Joy and Peace 

“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.”

(Romans 15v13) 

We Christians often seem celebration conscious. Birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays trigger family gatherings and create great memories in our private lives. Easter, Christmas, Pentecost, rally day, etc., are grand celebrations holding our church families together. 

The memorial service celebrating one’s life is one of joy, hope, and the power of the holy spirit, a time when the faults, idiosyncrasies, and character defects are forgotten. The end-of-life experience brings grief and sadness and is often a time of depression for close loved ones. 

            We often encounter people experiencing or expecting end-of-life events in their families. We need to pray for them, pray that the Lord will help them celebrate the lives of their loved ones and they find joy and peace as they move forward in their grief. 

Thought for Today: 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, and a day of joy. It is our choice. 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, we live amongst the wonders of your creation. We have four seasons, mountains, oceans, and the grandeur of creation. Today we thank you for everything and the beautiful lives we live through you.

Amen

 

Let Go and Let God

Let Go and Let God

"I will never leave you nor forsake you."

(Hebrews 13:5) 

        What do you do when a problem seems unsolvable? The solution is to let God show you that there is a solution. Do not be troubled if you are uncertain about the future or have difficulty releasing the past. Let go and let God guide you in this present moment. God is with you now. 

        Let go of worries or concerns about how you think something should be done, andlet God guide you to the best way to do it. Do not become overwhelmed by the number of tasks before you. Let God's spirit lead you step-by-step to a new life of fulfillment. 

        As you let go and let God take charge of your life, you will realize that seeming obstacles can be opportunities in disguise. God will never fail you. 

Thought for Today: Let go of the stress and tasks that seem impossible and out of our control; do what we can and pray about the rest. 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, today we thank your presence in our lives and our future. We have confidence that by letting go and turning things over to you, and living by your laws, grace will be ours.

Amen

 

Follow Your Heart

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00708 Follow your Heart 

“Above all else, guard your heart,
   for everything you do flows from it.”

(Proverbs 4:23) 

            We need to make decisions to get through every day. Sometimes we know we are wrong when we make them. My bad choices involve skipping exercise sessions, eating an extra cookie, and putting off something until tomorrow. During the 1960s, my dark period, my daily decisions were challenging and created a life of darkness. My focus during those years had much to do with “self.” I was not listening to my heart and ended up divorced and chemically dependent. 

            Somehow, we get punished when we focus too much on our self-interests. As a young married adult, part of my focus was education; another was earning enough money to survive; a third was my golf game. My family life was a distant fourth priority. In summary, I attended Northeastern University two or three evenings a week, worked full time, had a part-time job at the YMCA teaching fitness and coaching, maintained a seven handicap, and maybe had too many beers. My focus was all on myself.         

            Dr. Joyce Meyer says, “You cannot be selfish and happy. The two never go together.”  My life from the late 1950s through the mid-1960s confirms that. Somehow, there was a conversion through my church, twelve-step programs, and my newfound attention to family. I am blessed. 

            Today, my message is simple: if you are not as happy as you would like to be (And is any of us?), the solution lies in spiritual growth, both personal and within our family and friends, or being true to your heart. 

Thought for the Day:  For today, stop when you feel stressed or unhappy. Try to feel what it is all about. Then try to be more faithful to our hearts. Chances are, it will be a conflict between doing what our heart says rather than what our calendar says. 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, today we give thanks for the many blessings you have given us. We are incredibly blessed by friends, family, and those around us.

Amen

 

Stand Free

Stand Free

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.

Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again

by a yoke of slavery.”

Galatians 5 vs. 1 

            You that know me probably have heard my definition of retirement; having four days a week without a calendar commitment and a long to-do list with the opportunity to choose. That is the definition of freedom and the way Christ would want us to live. Unfortunately, few careers offer that kind of flexibility, and most families today have two jobs working to clutter up their calendars.           

            The new normal economy and the financial status of the American family do not always allow freedom. It is easy to get caught up in the pursuit of becoming an average family or average Joe. It takes a certain amount of control to take a deep breath and step out of line to seek peace. The “…yoke of slavery...” has become habitual, and many feel uncomfortable when they have free time. We need to evaluate that, each on our terms. 

            We can experience freedom through meditation and prayer. It takes a few minutes to unwind when we focus on being at peace. My old standard of balance, the YMCA triangle of Spirit, Mind, and Body, is a model we need to keep in our lives. We must stop, look, and listen to Christ, be at peace, and be the best we can be. 

 Thought for Today: Let’s evaluate our “yoke of slavery” to determine what is necessary and what is not. Let’s accept the guidance from Christ and take one step closer to being free. 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, we pray for a light at the end of our tunnel.

Amen 

 

Turn Around

“May those who delight in my vindication
   shout for joy and gladness;

(Psalm 35 vs. 27 & 28) 

                We learn in basic physics that perpetual motion does not and cannot exist. Something in motion will eventually stop due to outside forces unless we apply energy to keep it moving. For non-technical people reading this, a good summary statement is that there is no free lunch. If you don’t believe it, take your foot off the gas. 

            In our lives, we have stress and negativity. Early Christians felt a lot of resistence. The majority did not believe or support them, and they had some long days. Paul and Peter, and many others were martyred. They experienced tough times while promoting Christianity. 

            We need to understand that somehow negativity is an opportunity for growth. When we resolve it, we will feel better. Through dedication and prayer, and a bit of effort, we can turn things around. 

            We can apply physics to our lives, congregations, and careers. We need to use our skills and efforts to keep the ball rolling in a positive way. There is no free lunch and no penalty for success. As stated above, “The LORD be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant.” 

            We need to turn negativity around through our strength and faith. 

Thought for the Day: We will have an opportunity to turn over a negative force; to improve our lives. Let’s make it happen through our strength, efforts, and prayers. 

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, today is the first day of the rest of my life. It will start carefree with a beautiful sunrise. We may run into negative forces, hostile situations, and items we would rather not deal with. We pray that you guide us and give us the faith and strength to make it through.

Amen

 

Live The Life

00616 Live the Life

"…whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,

and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all."

(Mark 10 vs. 43&44) 

        Spiritual growth is an essential part of living a peaceful and rewarding life. Defining it is sometimes tricky. It is more than reading a passage. It is living the life and climbing the Christian ladder of success. Not running around preaching; it is demonstrating the lifestyle.  In the above quote, Mark mentions greatness, and to be great, one must be at peace. This peace is found by walking the walk, Serving others as a lifestyle. 

            Television Evangelist Mac Hammond defined serving others as "...meeting another person's needs when they do not believe you are serving them". 

Thought for Today: Let's reach out and help someone in need.

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, today we feel the need to help. We pray that we recognize those in need that you have placed before us. We thank you for the opportunity to serve.

Amen

 

Perfect Peace

 

Perfect Peace 

"You will keep in perfect peace

those whose minds are steadfast

because they have trust in you."

(Isaiah 26 verse 3)

            Peace is a direct result of faith and trust. It is essential to stay on an upbeat track and be steadfast. When situations are not what we like, we have options. One is to fear negative results; another is to focus on how we can avoid or minimize negative impact.           

In life, we need to keep our eye on the sky, and look upward, and outward for positive results. Our news and media outlet rating systems have proven that bad news sells. The news about pandemics, riots, fires, and murders is essential to hear but risks dampening our positive attitudes. 

As Christians, we need to be steadfast and optimistic; have a positive outlook. We need to be the leaders in fairness, equality, and displaying the social values Jesus taught us. We can help solve the world's issues when we are steadfast and trust in our faith. 

Thought for Today: Today, be positive in the face of all challenges. Let's snatch peace from the grasp of negativity. 

Prayer for the Day: Dear Lord, today we give thanks for the opportunity to have peace in our lives. We pray that we may focus on doing your will and that through our steadfast love, we will have peace and contribute to the peace of others.

Amen