Following the Way

Following the Way "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is... Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." (Romans 12; 1-4) Society does not fit the biblical model we are taught and often desire. Truth, honesty, integrity, love, and many other virtues seem rare. Often, we join in and need correction in our human desire to "fit". It is normal to err and join in. It is also forgivable. In a discussion last week in a business environment, we reviewed several long-term, successful people in business. We compared the successful men with some that were sinking fast or already out of business. Those with long-term success functioned like they had read Paul's message to the Romans. They were not always right but always seemed to grow and strive for excellence. Fairness was their trademark; perpetual growth appeared to be a trait. They earned the respect and trust of those around them and were not "sharks" but win-win businessmen. They incorporated their Christian beliefs into the challenging world of doing business. That is truly doing God's will. Thought for Today: Stand up and be counted; demonstrate our faith in circumstances where we would not normally do so. Demonstrate that we are considerate and Godly in our daily activities. Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, our world is distracting and volatile. We all have too much to do, too many commitments, and too many fears. Throughout all of this, we pray for peace. We pray for our internal peace and the ability to demonstrate the value of peace to others. Amen

Joy

Joy "The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy, and I will give thanks to him in song." (Psalm 28:7) Is there joy in our lives? Let us face it: most of us have more joy (positives) than negatives. Our family, friends, and associates are sources of great joy. It is easy to see spring joy. It is spring, and the grass is green; the trees are budding with leaves, and spring flowers are showing their colors. Many today have a problem seeing the joys in their lives. There are issues caused by COVID-19 that have changed our lives. Even so, there are always positives. Keeping the Lord in our lives through prayer when we are down is vital. Paul told the Romans (15:13), "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." Our surroundings and lifestyles create our physical and emotional joys. Absolute joy comes through our Christian beliefs. This belief gives us the "strength" and "shield" mentioned by the Psalmist. Thought for Today: Let us keep joy at the forefront of our thoughts. When challenged with life, let's use our shield - the Lord. Prayer for the Week: Heavenly Father, many of our friends are fighting battles. Illness, unemployment, unwanted career changes, and many others. We pray for them to understand your strength and love. We pray that they may only find the joy through trust in you. Amen

Spring

Spring "Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants." (Deuteronomy 32:2) "I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil." "\(Deuteronomy 11:14) Spring is a beautiful time of the year. Long warmer evenings replace short winter days. Spring bulbs emerge from the ground with green sprouts, and color returns to the woods, parks, and yards. It is a time when the wonders of God bring peaceful thoughts to us all. We also live in a world of protests, shootings, and fear. Terrorism, anger, illness, and other crises fill our world alongside the wonders of spring. Where is our "peace on earth"? Spring shows us how close it is and that God is trying to bring it to us. What is our best way to participate in having a peaceful world? The message in another hymn,"...let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me." gives us a hint. If each of us does our part, we can influence the world. John F. Kennedy put it like this. "One person can make a difference, and every person must try." Thought for Today: We encounter negativity, anger, frustrations in the workplace, and frustration in our lives. We can choose to be anxious or at peace. Let peace begin with each of us. This week let's demonstrate Christian love and our quiet side. Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, we see violent negativity worldwide and have very little control over it all. We pray that we may lead by the example of Christ, and that our living example may contribute to a better world.

Enough is Enough

Enough is enough "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain." (Psalm 127 vs.1) The competitive nature of our society has generated a workaholic mentality. In the 1960s, we occasionally met someone who worked a 50-hour week, and in some families, both the wife and husband had full-time jobs, but they were not commonplace. People work way too much. They are on the internet daily, attached to cell phones, and then overloaded with our sports and recreational commitments. In "When I Relax I Feel Guilty," Tim Hansel wrote about our present state. "We are called to be faithful, not frantic. If we are to meet the challenges of today, there must be integrity between our words and our lives and more reliance on the source of our purpose. "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders' labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. 2 In vain, you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for He grants sleep to those he loves." In the Christian sense, running here and there, volunteering is now required to be considered a dedicated, sacrificing, spiritual Christian. Perhaps the seven deadly sins have created another member- Overwork! We must remember that our strength lies not in hurried efforts and endless long hours but our quietness and confidence. The world says today that enough is enough. Thought for Today: Slow down, take a break. Prayer for the Day: Dear Lord, we thank you for your many blessings. Through you, we have enough. Amen

Style Change

Style Change? “For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.” (Proverbs 1:32/33) The more we change, the more we seem to stay the same (adapted from Alfonse Karr). When we focus on our spirituality, we can live “…without fear of harm.” Negatives build when we lose focus and create a slippery slide. Putting oneself first part of each day is critical to maintaining sanity and personal growth. It is essential to take time to grow every day to be a good parent, employee, and friend. How do we do all we need to do to meet our obligations? The answer is priorities and including the Lord on the list. When we do not have time for God, it is a sign of over-commitment, reacting to our “to-do” lists rather than planning our day. Pat McNamara, a former Olympian from Minneapolis, once advised me that if I was going to stay in shape, I had to give fitness a priority part of every day. Make it a calendar item and follow Nike’s advice, “Just Do It.” The same applies to faith. Schedule a time to listen to the Lord’s message so we “…will live safely and be at ease, without fear of harm.” Thought for Today: Recognize the internal conflict between our over-committed “to-do” lists and the time required for personal growth. The concept is simple: we all want to be better in spirit, mind, and body but lack time. Let’s try placing the Lord first for a few minutes and feel the difference. Prayer for Today: Father, you are at the top of my list today. I look forward to the piece that you will bring. Amen

Don't Forget To Call

Don't Forget to Call "The Lord said, 'Call to me, and I will answer you.'" (Jeremiah 33:3) It is easy to go through a busy day without acknowledging the presence of God in our lives. Sometimes, when we get to the end of a day and look back, the day seems un-Godly. When that happens, we have not done the best job of caring for ourselves. That is our fault. Confusion and stress seem to find their way into our lives. We will have busy and stressful days, and bad things will happen to us. It is advisable to put ourselves first for a part of each day, which requires a bit of selfishness. Alone time shared with God will make us better workers, parents, and people. There is nothing selfish about that. Henri Nouwen called it a still place: "…This still place is where God can dwell and speak to us. It also is the place from which we can speak in a healing way to all the people we meet in our busy days." We all need to think about that. Thought for Today: Remember to be selfish, take a break, and allow God to support us. Prayer for Today: Let us pray that God will be present in our lives as we pursue the opportunities before us. Amen

April Fool

0401 Boldness "Almighty God, may they be filled with the Holy Spirit and speak the Word of God with boldness..." -- Acts 4:31 April fool's day is a day of practical jokes, misleading emails, and general tomfoolery. That will not work because we cannot hide from God, who loves us. So, let's skip reading our devotional and forget the Holy Spirit and our Lord so that we may participate. Today the comics in the newspaper will have Fool's Day jokes, the news and sports programs will be full of them, and there will be a few bogus press releases to get your attention. If I were to write a press release for today, it would be "Bob shoots par at St. Andrews!" or "… wins the Ironman." People would immediately recognize these were jokes, and some would know they were my fantasies. Like all days, I hope this devotional puts you on track to recognize the Holy Spirit in your life and its role in you. While others are playing jokes, we need to be sure that we are bold in our faith. Blessings to you all, and enjoy the start of April. Thought for Today: Today, we will be bold in our faith and remember that it is ok to be a joker. Prayer for Today: Father, we give thanks for all we are and have. We thank you for having the freedom to enjoy a good joke, a great laugh, and the faith to know the absolute truth. We pray for good health, world peace, and prosperity for all. Amen