Character

 

 Character 

“Now all has been heard;
   here is the conclusion of the matter:
… keep his commandments,
   for this, is the duty of all mankind.”

(Ecclesiastes 12 vs. 13) 

            What a wonderful world it would be! We are all aware of the rules and will have a chance to break them daily, weekly, etc. The temptation is always around and none of us is perfect. Each morning we need to pray “Dear Lord, for today I pray to be perfect.” No coveting, jealousies, anger, aggressiveness toward others (that must mean complete stops at the stop signs!). Ok, when done reading this, try again!           

There are only ten rules to obey for a great life and a great world. Most of us try, many of us fail. That’s why we go to church on Sunday and pray daily. Somehow we end the day wishing we were better; were perfect.           

Each day we strive for perfection; that is we try to build character. We attend church and pray and that generates spiritual growth. Building character is slightly different but parallels it. The closer we are to the spirit, the easier it is to have that perfect character we all desire.           

Persistence is the word, perfection is the goal. Pray daily, obey the commandments daily and life will be good. Never give up being the best you can be. 

Thoughts for Today: For today, let us be aware of the commandments in all of our activities. 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and father today we give thanks for our wonderful lives and the hope we have for the future through our belief in Jesus. We pray for the strength and judgment to be obedient and of the highest character.

Amen

           

Good Things Happen 

^“And we know that in all things God

works for the good of those who love him,

who have been called according to his purpose.”

(Romans 8v28)           

Each day is a great opportunity for us. Paul said, “God works for the good of those who love him”. Yes, each morning we chose from our many options. The TV news, the newspaper, (sports section or business?), daily meditation or prayer, exercise are all classic options. Each of us needs to choose every day or go back to bed.             

The sun will rise tomorrow and every other day. How we greet it is our choice. Not all days will go our way, if they did Harold Kushner’s book “Bad Things Happen to Good People” never would have been written. Just maybe each day when we wake up, before the newspaper and TV, before the exercise, perhaps we need to remind the Lord we love Him.                       

Cat Steven’s song “Morning has Broken” finishes with “Praise elation, praise every morning, God’s re-creation of a new day.” Yes, tomorrow shows promise through God’s love. We need to accept it and move ahead. 

Thought for Today: Today, let us look forward to the sunrise and the opportunity of each new day. Let’s bring the Lord with us, let him support us, and let us give thanks for His presence in our lives. 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, today we are blessed with another day. We pray that we may use it to spread your word and blessings.

Amen

 

More Hope!

Hope

"God, fill them with all hope, joy, and peace

that they may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit..."

(Romans 15:13) 

            There must be some lucky guy out there married to a woman named Hope. Isn’t that a great thought; awakening every morning with hope; drinking morning coffee with hope; never being too far from thinking about hope. The reality is we can be all those things because the Lord is always with us and through Him, hope abounds. 

            Focusing on the positive gives us hope and feeds positive thoughts. Losing hope in today’s world is easier than having a hopeful mindset. Norman Vincent Peale, in his book, “The power of Positive Thinking”, said it like this, “Change your thoughts and you change your world”. 

One of the greatest things about being a Christian is having hope.  When we look toward the future we must remember Proverb 23 vs. 18. “There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.”

Thought for Today: Let today be a day of hope and light!

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, today we give thanks for our everlasting hope and joy available to us through Jesus. We look forward to a day that we can contribute by showing others the way by example through our hope and light.

Amen

 

Hope through Prayer

 

Hope through Prayer 

“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.”

(Romans 12 vs. 11 & 12) 

            Hold on to your faith, keep holding on. When the going gets tough, when choices are hard, when the stress builds, pray about it; turn it over to God. Paul’s letters repeat that time and time again and often we do not hear it. Our faith is not always strong and we can be confused.           

In his message above, he is talking about a great way to get through a day, week, or month. He is preaching a way of life through faith that leads to confidence and peace.           

Memorize this one, try it and you will like it! 

Thought for Today: Let’s attack today with “fervor”, being “joyful” and by all means prayerfully. 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord we give thanks for the day you have made for us to have. We thank you for the opportunity to do your will and contribute to each other’s peace.

Amen

A Still Place!

 

 A Still Place 

"Be still and acknowledge that I am God"

 (Psalm 46:10)           

The world is a busy place. Americans are overbooked; families are tied up every day with career and children’s activities; empty-nesters seem to have filled the time with commitments; often retirees do not know how they ever had time to work! That leads to a lot of stress, tension, and often family failures. That’s correct; the family that plays too much together just may not have enough quality time to survive. They do not have time to call for help.           

In his book Bread for the Table, Henry Nouwen says it this way, “These are words to take with us in our busy lives. We may think about stillness in contrast to our noisy world. But perhaps we can go further and keep an inner stillness even while we carry on … It is important to keep a still place in the "marketplace". This still place is where God can dwell and speak to us. …with that stillness, God can be our gentle guide in everything we think and do.” 

Do you have a still place? How do you keep your sanity? 

Thought for Today: The many varied conditions in our world are causing many of our friends and neighbors to go through unplanned changes in their lives. Let us pray that God will be a presence in their lives as they pursue the opportunities presented to them through these changes. 

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, the world around us is confusing, sometimes cruel, and always difficult to understand. Please allow us time to step aside and dwell upon "your will" rather than "our wants and needs". Let us find the peace or stillness to allow "thy will to be done on earth as it is in heaven."

 

Love Each Other 

"Help us accept each other as Christ accepted us;
teach us as a sister, brother, each person to embrace;
Be present, Lord, among us, and bring us to believe
we are ourselves accepted and meant to love and live."
(Fred Kaan, "Help Us Accept Each Other", 1974
UMC Hymnal 560 

            In our diverse society today there are many different cultures. God is adding ingredients to America's melting pot. We are constantly challenged by a change in the brew. There are growing populations of various nationalities and religions that seem foreign to us. Yes, some of these make us uncomfortable. Must we accept and love them all?

           

Picture yourself leaving a movie tonight and walking through a parking lot. You see a group of youths of your race coming toward you. They could be a street gang or a church youth group or your friends going to the next show. At first, there is some doubt, then recognition, and then, hopefully, comfort.

           

Sometimes we are uncomfortable with who is approaching. We get nervous. When that occurs, it can be justified as a safety precaution. Often it can be a sign of subconscious or even a conscious prejudice. Yes, often our prejudices show up in this way. As Christians, we need to recognize this when it happens.

           

To get back to the question, "Must we accept and love them all?” the answer is clear. John quotes Jesus in chapter 15:17, " This is my command: Love each other". Jesus left no one off the list.

Thought for Today:  Today, look at our fears, our prejudices, and the way we view the diverse elements of our society. Let us ask if we can learn to exhibit Christian love toward these elements. We will learn that we can when we try.

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, help me reach out to people. Help me understand the undesirable. There is still terror and the threat of war throughout the world. We are confused and have difficulty loving our enemies. We pray for the ability to understand and follow Jesus' command for love.
Amen

Also Ran!

  Also Ran? 

Then the LORD said to Joshua,

 “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

(Joshua 8 vs.1) 

            Being an also-ran is a way of life. We rarely finish first. Russell Sanders uttered the famous quote, “Winning isn’t everything it is the only thing.” It is not true and here are some: My friend Pat McNamara qualified in four different Olympics and did not win a medal; my brother Wayne swam for years and was a national top ten in four events but never had a national championship; Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski played years for the Red Sox and never received a world series ring, and the list goes on! None of the above is a loser and all were or are proud of their accomplishments.           

For instance, I have three triathlon trophies out of 21 races; a second, a third, and an only! There was always someone faster until the Summer of 2011 when no one else my age competed. Did I lose? Never. In each Triathlon that I did, in the last mile of the run, I would well up with tears of joy from the sheer pride in my accomplishment. The pain experienced during the run would go away, the legs would seem fresh again and the finishing sprint would feel and look great. Second, Third or twentieth did not matter; I was winning inside!          

Clint Purvis, the team chaplain for Florida State University's football team under Bobby Bowden put it like this after a tough loss to Miami, “There is a huge difference between getting beat in a game and being a loser.” Clint reminded the team of the characteristics of being a winner:

 

1.      A winner still remembers that God never forsakes His own.

2.      A winner must remember that it is always painful and costly to claim victory again.

3.      A winner will always remember the source of all his blessings.

(from Bobby Bowden’s Called to Coach, Howard Books, 2010” 

            We rarely are number one but since God is always with us, we are always winners. 

Thought for Today: Today we will have battles we do not expect. With God’s help, let us be winners no matter which way the battle turns out! 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, today we thank you for being with us at all times in every place. We thank you because when you are along we will be winners.

Amen