Soar like an Eagle!

Today I feel a need to ask for prayers for the people of the world and for the elimination of hatred and aggression. We need to recognize that we are involved in world war three and that it is different than any other conflict. I do not have any solutions or suggestions but I do have an interesting question.

As Christians we know that love is the answer; My question is who is going to love first? 

Soar Like Eagles 

“...  those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.”

(Isaiah 40: 31) 

            Growing up in the 50’s a bald eagle was a rare sight, in fact I do not think I ever saw one. Now 60 years later they are soaring over shopping centers, eating fish out of the local lakes and generally hanging out with us. Now that we see them more often, it is easy why our founders selected it as a national symbol. They are big, majestic and beautiful birds. Their revival as a species shows us how humans can contribute to God’s creations and the world we live in. We changed a few rules, respected the Lord’s way and the Bald eagle is now a common sight.

            We are always searching for ways to make a better world, a way to soar. In my early years in engineering working for a very large company, many of the rules seemed restrictive and bureaucratic. The younger engineers in the department, including myself, thought we were going to change the world, right NOW! That was not the way big company systems worked. When frustration with the system came to the surface our trainer and mentor often advised us to “Rise above it and move on.” Eagles do that.

            There is a story about Eagles rising above storms. They sense the storm coming and use the wind to rise above the dangerous winds and ride out the storm.  In many instances in life we need to keep our faith while staring at negativity, the storms of life. We count to ten, punch a pillow, and when we are smart we ask the Lord for support.  When we involve our faith while handling our personal storms we minimize our stress and greatly improve our quality of life. 

Thought for Today: Let us use our faith in the Lord to rise above the problems of everyday life. 

Prayer for Today: Let us pray that as a country we can find a way to serve "God's will" rather than "our will".

 

 

23^rd Psalm 

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside still waters..."

 (Psalms 23:1-2) 

            In the 40's and 50's, public school in Massachusetts always started with the 23^rd Psalm, the Lord's prayer and the salute to the Flag. Wow, by today's standards, that is powerful stuff. Let us take a look at this and see if we can apply it to our lives today.

            The first two lines above, lead us to tranquility. Faith will take care of our wants and lead us to that inner peace we desire and lead us to the restful place beside still waters.  

"He refreshes and restores my life;

He leads in the paths of righteousness for His name sake"

(Psalm23:3) 

There are always periods when things in our lives need rebuilding. There are temptations to take the easy way. These verses point out that the way to get out of the "dumps" is to follow Him.  

"Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil; for You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff to comfort me."

(Psalm 23:4) 

            In the biblical context, the rod is an instrument used for guiding, rescuing and protecting (sheep) and the staff is an instrument of support. The Psalm points out that the Lord is with us and will guide and support us throughout our lives.  

    As Christians we are given wonderful tools to work with in our daily lives. The more we let God lead us, the more we will be at peace.  

Thought for Today: Let us reflect on this New Year and all of our goals and resolutions. Read the 23rd Psalm and accept the help that God has available to us. It will be a big help in locating those still waters we all seek.  

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, many times stress builds up in our lives. It is a combination of hurts, anger and resentments kept hidden inside of ourselves. I pray that when this occurs, I find a way to let you help and can accept the guidance, protection and support promised through our Christian faith.

Amen

 

 

 

Paul's New Year Message?

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 the athletic clubs will be filled with "New Years 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? Yes, we all have had a few resolutions fall by the wayside.         I do not know if Paul wrote the above on New Year’s Eve but it is appropriate. Many of us have 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 rather than behind. Let us look ahead at the opportunities in our lives. This year let us practice Christian ethics and life style in all phases of our lives and by all means share our faith with others.

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

"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 worlds people so that your love and peace may dominate this New Year.
Amen

 

Renewal

Renewal 

“but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.”

(Isaiah 40 vs. 31) 

            We are in the Holiday recovery mode and are weary. From time to time it is necessary to take a break. It is important to prevent burnout and refresh ourselves. If we are to be the best we can be, do our jobs as parents, employees and citizens, we need to have rest.          

            Along with rest we need meditation. Ok, if you are reading this I am preaching to the choir again. However, there are some of my friends that rest and renew their minds and bodies without thinking of renewing their spirit. They forget to pray or recognize the Lord’s role in their lives.

            Others neglect their bodies. It is easy to overeat during the holidays and also easy to skip a workout! That’s a double edged sword that I personally am guilty of more years than not! That’s what New Year’s resolutions are all about. The message from Isaiah above is to keep hope in the Lord, keep him in your life and he will help you soar like an eagle. We will do fine next year!           

Thought for Today: Let us think about keeping God in the forefront of our minds. 

Prayer for Today: Father, today we ask that you fill us with your spirit; we ask for strength and guidance.

Amen

Joy to the World!

Joy to the World

“Joy to the World, the Lord has come"

        There are a lot of one liners that can be taken from Christmas carols. The opening of "Joy to the World" says it all to me. It summarizes our Christian lives; lives of joy through the forgiveness of our faith and our Christian peers. Let us all feel the joy of the season, the love for each other and keep our faith strong throughout the season.

With blessings, have a great Christmas eve.

Christmas Week

Christmas Week

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

(Ecclesiastes 3 v1)

Today we awaken with and it is the  Christmas week. 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.    

Down in a lowly manger

The humble Crist 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:  The celebration of 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 peace and give thanks for our friends. Amen

Blue Christmas

Good News111705 Blue Christmas

“Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me,

for in you my soul takes refuge.

I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings

until the disaster has passed.”

(Psalm 57:1)

            At Spirit of Hope, we have special service for people having a sad time over the Holidays. At one time our pastor must have been an Elvis fan because he called it a Blue Christmas Service. It was one worth attending whether you were sad or not. We can always find reasons to be blue over the holidays and it is good to take a look at those feelings, put them in perspective and pray to God for the support that is available to us.

            This year our friend Craig and Steve miss their wives who passed, there are too many to list with serious ailments and others in severe career and financial crises. I ask you all for prayers. Several years ago we met a young gentleman there, John, who had visited during the summer. He was in tears during the service. He was despondent because his parents were having a problem with his sexual preference and he was not being welcomed at the family celebration.  

            Our service Of Light and Hope (sorry Elvis!) is this Wednesday.  We will be praying for all those who are in need. It is important to take refuge in the shadow of God’s wings.

Thought for Today: Let us take note of our sad feelings over the holidays. Let us recognize that they exist. Rather than mask them with joy, let us pray about them, and turn them over to God so we can enjoy the celebration of Christ’s birth.

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father today we have special prayers for the holidays. We pray that the reminder of your presence brings trust and love to the world. We pray for people who have lost loved ones and are spending their first Christmas with an empty place at the table. We give thanks for the role that you play in our lives and the help you give us. Thank you for being available for us each and every day.

Amen