Our Rock

Pray for world peace.

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

Eisenhower's Birthday!

Pray for world peace on Eisenhower's birthday

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 don’t feel like a “spirit” promoter daily. 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. In my late twenties, I made a covenant with myself to be as good as possible. I wanted to be a good dad and husband and believed 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 34th 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. He would spend time chipping and putting before his afternoon meetings at the Whitehouse. 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 must 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

I Yam Who I Yam!

I Yam what I yam "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," (Phillipians 4-13) Was Popeye a philosopher? Cartoonists often are. When confronted with difficult situations, Popeye would say, "I yam what I yam?" gulp down his spinach and defend right. We are not all Popeyes, and we are expected to conform, often to standards below our Christian faith standards, and may face difficulties if we do not. It is necessary to understand who we are and what we are and keep the Lord in our daily lives. We need our "spinach." . In many ways, we are continually fighting image syndrome. Quite often, we get flack because we don't fit in. Conformity is the word, and clones are the result. How did some prophets or John the Baptist fit in with the rest of their society? Probably not too well at times, and they were special. The truth is you are you. You are who God created you to be, and he wants you to know who you are and understand your individual characteristics. No one else is exactly like you. God created you and then broke the mold. You are unique, and it is all right to be you. Don't let others shape you. That is God's task. He started with you, will finish with you, and will be with you. He is our spinach. He does want you to be you. Thought for the Day: Let us search for the person God wants us to be to serve him better. Prayer: Heavenly Father, as we travel through our weekly chores, we need to see a way to help You. We often lose track of your plan, and sometimes we are too busy and do not understand it. This week, we pray that we may find a better way to serve You and make life better for everyone. Amen.

Special Days

Special Days ” This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118v 24) There are 365 days every year. Our goal and challenge are to enjoy every day. We can not allow our finances, a boss, or other outside influences to steal pleasure from any day. God put us here to be happy, and we need to do that for Him. OK, let’s get real. Some days are just a drag, and things go wrong. God rains on our parade, and our back goes out again, etc. When negative things get in the way, we have a hard choice. We can choose to have a bad day or trust our faith and give thanks for what went right. Some days, it seems that the only thing to give thanks for its end. Well, that’s enough to make it a good day. We all have problems and challenges that will take longer than one day to resolve. We need to remember two important things. When we live one day at a time, we simplify our solutions. We can work on it tomorrow if we do not get it today. When we believe an issue is unsolvable, we need to remember that the Lord is with us, and He can change the rules. We need to pray and turn unsolvable matters over to the Lord. Allowing God to be with us daily guarantees that we will have a good day. Thought for the Day: This will be a wonderful week for all of us. We will walk through the challenges and bless the Lord for the experiences and lessons that we learn one day at a time. Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, our world often confuses us. There are problems that we want to fix now and can not. We thank you for the many things that go well and pray that we may cheerfully contribute to your plan.

Trust

Trust “I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last, you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” (Philippians 4 vs. 10-13) It always amazes me and reinforces my faith when something Paul said 2000 years ago applies directly to today’s world. For several years our free world economy has been flaky. Trust in government has faded as the leaders of America and the world have become polarized. The advent of Ponzi schemes and fraud by high-powered executives have hurt the trust we need in our financial markets for them to be strong. Even at low levels of government, doubts about their ability to perform are stronger than ever. It is scary because our country and the world rely on trust. In America, our money reminds us that “In God We Trust.” I promise to turn this around. I try not to be political, but that seems to be the case today. Paul is pointing out a simple truth, and we must pay attention. In a recent telecast, televangelist Joel Osteen said, “We do not know what the future holds, but we do know who holds our future.” Hmmm, there is something to think about. Thought for Today: Today and always, take time to focus on our savior. Take a few minutes to appreciate and welcome Him into our life. Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, today we give thanks for Paul’s words and encouragement. We pray that we may accept his advice graciously and lean on you to get through our daily stresses. Amen

New Beginnings

Start the Day " The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble." (Proverbs 4:18& 19) Those who have known me long know I have always been a morning person. I think there is no better time of day than early morning, even sunrise. There is no prettier sight than the sun coming up out of the sea off of Boston, the early light on the first tee waiting for enough daylight to see the ball's flight, or the sun coming up over a mountain when viewed from a canoe while fishing. I am blessed because the first light is a spiritual event to me. Each sunrise starts a new beginning, an opportunity to do better, and a new opportunity to do God's work. Yesterday is gone and can not be changed, and our future is today and beyond. These devotionals started as something to do during the early hours. The newscasts on TV were (and still are) depressing. The newspapers are full of bad news. It seems that bad news sells. Tomorrow, you will see a "first light." It may be mid-morning if you are a late sleeper or a sunrise. Either way, it is a new beginning, a new opportunity. It will be the first day of the rest of your life. Spend it with hope and joy. Thought for Today: There will be seven days this week. Each is a fresh start. Let us feel the spirit in the first light, the blessing of a new day. Let us live the first day of the rest of our lives with faith and the joy of the Lord. Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, we thank you for the sunrise, the new beginning, new opportunity. We pray we may use this opportunity to do your will here on earth. Amen

Our World “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3 vs. 5) As an octogenarian, I constantly wonder about the direction society is going. Remember the good old days? It seems that whatever age you are, they exist. Two of my mom's favorite expressions were "Live and Learn." and "The more you know, the more you don't know." By now, we “Octos” know it all. Hah. In the 50s, TV was going to ruin us. We spent more time watching it than reading, but we still read books. Then, in the 1980s, we bought an Apple IIE computer, and a new age began. In our ever-evolving society, the only constant in the human race is “change.” What has not changed? Nature. We still have four seasons; the sun rises and sets, and tides ebb and flow. It is September, and here in the northland, the evenings are cool, school has started, and a few leaves are turning. Man’s technology changes the way we operate. Our constant is our God-given world. We will read on our phones and tablets and send emails through cyberspace. All the while, God’s world will continue to evolve. Thought for Today: Give thanks for the many fall activities; school begins, kids are excited, and the formal learning process starts. To some, the start of the fall sports season is meaningful. To others, the fall means hunting and being outdoors. It would be easy amongst all the activities to forget God. Remember that all this is God's work, and give thanks for it all. Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, we thank you for your patient love. We hope and pray that we may use that love to understand this complex world and apply it to everyone's benefit. Amen