Positive Christian

Positive Christian

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

(Isaiah 40 vs. 29)

            Today I am thinking back to last summer when June and I moved into our eighties and deeper into our 50 years of marriage. It was great to celebrate; great to reminisce about the victories and challenges we have worked through over the years. June and I are truly blessed.

            The story is not all that positive however, we are getting older and my mom always said, “Growing old is not for the faint of heart.” It comes with its own set of challenges. We get tired easier, recover slower, can eat less. Years ago, June and I set a goal of not becoming grumpy senior citizens. We decided to pray and always try to be positive Christians. It is not always easy.

For over ten years I have exercised with an older retired physician, Phil. We walk/jog/waddle 10-12 miles a week and have a lot of time to talk. He has completed several dozen marathons and ultra-marathons and I have a lengthy triathlon history. We talk a lot about those youthful days and have determined that we just do not recover as fast; in fact, we think that it takes three times as long to get our strength back from a good day. During that time, we feel a bit sluggish and it is hard to stay positive. June can tell you what I mean!

            All the above sounds a bit negative and that is not intentional-it is just data. The reality is that it is great to be 80 plus and have those memories. It is also great to be a Christian. June and I have a great perspective on life and a lot to share with future generations. We have the support of our Lord and have time to help others, time to share, time for ourselves, and time to recover from our ills. We need to be positive Christians, set an example on how to live and be happy. As we struggle through our many challenges, we need to remember the following:

“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. 31-32)

Thought for Today: Be happy, be positive and share our enthusiasm with others.

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, today we thank you for our blessings and the ability to focus on positive feelings through your love. Today we pray that we may be positive and radiate joy to those around us.

Amen

Rejoice Always!

Rejoice Always

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.   Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.   And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 4: 4-7, NIV)

        In our very active, overcrowded lives, we are often "stressed out". Often conversations start out with how busy we are. Fitting things in seems to be the norm. Even retirees like to say that they do not know how they ever had time to work! Then they go home and take their blood pressure medication.

        Several years ago, a very good friend had both serious back problems and high blood pressure. She had tried too many chemicals to work on the problems and was addicted to the pain killers. The addiction  upset her tranquility and effected her blood pressure. A very common and viscous cycle for a young lady.

        In desperation, she and her physician reduced the chemicals and substituted hypnosis and meditation. The meditation evolved into prayer! Well, I can't say that all her problems were solved. She had a bad back disease and a family history of high blood pressure. This is not a story of healing.

        However, most of her problems went away. The meditation and prayer brought her peace and relaxed her back muscles and her blood pressure went down. The disease did not leave, but the symptoms were relieved. She found peace and a better life.

        The effect of slowing down and taking time out for prayer will make God's peace be yours.

Thought for Today: Slow down, pray for peace, pray for the tranquility and serenity that God has for you when you are willing to let it in.

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, with these words we pray for the ability to live serene and peaceful lives doing your work:

"God grant me the serenity,
to accept the things we can not change
The courage to change the things we can
and the wisdom to know the difference."

Our Shield

Our Shield

“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith,

with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,

which is the word of God.”

(Eph 6 vs. 16&17)

            All days are not created equal as we go through our lives. There are highs and lows  and we have to deal with them.

            One day in July 1998 it was way too hot for golf. I did not want to walk the course at 95 degrees, but I was the league captain, so I begrudgingly went to the course. It was hot and steamy. On the first tee my practice swings made my hands sweat so that the club would slip in my hands. I brought an extra towel just to keep them dry. My confidence was really low, and it seemed like a bad idea to be out there.

            By the third tee my extra hand towel was already soaked from keeping my hands dry, my shirt was sticking to my body, but I had two pars in hand which is a good way for an 11 handicap to start. It was on this par three that my negative attitude changed. I dried my hands, did my set up and put the ball in the cup; my first hole in one! My two partners kidded me because I had been complaining!

           

            As I said, things change; that day went from miserable to great!

            In our ever-changing life there is one constant force available and if you are reading this you more than likely understand. That constant force is our faith. We read that God is always with us. Paul advised the Ephesians to take up the shield of faith. We need to remember that when things are not perfect and give thanks when things are going well.

Thought for Day: Today it may rain on the outside or the sun may be hot on our foreheads. With that said, let us keep our faith strong so that we will have a great day!

Prayer for Today: Dear God, some days are good, others not so good. Today we know will be a good one because we are thinking about you and know we have you with us.

Amen

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. Then 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 wit 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

Our Rock

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.

Amen

Peace, Rely on Him!

“My God, my Rock, in whom I take refuge, my Shield,

The Horn of my Salvation, my Stronghold,

My Refuge and my Savior”

(2 Samuel 22:32)

Peace

            It is the time of year when ministry teams in Christian churches make a lot of phone calls and home visits. In August many pastors connect with everyone in the church directory and invite them to the fall programs. With the help of a ministry team there will be home meetings, visits in coffee shops around the city and often just messages on answering machines saying that we care. Now is time of invitation, a time to lead people back to the Rock: the Rock of stability and peace.

            For families, school is about to start, the fall activities are about to begin, the summer slowdown and vacations are over. We empty nesters are looking at the leaves starting to turn and thinking about the winter season, warm weather travels and the holidays. Here in Minnesota, humanity is kicking into high gear- back to being too busy. In many cases it means not being at peace.

            In the next few months many of us will find ourselves in busy and challenging situations, we need to be reminded not to leave the Rock, our Lord, behind as we move forward into these exciting times. We need to keep Him in our lives to maintain our tranquility and keep us on an even keel. It is a time to accept the invitations from our ministry teams and keep the Lord in our everyday lives.

Thought for Today: Let’s take our look at our calendars and schedule a few minutes with our Lord; a few minutes for meditation; a few minutes to give thanks and a few minutes for ourselves. Let’s do this so that we will be at Peace and be better able to help others.

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, today let us be cool and relaxed, patient and observing, caring and loving as we deal with others. Let us shine your light so others will recognize we are at peace.

Amen

Thank You

August 21- 80^th Birthday Celebration

“Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and

may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless...”

(1Thessalonians 5:23)

            Hi all. Please know that today on my 80^th birthday I am thinking of YOU. My “Good News Buddies”, Facebook Friends, God Is My Spinach Page and Blog followers…every one of you. Today will be special with June and family, it has been a great ride. You all help me every day keep in focus that happiness is what is important.

From August 21^st in God Is My Spinach.

            From the early 1980’s through the late 90’s we hosted Pick’s birthday run and cookout. The guests were truly a diverse group, economically, religiously and socially. The bond of physical fitness crossed all lines. (We also had the desire for good food and a party!). There were opportunities for the differences to show through, but none were apparent. This is the group that helped June and I start a charity event in 1989 that had 12,000 plus attendees on Thanksgiving 20 years later.

            If you are a relative of friend of mine, you probably have received special attention on your birthday. June, my wife, dreads what I may do next. She does not like surprises, and we have had a few. Other friends have been taken on mystery rides, special lunches, walks etc. You see, everyday each of us is special but one day a year we are “extra special.” Two days ago, I used the following passage from John, “Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” (1 John 4:17) The bible does not say not to love yourself. On this one special day, love yourself as Christ loved you.

You have earned it.

Thought for Today: Love is a world leader. When it exists, people are happy and successful.

When love is not present, everyone suffers. Let us search for opportunities to convert our

anxious moments into positive events. Let us recognize resentments, jealousies and other negative forces and cast them aside with a loving heart.

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, today we give thanks for friends. We find them everywhere we look; all colors, shapes, sizes, nationalities and faiths. Through your love we cannot see the differences. We are blessed.

Amen