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March 26, 2006, Importance
“I saw that there is nothing better than that all should enjoy their work, for that is their lot; who can bring them to see what will be after them?” Ecclesiastes 3:22 (NRSV)

A job can provide great satisfaction. As Christians we have to be on our guard not to be tempted to live for our career instead of God. Our relationship with the Lord and the people around us will far outlast our careers.

Luke 12:15 speaks to us about greed and our attitude toward possessions: “Take care! Be on guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Christ tells us to remember what is important as we approach our work and the people we encounter each day.

At some point in our lives, we will no longer have a job. That does not mean we will not have a career. There will be service to humanity, family, friends and the Lord. It is not that life style is not important because it is. However, without good health and a strong faith, life style can be very empty and unrewarding.

Thought for the Week: This week let us make every part of our lives an arena for deepening our faithfulness to God. And our fellow man.

Prayer for the Week: Dear Lord and Father, please help me have a healthy attitude toward my daily activities and relationships. Please show me how to put money and possessions aside and the people around me up front. Amen

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March 19, 2006, Thankfulness
“Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the holy one;
…and now let the weak say “I am strong”
and the poor say “I am rich.”
because of what the Lord has done for us. Give thanks.”
(words from “Give Thanks” by Henry Smith. 1978)

It is sometimes hard to be thankful and gracious. Often, we have a problem seeing reasons to be thankful. The human animal has a wonderful way of focusing on the negative and not remembering the Lord’s gifts. As many of you know, my brother Wayne has cancer that has metastasized into his bones. He is not enjoying life at this time. June and I visited him in February and delivered a gift to him from the Tuft’s university athletic department. It was very special. Wayne, who is not the most talkative guy in the world, spent the whole afternoon praising the givers. He even thanked June and I for our efforts. It was the highlight of our trip. In fact, he wouldn’t shut up! It was a blessing for June and I to hear him. When things are bleak, we need to focus on our blessings. God is with us and wants us happy under all conditions. “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4v16) and “Give thanks… because of what the Lord has done for us.”

Thought for the Week: This week let us acknowledge and recognize our blessings. Things will not go perfect, something will surely go wrong. Let us make a choice to turn the negativity over to God and thank the Lord for the good times.

Prayer for the Week: Dear Lord, this week we ask for special prayers for those who have serious illness and their care givers. We pray for their peace and tranquility and the ability to support them with your help. Amen

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March 12, 2006, Worry or Pray?
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food,
and the body more important than clothes?
Look at the birds of the air
they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? (Matthew 6:25-27 NIV)

My pastor and I were having coffee recently. He was concerned about some business stresses that were effecting June’s and my lives. During this session we talked about money and tough decisions that often have to be made. Often these decisions are made to minimize financial risk. We surely tend do that. This was without me having remembered today's passage.

As we talked about my life strategy, he was challenging some of my decisions based normal financial logic. I explained to him that “June and I felt that God had a plan that we had not yet seen and that somehow we were serving His needs.” Then I made a slight error and slipped into some studio language, “After all, it is only #@^%# money.”

There is a message there somewhere. Matthew 6:27 above asks what “worry” will do for us. But we still worry. What will worry accomplish? Higher blood pressure? Broken relationships? Jealousies? Just maybe we should pray more than we worry. After all, our faith says that God is with us at all times.

Thought for the Week: This week let us think about Matthew 25-27 and try harder to enjoy the week. Think about how great it would be to get through the week without “worry.” Let’s “Let go and let God.”

Prayer for the Week: Heavenly Father, there are many reasons for us to be concerned about our future. There is war and conflict in the world; many of us are unemployed or concerned about our future; our children are exposed to dangers that were not around when we grew up. It seems that there are endless reasons to worry. This week we pray for the faith and good judgment to let you help us. We pray rather than worry. Amen

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March 6, 2006, Unseen
“Therefore we do not lose heart.
Though outwardly we are wasting away,
yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 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 three days long. That is certainly commendable. I do not mean to sell them short, but all of us need endurance and focus to get 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; that which they can not see. An interesting piece of that is the pain suffered when nearing the end almost always subsides when the finish line comes into view. That was always true for me in my Triathlons. Each of us needs focus and endurance to get through our lives. My friend and colleague will celebrate a significant birthday this summer. To celebrate she is going to Colorado and run the Pikes Peak marathon. Not only is that a challenge, she is one that can keep her focus on the prize “…that far out weighs them all.” She has shown me tenacity and an example of excellence in life style, in her athletics, that carries over to her personal and business life. Of course, although many people are secretly jealous and some think that she is nuts! We can not see around the corners of our lives and must live one day at a time. Each day’s challenges and problems dealt with properly 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 the Week: This week 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. This week 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.”

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February 25, 2006, The Good Times
“Humble yourselves ... under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
Cast all your anxiety on him
because he cares for you.”
(1 Peter 5: 6 & 7; NIV)

Grand events are wonderful. Yesterday June and I took three octogenarians out to lunch. My mom for her 89th birthday and two aunts from her generation. It is always great to hear them reminisce about old times. All three have gone through good times and bad. They were all widows, there were new knees and hips at the table and a lot of arthritis. But wow, that was not the conversation. There was an attitude of joy and pleasure, smiles all around. The good times were the focus. I am sure that there was anxiety amongst us. There had to be concern about my brother’s cancer, about growing arthritis issues and, by the way, it was snowing and the roads were bad. But for the moment, all anxieties were cast away, joy and love abounded. Great moments of joy are a gift from God. We need to enjoy them.

Thought for the Week: I ask for special prayers this week for my brother Wayne who has terminal cancer and could not join us for the dinner. This week let us focus on casting away our angst and turning our lives over to the Lord. Let us especially focus on the older generation. Let us reach out to them with love and share the good times.

Prayer for the Week: Heavenly Father we pray for ourselves, our friends and loved ones. Many are ill and experiencing fear, uncertainty, loneliness or hurt. Many need You in their lives and have not found You. This week we pray that we may help be the conduit that strengthens their faith and eases their anxieties. This week we pray for a way to do your will in this way. Amen

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February 19, 2006, Self Respect
“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, And let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth,
and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created man in his own image,”
(Geneses 1v 26 & 27)

God made us in His image but one of humanities significant problems is people suffering from low self esteem and a lack of self respect. It manifests itself in a myriad of problems including substance abuse and depression. It is a lousy way to go through life. Twelve step programs have been very useful in dealing with self esteem issues. They work because they have people admit there is a power greater then themselves (God) and their goal is spiritual growth. Basically, low self respect occurs when someone loses touch with the Lord and has trouble recognizing His presence in their lives. Spirituality, self respect and confidence go hand in hand. Understanding that the Lord is with us every day makes for a satisfactory life style. If you are reading this, you probably have life under control. Meditation is one way of recharging our spiritual batteries. We need to do that for our selves, our families and others around us. When we have respect for ourselves, self esteem, others will want what we have. That is when we can help.

Thought for the Week: This week when we look in the mirror, let’s look past the visual image of ourselves. Let’s look into our own eyes and try to see inside where our heart and soul reside. Take that thought out for the week and display to others our pride, self respect and our faith in the Lord.

Prayer for the Week: Dear Lord and Father, we live in a wonderful place surrounded by beautiful people. Some let our differences separate us and come between us. This week we pray that we can contribute to dissolving and understanding those differences. We pray that with our strength through you we find a way to do your will and take a step toward acceptance of spiritual differences by respecting others.

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February 12, 2006, Respect Others
“Now we ask you, brothers,
to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.
Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.”
(1 Thessalonians 5 vs12-13)

Respect is something that we need in all of our relationships; within our families, at church and in business. It is what we really need to keep going. Love without mutual respect leads to an empty shell, a scam.

In our personal relationships, we need to respect those whom we love. Back in the late 50s I had a seven year marriage, My wife and I came from totally different back rounds and value systems.

For 40 years I have processed that experience. The reality of the situation was that I had love in my heart but very little respect for my wife and her family. That was my piece and it was insurmountable.

Recently, in the work place, a star salesman and good news recipient, was blind sided by a hidden agenda at a meeting. The agenda demonstrated a lack of respect that superseded results, hard work and dedication to the company. In 45 years of business I have never seen any worse hurt feelings. I pray about that, for him and his family.

Even at Church we need to be respectful of others’ ideas. In committee meetings there are often people with agendas that become personal and someone can get discounted.
A good friend puts it this way “Church differences often are magnified because each person feels God is on their side.” If we respect others, under all conditions, just maybe will have found the key to “Live in peace with each other.”

Thought for the Week: Let us simply respect every person we are in touch with this week.

Prayer for the Week: Dear Lord, this week we give thanks for an abundance of good things and a great lifestyle. Unfortunately we are not all at peace in spite if it all. There are people with chronic depression, people who are angry and people with many other ungodly problems. This week we also pray for a way to help, a way to demonstrate your love by respecting others. Amen

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February 4, 2006, Respect
"Plans fail for lack of counsel,
but with many advisers they succeed."
(Proverbs 15:22)

Earning respect is an on going challenge through out our lives. Communication according to the book of Proverbs will make other people want to connect with us. Proverbs 15vs22 talks the benefits of good council, good advice. Many of you have heard me say “Two heads are four times better than the best of the two alone! Also, three heads are nine times better than the best of the three working alone!”

Well, there are no scientific studies to confirm what some people call a “Pickeringism,” but it is true at some level. Sharing our thoughts and advice makes us all stronger.

To earn respect, be a willing advisor. Share your experiences, your knowledge and good will with those in need. Share that precious intellectual property that God has allowed you to accumulate. Earn respect through sharing.

Thought for The Week: This week let us think about helping others through our experienced advice. Let us also try hard to let others help us. Let us listen and share as Proverbs advises us and observe how much better we are when we practice sharing.

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January 30, 2006, Don’t Fake It
“Woe to you…you hypocrites!
…on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” (Matthew 23v27, NIV)

It seems that my favorite theme lately has been being true to our faith by being open and honest. It is something that we all desire, but it also comes with some social consequences. There are way too many people in the world that have a different reality than Christians. In America and throughout most of the world, life is competitive. It is as if the resources are limited. As Christians, we are taught that the world has an abundance supplied by God and I believe that is true. But there is a major distribution problem in the world. Dealing with the wealth of Western civilization and how it relates to Christianity is scary. Recently when talking about a stewardship campaign it was mentioned that if all Christians would tithe we would not need the government to run social programs. That would be “way cool”. A pastor in the group commented that when the church had that kind of money, corruption ran rampant and the job did not get done. Sounds like government to me. Each of us needs to be as good as we can be to contribute to the positive factor in society. We need to take the social risks to reach our real rewards. “He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.
5 He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior.”
(Psalm 24v4,5)

Thought for the Week: We will have to make a choice this week; to be straight and true or hold back a bit. As we go through the week. We need to make the tough choices that improve the world around us. We need to keep a pure heart.

Prayer for the Week: Dear heavenly Father, we give thanks for the many blessings and opportunities you bring to us. This week we pray for the chance to demonstrate our faith to others to help. We pray to be able to do your will here on earth. Amen

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January 22, 2006, Happily Ever After
“And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.
If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.”
(James 5 v 15)

Children’s stories often end with everyone living “happily ever after.” Snow White and Cinderella find their prince; Lassie finds her way home; the Pokey Little Puppy gets home in time for dinner. (I guess those examples show my age!) In today’s world Harry Potter wins over the demons. Happily ever after is a great dream that we seem to lose as we travel through life. Our society has grown very complex and competitive. Families have two careers pulling at the parents. Computer based education has accelerated education and seems to have complicated the process by making more of the world available to students. After school organized activities seem to dominate family lives. Live seems to have become “busy ever after” and busy often does not equate to happy. As Christians we have the tools to be happy if we stop long enough to use them. We have community, support and prayer.

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective”. James 5, 15 and 16

To be happy we need to be at peace. To be powerful, to be all we can be, we need to be well. We need to give the Lord time in our calendars to make that happen, for now and forever.

Thought for the Week: This week let’s take the time to meditate. Take a look at our calendars and when there is pressure, take time to pray. Let the Lord help us through so we can live happily ever after.

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January 14, 2006, Be Open
“Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.
Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” (2 Corinthians 4 v 1 and 2)

In the early part of a new year, people are full of New Years Resolutions. Often they are wishful thinking and are short lived. Life style changes are difficult and need to be driven by a power greater than ourselves. I would like to think that power needs to be the Lord working through our spirituality. Several weeks ago I mentioned that being open and honest in the workplace had shortened my path to retirement by three years or so. In our society, people often do not want to deal with truths, honesty and a perception different than their own. That has a lot to do with why there are so many different religious denominations worshipping the same God. We can’t quite get it. As Christians, we are given a ministry of confidence and openness. God is with us so we can take the risk of speaking our minds. We “…do not lose heart… do not use deception…” and “…by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” That’s a great way to live.

Thought for the Week: This week let us establish a year long trend. Let us focus on being open and honest. When times get rough and in tense moments, let’s diffuse the situation with our spirituality and demonstrate Godliness.

Prayer for the Week: Dear Lord and Father, we enter a new year full of hope. The world is full of great helpful believers. Often the problems feel beyond our means. This week we give thanks for the blessing of being able to help. We pray for further opportunities and the faith to do your will here on earth. Amen.

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January 8, 2006, Our Task for 2006
“Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with rejoicing:
then said they among the nations,
Jehovah hath done great things for them. Jehovah hath done great things for us;
and we are joyful.”
(Psalm 126:2, NIV)

Happy New Year! We all say that and think that. However, we do not all live that. There are problems in our lives, illnesses, financial issues, family stress etc. that do not roll over at midnight on December 31st. However, we have control of “Happy New Year” in our heads. If we are the light of the world, then we need to be happy and allow the light to shine.

When we hear or read the news there is a lot in there to be depressed about. Many of the things that are going on in the world are tragic. As Christians we do need to care and be concerned. However, we also need to pray and give thanks to the Lord for the good news side of the coin. Overall, our focus needs to be on the positive side. There is always more right than wrong and more good than bad.

In a recent TV sermon, Joel Osteen, “The bible says we are the light of the world. Have you got your light shining out?” We need to focus on that with our smiles and our laughter.

Thought for the Week: This week will be a great week. Yes, all of the normal things will occur. There will be illness, stress, cranky kids, bad weather, too much to do etc.; so what? There will also be great friends and family, fresh air, good food and other positives. We need to keep our light shining so others may see it.

Prayer for the Week:  Dear God this week we give thanks for the warmth and joy that you give us in our hearts and our Christian love for others. We thank you for all the happiness in our lives and the ability to share that joy and laughter with the world. Amen

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January 2, 2006, Happy New Year
“This is one that I repeat every New Year. As a special favor to Good News George in San Diego, I got it right this year. Happy new year to you all.

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect,
but I press on to take hold of that
for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Phillipiens3:12-14; NIV)

Happy New Year. For the next few weeks the athletic clubs will be filled with “New Years resolutionists.” Diet programs will come and go, self improvement books will be purchased or at least the dust will be blown from last years cover! Does that sound familiar? Yes, we all have had a few resolutions fall by the wayside. I do not know if Paul wrote the above on New Years eve but it is appropriate. Many of us have new goals today: weight, fitness, financial goals, etc. Paul is asking us to look at our spiritual goals. “...Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize..” Hold that thought as you proceed through 2006...”

Thought for the Week: This week let us look ahead rather than behind. Let us look ahead at the opportunities in our lives. This year let us practice Christian ethics and life style in all phases of our lives and by all means share our faith with others.

Prayer for the Week: Heavenly Father as this New Year begins please hear our prayer for serenity:

“God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I can not change
The courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Hear this for all the worlds people so that your love and peace may dominate this New Year. Amen