Blue Christmas

 

 Blue Christmas 

"Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me,

for in you, my soul takes refuge.

I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed."

(Psalm 57:1) 

            This week Christian Churches have a particular service for people having a sad time over the Holidays. Often called a Blue Christmas Service after the Elvis Presley song, but it also exists as a Service of Light and Hope. We can always find reasons to be blue over the holidays, and it is good to look at those feelings, put them in perspective and pray to God for the support available to us. 

            Many miss spouses who passed this year. There are too many to list with severe ailments and others with challenging career and financial situations. Also, we need to pray for what seems to be our new pandemic lifestyle.  

            Christmas is a time of celebration. Through it, we remember those who are experiencing loss. June and I pray about aging, living in a new society with COVID, and our growing family's future. We must accept the season's joy as we move toward the holiday. Take refuge in the shadow of God's wings. 

Thought for Today: Let us take note of our sad feelings over the holidays. Let us recognize that they exist. Rather than mask them with joy, let us pray about them and turn them over to God so we can enjoy the celebration of Christ's birth. 

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, we have special holiday prayers. We pray that your presence brings trust and love to the world. We pray for people who have lost loved ones and are spending their first Christmas with an empty place at the table. We give thanks for your role in our lives and the help you have given us. Thank you for being available for us each day.

Amen

Problems?

Problems? 

“From them will come songs of thanksgiving
and the sound of rejoicing.
I will add to their numbers,
and they will not be decreased;
I will bring them honor,
and they will not be disdained.”

(Jeremiah 30 vs.19) 

            Every day is a day to rejoice. We are between our formal day of Thanksgiving and Christ’s birthday celebration. Most of us are enjoying what we call the holiday season. The message above tells us that God wants us to rejoice and to be happy. We need to pay attention to that.           

Thought for Today: We will be happy as we will work through our busy schedules, deal with holiday stress, and in the end, let us rejoice. 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, today we rejoice in your name and thank you for giving the Grace and spirit of your son, Jesus.

Amen

 

Happiest Season

Happiest Season 

“Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi.

On the way, he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist.

others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”

(Mark 8 vs. 27-29)

            It is a wonderful time of the year when we look forward to celebrating Christ’s birth. We are blessed because of His presence in our everyday lives. We have a God-given relief from the daily stresses our society places on us. 

            Interestingly, 30-plus years after his birth, Jesus was asking who they believed he was. My thoughts are that the Christmas story would be enough. But then, nothing in this world is ever easy; not then and certainly not now. 

            So what is Christmas really about? Gifts, material giving, and recharging of our spiritual batteries. It is a great time of the year, the happiest time. We must enjoy the season while recharging our batteries, reinforcing our beliefs, and preparing for the New Year. 

             Katharine McPhee said in her song:

“Have yourself a merry little Christmas

Let your heart be light

From now on, our troubles

Will be out of sight.”

 

Blessings to you all for a great season of Joy!

 

Thanksgiving Prayers

 

Thanksgiving Prayers

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
(Mathew 11:28-30)

 

        The Holiday season has arrived. Thanksgiving just passed, and surely we all spent four days meditating and offering prayers of thanks for our blessings. WHAT?? That's not what we did at my house. In June, our daughter Karen and I were downtown and hosted thousands at a race we created in the early 1980s. We were honored by Twin Cities in Motion, and I got to be the starter and do the race. After that, we had a family gathering at my daughter Claire's. The day's activities were a lot for a couple totaling 167 years of age!

 

        As Christians, we are coming on a very special day to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Our calendars are full of special events: holiday parties, Winter sports, Christmas pageants and services, shopping, and yearend business meetings. However, our focus is often on gifts, parties, and getting our acts together for the New Year. Is all this activity a bad thing? I think not, especially if we can get through it all by keeping Christ at our side and on our minds. Sometimes it just gets out of control.

 

Christianity and spirituality are beautiful allies during busy times.

Thought for Today: Let us focus on finding more time for ourselves during this busy period. Let's take a few minutes each day to let Christ help us enjoy the season. Let us be selfish once a day and take time out from our obligations to society.

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, we are overburdened with problems. People are dying at war and on the streets of our cities. We are busy with final-year business activities and planning for Christmas. Many of us will be traveling over the holidays. Please give me the power to be aware of Christ's presence through all of this. Help me find a way to walk through this activity with God as my co-pilot.
Amen
   

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