Play Christ's Way

Play Christ's Way "Therefore, welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God." (Romans 15:7) We are faced with decisions every day regarding our relationship with others. Sometimes, there is aggressive behavior. In business, there is competition to get to the top; in school, there is competition to be the head of the class; in sports, there is competition to be number one, etc. It is the way it is. When growing up, I was taught that winning is not everything. It was how you played the game that mattered. In the seventies, I attended a business management seminar sponsored by Green Bay coach Vince Lombardi. The emphasis was on detail, being service-oriented, and planning. Over the years, the operating principles learned at that seminar have made my life very successful. They taught us to have a game plan and work it, but alter it as needed. To play by the rules takes faith in yourself and God and love and caring for people. Weekly recipients of my messages vary greatly from all walks of life and socioeconomic backgrounds. Two are very successful Christian CEOs, and their companies' behavior matters to them. Christian ethics take strong faith. No matter where or who we are, fairness and love of others are crucial to success. Then how do we deal with the aggressive ones, such as the inconsiderate neighbor? Cut-throat businessman? The ones that bend the rules? We need to pray for and love our competitors in life. John quotes Jesus in chapter 15:17, "This is my command, Love each other." Thought for Today: This week, let us practice unconditional love. If confronted with opportunistic or aggressive behavior, let us find a way to positively and lovingly navigate the situation. Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, let me reach out to people this week. Please help me understand them and care about them. We pray that we can improve ourselves and our surrounding world through our faith in your ways. Amen

Peace

Peace! Pray for world peace. I pray that you may find personal peace and joy in life. Young at Heart "Be happy, young person, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart..." (Ecclesiastes 11:9) Some people seem at peace. They avoided the rat race of life and found the happiness most sought. The interesting fact is they cross all socioeconomic boundaries. The common thread is always their faith. They believe things will work out. The strong message here is that the things that bring peace, serenity, and happiness to our lives are found in spiritual growth and can be found in yours. Thought for Today: Today, avoid the rat race by praying for serenity and doing what we need to obtain peace. Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, thank you for the opportunities before us. We pray for serenity, love, and the chance to promote peace in our community. Amen

Pride and Humility

00501 Pride and Humility "Before his downfall, a man's heart is proud, but humility comes before honor." (Proverbs 18:12) My mom used to use some interesting terms and expressions when describing humanity. One of her favorites was "foolhardy" when someone did something out of line. Another was, "It is better to be silent and thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." Somehow, when we are proud in the context of today's text, we are not paying attention. When we exhibit false pride, it helps us grow to appreciate the realities of life. We are often overconfident, especially when we are young. Somehow, that is God's way of teaching us. We constantly have to monitor our pride and confidence. The elders of society have knowledge and experience but are not always correct. Technology and culture are changing faster than fifty years ago. Therefore, many of the rules of life have changed. In our spiritual lives, the rules have not and will not change. The ethics, love, and traditions Christ taught us will endure regardless of technology changes and cash flows. We need to take inventory of our pride and be honest. We must uphold our values to serve the Lord in an ever-changing world. Thought for Today: Every day is the first day of the rest of our lives. The mistakes and experiences of our past are nothing more than learning experiences and enable us to move forward with confidence. Today, let us focus on being humble and dealing with the realities of our worlds. Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, we give thanks for the lessons we have learned and our loves. Thank you for putting it before us through all that Jesus taught us and what we learned from the past. Amen

Infants

Infants “Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3 vs. 1) I confess to you that I cannot quote a lot of scripture; I do not know a lot of biblical history; I have never visited the holy land; sometimes, I skip my Friday bible study to play golf or work out. At best, I am an infant in Christ. That is good because it leaves plenty of room to grow, to keep trying, and a reason to keep writing. There is growth ahead when we do the right things. Our life is a spiritual journey without limits or an end. That’s an excellent thought. As a young engineer, my mentor used to quote Aristotle, “The more you know, the more you know you don’t know.” It is true with our faith. The more we learn, the more the mystery and the higher our thirst becomes. That may be the best part of it all. Thought for Today: Recognize the opportunity to grow in the Spirit, that we are in our infancy and have room for exciting growth! Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, we are grateful for your presence in our lives and the peace brought to us through faith. We will face challenges today and go forth with the knowledge that you will be with us. Amen

Patriots Day

Patriots Day “Do you not know that in a race, all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” (1 Corinthians 9 vs. 24& 25) In Massachusetts, April 19th is Patriots Day. That gave me two choices to write about today: Paul Revere’s ride or the Boston Marathon. There is a similarity, and it is not direction. The marathon involves over 30,000 participants; one woman and one man will make a six-figure paycheck and win. As many as twenty others will receive appearance money and have good paydays. Most will receive personal gratification and a well-tuned engine for their body from the training and recognition for a great effort. They do it out of the passion that endurance athletes have and the feeling of accomplishment. In 2013, two young terrorists interrupted things a bit at the finish line. That was a sad day for all involved, and it infuriated Americans and the free world. In 2020, a virus shut down group events, including spring athletics. There is a new normal in 2021, but 32,000 registrants lined up to run in Massachusetts. It was a scary and sad year for us. In 1775, Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Sam Prescott raced out of Boston with a message that the British were moving out. Their message to the people of greater Boston was the call to arms. Unfortunately, Paul did not get very far because a British patrol picked him up in West Cambridge. However, he got the poem named after him. Dawes and Prescott did not rhyme as well. They were on a mission to benefit humanity, were unselfish, and are American heroes. Being fit is a matter of spirit, mind, and body. Life is not a sprint. It is a marathon. We must race it and live it with our eye on the ultimate prize promised through our faith: “…a crown that will last.” Thought for Today: Let us focus on our race for the prize; take a step closer to perfection. Prayer for Today: We pray for the safety and success of the many runners in Boston. May they be blessed with fitness and great memories. Amen

Joyful

“Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; Come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalm 100 vs. 2) The Psalmist who wrote this knew what Christianity was all about. We must be happy, enjoy our love, and sing it aloud! Can we do that every day? Each day is unique, and some are awful. Our day was bright under the clouds. We had not seen the sun in four days and had drizzle, hoar frost, and ice. Bah, humbug to a joyful noise. However, it was Sunday morning, so we went to an early church service and communed with friends in the chapel with our pastor. It was a joyous time. Then, we had breakfast together and discussed our weekly plan, including a pool party with the youth and several visits with old friends. Gloomy is a mindset. Keeping the Lord in your life can turn a day bright and make it easy to make a joyful noise. Thought for Today: When you are feeling down and out, think about the joy of your faith. Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, today we pray that we can keep our focus on the joys of our faith and that we may share those joys with those around us. Amen

Style Change

Style Change? “For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.” (Proverbs 1:32/33) The more we change, the more we seem to stay the same (adapted from Alfonse Karr). When we focus on our spirituality, we can live “…without fear of harm.” Negatives build when we lose focus and create a slippery slide. Putting oneself first part of each day is critical to maintaining sanity and personal growth. It is essential to take time to grow every day to be a good parent, employee, and friend. How do we do all we need to do to meet our obligations? The answer is priorities and including the Lord on the list. When we do not have time for God, it is a sign of over-commitment, reacting to our “to-do” lists rather than planning our day. Pat McNamara, a former Olympian from Minneapolis, once advised me that if I was going to stay in shape, I had to give fitness a priority part of every day. Make it a calendar item and follow Nike’s advice, “Just Do It.” The same applies to faith. Schedule a time to listen to the Lord’s message so we “…will live safely and be at ease, without fear of harm.” Thought for Today: Recognize the internal conflict between our over-committed “to-do” lists and the time required for personal growth. The concept is simple: we all want to be better in spirit, mind, and body but lack time. Let’s try placing the Lord first for a few minutes and feel the difference. Prayer for Today: Father, you are at the top of my list today. I look forward to the piece that you will bring. Amen