The more we change the more we seem to stay the same. People that focus on being as good as they can be, people that help others, people with spirituality seem to live “…without fear of harm.” When we lose that focus, negatives start to build in our lives and we start a slippery slide. Last week’s Good News talked about taking time every day to invite the Lord into our activities. We need to do that to grow. When we do not have any time for God, it is a sign of over commitment, reacting to our “to do” lists rather than planning out weeks. The concept of putting one’s self first part each day is the key to maintaining sanity and generating personal growth. To be a good parent, employee, friend or just be as good as we can be, we need to take the time to grow, every day. The question is how do we do all that we need to do and meet all of our obligations? The answer is priorities, and including the Lord on the list! Pat McNamara, a four time Olympian from Minneapolis advised me that if I was going to stay in shape, I had to give fitness a priority part of every day. That is, make it a calendar item and follow Nike’s advice, “Just Do It”! OK, then if we want to live better we need to schedule time to listen to the message so we “…will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.”

Thought for the Week: We need to recognize the internal conflict in our lives. The conflict between our over committed “to do” lists and the time required to have personal growth. The concept is simple, we all want to be better in spirit, mind and body but we do not have the time. Our wants look like needs and our stress builds. This week let’s try placing the Lord first for a few minutes a day and try to feel the difference as we go through the week.

It is easy to go through a busy day without acknowledging the presence of God in our lives. In fact, sometimes when we get to the end of a day and look back, the day seemed out and out un-Godly. That is our own fault. When that happens, we have not done the best job of caring for ourselves. We will have busy and stressful days. Whether working or playing, bad things happen to all of us. Confusion and stress always seem to find their way into our lives. Counselors will advise us to put our selves first for a part of each day. That requires a bit of selfishness to help maintain our sanity. The results make us a better worker, a better parent and overall a better person. There is nothing selfish about that! Henri Nouwen called it a still place… “This still place is where God can dwell and speak to us. It also is the place from which we can speak in a healing way to all the people we meet in our busy days.” We all need to think about that.

Thought for the Week: As our economy changes and adjusts to market conditions, many of our friends and neighbors are undergoing unplanned changes in their lives. Let us pray that God will be present in their lives as they pursue the opportunities presented to them through these changes.

Prayer for the Week: Heavenly Father, the world around us is confusing, sometimes cruel and always difficult to understand. Please allow us time to step aside from our busy schedules and dwell upon “your will” rather then “our needs”. Let us find the peace or stillness to allow “…thy will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

We are a wonderful machine/animal, born with feelings, the intellect to apply logic to our lives and without sin. For most of us it is all down hill from there. Society gives us the opportunity to pursue pleasure through wealth, eating great foods and entertaining ourselves while sitting down. The pure hearts that we were born with become hidden by our pursuit of worldly materials and the “…the delicate, inner parts…” become hidden with excess weight. Both are a burden. Today I want to address the body rather than the mind.

There are two people that have meant a lot to me in my life that have taken care of what God gave them better than most. One is my dad’s sister; is a personal friend that I met when I relocated to Minnesota. They have contributed both subliminally and outwardly to who I am today. Both have a high level of faith but in very different theologies and are similar in other ways.

The aunt I have written about before. She is a yoga instructor and the first that I ever heard talk about changing our diets to decrease fat content. She was also a leader in exercising and staying in physical condition. Our family was a roast beef every Sunday type of family that trended toward obesity. She started talking to us about that in the early 1960s when she took up yoga. She broke the family trend started a life of both physical and mental fitness. Today, in her 80s she is still a teacher and role model in her community.

The second is a friend in Christ that I met in my years of excessive training for triathlons and running. He once had a business career but that went away as many have experienced. He became a personal trainer. There was a very difficult transition from a commercial cash flow to that of a club trainer. There was a tough period and a lot of stress in his life as he made adjustments. However, his strength and faith have kept him a positive role model and he has contributed to people as both a social and physical example. People that can emulate his example will be better for it in spirit, mind and body.

We are what we are and no one can change us. We were born in a state of near perfection and tend to mess it up over time. The Lord gave us some marvelous equipment and a marvelous opportunity. We need to take care of our spirit, mind and bodies in His name.

We have talked a bit about how the head and heart lead our bodies. How often our thoughts may be negative and they can lead us into depression. Let’s face it, when we read or listen to the news, they talk mostly about negative events. However, most of what goes on in the world is positive. We need to focus on that! Remember the words to the old song. “When you’re down and out, lift up your head and shout, It’s going to be a great day.” We are often confronted with the local curmudgeon, the person who finds fault with everything. Let’s face it, they are right, it is always too hot or too cold! Too rainy or their lawn needs watering! Things are too expensive! Coffee is too weak or strong! Pray for them, they need us. We will have negative influences in our lives. As we move through our daily lives, we are blessed with the tools to deal with the negative side. I read this on a sign in front of a local church recently, “The Lord does not guarantee us smooth passage, just a safe landing.” It is up to use our Christian tools to stay positive and be happy.

Today our pastor preached about a recent trip to Israel. He told of conflict about where the holy places are and who deserves to control them. His message was that God may be found everywhere by everyone who is open to Him. The following is a personal story that may relate to that.

Retirement (senior life), is a wonderful experience. It is a time to look back at where we were and to think about where we are. It is a chance to see the growth as persons, the spiritual changes and of course the legacy of family.

We recently had the opportunity to have lunch at a seaside restaurant in my home town of Saugus that meant a lot to us. We had our first date there in July of 1967! My son, his wife and their new baby joined us. This place had a family history: my aunt Virginia was a waitress there in the 40s, my uncle Ken played guitar in a group there, it was an after-the-ball-game hang out for the old gang in the 60s. It was a place with memories for us. In the 60s, my friend and Good News recipient Ralph, carried too many drunks home. There was Larry, Dave Pierre and others. Oh yes, Ralph and I also, but we are programmed reformers today. Those are some of the growing pains of the past.

The place was also the start of a great experience; my life with June. I do not think she was very impressed at first. The place smelled of fish, it had uncovered Formica tables, the crowd did not even come close to that of an English pub, and the Melody Ramblers were a loud country band. However, the baked stuffed lobster for $ 3.75 and the 25 cent beers were impressive! It was not a place where one would normally go in search of the Lord. Unknowingly, we started our journey with Him that evening. You see, we were not looking, we were not in search of God, but we were open, willing suspects. In Paul’s message to the Ephesians he says “…Always give thanks for everything to God the father.” We do.

Thought for the Week: This week let us pause when we are stressed out. Take a break from the bad weather, the office stress, the youth sports playoffs and think back to our blessings. Let us take a time out each day to thank the Lord for who we are.

Thought for the week: Those who walk with God are never alone.

Prayer for the Week: Almighty God, when the foundations of our lives are shaken, hold us close to You and remind us that You will never leave or forsake us. You alone are our hope and security. Amen.

With my son in the music business, we have seen a lot of young people try to live their dreams of fame. To some it comes fast and they go from teenager to a star. But to others they need time to grow into their dream. Barry Manilow used to play piano in the bars of New York and write jingles for advertising agencies. He applied himself, developed his skills and then his God given talents prevailed. He never gave up.

Remember Barney Miller, the cop played by Hal Linden? Very few people watching knew that this very funny cop was a future Broadway star. He was a patient man with a strong faith that was following a path to success. Eventually, partially because of his TV fame, he got a chance to live his dream. Now he is at the top of his game and living his dream on Broadway.

In our church today we talked to a lady that has fought career issues her whole life. She talked about what a great boss and career she had today. She is one that is blessed with a strong spirituality that has persevered.

While writing this today, a Good News friend emailed me to tell me how he and his family are doing. We fought the battles of life together back in the 60s. He found his way to California; we are in Minnesota. Here is a quote from his text, “Jesus had it all planned; all I had to do was show up when he summoned me. It’s sweet.”

All of our lives need to start someplace. We often do not control our destiny and just need to keep on plugging. Joel Osteen uses the term “…keep on keeping on.” I like “Today is the first day of the rest of my life.” Jesus said “…always pray and not give up.”

Thought for the Week: This week, let us focus on what we want to be when we grow up. Not because we are young but because we have a future. Our lives are always changing; we always need to have our faith in hand. Through our faith we can always find ways to grow, to solve issues and be better.

One of my favorite expressions, some people call them “Pickeringisms”, is that all days are not created equal. There are days that we are full of boundless energy and others when we are as flat as pancakes. However, these feelings are mental, physical and emotional states. They do not have an effect on our hearts, just on our performance or output. As a long term weekend athlete, there have been too many days when only the heart showed up for the workout; the arms, legs and head wanted to go back to bed. There were also many days when that’s how the day started but when it ended, the performance was in the excellent range. One of my best friends and four time Olympic athlete relates to this. Pat has trained every day of his life and he can relate to the fact that the heart and head lead the body. Often, “…work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord,” and you will be rewarded with excellence. Excellence starts with belief in your self and in the Lord. The rest will follow.

Life is very interesting and as we grow older we can always look back at our good times and the not so good times. As senior citizens, June and I have plenty of both in our lives. The interesting piece is that the good times happen when our faith is at the forefront of our lives and the not so good tend to be when materialism has taken over. Apparently life is not about things, it is about love and caring. Let me share some stories with you.

We have a friend that is a successful entrepreneur. Frankly, he has his own plane, three homes, a political career and collection of things that is exceptional. His constant pursuit of things has been of epic proportions. My involvement with his family has let me see the other side. His family does not speak to each other. It is brother verses sister, dad verses mom in a near totally dysfunctional way. They are a great example that love of things does not bring peace of mind.

In another instance, we know several families with five to fifteen children. They all have good jobs, but do not generate millions. They are surrounded with love and caring; they live life as a family team. Yes, they face the problems of every day life as we all do. God did not give us a perfect world or a fair world. However, when crises are met with caring and love at the forefront, a belief system that allows help from the Lord, the difficult times seem to pass and happiness always prevails.

In recent years, large segments of our economy have fallen on hard financial times. The airline and the automotive workers are the most obvious. Many of the financially stressed decide to save face by increasing debt. They chose not to live lean, they keep all of their things. Others make adjustments to survive and pull together as a team.

The stories of wealth without happiness are many. Mickey Rooney and Liz Taylor had multiple marriages (six or eight?) and everything money could buy, but perhaps not happiness. Do Donald Trump, Brittany Spears, and others look happy? We can not answer that question and we need to focus on our own needs. We are often required to live within our means when we feel we deserve more. There is always a temptation to put on a false front. We need to remember, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”

Thought for the Week: This week let us focus on our spiritual needs rather than our material needs.

Prayer for the Week: Dear Lord and Father, we live in a glorious world with great opportunities. There are opportunities to serve, opportunities to help others and opportunities to demonstrate your love through our actions. Many here forget to do that and chose a material and whimsical lifestyle. This week we pray for them and for ourselves. We ask for the opportunity to do your will here and support others with our love. Amen.

In twelve step programs, there is a reading called “How It works.” It recognizes that the program is to develop “spiritual growth not perfection.” We all tend to get into that perfect mode; perfect mom, perfect dad, perfect employee and the list goes on. Obviously, each of us falls short of perfection. In our daily lives, we make mistakes. We could count them weekly and judge ourselves as failures. The only one of us that does not make mistakes probably does nothing. Many people work their way into depression by counting their failures rather then their successes.

In our spiritual lives it is not any different. We all have made mistakes and will continue to be less than perfect. We may feel bad or judge ourselves rather severely. However, “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown....” We must remember that as we walk the walk.

Thought for the Week: This week we will fail again at being perfect. With that in mind let’s focus on the good that we do, the encouragement that we give others and the love we have in our hearts. That will help us have a great week.

Prayer for the Week: Dear Lord and Father, it is easy to be distracted from your wishes for us. There are temptations that surround us in our daily lives; we make some bad choices and some good ones. This week we pray that we may focus on your understanding and caring love. We pray for the opportunity to demonstrate and share your love to others. Amen

We all experience times in our lives, certain situations when our trust level is down. These are usually times when we must let a situation be under someone else’s control.
When a teenager spends a weekend away with friends, away at camp or going off to school we fear what they may find to do. When a family member not home at an expected time we fear an accident or other harm. Often at a simple four way stop sign with all drivers arriving at the same time, no one trusts enough to go first. (That could also be politeness!) Reading this, it would be easy to think that the subject was fear, but it is Trust. “The Lord is my light and salvation— Whom shall I fear?”(Psalm 27:1) There is a direct link between a weak faith and trust in the Lord, and high levels of anxiety and stress. Yes, there are days when we are strong and have no fear, there are also days when we are weak. On the weak days, we need to meditate. Leave the news turned off, put down the newspaper and get closer to God. “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me” (Psalm 50:15). As Christians, we need not to fear but to believe.

Thought for the Week: When we have doubts this week, let us stop, take a deep breath, and try to place our faith in God. If we can do that, our reactions to doubtful situations will be less stressful and our lives more rewarding.

Prayer For the Week: Heavenly Father, as we go through our busy schedules, it is easy to forget you. We try to control, manipulate and alter our lives to fit “our will” and lose sight of “your will”. We seem not to trust you. We pray that we can slow down, consider your will for us and increase our trust in you. Amen

In America there seems to be a win lose philosophy running rampant through out our society. There is a lot of hero worship devoted to overpaid athletes. We seem to have adopted Vince Lombardi’s attitude “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” Well, that may be our world, but it is not God’s world. The Psalmist clearly demonstrates that we were created a little lower than the angels and crowned with glory. There is plenty of God’s love for each of us. There are world wide resources that when shared in God’s way will do for all. We live in a great world with great people and somehow we taint it with our own un-Godly behaviors. Young athletes in the 40s were taught a different philosophy; “It’s not whether you win or lose, its how you play the game that counts.” That seems to be way the Lord would want us to go through our lives. The good news is that over the years, long term success is always done the Lord’s way, win-win.

Thought for the Week: This week let us focus on creating win win situations in our lives. Observe our surroundings and lighten them up a bit. Slow for the other drivers, merge rather than block. Open a door and allow a few people through. Sit forward in church and leave some room in the back for late comers. Let’s show everyone that we all can win. Let our message be that there is enough of everything to share.

Prayer for the Week: Heavenly Father, as we enter a New Year we have some concerns. There are new political issues, some international strife along with many great things you bring to us. This week we pray that we may recognize the resources or the world belong to You and that we need to share rather than compete for them. We pray for a world of sharing rather than a world of competition. Amen