Try Harder

 Pray for world peace.

We need to share Christian love with joy. When we do, we all benefit and live better lives

 

Pray for world peace. I pray that you may find personal peace and joy in life. 

Young at Heart 

"Be happy, young person, while you are young,

and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth.

Follow the ways of your heart..."

(Ecclesiastes 11:9)           

            Some people seem at peace. They avoided the rat race of life and found the happiness most were seeking. The interesting fact is they cross all socioeconomic boundaries. The common thread is always their faith. They believe things will work out. 

            The strong message here is that the things that bring peace, serenity, and happiness to our lives are found in spiritual growth, and they can be found in yours. 

Thought for Today: Today, avoid the rat race by praying for serenity and doing what we need to obtain peace. 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, thank you for the opportunities before us. We pray for serenity and love and the chance to promote peace in our community.

Amen

 

Pride and Humility

 

Pride and Humility 

“Before his downfall, a man’s heart is proud,

but humility comes before honor."

(Proverbs 18:12) 

            My mom used to use some interesting terms and expressions when describing humanity. One of her favorites was “foolhardy” when someone did something out of line. Another was that “It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.” Somehow, when we are proud in the context of today’s text, we are not paying attention. When we exhibit false pride, it helps us grow to appreciate the realities of life. 

            We are often overconfident, especially when we are young. Somehow, that is God’s way of teaching us. We constantly have to monitor our pride and confidence. The elders of society have knowledge and experience but are not always correct. Technology and society are changing faster than fifty years ago. Therefore many of the rules of life have changed. 

In our spiritual lives, the rules have not and will not change. The ethics, love, and traditions taught to us by Christ will endure regardless of technology changes and cash flows. We need to take inventory of our pride and be honest. We need to hold up our values to serve the Lord in an ever-changing world. 

Thought for Today: Every day is the first day of the rest of our lives. The mistakes and experiences of our past are nothing more than learning experiences and enable us to move forward with confidence. Today, let us focus on being humble and dealing with the realities of our worlds. 

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, today we give thanks for the lessons we have learned and our loves. Thank you for putting it before us through all that Jesus taught us and what we learned from the past.

Amen

Infants

 

Infants 

“Brothers and sisters,

I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit

but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ.”

(1 Corinthians 3 vs. 1) 

            My confession to you all is that I cannot quote a lot of scripture; do not know a lot of biblical history; have never visited the holy land; sometimes skip my Friday bible study to play golf or work out. At best, I am an infant in Christ.           

That is good because it leaves plenty of room to grow, to keep trying, and a reason to keep writing. There is growth ahead when we do the right things. Our life is a spiritual journey without limits or an end. That’s an excellent thought.           

As a young engineer, my mentor used to quote Aristotle, “The more you know, the more you know you don’t know.” It is true with our faith. The more we learn, the more the mystery and the higher our thirst becomes. That may be the best part of it all. 

Thought for Today: Recognize the opportunity to grow in the Spirit, that we are in our infancy and have room for exciting growth. 

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, we are grateful for your presence in our lives and the peace brought to us through faith. We will face challenges today and go forth with the knowledge that you will be with us.

Amen

Patriots Day in Boston

 

Patriots Day

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run,

but only one gets the prize?

Run in such a way as to get the prize.

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.

They do it to get a crown that will not last,

but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”

(1 Corinthians 9 vs. 24& 25)

            In Massachusetts, April 19^th is Patriots Day. That gave me two choices to write about today; Paul Revere’s ride or the Boston Marathon. There is a similarity, and it is not direction.           

The marathon involves over 30,000 participants; one woman and one man will make a six-figure paycheck and win. As many as twenty others will receive appearance money and have good paydays. Most will receive personal gratification and receive a well-tuned engine for their body from the training and recognition for a great effort. They do it out of the passion that endurance athletes have and the feeling of accomplishment.

           

In 2013 two young terrorists interrupted things a bit at the finish line. That was a sad day for all involved, and it infuriated Americans and the free world. It demonstrated a world war in the process, and we need to function normally through it.

 

In 2020 a virus shut down group events, including spring athletics. There is a new normal in 2021, but 32,000 registrants lined up to run in Massachusetts. It was a scary and sad year for us.

           

In 1775, Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Sam Prescott raced out of Boston with a message that the British were moving out. Their message to the people of greater Boston was the call to arms. Unfortunately, Paul did not get very far because he was picked up in west Cambridge by a British patrol. However, he did get the poem named for him. Dawes and Prescott did not rhyme as well. They were on a mission to benefit humanity, were unselfish, and are American heroes.

           

Being fit is a matter of spirit, mind, and body. Life is not a sprint. It is a marathon. We need to race it and live it with our eye on the ultimate prize promised through our faith: “…a crown that will last.”

 

Thought for Today: Let us focus on our race for the prize; take a step closer to perfection.

 

Prayer for Today: We pray for the safety and success of the many runners in Boston. May they be blessed with fitness and great memories.

Amen

Enjoy Your Easter Holiday

28 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

 

Stress

  Stress

Pray for the citizens of Ukraine and an end to this and all wars. 

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything,

by prayer and petition, with Thanksgiving,

present your requests to God."

(Philippians 4:6 NIV). 

            Stress has become part of our lifestyle. We often go through our week wound up like a rubber band that has been twisted tighter and tighter. However, please recognize that the rubber band eventually breaks when wound too tight or stressed too long; it snaps. We are a higher life form than a rubber band, but we many snap when overstressed.                      

 We all need a way of unwinding during the most stressful times. There are many ways to release stress. Mine is by writing devotions for fellow Christians. Other ways are exercise, meditation, a chat with a friend, or reading. Paul's writings to the Philippians 4: 8 & 9 suggest that Faith is a tool to help us. 

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right,

whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—

if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—

put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." 

Focus for Today: Let's focus selfishly on ourselves and feel God's peace and presence in our lives. When the "stress monster" wants to control our lives, read this passage, and let "the peace of God" control our lives. 

Prayer for Today:  Heavenly Father, the world seems to be a breeding ground for stress. There is always something to worry about; terror, hate, employment troubles, stock market woes- even severe weather. We pray that we may keep you and peace in our thoughts, that we have the presence of mind to make wise choices and release our stresses to find tranquility. Amen