Listen!

00626 Listen 

“Listen, accept what I say;
and the years of your life will be many.”

(Proverbs 4 vs. 10)

 

            Driving to the trail to do my morning walk there were a father and son in the car behind me. The son was wearing a headset and probably listening or viewing something on his phone. The Dad had his phone up to his ear. In our apartment complex there are parents with their children but on their screens. Screens and blue tooth are an integral part of society today; we are together but separated by technology. 

            So, as not to sound too much like an old fogey, I need to admit that most of my communications today are with text, email, or social media. It is a great way to stay in touch with people and the twenty-two members of our family! My question is, “Are we missing out on closeness…or increasing our contact? 

            In the ancient 1950s, my folks and I rode together a lot and they would not turn on the radio. It was our time to talk. Often, I was getting grilled but once in a while, it was my turn to ask and question. I especially liked to quiz my mom when we were riding to school, she was a teacher and always had the inside scoop. My dad was a talker and with him was my time to listen and learn. I do not remember much about what I learned but we sure talked. There is a closeness to a personal conversation that we may be missing. 

            Observing in my mirror there was no conversation between the boy and his dad. They were in different worlds. Sometimes my grandkids do that to me when I pick them up from school. Alone time is important, use it! With that said, the increased communication through technology makes keeping in touch easier. 

            My conclusion for today is nothing. Times are changing and people change with the times. We are parents charged with raising and mentoring the next generation. Prayerfully our love and Christian values will be passed on. 

Thought for Today:  Today let us be communicators with those around us. Let us share our love and faith as well as some hints on life. 

Prayer for Today: Today we pray for future generations. We pray that the technology that makes their lives simpler enhances their understanding of Jesus and his grace.

           

God is with You

00620 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 other's views and feelings. We are humble before God.

        However, in our lives, we are often asked to perform tasks that require an assertive posture. Many of us are leaders in the community, at work, and church; often in roles that require strength while still being humble. That is a challenging task!

   God's response to Moses was "...I will be with you." and he will be with us always.         

When you are feeling 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."

When you are experiencing great joy, God is with you.

You may be a bit reluctant, as was Moses, but we need to remember that as we go through life, God is with us always.

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. Often when things go well, we feel that we controlled the situation. 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
 

Peace

Peace 

“You will keep in perfect Peace

those whose minds are steadfast, 

because they have trust in you.” 

(Isaiah 26 verse 3)

            Peace is a direct result of faith and trust. When situations are not what we like we have options. One is to fear negative results that may occur; another is to focus on how we can avoid or minimize negative impact. It is important to stay on a positive track and be steadfast!           

In life, we need to keep our eye on the sky, look upward and outward for the positive results. Our news and media outlet rating systems have proven that bad news sells and it is important. The bad news about pandemics, riots, fires, murders are important to hear but carry the risk dampening our positive attitudes! 

As Christians we need to be steadfast and positive; have a positive outlook. We need to be the leaders in fairness, equality, and in displaying the social values taught to us by Jesus. We can help solve the world's issues when we are steadfast and trust in our faith. 

Thought for Today: Today be positive in the face of all challenges. Let’s snatch peace from the grasp of negativity. 

Prayer for the Day: Dear Lord, today we give thanks for the opportunity to have peace in our lives. We pray that we may focus on doing your will and that through our steadfast love we will have peace and contribute to the peace of others.

Peace through Faith

Peace through Faith 

"Flee the evil desires of youth,
and pursue righteousness, faith love, and peace...
...The Lord's servant must not quarrel;
instead, he must be kind, able to teach and
not resentful." (2Timothy2:24)           

Forgiveness is the way of our Christian life. It is not always an easy path. We Christians are challenged throughout our lives with anger and resentment. Sometimes we grow vindictive and just want to get even. Wow, what a curse. Is it possible to find peace through revenge? Absolutely not.

The news in 2020 has been traumatic, about Pandemic and bigotry…not much about love! So, what is next, and are we going to lead? …follow? …or just be spectators? I suggest there is an appropriate time for all three but that we each start with a self-evaluation! (and prayer!).

 

Sociologist Anne Curtis summed it up recently, “Social change happens in stops and starts. It moves along at a snail’s pace, trudging, like through molasses, then suddenly jolts forward when something big happens, often with expressions of violence (such as this). Violence has advanced social change for millennia… we need to make some really tough decisions about our own beliefs: Saying "violence is not the answer" ignores historical context. Between the lines, we're really just saying "I am more comfortable with the status quo."

 

Are you satisfied with our world?

 

In our churches last Sunday, we celebrated “Epiphany”. Webster defines it in our lives as "a moment of sudden or great revelation that usually changes you in some way.” It is time we started something new! If the Pandemic can cause us to think about a new reality, I suggest we use our Christian love to do the same.

 

            The Christian message is clear; we will find peace only when we have a strong enough faith to forgive and keep God through Jesus Christ at the forefront of our lives.

 

Thought for the Week: Let this week be the week we start the process of healing and creating true equality.

Prayer for the Week: Heavenly Father, we pray for peace and social justice. As your followers let us lead the way!

Acceptance

00606 Acceptance 

"Accept him whose faith is weak without passing judgment."

(Romans 14:1)

"...let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up our minds not

to put an obstacle in our brother’s way."

 (Romans 14:13).

"Let us make every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification."

(Romans 14:19).

 

            Paul’s messages to the Romans make it clear that acceptance leads to peace. Acceptance is required as a piece of Christian love. Our world in 2020 has been dominated by some new experiences; pandemic, the American election politics of hate, Brexit and Boris, and internationally the wars and skirmishes that threaten peace. The final straw triggered here in my hometown, long term oppression based on color.  

            My thoughts this week have been varied. I remembered a 1961 musical by Anthony Newley and Leslie Beicusse, “Stop the World, I Want to Get Off.” It was a good title, a tongue in cheek musical, and it is sad that here in the new millennium it still rings a bell! 

              On a more positive note, in 1955 Jill Jackson-Miller and Sy Miller wrote: “Let There be Peace on Earth”. Wow, that would be great.  

            You (We) are responsible! Each of us plays a role in some way. By not speaking out or by speaking out. We can go either way. By not making amends when we messed up or by not forgiving when wronged. Yep, none of us is perfect! So, let’s try a bit harder, let the peace on earth begin with you.            

Thought for Today: Let’s focus this week on our contribution to peace through Christian Love.  

Prayer for Today:  Dear Lord, we pray that we may learn to love others under any conditions and that we may personally contribute to a caring and loving world.

Amen.

New Beginnings

00529 New Beginnings

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,

he is a new creation;

the old has gone,

the new has come!”

(2 Corinthians 5:17)

            Today is the first day of the rest of your life; believe in it. Every day is a new day, a chance to start over. Yesterday is past, tomorrow the future and today is a gift from God. It is up to us how we are going to use it. We can choose to carry around our old baggage or harvest new joys. It is our choice.

            Using a golf analogy, life is match play, hole by hole versus day by day. A bad golf hole in match play does not cost you the match, it counts as one of eighteen! In life, a bad day is painful and certainly not wanted and may contribute to a bad week. However, it can be a bottom, and life can be all uphill from there. We can turn bad into good.

           

            If you are reading this today you are on the right track, giving yourself the opportunity for a better day. Meditation and prayer will jump-start your day and open the window to the light of our faith.

Thought for Today: Today let us start a new beginning.

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father we give you thanks for our many blessings; especially for a new day. We pray that we capture the joys of life that you lead us to and that we may help someone else also find them.

Amen

           

Straight to our Heart

Straight to our Heart

“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the LORD^[a];
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.”

(Isaiah 40 vs. 3)

            When driving in the UK where the roads are windy and twisty, occasionally we come to a long straight road that goes on for miles. My wife, a Brit, explained to me that those are ancient Roman roads laid out 2000 years ago. I found that impressive.

            In ancient times leaders built roads in the desert for their armies to move. They are long and straight and efficient so they could move quickly. The valleys are filled by pushing the tops of the hills. They facilitated the need. In New England where I grew up, there are very few straight roads. They paved the cow paths and horse trails which tended to follow the river beds. It is tough for strangers to find their way.

            The message today is that we need to be sure of our road to the lord; that it is straight. There needs to be a straight connection between God and our hearts. We need to allow the simplest two way travel possible in our complex world; straight to our heart. 

Thought for Today: Today let’s think about where our road takes us; where are we going. Perhaps we can take a few bends out and travel straight. 

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, we live in a complex world and are surrounded by too much activity and we are overcommitted. Today we thank you for being with us and pray that we may keep our hearts open to you and stay on a straight and holy path.

Amen