Birthday Party

As leaders and teachers, we must recognize that those around us often need encouragement. Romans 12 lists one of God’s gifts as “encouraging.” In the 1950s, parenting seemed critical. Slogans included: walk softly and carry a big stick; I’m taking you out behind the woodshed; switches and wooden spoons were commonplace. I had two coaches to compare. My football coach was a very successful negative motivator. I left football in my senior year and went to a private school to swim for a great coach. The newspaper published an article quoting the coach saying thet my leaving left a big hole in the program. That was the first positive thing I had ever heard from him. The swim coach was a positive motivator and sent several swimmers to national championships and Olympics. Our small prep school defeated high-ranking first-year college teams with several future 1960 Olympians. When one of us lost, we were surprised- Coach Al was a positive motivator and teacher that had us believing in ourselves. Today’s teachers use positive reinforcement, and most parents also do. Future generations will benefit significantly from enlightened parenting and teaching. People with the gift of encouragement are blessed, and I pray all of you have it. Thought for Today: We will all have an opportunity to “encourage” someone. It will be a natural “gift” to some, but it will be a chore to many. Let’s recognize where we fit and utilize God’s gifts in our lives to make God’s world a better place. Prayer for Today: We pray that we may use ou God given skills and knowledge to encourage as we lead our families and others. Amen.

86th Birthday Today

“Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) Each year on my birthday, I give thanks for something learned as a YMCA brat in my youth. The symbol for the Y is a triangle, and each side has a meaning, “spirit, mind, and body.” Each year I give thanks for my role as a father, son, and place in society. But let’s talk a bit about what it takes to be in a good place with ourselves. It is being selfish, yes, being selfish in pursuit of a healthy self: mentally, physically, and spiritually. In each of our lives, we must fit into niches in society; a family, a workplace, and a social setting. We fit best when the three sides of our triangle are in a healthy balance. In all areas of our lives, it is essential to demonstrate the forgiveness and love that comes from spirituality. We need to be physically fit enough to deal with the long days without being fatigued and run down. Also, we need to be mentally sharp when making life decisions. That is a lot to ask of mortals and not an easy task. So be a bit selfish. Take care of yourself so that you may be all that God wants you to be and be capable of doing His work when the opportunity presents itself to you. Take care of yourself to be all that your family needs you to be. Remember the logo of the YMCA, spirit, mind, and body. Keep fit and enjoy life. Birthday Thought: Today is the day the Lord has made, a day for me to enjoy. Friends will recognize it, the family will celebrate it, and I will enjoy it. It is a blessing that we all have and a great day to give thanks to the Lord for all of our many blessings. Birthday Prayer: Heavenly Father, today is a special day, the day that you brought me into your service. Throughout this day, I thank you for all the opportunities you have provided me and the chance to have a healthy relationship with family and friends. Today I will often hear the words “happy birthday.” To those words, I say, “Thanks be to God.” Amen

Importance

Importance "I saw that there is nothing better than that all should enjoy their work, for that is their lot; who can bring them to see what will be after them? " (Ecclesiastes 3:22) A job can provide great satisfaction. As Christians, we must guard against the temptation to live for our careers instead of God. Our relationship with the Lord and the people around us will outlast our jobs. Luke 12:15 speaks to us about greed and our attitude toward possessions: "Take care! Be on guard against all kinds of greed, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." Christ tells us to remember what is crucial as we approach our work and the people we encounter daily. We will no longer have a job at some point in our lives. That does not mean we will not have a career. There will be service to humanity, family, friends, and the Lord. It is not that lifestyle is not important because it is. However, a lifestyle can be empty and unrewarding without good health and strong faith. Thought for Today: Today, let us make every part of our lives an arena for deepening our faithfulness to God. and our fellow man. Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, please help me have a healthy attitude toward my daily activities and relationships. Please show me how to put money and possessions aside and the people around me upfront. Amen

Always Be Joyful

Always Be Joyful "Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:15-16) Writing during a summer sunrise is cool and clear, and the view from our balcony is beautiful and serene. There is no difficulty being joyful and praying. It is a great moment, but. This month has been a challenge in our world- Racial and financial inequities are troublesome, the pandemic and its variants are still present, and severe weather was rampant last evening. But today is the first day of the rest of our lives, and we need to rejoice in it. Out of adversity comes greatness. Today, hundreds of beautiful people volunteer to help in the cities that lost buildings in tornadoes; more are collecting and distributing food for the victims; many are simply praying for love to prevail and bring joy. In summary, life is not always great, and it is sometimes difficult to "Always be joyful," but we can always "Keep on praying." Bless you, all. Thought for Today: Let's find a way to enjoy life despite the challenges and recognize the challenges that will strengthen us. The Lord will see us through. Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, today we thank you for the joy in our lives and the ability to sustain it in hard times through prayer. Amen

Being Humble

Being Humble "Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth." (Numbers 12:3). Is there a meek person in your life? What do you think of the meek or humble person at work, in the family, or at church? Would you like to avoid him? We tend to equate humble or meek with being a wimp. In the case of Moses, he was not passive. He took on an Egyptian overseer, stood up to Pharaoh, and hiked the desert for forty years. It is hard to see him as a wimp. Humble is a choice. It is being humble before God and deliberately harnessing your strength, and tempering it to use in a controlled way. Humble is not weak. It is believing and obeying God when you don't particularly want to when it is not the path of least resistance. Moses was not always enthusiastic about what God wanted. He did not feel capable when God called him to lead the people out of bondage. He didn't exactly say, "right on." It was more like, "Me, you have got to be kidding. Try someone else." (see Exodus 4:10-13). God's response "I will be with you." When you feel hesitant and inferior, God says, "I will be with you." When you are wondering 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." Like Moses, you may be a bit reluctant. But he obeyed God. Moses believed him and did what he said. We can, too, when we humble ourselves. Thought for Today: Let's be humble before the Lord today! Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, we pray that we can do your will in our everyday actions. We pray for guidance and humility to accomplish that. Amen

Differences

Differences "...let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up our minds not to put an obstacle in our brothers' way." (Romans 14:13) Growing up in Boston in the 1940s and 1950s, my family was strict about who was acceptable and who was not; prejudiced to the max. I believe that the feelings existed from the fear of competition within our society. Fear that the Italian and Irish immigrants would become equals to the old-time New Englanders; the blacks, Catholics, and the WASPish list went on. (I made up that word WASPish.) There was a definite trend to block the social development of certain sections of society. At the end of the era, some factories' help-wanted signs stated, "Irish need not apply." It was a sad time. The good news is that I was blessed to be a YMCA brat growing up, and they were leaders in treating people as equals. I mixed with all factions and never saw any difference, so it was hard for me to buy into my family's ideas. My grandmother advised me that my Italian friends were not welcome at her house. At the YMCA, our director, Jim Goodwin, was a leader in educating us on equality (in the 1950s). Jim was exceptional and well before his time. His daughter tells me he spent time reaching out to the JCC (Jewish Community Center) and scheduling joint events. My senior year of high school was at Huntington Prep in downtown Boston. It was my first exposure to a truly diverse community of mixed nationality and race. It was confusing because they were great guys, and my family had a true WASPish background. We studied together, trained together, and were fond of each other. We all shared a common goal: to get into a good college. My story has a point. Somehow, I was blessed by being exposed to worldly people and was blind to the differences. My friends were varied. The moral is clear: love your neighbor and do not be afraid to show it. Thought for Today: Today, we will interact with people of all kinds, recognizing them as equals and embracing the blessings of our differences. Love them all unconditionally. Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, somehow, America, home of the free, still harbors prejudices within our society. Today, we pray that we can learn to accept others as St. Paul suggested. Amen