Sincerity

Sincerity

 

"Love must be sincere.
Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.
Honor one another above yourselves.
 Never be lacking in zeal,
But keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.
Share with God's people who are in need.
Practice hospitality."
(Romans 12:9-13)

 

        During the Christmas season, we all share material gifts. It is a beautiful time of year. It is a time of love and caring with lots of hugs, kisses, and tears of joy. The love and spirit of Christ are a blessing.

 

        Now we are faced with a New Year and the resolutions that come with it. We tend to go back to the grind of daily life and settle into our routine with very few changes. However, we need to continue to share this love, this zeal, and this joy. When we do, we all benefit and live better lives. Here are two of my favorite quotes for the New Year.

 

John F. Kennedy:  "One person can make a difference, and every person must try."

 

John Wesley:

"Do all the good you can,

by all the means you can,

in all the ways you can,

in all the places you can

at all the times you can,

to all the people you can,

as long as ever you can."

 

Thought for Today: As we proceed toward the New Year, let us focus on ourselves and our talents. Let us recognize that we have unique gifts from the Lord to use for Him.

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, we are entering the New Year and wonder what it will have in store for us. We pray we can apply our talents and gifts in the New Year to pursue your will.
Amen 

 

Universal Hope

 Universal Hope 

"The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

 Day after day, they pour forth speech;

night after night, they display knowledge.

 There is no speech or language

where their voice is not heard.

Their voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world."

(Psalm 19v1-4) 

The holiday season is a time of hope. We are encouraged to believe there is hope for universal understanding and world peace. The Psalmist notes that there is one clear message from the heavens, one God with one statement in all tongues to all peoples. 

We live in a troubled world with natural disasters, civil unrest, war, and COVID persists again this year. They capture the headlines. Indeed, people question God's role in all of this. 

We need to remember that "The heavens declare the glory of God;the skies proclaim the work of his hands." The press and news media report on other issues. It is up to each of us to focus on the message. We can infect the world with faith, peace, and hope with our example. 

             John F. Kennedy said, "One person can make a difference, and every person must try." 

Thought for Today: OK, there will be bad news this week. We will hear it, see it, and sometimes feel it. We need to overcome it with the faith and hope of the Lord and show others our hope for future generations. 

Prayer for the Season: Dear Lord, this is the time of year when all faiths celebrate you. We honor your presence in different ways with the common thread of love and peace. We pray for the guidance to share our faith so we may sow a seed in your name.

 

Blue Christmas

 

 Blue Christmas 

"Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me,

for in you, my soul takes refuge.

I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed."

(Psalm 57:1) 

            This week Christian Churches have a particular service for people having a sad time over the Holidays. Often called a Blue Christmas Service after the Elvis Presley song, but it also exists as a Service of Light and Hope. We can always find reasons to be blue over the holidays, and it is good to look at those feelings, put them in perspective and pray to God for the support available to us. 

            Many miss spouses who passed this year. There are too many to list with severe ailments and others with challenging career and financial situations. Also, we need to pray for what seems to be our new pandemic lifestyle.  

            Christmas is a time of celebration. Through it, we remember those who are experiencing loss. June and I pray about aging, living in a new society with COVID, and our growing family's future. We must accept the season's joy as we move toward the holiday. Take refuge in the shadow of God's wings. 

Thought for Today: Let us take note of our sad feelings over the holidays. Let us recognize that they exist. Rather than mask them with joy, let us pray about them and turn them over to God so we can enjoy the celebration of Christ's birth. 

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, we have special holiday prayers. We pray that your presence brings trust and love to the world. We pray for people who have lost loved ones and are spending their first Christmas with an empty place at the table. We give thanks for your role in our lives and the help you have given us. Thank you for being available for us each day.

Amen

Problems?

Problems? 

“From them will come songs of thanksgiving
and the sound of rejoicing.
I will add to their numbers,
and they will not be decreased;
I will bring them honor,
and they will not be disdained.”

(Jeremiah 30 vs.19) 

            Every day is a day to rejoice. We are between our formal day of Thanksgiving and Christ’s birthday celebration. Most of us are enjoying what we call the holiday season. The message above tells us that God wants us to rejoice and to be happy. We need to pay attention to that.           

Thought for Today: We will be happy as we will work through our busy schedules, deal with holiday stress, and in the end, let us rejoice. 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, today we rejoice in your name and thank you for giving the Grace and spirit of your son, Jesus.

Amen

 

Happiest Season

Happiest Season 

“Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi.

On the way, he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist.

others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”

(Mark 8 vs. 27-29)

            It is a wonderful time of the year when we look forward to celebrating Christ’s birth. We are blessed because of His presence in our everyday lives. We have a God-given relief from the daily stresses our society places on us. 

            Interestingly, 30-plus years after his birth, Jesus was asking who they believed he was. My thoughts are that the Christmas story would be enough. But then, nothing in this world is ever easy; not then and certainly not now. 

            So what is Christmas really about? Gifts, material giving, and recharging of our spiritual batteries. It is a great time of the year, the happiest time. We must enjoy the season while recharging our batteries, reinforcing our beliefs, and preparing for the New Year. 

             Katharine McPhee said in her song:

“Have yourself a merry little Christmas

Let your heart be light

From now on, our troubles

Will be out of sight.”

 

Blessings to you all for a great season of Joy!

 

Thanksgiving Prayers

 

Thanksgiving Prayers

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
(Mathew 11:28-30)

 

        The Holiday season has arrived. Thanksgiving just passed, and surely we all spent four days meditating and offering prayers of thanks for our blessings. WHAT?? That's not what we did at my house. In June, our daughter Karen and I were downtown and hosted thousands at a race we created in the early 1980s. We were honored by Twin Cities in Motion, and I got to be the starter and do the race. After that, we had a family gathering at my daughter Claire's. The day's activities were a lot for a couple totaling 167 years of age!

 

        As Christians, we are coming on a very special day to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Our calendars are full of special events: holiday parties, Winter sports, Christmas pageants and services, shopping, and yearend business meetings. However, our focus is often on gifts, parties, and getting our acts together for the New Year. Is all this activity a bad thing? I think not, especially if we can get through it all by keeping Christ at our side and on our minds. Sometimes it just gets out of control.

 

Christianity and spirituality are beautiful allies during busy times.

Thought for Today: Let us focus on finding more time for ourselves during this busy period. Let's take a few minutes each day to let Christ help us enjoy the season. Let us be selfish once a day and take time out from our obligations to society.

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, we are overburdened with problems. People are dying at war and on the streets of our cities. We are busy with final-year business activities and planning for Christmas. Many of us will be traveling over the holidays. Please give me the power to be aware of Christ's presence through all of this. Help me find a way to walk through this activity with God as my co-pilot.
Amen
   

Always Friends

We must pray for world peace and an end to the insanity of war.

June and I are planning Thanksgiving dinner with our daughter Claire. We will start in downtown Minneapolis with 5,000 others at the Turkey Day 5K that started at our home in the 1980s. Twin Cities In Motion will be in charge of the event, we will have a four-generation 5K walk with our great-grandsons, and I will be the honorary starter.

 

01111 Always Friends 

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved,

 clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.

 Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

(Colossians 3, 12-14; NIV) 

            Most of us have a problem feeling like one of “God’s chosen people.” The control freak in us wants to believe that we chose to follow Him, which is ego-centric and introspective. We all know that we chase Him until he catches us. In our lives, who are “God’s Chosen,” and what do they do?  

            This month is Thanksgiving, and one of my traditions is to do Christmas greetings. Each card and letter that gets addressed is to someone special. The addressees have all played a role in my life, including friends, advisors, mentors, coaches, etc. It is a wonderful feeling to sit there and think about each of them (you). Are they God’s chosen people?  

            The holiday season is an excellent opportunity to celebrate Christ’s birth and life. It is also a chance to think of the many people God has placed into our lives that have demonstrated “… compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience...” A priest in the UK included me in his daily prayers during my cancer period, another is a running buddy of over thirty-five years duration, and several former pastors were spiritual advisors… the list goes on. 

Thought for Today: This week, let us think about our friends. Remember why they are, who they are, and what they mean to us. 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, we have many blessings you have given us. Among them are our friends and contacts, and each of them is a blessing. We offer our prayers for their health and happiness and thank you for presenting them to us so that we may all get through this 2022 holiday season healthy and thankful!

Amen