Always Friends

We must pray for world peace and an end to the insanity of war.

June and I are planning Thanksgiving dinner with our daughter Claire. We will start in downtown Minneapolis with 5,000 others at the Turkey Day 5K that started at our home in the 1980s. Twin Cities In Motion will be in charge of the event, we will have a four-generation 5K walk with our great-grandsons, and I will be the honorary starter.

 

01111 Always Friends 

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved,

 clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.

 Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

(Colossians 3, 12-14; NIV) 

            Most of us have a problem feeling like one of “God’s chosen people.” The control freak in us wants to believe that we chose to follow Him, which is ego-centric and introspective. We all know that we chase Him until he catches us. In our lives, who are “God’s Chosen,” and what do they do?  

            This month is Thanksgiving, and one of my traditions is to do Christmas greetings. Each card and letter that gets addressed is to someone special. The addressees have all played a role in my life, including friends, advisors, mentors, coaches, etc. It is a wonderful feeling to sit there and think about each of them (you). Are they God’s chosen people?  

            The holiday season is an excellent opportunity to celebrate Christ’s birth and life. It is also a chance to think of the many people God has placed into our lives that have demonstrated “… compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience...” A priest in the UK included me in his daily prayers during my cancer period, another is a running buddy of over thirty-five years duration, and several former pastors were spiritual advisors… the list goes on. 

Thought for Today: This week, let us think about our friends. Remember why they are, who they are, and what they mean to us. 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, we have many blessings you have given us. Among them are our friends and contacts, and each of them is a blessing. We offer our prayers for their health and happiness and thank you for presenting them to us so that we may all get through this 2022 holiday season healthy and thankful!

Amen

 

Global Peace

Global Peace 

"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."
(Philippians 4:8,9) 

            There are over 300 million people in America and billions worldwide. As individuals, we are not statistically significant. But we all know that statistics can be manipulated and misrepresented. Indeed, each of us is significant to God within our Christian faith. In many of Paul's letters, he said, "God will be with you." I will add, personally, upfront and close.

            As statistically insignificant as the mathematicians make us, God gives us meaning, power, and faith. We are the power of one. As Christians, we can impact the world one individual at a time through our faith. When we demonstrate that we are at peace, we infect those around us. When we demonstrate good Christian ethics, we lead others to follow us. When we are at peace, others want to join us. 

            Our challenge as people of faith is working our peace so that others join us. We all know of pyramid schemes and chain letters. Through our faith, we can be at the top of a living chain. Each day we are at peace through our faith, and we will positively affect our environment.

Thought for Today: It is challenging but exciting to think that we can affect others with our positive actions. This week let us consider others and, by example, share our hope regarding our future.

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, we see and hear ugliness in the world. There are wars, revolutions, and a worldwide refugee crisis. Our streets are unsafe, and our institutions have too many negative financial issues. It is hard to understand where you are when we are bombarded daily with these issues. We pray for an understanding of your role and that we may participate in an overall solution.

Amen 

 

He Comes Through

 

He Comes Through 

“Praise the Lord, I tell myself,

“With my whole heart,

I will praise his holy name.

Praise the Lord, I tell myself,

And never forget the good things

He does for me.”

(Psalm 103 v 1 & 2) 

            Every day the Lord gives us blessings. It is easy to forget the role He plays in our lives in our busyness. Here are three events that made me think of the Lord this week. 

            Early in the week, a friend and I discussed what we prayed about. They were guidance, support, internal peace, and several others. It was apparent that neither of us prayed for favors or help. We realized that through prayer, good things would happen. 

            Later in the week, a young athlete competing for a chance to compete in a race collapsed and died. Why? That is a big question and certainly something that makes people doubt. When the final reports are in on this, somehow, good will come from his young life. It is too soon for mortals to understand.  

            The third event that brought the Lord to the forefront was a Good News buddy from San Diego correspondence about his return home after a firestorm that ravaged his neighborhood. There were, 15 of 47 houses destroyed on his street, plus the sanctuary of his church. Here are the words he used in closing his correspondence: 

“Truly, God is good. Many lessons are to be learned, and many prayers are answered. To God be the Glory.” 

Thought for Today: Today will be just like many others. Our calendars are crowded, we will have unreasonable demands on our time, and we will need to focus on making it all happen. Let’s take a few minutes and think about the Lord’s role in our lives with that in mind. Let’s let Him into our day.

 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, today we pray to see the results of your participation in our lives and the ability to accept what we do not understand. We trust that good things will happen.

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. We got cold and wet when we stepped on a loose one or slipped. The analogy to the passage is that 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. We forget that simple truth; we will not let Him in to help when we feel lonely. 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: Let’s be aware of our foundation, our rock.

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, I recognize you and thank you for being my rock and foundation. I pray to identify someone who has slipped from your rock and help them.

Amen

 

Indian Summer

 

Indian Summer

 

"This is the day
that the Lord has made,
Let us rejoice and be glad in it."
(Psalm 118:24) 

            In Minnesota, we are experiencing a wonderful Autumn. An "Indian Summer." A freeze followed our first heavy frost; now, we have warm temperatures. A day like this is a gift to us by God that we all appreciate.

            During this time, the crabgrass has died; there is color in the leaves; the lawn does not need mowing; the evenings are cool; the garden does not need weeding.

            There are many blessings about Indian Summer that are easily recognized. Our daily lives also have many blessings, but we often do not see and acknowledge them. We try to control our lives and often do not turn enough to God. The more we allow Him to take over, the more blessed our lives become.

 

            The Psalmist says, "...But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you..." As we give thanks for good weather, we also need to give thanks and recognize God's role in our daily lives.

Thought for Today: The fall season is upon us. The busy holidays are approaching us all too swiftly. This week, we can relax and enjoy the dwell-in activities between the end of Summer and the holidays. Let Go and Let God and appreciate the things he will do for us. Let us enjoy by allowing God's will into our daily lives.

Prayer: Father, we pray specifically for those in the world that need food, shelter, and quality of life. There are too many people out of work or threatened by unemployment in our country. In many countries, the Holy season approaches many desperate people. We pray for them and that somehow the prosperous peoples of the world can find a way to do your will. We pray that we may find a way to contribute.

Amen 

Eisenhower

 Eisenhower 

“He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant

—not of the letter but the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

(2 Corinthians 3 vs. 6)

 

            We are in some way the light, ministers of the gospel, or promoters of the Holy Spirit. That is a part of the covenant we make when we join the Christian church. That is a tremendous responsibility, and I certainly don’t feel like a “spirit” promoter every day.

 

            I have always had a propensity for relaxing through exercise. Workouts are a daily piece of my life, and pursuing it shows my selfish streak. I made a covenant with myself in my late twenties to be as good as possible. I wanted to be a good dad and husband and believed that fitness was a piece of the equation.

 

            Later in life, June and I decided that fitness was more than physical; i.e., it was spirit, mind, and body. We agreed that we would work on the spirit and mind together, but she was not interested in joining me on my swims, bike rides, and runs. (She was always a bit smarter.) OOPS- that decision meant three times as much work.

 

            Our 34^th President, Dwight David Eisenhower, firmly believed in this. He did his morning exercises, and whenever possible, he kept his calendar open for an after-lunch nap. When at the Whitehouse, he would spend time chipping and putting before his afternoon meetings. His colleagues considered him eccentric and selfish, and he felt he needed a scheduled break to be the best he could be for himself and his country.

 

            We all need to be the best we can be for ourselves and our families and serve the Lord. Be a bit selfish so that you can help.

 

Thought for Today: Today, let’s do something for ourselves to help our spirit, mind, and body.

 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, we pray to keep our covenant made to you today. We pray that we are shining your light as bright as we can. We pray that we are the light of the world so others may find you through us.

Amen 

 

Brotherly Love

 

 Brotherly Love 

“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.

 Honor one another above yourselves.”

(Romans 12vs 10) 

            Paul’s message to the Romans says that the person closest to or standing next to you deserves dignity and honor at any moment. In many cases, that is not how it works. We are an overloaded society and rarely give the person near us enough of our thoughts. We are about thinking too far ahead rather than the present. We need to slow down.           

            Christ served everyone; He made time for lepers, prostitutes, tax collectors, the “unclean” and needy, and his disciples. We should not forget to consider or care for everyone, even when we do not have time. We are often called or approached by a friend or acquaintance for advice or help at an inconvenient time. When that happens, we often look at our watch while they talk, space out and not listen, and then brush them off as quickly as possible- Wow, WWJD on that one. 

            The above is a real problem faced by all of us almost daily. We have deadlines in our lives and people that matter long term, our families and career colleagues. With that in mind, how do we deal with others who come for help when we do not have time? We need to pray about how we can be considerate and tolerant.   

Thought for Today: Let’s focus on being caring when we are interrupted by a friend. Let us ask how Jesus would deal with the telemarketer. We always need to find ways to share our Christian love.

 Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, I will meet someone in need and won’t have time to listen. Today when that happens, I pray and hear in your name, as Jesus would.

Amen