Valentine's Day

00214 Be My Valentine

“Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic,

love one another,

be compassionate and humble.”

(1 Peter 3 vs. 8)

            “Love one another” is a great idea. It does not include any qualifiers or reasons to separate people from the group; it means all, every day and moment. That is our Christian charge and it means everyone, every day.

           

Valentine’s day in America has become a symbol of romantic love where symbols seem to replace the real thing. It is good to have a day when we symbolize our love, caring and dedication. It is good to focus on those around and dear to us. It is kind of fun.

           

As Christians, we believe that we were made in God’s image. To love everyone, we need to have God’s heart and capacity to care. We are reminded of that today!  Happy Valentine’s day!

Thought for Today: Today we will focus our love on those closest to us; our families, significant others, moms and dads, etc. That is great but let’s also try to care for everyone!

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, today we give thanks for our ever-expanding hearts that seem to have enough love in them for everyone. We give thanks for the ability to understand and care for all.

Self Respect

0204 Self Respect

“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness,

And let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air,

over the livestock, over all the earth,

and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

So God created man in his own image,”

(Geneses 1v 26 & 27)            

           

            God made us in His image but one of humanity's significant problems is people suffering from low

self-esteem and a lack of self-respect. It manifests itself in a myriad of problems including substance abuse and depression; a lousy way to go through life.

           

Twelve-step programs have been very good at dealing with these two issues. They work because they have people admit there is a power greater than themselves (God) and their goal is spiritual growth. Low

self-esteem occurs when someone loses touch with the Lord and has trouble recognizing His presence in their lives.

            Spirituality, self-respect, and confidence go hand in hand. Understanding that the Lord is with us every day makes for a satisfactory lifestyle. If you are reading this, you probably have life under control. Meditation is one way of recharging our spiritual batteries. We need to do that for ourselves, our families and others around us. When we have self-esteem, others will want what we have. That is when we can help.

Thought for Today: This week when we look in the mirror, let’s look past the visual image of ourselves. Let’s look into our own eyes and try to see inside where our heart and soul reside. Take that thought out for the week and display to others our pride, self-respect and our faith in the Lord.

 Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father we live in a wonderful place surrounded by beautiful people. Some let differences separate us and come between us. This week we pray that we can contribute to dissolving and understanding those differences. We pray that with our strength through you we find a way to do your will and take a step toward acceptance of spiritual differences by respecting others.

Amen

Ground Hog Day!

0202 Punxsutawney Phil

We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world”

and that “There is no God but one.”

For even if there are so-called gods,

whether in heaven or on earth…

…for us there is but one God,

(1 Corinthians 8 vs. 4 & 5)

            On Groundhog Day every year in Pennsylvania, they forecast the end of winter. Today, Phil’s shadow was not seen, and it was declared that winter will end early! Well, you see Phil is never wrong because somewhere in the world there will be an early spring; probably not here in Minnesota.

           

Phil is a character, not even a legend. He is no Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed or Ichabod Crane. He is just a groundhog being disturbed for a group of people in Pennsylvania to have fun. Frankly, he is not a good idol!

           

Would it be fun if next year if they opened Phil's den and Jesus stepped out? Picture him in a white robe, the sun beating down on him with a heavenly glow leaving the crowd speechless. Imagine Jesus saying something like, “Sorry folks but even I refuse to do a long-range weather forecast. There will be more bad weather here in the north country but do not fear for the Lord will be with you.” He would then give is his blessing and arise toward the heavens.

            Bless you all and may we have an early Spring!

Thought for Today: The Lord blesses us and keeps us 365 days a year.

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and father, we pray for those in the north that deal with fire and ice. May they take the time to appreciate the seasons and the beauty of it all.

Our Challenge!

The Lord's servant must not quarrel;
instead, he must be kind 

able to teach and not resentful."

 (2 Timothy 2; 23 & 24)

            Forgiveness is the way of Christian life and It is not always an easy path. We are challenged throughout our lives with anger and resentment. Sometimes we grow vindictive and just want to get even. Wow, what a curse. Is it possible to find peace through revenge? Absolutely not!

            How do we find peace when we feel that someone has done us wrong? How do we keep God at the forefront of our lives when dealing with negativity?

The answer is in good Christian friends, mentors, readings, and prayer.

Thought for Today: Throughout our lives "focusing on the positive" always seems to be a challenge. This week, let us all focus on the great things that we have and deal promptly with the negatives so that we may enjoy life to its fullest.

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, our lives are full of the challenges that are placed before us. Sometimes these challenges create fear and hurt that are difficult to deal with and easy to hang on to.  Friendships and relationships become challenged. Please help us keep the many great and positive gifts you have given us at the forefront of our thoughts and give us the power and wisdom to deal swiftly and honestly with the challenges.  Amen

Amazing Grace

Love and Hospitality

 "Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears re-lieved;
how precious did that grace appear
the hour that I first believed.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
and mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
a life of joy and peace."
(Amazing Grace, Vs 4 & 5)
(Words by John Newton, 1779)

           There are almost as many ways to find joy and peace as there are people. It can be found anywhere at any time. It is something that we all measure in our own way. As Christians we have the tools and knowledge to reach out and find it.
            However, often we let our everyday tasks and challenges disturb our peace. This weekend winter storm Jacob is in its second day here in Minneapolis; the snow is leaving, and the wind is blowing! In the deep south, Jacob is bringing wind and rain. People with outdoor plans need to be careful.  Jacob is not contributing to our joy and peace!

Several years ago, one of our Good News buddies wrote a book called Finding Grace. He looked back at the first 64 years of his life. He was successful, even famous. An over achiever by any standard.  He did not have “…a life of joy and peace.” He found it through a program of spiritual growth and helping others; made the transition from successful and prosperous to be a great person.

As Christian's when we find our peace and tranquility threatened, we have a tool kit; prayer, meditation a chat with a friend. They all can work. God did not put us here to be frustrated. We can use these tools to experience grace. (Even on a long stormy weekend!)

Thought for Today: This week and always keep grace at the forefront of our daily prayers; expect daily challenges and be ready with our tool kit. This week experience grace and joy every day.

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, we recognize that your joy and tranquility are always available, and you are always with us. We need you to help us daily. This week we pray that we may keep you on our minds and in our thoughts as we work through the challenges of our Christian lives.

Happy Landing

Perseverance

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because,

having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life

that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

(James 1 vs. 12)

            Perseverance is life. We need to persevere in many ways and the easiest is through meditation, prayer and faith that the Lord will bring us through life. We hope for life without illness or discomfort; always having a job; a life partner to share things with; and the list goes on. In other words, we want to be born to live happily ever after! That would not build character.  As I write this in beautiful Minnesota, we are in the in the middle of winter. Some winters we cancel outdoor events because there is no snow, the ice is not safe on the lakes and because it is too warm! This we are having a character-building winter!

            We will get through it and when spring comes it will be later than usual and appreciated more. We will experience growth and appreciation of warmer times. In 1974, when we moved here, our real estate agent talked about our beautiful Minnesota summers and said they were worth the wait. Praise be to God; we need help this year!

            There is a church that I drive by that posts a weekly slogan that describes it very well. I do not know the author, but it said something like “Life is not about having a bumpy flight. It is about having a happy landing!” We need to keep our faith to persevere on our bumpy ride. The best part will be the landing!

Thought for Today: Today will be the first day of the rest of our lives. Let us be spiritual and use it well.

Prayer for Today: Dear Father, we are experiencing a very bumpy ride. We have concerns about money, pollution, terror and more. Today we give thanks for having the spirit and will to get through it all so that we may experience the landing. Amen

Shine Your Light!

010806-Our Task for a New Year

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Let your light so shine before men,

that they may see your good works

andglorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5; 16

            Happy New Year! We all say and think that. We do not all live it because there are problems in our lives; illnesses, financial issues, family stress etc. that do not roll over at midnight on December 31^st. We do have control of “Happy New Year” in our heads. If we are the light of the world, then we need to be happy and allow the light to shine.

            When we hear or read the news, there is a lot to be depressed about. Some of the things going on in the world are tragic. As Christians, we do need to care and be concerned. However, we also need to pray and give thanks to the Lord for the good news side of the coin. Our focus needs to be on the positive side; there is always more right than wrong; good than bad.

            In a recent TV sermon, Joel Osteen asked, “The bible says we are the light of the world. Have you got your light shining out?” We need to focus on that with our smiles and our laughter. We need to be the warm glow and the light of the world.

Thought for Today:  Today will be a great day. Yes, the normal things will occur. There will be illness, stress, cranky kids, bad weather, too much to do etc.; so, what? There will also be great friends and family, fresh air, good food and other positives. We need to keep our light shining so others may see it.

Prayer for Today:  Dear God, we give thanks for the warmth and joy that you give us in our hearts and our Christian love for others. We thank you for all the happiness in our lives and the ability to share that joy and laughter with the world.

Amen