Endurance and Life

Endurance and Life

(Personal Story) 

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial,

because when he has stood the test,

he will receive the crown of life that God

as promised to those who love him."

(James 1:12) 

In our seemingly endless search for tranquility, we tend to "want what we want, when we want it." We want our victories to come via the easy route, which is rarely a reality. Life is not a sprint but an endurance event, a marathon.           

 As an amateur triathlete, swim, bike, and run to get to the starting line to race took hours of practice, primarily alone; sometimes in pain; often in terrible weather conditions. It seems strange that in most races, there are thousands of participants. What for? Why do people do that?             

Let me summarize the feelings that occur during a typical Triathlon. One experiences anticipation and excitement standing on the beach during the national anthem. There is generally a feeling of spirituality during the blessing. There was a period of fear during the swim in all my races. Boredom, pain, doubt, and an entire array of other feelings occur during the bike ride and run. Then comes the good time, the approach to the finish line. 

            The finish line of an endurance event generally has a crowd of 5,000 to 20,000 spectators. Enthusiasm and positive energy seem to radiate out of the group to be absorbed by the competitors. Most of my fellow racers agree that the feeling of finishing, the pride, accomplishment, and of course, just being done, is very special. Many cross the finish line with tears of joy in their eyes. 

            As a grandfather and senior citizen, I can look back over the years and see the parallels between racing and life. Life is full of challenges, fears, and excitement. Be patient, meet challenges, and look forward to receiving your "crown of life." 

Thought for Today: We are living through trying times. There is too much to do, too much work, not enough playtime. However, we have God and our Christian friends through Him. Today, look toward the future, knowing that patience and perseverance will bring us tranquility and happiness. 

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, as Christians, we are not perfect, and we seem to want immediate gratification throughout our lives. Today, we pray for patience to discover your will, the courage to implement it, and the knowledge to recognize your presence in our lives.

Amen

 

 

 

Life Of Victory

 

Life of Victory

 

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial,

for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life,

which God has promised to those who love him.”

(James 1: 1-12) 

The elderly can often be curmudgeons, maybe angry. They are focusing on the past rather than the joys they have now. A good goal in life is to have your grandchildren remember you as happy, content, and proud. 

Life comes at us in waves or phases; the rapid learning years of childhood and youth; the wealth-building, family, or working years; the secure phase or empty-nesting; the retirement years winding down to an end-of-life experience. Each stage is unique, different, and memorable, filled with both joy and sorrow, and that is life. 

We make choices with our focus. We could always use more money, more company, less pain in our joints, etc. The sun will rise and set; we will wake and sleep. The Lord will be with us, and we will have great memories of our past. Focus on them. 

One of my favorite television evangelists, Joel Osteen, likes to say, “Keep on keeping on!” 

Thought for Today: Negative influences will occur, and we can either dwell on them or deal with them. Today, let us focus on moving on with our lives and faith. 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, the world is full of confusion. There is trouble in the mid-east, deranged people shooting up our sacred institutions and some awful winter weather. We pray for the ability to understand it all and put it into the context of your plan. We offer special prayers for the older generation as they move onward. We pray for peace, understanding our place in your world, and the opportunity to do your will here on earth.

Amen

Let God Lead

Let God Lead

 

"Commit everything to the Lord.

Trust him, and he will help you."

(Psalm 37 verse 5) 

        God works in many ways when we allow Him to help us. Yes, he is always there, but not always present in our minds. We have a way of being self-centered, focusing on business issues, personal problems, etc. We want to be in control, and we can deal with it ourselves.

       

Twelve-step programs focus on spiritual growth and simplify the process with slogans. When we try to control a difficult situation, they advise us to "Let go and let God." Our house had this on a four-inch refrigerator magnet. We tend to be control freaks. Worrying or controlling things outside our sphere of influence will make us "tired, …weak…and worn".

 

It is easy to become frustrated when things are beyond our control, and it is customary to try to control. It is better to recognize our place and let God take our hand, lead us home.

 

Thought for Today:  Today is the first day of the rest of our lives, and we do not have to function the same way as we did yesterday. Take a look at God's influence on our decisions and allow Him to help us.

 

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, we thank you for our many blessings and the many beautiful things we enjoy. We are concerned about others in our society that have less, some without food, housing, or a job. We are worried about the many people who are afraid they will lose their jobs and security. There seems to be a growing acceptance that this is OK here on earth, as long as it is the other guy. Today we pray for our society in general, that somehow everyone can be at peace, that all children have food and that our riches are shared as You would have us share them.   

 Amen 

 

Marriage

Marriage 

" A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value."
(Proverbs 31:10, 11) 

            Many of you have heard me discuss the benefits of a good marriage: great mutual support, care when illness arrives, and joint celebrations of the many events that occur. Yes, marriage is truly remarkable when things are well and blessed by God.

           

It has often been stated that marriage is the world's most challenging job. Let me quote from The Mystery of Marriage by Mike Mason.

 

            "Marriage, even under the best of circumstances, is a crisis, one of the major crises of life. It is a dangerous thing not to be aware of this. Whether it is a healthy, challenging, and constructive crisis or a disastrous nightmare depends largely on how willing the partners are to be changed, how malleable they are."

           

 "Crises" seems a bit extreme to me. Still, undoubtedly, marriage is a great opportunity for life fulfillment, and it certainly is not without its "opportunities" for either success or failure. A marriage blessed by God, one in which the partners have allowed God's love to grow in their relationship, is one of the world's most incredible experiences.

 

Thought for Today: We face many distractions in our daily lives; work, busy schedules, terrorism, war, deficits, and many more. Let us look at our primary relationships. Focus introspectively, up close. Focus on our loves. When things are okay in our relationships, the outside problems seem less intense.   

 

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, we are in a world of hurting people and crises. Wars, earthquakes, and general civil are creating havoc. It is uncomfortable. Today, we pray for love within our lives. We pray that somehow we can feel your presence in all of the fear and overcome our doubts. Somehow we pray that through your love, the fears will dissipate.
Amen

 

Abe Lincoln

 

Lincoln

 

"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure;

then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness."

(James 3 vs. 17, 18) 

                President Lincoln presided over a war that was one of the bloodiest in the history of our country. He could not have done what he did without his strong faith. His bible was often at his side in meetings and had dog-eared pages from continual use. It reinforced his belief that he and the union were doing the right thing.           

It brings to my mind the old joke about disagreements in church congregations. The arguments are often fierce because both sides feel God on their team. We are not making decisions that cause battles where 10,000 plus soldiers die in church politics. People get assassinated, brothers fight brothers, and a race's freedom is at stake. Still, somehow we do the Lord's will.           

            Often Lincoln felt badly after a traumatic field report and would lean on the Biblical hope offered to him (and all of us. Today's verse was one he often used when he needed reassurance. He would say to his cabinet and all who would listen, "Let us renew our trust in God and go forward without fear and with manly hearts." (Note from Walking With Lincoln) 

Happy Birthday, Abe. 

Thought for Today: Today is the birthday of America's most loved president. His faith is a strong example for us. Our summons is to be happy Christians, be the light of the world, and share and contribute through our faith. Today let us shine our light brightly. 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, we thank those great men who had gone before us and contributed to our world. We pray that we contribute in some small way to accomplishing your will and spreading a world of peace and love.

Amen

Self-Respect

Self Respect 

"Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness,

And let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air,

over the livestock, over all the earth,

and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

So God created man in his image,"

(Geneses 1v 26 & 27)          

                    God made us in His image. But one of humanity's significant problems is people suffering from lowself-esteem and a lack of self-respect issues, including substance abuse and depression, are lousy ways to go through life.           

Low self-esteem occurs when someone loses touch with the Lord and has trouble recognizing His presence in their lives. Twelve-step programs have been very good at dealing with these two issues. They work because people admit there is a power greater than themselves (God), and their goal is spiritual growth. 

            Spirituality, self-respect, and confidence go hand in hand. Understanding that the Lord is with us every day makes for a satisfactory lifestyle. If you are reading this, you probably have life under control. Meditation is one way of recharging our spiritual batteries. We must do that for ourselves, our families, and others. When we have self-esteem, others will want what we have. That is when we can help. 

Thought for Today: Today, when we look in the mirror, let's look past the visual image of ourselves. Let's look into our own eyes and try to see where our hearts and soul reside. Take that thought out for the week and display our pride, self-respect, and faith in the Lord to others. 

 Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, we live in a beautiful place surrounded by beautiful people. Some let differences separate us and come between us. We pray that we can contribute to dissolving and understanding those differences. We pray that with our strength through you, we find a way to do your will and accept spiritual differences by respecting others.

Amen

 

Pickeringism?

Confidence through Trust

"One who trusts in the Lord is secure."

 (Proverbs 29:25)               

                A Pickeringism is a phrase or idea that is an absolute truth with no scientific basis. A favorite is "All days are not created equal!" Hmm. Truth in all areas of life. Marriages vary daily when one spouse has a gloomy day, or maybe both do! In the workplace, differences are variable despite all the rules and policies. That is what makes life exciting and challenging. 

            In Thomas' book, I'm OK; You're OK," he reviews the four states of every two-person relationship. They are summarized as I'm" OK, you're not OK": when one person has some stress or discomfort with the moment. That same position is reversed with the second condition, "I'm not OK, you're OK. A great place to be is home when all is well and comfortable; I'm OK, your OK; the state of marital bliss; Live happily ever after. (Wow, is that optimistic.) Then, the whole relationship may be a mess with the condition "I'm not OK, you're not OK." 

            Among all life's variables, there is a constant; the power of one that can work on any day, in any condition: That power is our faith. Pickeringisms can be negated by confidence and the knowledge that God is with us and will bring us through. Joseph Kennedy, President Kennedy's father, is credited with saying, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." We must recognize that the going will often vary, and sometimes we need to pray for guidance and help. 

Thought for Today: Today, let's be secure in knowing that the Lord is with us and will help us through. 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, today we give thanks for your support in our everyday lives. We are grateful for your blessings. We are thankful that no matter how the world changes, you will be there when we need you.

Amen