Saturday, October 21, 2017

Indian Summer

Indian Summer

"This is the day
that the Lord has made,
Let us rejoice and be glad in it"
(Psalm 118:24)
            In Minnesota we are experiencing a wonderful autumn. An "Indian Summer" as it is called. Our first heavy frost was followed by a freeze and now we have warm temperatures. Certainly this is a gift to us by God. It is something that we all appreciate and offer our thanks.
            During this time, the crab grass has died; there is color in the leaves; the lawn does not need to be mowed as often; the evenings are cool; the garden does not need weeding.
            There are many blessings about "Indian Summer" and they are easily recognized. In our daily lives there are also many blessings but we often do not see and acknowledge them. We try to control our lives and often do not turn enough over to God. The more we allow Him to take over, the more blessed our lives become.
            The Psalmist says "...But may all who seek you, rejoice and be glad in you..." As we give thanks for good weather, we need also to give thanks and recognize God's roll in our daily lives.
Thought for Today: The fall season is upon us. The busy holidays are approaching us all too swiftly. This week we have the opportunity to relax and enjoy the dwell in activities between the end of summer and the holidays. Let us enjoy by allowing God's will into our daily lives. Let Go and let God and appreciate the things he will do for us.
Prayer: Father, we pray specifically for those in the World that need food, shelter and a quality of life. In our country there are too many people out of work or threatened by unemployment. In many countries the Holy season approaches many desperate people. We pray for them and that somehow the prosperous peoples of the world can find a way to do your will. We pray that we may find a way to contribute.
Amen 

Sunday, October 15, 2017

Eisenhower ?

Good News 101411 Eisenhower

He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant
—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
(2 Corinthians 3 vs. 6)

            We are in some way the light, ministers of the gospel or promoters of the Holy Spirit. That is a part of the covenant we make when we join the Christian church. That is an awesome responsibility and most of us certainly don’t feel like a spirit promoter every day.
            Those of you that know me are aware of my propensity for relaxing through exercise. It is a daily piece of my live and pursuing it often shows my selfish streak. In my late twenties I made a covenant with myself to be as good as possible; a good dad and husband and believed that fitness was a piece of the equation.
            Later in life, June and I decided together that fitness was more than physical; i.e. it was spirit, mind and body! OOPS- that decision meant three times as much work. We agreed that we would work on the spirit and mind together but she had no interest in joining with me on my swims, bike rides and runs. (She was always a bit smarter.)
            Our 34th president Dwight David Eisenhower was a strong believer in this. He did his morning exercises and whenever possible he kept his calendar open for an after lunch nap. When at the Whitehouse he would spend time chipping and putting before his afternoon meetings. His colleagues considered him eccentric and selfish. He felt he needed a scheduled break to be the best he could be for himself and his country.
            We all need to be the best we can be, for ourselves, our families and to serve the Lord. Be a bit selfish so that you can help.

Thought for Today: Today let’s do something for ourselves that will help our spirit, mind and body.

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and father today we pray that we can keep our covenant to made to you, we pray that we are shining your light as bright as we can. We pray that we are the light of the world so others may see find you through us.
Amen



Saturday, October 7, 2017

God Of Hope!

God of Hope!

Romans 15verse 13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace
 as you trust in him,
so that you may overflow with hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Thought for the Week: This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice! We will experience ups and downs but with the hope of God in our hearts, the downs can be short, the ups can be high it can be a week of joy. It is our choice.
Aristotle said it this way: “Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.” 

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Protect Our Hearts

Protect Our Hearts

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand
against the devil's schemes...
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,
with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
and with your feet fitted with the readiness that
comes from the gospel of peace...
 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying ..."
(Ephesians 6:10-18 NIV)
        Today we need to protect ourselves from our own self induced stress as well as the negativity in the World that we cannot control. As Mac Hammond from the Living Word Christian Center puts it, "We need to protect our hearts". The question is how?
        Over the years I have often heard the expression "When the going gets tough, the tough get going". In sports this meant to me that when the pain sets in, push harder; in business when the order is being lost, dig deeper. In each instance, "I" assumed the full responsibility for correcting "my" problem. My male ego would come into the issue and apply pressure to the situation. This has worked very well over the years, but it is not how I have acted since the mid 80's.
        Like many parents, when my two youngest were in private colleges, my ego driven logic failed me. The financial pressure combined with the desire to service the educational needs was too much to get through. This tough guy needed help and it came through the simple saying, "Let go and let God". Funny how that works, everything turned out OK.
        When we are deeply involved with our loved ones, we need to protect our hearts. We need to keep our feet on the ground and make caring decisions through love. If we allow the Lord to help protect our hearts, if we listen to Him and accept His part in our lives, our lives will be better and simpler. Keep on asking for support through prayer.
Thought for Today: Today is the first day of the rest of our lives. It offers each of us a chance to renew ourselves, forgive others and move forward with positive thoughts. This week let us move forward through daily prayer and let the Lord help us over the bumps.
Prayer for Today: Heavenly father, here in America life is good. The kids have food and shoes, there are two cars in the garage, and TV sets in every home- we are truly "fat cats" living under your domain. Today we pray that we keep in mind that the world is not all like we are experiencing it. While giving thanks for our abundance we need to pray that we are doing your will throughout the world for peace and prosperity to spread in a Godly way.
Amen

Saturday, September 23, 2017

Talents!

Using our Talent!

Thought for the Week: Let us focus on ourselves and our talents. Let us recognize that we have special gifts given to us by the Lord to use for Him.

John Wesley said it this way: Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.

Paul said it to the Romans like this: 

Romans 12  vs. 10-13
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.
Honor one another above yourselves.
Never be lacking in zeal,
but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and
faithful in prayer.
Share with God’s people who are in need.
Practice hospitality

Saturday, September 16, 2017

School Days!

School Days!

"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 23rd 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 namesake"
(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).
The Psalm points out that the Lord is with us and will guide and support us throughout our lives.
    Yes, today our lives get filled with stress. 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 read the 23rd Psalm and accept the help that God has available to us as we move forward. 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.  

Sunday, September 10, 2017

Peace Together

Peace Together

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you.”
(John 15 vs. 4)

            Often people tell me they are no longer interested in organized religion The ritual, rules, money and work did not do it for them; shame on them and shame on their church. There are others that change churches often searching for something they never quite find. They are sad and typically don’t know what they are after.
In general those described above are less than happy in their lives.
            Jesus message is clear, He is with us always. When we are searching and restless the ball is in our court; we are the problem. These are the times that we are out of touch with the Holy Spirit; not taking the time to open our hearts. When we are spiritually down and out, we need to look at ourselves first.
            There was a song in the 50’s that said, “…open up your hearts and let the sun shine in.” We need to allow the Lord in so that we may find peace together.

Thought for Today: Today let us open our hearts to the Lord. Let’s find peace with Him.

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, today we thank you for being with us; joining us on our walks, at work, in our cars and in all phases of our day. Today we pray that we may stay in touch with you under all conditions.

Amen