. 

The hymn poetry of Brian Wren 

“How can we name a Love that weakens heart and mind,

In dwelling all we know or think or do or seek or find?

Within our daily world, in every human face,

Love’s echoes sound and God is found, hid in the common place.” 

Title: How can we Name a Love, UMC Hymnal # 111, verse 1

Words:  Brian Wren

C 1975 Hope Publishing Company , Carol Stream, IL 60188.  All rights reserved.  Used by permission. www.hopepublishing.com

Our Rock

“There is no one holy like the LORD;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.”

(1 Samuel 2 vs. 2) 

            Growing up in New England we often fished in streams and frequently crossed them by stepping from rock to rock. When we stepped on a loose one or slipped from one we got cold and wet. The analogy I am getting at is we chose the wrong rock! That is not an option with God.

            The Lord is the rock of our life; our foundation and always with us. There are times when we forget that simple truth; when we feel lonely; when we will not let Him in to help. During those times we can feel cold and lonely. (Hopefully not wet!)

            Prayer and devotionals will help that situation. If you are reading this today you are probably sitting squarely on the rock. 

Thought for Today: Today let’s be aware of our foundation; our rock! 

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, today I recognize you and give thanks for being my rock and foundation. Today I pray that I may recognize someone who has slipped from your rock and help them through you.

Amen

 

"Exceed Expectations", Maria Shriver

Thought for the Week: We need to focus on our daily lives for survival, there is no truer fact. With that said, today let’s do what we need to do to survive but keep Paul’s letters and the word of our Lord in our daily lives. It will fit in if we let it.

 

A quote from Maria Shriver:  Have the courage to go beyond other people's rules and expectations. I pray that you will live and write your own story and then be brave enough to communicate it authentically to others. people will be inspired by it, people will learn from it, and people will have the courage to change their own lives because of the example you have set.

(Galatians 5 vs. 22 & 24) 

“the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

"gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law

….Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.