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 ) On July 28th, 2018, June and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary. We were married on her 30th birthday. She has been a blessing to me, and I often refer to her as the light at the end of my tunnel. She helped escort me from my dark period of the 1960s into something better- that seems to be still growing. Fifty years is a long time, and it was not all romance and happy times. There was alcohol treatment, recovery, career moves, stress, the challenges of raising four children, and just living with Bob, who does not always make sense. I often discuss the many benefits of a good marriage: the great mutual support, the care when illness arrives, and the joint celebrations of the many events that occur. Yes, marriage is truly an extraordinary institution when things are well and blessed by God. Thought for Today: Let's keep it simple and enjoy our significant other and those others around us. Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, today we give thanks for the people that you have placed close to us in our lives. We pray that as this week progresses, we can share our love with friends, family, and others we meet. Amen

Letting Go

Letting Go "So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away..." (2 Corinthians 5:17). With God's help, we can release the past and live in the now. Accepting God's presence in our lives can release the past rather than reliving it. Holding on to hurtful memories takes us down roads that lead nowhere. With God's help, we can choose new directions and turn from a nowhere destination to live in the here and now. A piece of all of us seems to need to live in the negative past. Divorced people can hold resentments for years; accident victims often resent the other driver; workers frequently hold grudges against their managers in the workplace, and it goes on. It is easy to do, but in the scope of Christianity, it does not fit. Forgiveness is what leads to peace and happiness. Today is a new day where we can discard the baggage of old habits that limit us. Start anew with God, take control of our lives, and be receptive to all the goodness God has to offer through divine guidance. Yes, today is the first day of the rest of our life. Thought for Today: Today, think about what wears us down. When it is a historical issue, deal with it. If you can adjust to the situation, do it. If you can switch to something positive, do it. If you can not resolve the negativity, pray about it. Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, we need you in our lives more than ever. There are so many negative issues it is often difficult to focus on your goodness. We thank the many blessings you bring to our lives, the great friends we need, the world that surrounds us with beauty, and our families that bless our lives. We thank you as our creator for our many blessings. Amen

Let Go and Let God

Let Go and Let God "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5) What do you do when a problem seems unsolvable? The solution is to let God show you that there is a solution. Do not be troubled if you are uncertain about the future or have difficulty releasing the past. Let go and let God guide you in this present moment. God is with you now. Let go of worries or concerns about how you think something should be done, and let God guide you to the best way to do it. Do not become overwhelmed by the number of tasks before you. Let God's spirit lead you step-by-step to a new life of fulfillment. As you let go and let God take charge of your life, you will realize that seeming obstacles can be disguised opportunities. God will never fail you. Thought for Today: Let go of the stress and tasks that seem impossible and out of our control; do what we can and pray about the rest. Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, we thank your presence in our lives and our future. We have confidence that grace will be ours by letting go, turning things over to you, and living by your laws. Amen

For Today

Independence Day

00704 Independence Day "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1) Independence makes America great, and our many freedoms make this a great place to live. Our constitution relies on our ability to self-govern. Below is a quote from Abraham Lincoln about our system. "This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it or exercise their revolutionary right to overthrow it." Pray for the future of America. Thought for Today: Let's celebrate our independence by obeying the Lord's commandments. Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, our country celebrates its independence. Our freedoms are based on your laws and our abilities to obey them. Today, we pray for spiritual growth, honesty, integrity, and ethics. Amen

Turning Around!

I mention dealing with negative forces in our lives. We can turn them around using our faith! Turn Around “May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; (Psalm 35 vs. 27 & 28) We learn in basic physics that perpetual motion does not and cannot exist. Something in motion will eventually stop due to outside forces unless we apply energy to keep it moving. A good summary statement for non-technical people reading this is that there is no free lunch. If you don’t believe it, take your foot off the gas. In our lives, we have stress and negativity. Early Christians felt a lot of resistance. The majority did not believe or support them, and they had some long days. Paul, Peter, and many others were martyred. They experienced tough times while promoting Christianity. We need to understand that negativity is somehow an opportunity for growth. When we resolve it, we will feel better. Through dedication, prayer, and a bit of effort, we can turn things around. We can apply physics to our lives, congregations, and careers. We must use our skills and efforts to keep the ball rolling positively. There is no free lunch and no penalty for failure. As stated above, “The LORD be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant.” We need to turn negativity around through our strength and faith. Thought for the Day: We will have an opportunity to turn over a negative force to improve our lives. Let’s make it happen through our strength, efforts, and prayers. Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, today is the first day of the rest of my life. It will start carefree with a beautiful sunrise. We may encounter negative forces, hostile situations, and items we would rather not deal with. We pray that you guide us and give us the faith and strength to make it through. Amen

God is with You

God is with Us "Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth." (Numbers 12:3) Like Moses, we are not always enthusiastic about what God wants. We are a humble lot, conservative, and considerate of others' views and feelings. We are humble before God. Many of us are leaders in the community, at work, and at church, often in roles that require strength while remaining humble. However, we need to perform tasks that require an assertive posture in our lives. That is a challenging task. God's response to Moses was, "...I will be with you." He will always be with us. When you feel hesitant and inferior, God says, "I will be with you." When you wonder if you can make it another day with the job stress, He says, "I will be with you." When you're faced with a tough decision and wondering what to do, He says, "I will be with you." When you are experiencing great joy, God is with you. You may be a bit reluctant, as was Moses, but we must remember that God is always with us as we go through life. Thought for Today: We need to remember that we are not alone. Through our faith, we have help meeting our obligations. So take control of situations humbly and allow ourselves to be led through the tasks ahead. Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, we thank you for being with us. We are often confused in a world of activity. Usually, we feel that we controlled the situation when things go well. We pray that we can recognize your involvement in our everyday lives and have the forethought to give you thanks through our actions and prayers. Amen