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) Many churches have a special service for people having a sad time over the Holidays. Our pastor must have been an Elvis fan once because he called it a Blue Christmas Service. 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. It was one worth attending whether you were sad or not. Our friends Bob, Carl, and Dave miss their wives who passed away this year. There are too many to list with severe ailments and others with challenging career and financial situations. Several years ago, we met a young gentleman, John, who had visited during the summer. He was in tears during the service. He was despondent because his parents were having a problem with his sexual preference. I ask you all for prayers. Celebrating Christmas is for all of us. Through it all, we remember those who are experiencing loss. June and I pray about aging and life in a new society with COVID and war. It is important to take refuge in the shadow of God’s wings. Thought for Today: Let us take note of our sad feelings over the holidays. We need to recognize that they exist rather than masking them with joy. Pray about them, turn them over to God, and 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 while giving thanks for your role in our lives and the help you give us. Thank you for being available for us each day. Amen

Endurance

Endurance and Encouragement “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves ….” (Romans 15 vs. 5) Instant gratification is something that we always seem to want and often expect. We have national lotteries around the world, and people become instant winners. (They may have played for twenty years!) The desire is clear; we want what we want when we want it. If that is where you are at in your life, you need not read any further today. That is not my message! Paul’s message to the Romans is about endurance and encouragement, two things given to us through our faith and prayers that will make us successful. There will be no lightning bolt that makes us winners. In the years that June and I were associated with my son’s music business, we dealt with hundreds of starry-eyed musicians waiting for their big break. Some made it, but all that succeeded earned it. The ones that worked at it 24/7; the ones with an undying passion for writing and performing; those who were too serious about it to enjoy the party atmosphere succeeded. In our own lives, we need to endure. Life is not a sprint, it is more like a marathon, and there are no days off. We will feel weary and need encouragement. We need a place where we can find encouragement; we have it because God is with us. We do need to reach out and grab it through prayer. Thought for Today: Let’s think about who we could reach out to for encouragement; our pastor, significant other, child, or bartender. There is always someone. Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, we thank you for your support and pray that we can let you in when we are tired. Amen

The 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! Thought for Today: The Christmas season is not all joys. We will encounter stress, financial hardships, bad weather, and all the events of winter life. They are all blessings that are part of our lives. We need to keep Christ as our focus. Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, we give thanks for Christmas and festivities. Through prayer, we give thanks that “our troubles will be out of sight.” Amen

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! Thanksgiving "As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so live in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving". (Colossians 2:6-7) June and I are incredibly thankful for a family running event we started in 1990 called the Turkey Day 5K. We are tearfully proud each year when thousands of runners, walkers, pets, and wheelchair participants enjoy their Thanksgiving morning in downtown Minneapolis. There will be food and cash contributions to the Sa local charity. We both feel blessed that the Lord inspired us to start this event and placed people in our path who have made it special. Thanksgiving is the traditional start of what we call the holiday season. While giving thanks, we must be aware and focus on the good, rewarding parts of our lives. In his book, With All My Strength, H. Norman Wright puts it this way, "Thanksgiving is not to be limited to only the times when we are aware of blessings. We thank God for unconditional love and goodness, unlimited wisdom, and abundance at these times. Let us give thanks even when we have a problem to solve when there are difficulties to be met. We are rejuvenated when we give thanks continually in spirit, mind, and body." Let us hold those thoughts and be thankful for all of our blessings. Thought for Today: Let us focus on giving thanks to God for our love for each other and the support we both give and receive. Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, we give you thanks for our friends, families, and our troubles. We thank you for our financial crises, family stress, and the waves in our seas of tranquility. Through our problems, we learn to pray and appreciate the many blessings that seem greater than life's ripples. We thank you for our lives, love, and Grace. Amen

The Dali Lama

The Dalai Lama “Can any of you, by worrying, add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6 vs. 27) June and I have the ability to enjoy our lives, both the pitfalls and the pleasures. We strongly believe that the Lord has been involved in our lives and led us to enjoy simple pleasures. We both believe that the ability to put the events into perspective is our greatest blessing through our faith. A Christian friend forwarded this to me. It does not describe a person of faith but is accurate for those who have not developed a spiritual lifestyle. The Dalai Lama, when asked about what surprised him most about humanity, answered, “Man. Because he sacrifices his health to make money. Then, he sacrifices his money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives like he is never going to die, and he dies having never really lived.” Maybe we can help the friends being referred to by the Dalai Lama. Thought for Today: Who in our circle of friends resembles the Dalai Lama’s description? It could be a family member, neighbor, friend, or church member. Let’s think about that and find a way to share our faith with them. Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, today, let us pray for those who have not included Christ in their lives, those who are spiritually weak and worried about physical rather than Godly issues. We pray for them and ask you for a way to help, a way to share, and a way to contribute to their spiritual growth.

Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual Gifts "Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, ...There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men." (1 Corinthians 12:1-6 NIV) Often, the bible mentions the gifts given to us by the Lord. However, in every case, the same Spirit is mentioned. Think about what that means to all of us. Think about us as a team, a Christian body placed on earth to do God's work. Not alone but as a team. I have always preferred working with a partner. I believe that two people working as a team is four times better than the best of the two working alone. If that is true, how powerful is a small congregation working together doing God's work? In the 2004 Super Bowl, the New England Patriots came out to play without the TV Network's usual fanfare of individual introductions. They came and won as a team. Last week, the newspaper's sports page was dedicated to the state girls' soccer championship. It listed the rosters of the two finalists and the state's all-star team. No all-stars were listed on the two teams' rosters playing in the finals. The championship teams won as a team without any all-stars. We need each other; our Christian family must get the job done. So we all "have different gifts but the same spirit." We can all participate and use these gifts to do God's work, but we do not have the gifts to do it alone. Thought for Today: Let us focus on our talents and God's gifts to us. Let us recognize our gifts and use them to do God's work. Prayer: Heavenly Father, we ask, "What is it all about?" We pray to you for the ability to better understand it all. We pray for the ability to recognize our gifts and the knowledge of how to utilize them to help. Amen

He Comes Through

He Comes Through “Praise the Lord, I tell myself, “With my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, I tell myself, And never forget the good things He does for me.” (Psalm 103 v 1 & 2) Every day the Lord gives us blessings. It is easy to forget the role He plays in our lives in our busyness. Here are three events that made me think of the Lord this week. Early in the week, a friend and I discussed what we prayed about. They were guidance, support, internal peace, and several others. It was apparent that neither of us prayed for favors or help. We realized that through prayer, good things would happen. Last week, a twenty nine year old hocker player died from a skate related injiry. Why? That is a big question and certainly something that makes people doubt. When the final reports are in on this, somehow, good will come from his young life. It is too soon for mortals to understand. The third event that brought the Lord to the forefront was a Good News buddy from San Diego correspondence about his return home after a firestorm that ravaged his neighborhood. There were, 15 of 47 houses destroyed on his street, plus the sanctuary of his church. Here are the words he used in closing his correspondence: “Truly, God is good. Many lessons are to be learned, and many prayers are answered. To God be the Glory.” Thought for Today: Today will be just like many others. Our calendars are crowded, we will have unreasonable demands on our time, and we will need to focus on making it all happen. Let’s take a few minutes and think about the Lord’s role in our lives with that in mind. Let’s let Him into our day. Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, today we pray to see the results of your participation in our lives and the ability to accept what we do not understand. We trust that good things will happen. Amen