Our Grace!

 Our Grace

“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father,

who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,

encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.”

(2 Thessalonians vs.16 & 17)

            My friend Michael is the master of simplification and understatement. He has a great life, gives to more causes that I even know of and is one that is always joyful. His style is simple because he has accepted grace given to us through Jesus Christ.

            He often makes me a bit jealous because when I am confused by the facts of life, he will often ask me where grace fits in. Recently I was bemoaning the terror attacks, the refugee issues and the state the world in general.  Michael pointed that I had almost no control over those issues and asked; “Bob, you are so blessed why wreck your day on that stuff?  Do what you can but the best thing you could probably do is be happy!”

            He was correct. My light was not shining at that moment. My contributions were going to be negative for that day. However, with the oversimplification on accepting grace, life will always be good. When we are not in a good place we need to remember that. We need to use our grace to power the lamp inside us as lights of the world.

Thought for Today: This is the day the lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it. Accept our grace which is God given and enjoy!

Prayer for Today: Dear Heavenly Father we here on earth are blessed with your grace. We pray that we can keep that thought in perspective as we work through the confusion of our society.

Amen

Letting Go!

Letting Go

"So if anyone is in Christ,

there is a new creation:

 everything old has passed away..." 

(2 Corinthians 5:17).

        With God's help, we can release the past and live in the now. By accepting God's presence in our life, we are able to release the past rather than reliving it. Holding on to hurtful memories takes us down roads that lead nowhere. With God's help we can choose new directions and turn from a nowhere destination to live in the here and now.

            There is a piece of all of us that seems to need to live in the negative past. Divorced people can hold resentments for years; accident victims often recent the other driver; people frequently hold grudges against their managers in the workplace; and it goes on. It is easy to do, but in the scope of Christianity, it does not fit.

Forgiveness is what leads to peace and happiness.       

Today is a new day in which we can discard the baggage of old habits that limit us. We can start anew with God and through divine guidance, take control of our lives. We need to be receptive to all the goodness that God has to offer.

            One of June’s and my favorite slogans is “Today is the first day of the rest of our lives”

Thought for Today:  Today let us think about what wears us down. When it is a historical issue, let us deal with it. If you can make an adjustment to the situation, do it. If you can switch to something positive, do it. If you cannot resolve the negativity, pray about it.

Prayer for Today: Dear lord and Father, we need you in our lives more than ever. There are so many negative issues it is often difficult to focus on your goodness. We give thanks for the many blessings that you bring to our lives; the great friends that we need; the world that surrounds us with beauty and our families that bless our lives. We thank you as our creator for our many blessings.

Amen

Mile Markers

Mile Markers

“Teach us to number our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

(Psalm 40 vs. 12) 

            Numbering our days is a great thought, we often catalog them in our minds and many are hidden in our sub-conscious. Each day of our life is a present and special in some way. Each has a memory, some fade but the great ones stay forever.

            The major ones do not take rocket science to remember. I am an elder and remember where I was for each of the following; Pearl Harbor (27 months old!); when JFK was shot; the twin tower assault; Ted Williams last at bat (a home run at age 41!).

The un-conscious memories are often more fun when they can be jarred to the front. Recently an old friend from 1955 and I reconnected and reviewed our memories together; high school football experiences, school days, former teachers and of course cheerleaders. He brought back so many memories that one evening while on-line he called me. We talked for a long time!           

            My mom passed in October 2015 at age 98. We talked every day and many times we reminisced about her days as a school teacher. Those were fun discussions. She had taught many of my friends and had a different perspective on them than I did. For her 95^th several of than sent her birthday cards and she remembered them all!           

            The Lord is good to us, we may not be wealthy, but we are rich; rich in memories, full of love and happiness and wisdom. The numbering of our days has paid off in a worthy life.  

Thought for Today: Today we will create a memory. Weather it is a major or minor event remains to be seen. Either way let us recognize its contribution to who we will be.

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, we thank you for all the great memories and blessing you have bestowed upon us. Today we pray that we serve your will here on earth as we go through our day.

Amen

Independence Day

Independence Day

"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.

Thought for Today: Today let’s celebrate our independence by obeying the Lord’s commandments.

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

The Lighter Side!

 A Lighter Life

“For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?”

(Luke 12 vs. 23 & 25)

I am trying to be a little on the lighter side this week.  I do not believe that the Lord is wasteful and wants us to be ecologically sound; not waste our resources. So with my tongue in cheek let us consider the benefit of having many things.

            June and her many friends all do crafts and have rooms dedicated to their hobby; craft rooms. These rooms have years of unfinished projects; cross stitch kits, quilt squares waiting to be finished, skeins of yarn and spools of thread awaiting the needle; even an unfinished braided rug or two! Quite often when they are together one will comment that they know the Lord will not take them until they have finished their last project!

            As men we are not much different. The fisherman has a tackle box full of jigs and lures; he cannot be taken until the last lure is lost or the last fish caught! The gardener and landscaper can never be done until every crop has been harvested and tree/shrub matured! The hunter has his many guns and the game is never ending- certainly his job will never end. We are all safe folks!

            We know the above is levity and I am not serious. Our reality is that when doing a craft, fishing, hunting or gardening we are quiet and at peace. We are blessed by the Lord through our many activities. Using our stuff/ toys contributes to our peace and compliments our spirituality. We must always be careful and remember that it is love and the Holy Spirit that will bring the everlasting peace.

Thought for Today: Today let us remember our faith and commitments with joy. It is ok to have fun and laugh.

Prayer for Today: Lord hear our prayer for the good life; one of joy, love and abundance. We pray for these for all throughout the world.

Amen

The Valley!

The Valley

Even though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for you are with me.
(Psalm 23:4)

            Recovery from surgery is a tough mental and physical battle that frequently ends in the deepening of spirituality. Healing physically is something we all are used to; our bumps and bruises over the years, minor cuts, all go away in time. It is easy not to recognize the miracle of God with the minor problems.

             However, when a big one comes, it is equally easy to ask "Where are you God?" or "Why are you doing this to me?" It is easy to lose sight of what matters when facing a life threatening event. Often, we are caught up in the analysis of the doctor’s skills and the various treatment options and where is the best place to go for help.  Yes, let's get technical and analytical to make darn sure that the doctor can take care of us. Let's make sure we go to a hospital with the latest equipment. But somehow, let's not forget God in the process.

             In 1998 when I had cancer, my impatience and out rite fear chased me into the hospital in only three weeks, no analysis or wait and see. Just my typical impulsive, "Just do it" (thanks Nike). As many of you know, somehow, I threw it over to HIM with reckless abandon. That brings to mind the last line of the Psalm 23,"Surely goodness and love will follow, all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

            The June of 2013, the physician that I work out with and I realized that I had something going on with my heart; it would not perform up to my standards. He recommended an immediate stress test. OK, but June and I had six weeks of vacation booked and I decided to take it easy, not push my limits and do the tests later. In October the tests showed two very blocked arteries and I now have stents and made it with no heart muscle damage. That brings to mind that God is always with us, even when we are being stupid!

            The Lord and physicians came through for me and my family. We all need to remember Him during times of fear and illness.
Thought for Today: Let us focus on the unfortunates around us that are ill and keep the 23rd Psalm in mind. Let us see if we can contribute to helping in some way. 
Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, many of our friends have health issues. Some are minor, some serious and some fatal. We pray that we may find a way to assist, help and calm their fears as they walk through their valley. May we help by following your guidance through prayer. 
Amen 

Walk with the Lord

 Walk with the Lord

"But everything exposed by the light becomes visible,
for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:
“Wake up, O sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
Be very careful, then, how you live; not as unwise but as wise,
making the most of every opportunity...”
(Ephesians 5:13-17)

        Wow, we are sure all busy. Often when saying "Hi, how are you?" the reply is "busy" and a review of their calendar follows. It seems that when Paul wrote this passage, he was advising an active life style.
       Even many retirees comment that they do not know when they ever had time to work. One of my stated retirement goals is to maintain flexibility and not say that. After ten years we find the weeks seem to pass by faster and we have to be careful not to get caught up in the whirlwind of life.
       However, there are many blessings in being involved. June and I often reminisce about our frantic past lifestyle. Many of the times that seemed the craziest and most out of control have generated the fondest memories: The Blessings. Reading this qualifies you as one!
        Paul goes on to say in verses 17 and 18, "Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Thought for Today: Yes we are busy. It seems that being busy is a good thing. As we move through our schedules this week, let us take the time to thank God for the opportunity to be involved or busy. Let us stop and appreciate and feel good about our contributions.

Prayer for Today: Heavenly father, we live in a world of hate and fear. We pray that somehow it will all end, but it seems that it is just beginning. We pray this week for some sort of love attack to break out. Somehow for the world to recognize the advantages of Godly love.
Amen