Unseen!

Unseen

 

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen,

but on what is unseen.

For what is seen is temporary,

but what is unseen is eternal.

(2 Corinthians 4, 16-18) 

            My friend and colleague will celebrate a significant birthday this summer. She is going to Colorado to celebrate and run the Pikes Peak marathon. Not only is that a challenge, but she is also one who can keep her focus on the prize “…that far outweighs them all.” She has shown me tenacity and an example of excellence in lifestyle in her athletics that carries over to her personal and business life; some people are secretly jealous, and some think she is nuts! Each of us needs focus and endurance to get through our lives.  

            We cannot see around the corners of our lives and must live one day at a time. Each day’s challenges and problems dealt with appropriately is a step toward peace. Living each day in a Godly manner with our eyes on the eternal prize will bring us peace.             

Thought for Today: Let us look ahead (in some cases think back about) in our families to our elders. In some ways, that gives us a preview of our future. However, there are no guarantees, positive or negative. Let us think about our dreams, fantasies, and goals. Let us remember what we see every day is“…temporary,but what is unseen is eternal.” 

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, we thank you for our blessings and can see them today. We pray that we have the endurance to reach the unseen, the ultimate prize.

Amen

 

 

Focus and Indurance

It's a special day. Pray for a special Christian friend and Athlete as she does her 14th R2R2R. Paulette Odenthal will lead some friends on this great adventure. (R2R2R is Rim to Rim to Rim of the Grand Canyon) Unseen “Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly, we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed daily. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4, 16-18) Life is not a sprint; it is an endurance event. Endurance athletes pride themselves on doing events from two hours to multiple days long, which is indeed commendable. I do not mean to sell them short, but we all need endurance and focus on getting through a 168-hour week, a four-week month, and a fifty-two-week year. Marathon runners do not get to the end of the race by being discouraged by the next hill; they focus on the finish they cannot see. An interesting piece of that is the pain suffered when nearing the end almost always subsides when the finish line comes into view, and that was always true for me in my Triathlons. When we travel through our years, there will be peaks and valleys. Sometimes, the hill out of the valley seems too steep to climb. One step at a time, we will reach the next peak when we keep our focus on the unseen prize. Thought for Today: Let’s think about what prize we want in life and focus on it. Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, today we pray for a vision; your vision for us. We pray for the understanding of what your will is so that we may focus on it. Amen

New Beginnings

Start the Day Start the Day " The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble." (Proverbs 4:18& 19) Those who have known me for a long time know I have always been a morning person. I think there is no better time of day than early morning, even sunrise. There is no prettier sight than the sun coming up out of the sea off of Boston, the early light on the first tee waiting for enough daylight to see the ball's flight, or the sun coming up over a mountain when viewed from a canoe while fishing. I am blessed because the first light is a spiritual event to me. Each sunrise starts a new beginning, an opportunity to do better, and a new opportunity to do God's work. Yesterday is gone and can not be changed, and our future is today and beyond. These devotionals started as something to do during the early hours. The newscasts on TV were (and still are) depressing. The newspapers are full of bad news. It seems that bad news sells. Tomorrow, you will see a "first light." It may be mid-morning if you are a late sleeper or a sunrise. Either way, it is a new beginning, a new opportunity. It will be the first day of the rest of your life. Spend it with hope and joy. Thought for Today: There will be seven days this week. Each is a fresh start. Let us feel the spirit in the first light, the blessing of a new day. Let us live the first day of the rest of our lives with faith and the joy of the Lord. Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, we thank you for the sunrise, the new beginning, new opportunity. We pray we may use this opportunity to do your will here on earth. Amen

Temptations and Perseverance

Temptations “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” (James 1 vs.1-3) We will face trials in our lives. Some are simple, some are complex, and all help us become better people when we deal with them correctly. James is correct; tests of our faith develop character and perseverance. Remember the story about the tortoise and the hare? The hare is overconfident and loses the race. My favorite poster was on my office wall for 30 years. It was of a very long windy road, miles long, and showed a lone runner. The distance to the horizon appeared to be out to infinity. The caption read, “The race is not always to the swift but to those who keep running.” The title was persistence. The hare was the fastest, had all the advantages but lacked commitment and persistence. James and Jesus knew it; we hear and understand it; we must persevere in our faith to improve the world. Thought for the Day: Today, this week, month, and year let us remember our faith. Each day let us spread our love and joy to make our presence a positive force. Prayer for Today: Dear God, we give thanks for your presence in our lives and the ability to resist temptations. Amen

Assertiveness'

Can you be an assertive Christian?

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1, v7) Kenneth Haugk's book, "Speaking the Truth in Love: How to Be an Assertive Christian,” did not promote standing on the corner rattling beads and waving the bible. It asked us to be unafraid to tell people who and what we are through our words and behavior. The simple act of a blessing at the lunch counter, a quiet time during a coffee break, and having a daily meditation on our desk are all subtle but assertive statements. In the workplace today, human resource departments have declared that religious issues may make someone uncomfortable and, therefore, inappropriate. Many companies' email screens quarantine religious terms and other words with language scans. Being an assertive Christian in the workplace is not a good idea. However, behaving in an ethical, Christ-like manner will improve the chance for success. Here are three examples of semi-assertive Christian behavior in the workplace. A small business owner begins each week with a voluntary prayer breakfast; a second has a daily meditation calendar on his desk and says a blessing at all lunches; the third wears a lapel pin feet from footprints in the sand. All three inevitably lead to discussions with other Christians and improve the work environment. We are given power, love, and self-discipline through our faith. It is important to remember to display and practice it every day. Thought for Today: We Christians spend hours doing good things in society. Many simple things have little to do with spirituality but come from our hearts through our faith. This week, let's freely discuss our Christian ethics and beliefs with others so that they may better understand why we are who we are. Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Savior, we are approaching the time of year when all faiths have a special recognition of their beginnings. We pray that we may focus on our similarities rather than differences through faith. We pray and give thanks for peace and the opportunity to serve humanity through You. We pray that the peace pledged by You spread throughout society.

Be Strong!

Time Out!

Time Out “Teach us to number our days so that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12) Citizens of the World and America are dealing with pandemic issues, environmental challenges, and a world war. We just finished a long pleasant summer; arboretum picnics, pool time, family visits and took our long walks filled our time. Yes, we relaxed through our activities. Many people are still uptight. Attendance in Christian churches goes down in the summer, and people go the entire period without recharging their batteries. They get to the end of August, tired and feeling empty. There is a better way and a way to a better peace. My message is that what we do is fine, but if we feel a bit empty, that is the message to bring the Lord’s holiness into our day. Lincoln put it like this: “All we want is time, patience, and a reliance on a God who has never forsaken his people.” When we are feeling empty, we need to recharge our spirituality. Thought for Today: Let’s reach out and show the world our Christ-like side. Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, it has been a long busy summer. We are renewing our fall and winter activities. Thank you for the rest and recreation of vacation times as we move forward into the school year and the fall season. Amen