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June 30, 2010— Always Be Joyful
Again I am writing at sunrise in June, it is cool, clear and the view from our new balcony is beautiful and serene. I have no difficulty being joyful and praying. This is a great moment, but.

This month has been a challenge in our world- We have had only 7 days without rain; here in Minnesota there are several towns that have lost roughly a thousand homes and buildings in tornadoes; there were several deaths; there is unwanted oil in the gulf; and the list goes on.

But today is the first day of the rest of our lives and we need to rejoice in it.

When we are down and out, let's lift up our head and shout, "Help me Lord, help me pray, help me deal with this, help me be positive in the face of adversity!" (That's paraphrasing a 40's tune that most of you are too young to have heard.) Let's face it, out of adversity comes greatness.

Today there are hundreds of beautiful people volunteering to help in the cities that lost buildings to the weather. Last Sunday there was an inspiring church service amongst the ruins of a country church. How emotional is that? I heard a TV weather man commenting on a much simpler blessing, he had washed his car yesterday without sweating as much like he did on the hot humid days.

The summary is that life is not always great and it is sometimes difficult to "Always be joyful" but we can always "Keep on praying". Now I do not necessarily believe that the Lord helps me with my golf game but Bob Jr. and I will play a very tough course on Friday, the challenge I will have personally will be to "always be thankful" when I am lining up a fourth put!

Bless you all.

Thought for the Week: This week let's find a way to enjoy life in spite of the challenges. Let us recognize the challenges will make us stronger and that the Lord will see us through.

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June 26, 2010— Fitness

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit them together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex…
Your workmanship is marvelous.”
(Psalm 139, Vs 13 & 14 TLB)

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 downhill 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 three 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, another the others are personal friends that I met when I relocated to Minnesota. They have contributed subliminally and outwardly to who I am today, have a high level of faith following 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 person that I ever heard talk about changing our diets to decrease fat content.  That was back in the early 60’s when fast food was in its infancy. 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. At that time she was interested or possibly just starting yoga. She broke the family trend started a life of both physical and mental fitness. Today, in her 80’s she is still a teacher and role model in her community. Aunt Ginny was also very active in her church, not afraid to wear her faith on her sleeve. June and I either consciously or subliminally modeled our lives from Ginny’s examples.

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. In the challenging financial times we are experiencing today people that can emulate his example will be better for it in spirit, mind and body. Winning the battle has a lot to do with having a strong faith and keeping it in focus.

The third person is a church associate who impressed when we started attending church here in Minnesota. Early on I can remember sitting in an annual meeting when he was talking and thinking that I hoped that someday I could contribute as much to the church. He was a leader that I wanted to emulate. Oh, his name is George and he turns 80 today. He has been a blessing in mine and June’s life.

Several months ago at bible study telling a story about a stranger who helped me in my career, one of the pastors in the group asked me if I thought that I had seen Jesus in that meeting. WOW, that got me thinking because this one time meeting changed my life. I wonder if maybe my Aunt and two friends weren’t at times placed before me by our Lord. I wonder how many other contributors, leaders, advisors etc. were sent! (I needed a lot of them!)

In Summary, we are what we are; born in a state of near perfection, we spend a lifetime trying to mess it up. The Lord gave us some marvelous equipment and a marvelous opportunity and it seems that he supplies ongoing help. It is a wonderful life and we need to take care of our spirit, mind and bodies in His name.

Thought for the Week: This week let us focus on our physical selves. Let’s park a bit further from the door, say no thanks to the desert tray, walk the stairs as we are able. Let us be as good as we can be.

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June 19, 2010— Speaking Out

“Moses said to the LORD, “O Lord, I have never been eloquent,
neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am
slow of speech and tongue.” The LORD said to him, “Who gave
man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him
sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will
help you speak and will teach you what to say.” But Moses said,
“O Lord, please send someone else to do it.”
(Exodus 4:10-13, NIV)

Growing up in Boston there were often what we called “talkers” on Boston common. They virtually stood on milk crates (soap boxes!) and discussed political issues and their religious beliefs.

As a teenager I considered them nut cases because from my perspective no one in their right mind would do that. Apparently not even Moses! Lately I have coined the term “closet ministry”— we are there when we are needed and we all do some
great work. Be proud of that because God is with us in that effort. Most of us prefer to do God’s work quietly and on our own terms. We are timid so that is the way we do God’s work.

Is that what God really wants? should we speak out more? be Evangelical? The answer to that is a definite - YES! God’s answer to Moses was simply “ I will be
with you.” WE hesitate to talk the talk in public. After all, the human resources department at work has a policy against it. We would make someone uncomfortable in the workplace. Sometimes we need to show trust and say what needs to be said.
We need to go beyond our belief system and trust that God wants us to speak out.

Thought for the Week: This week let us continue our “closet ministries”. Helping others, praying for the sick, the under privileged, serving the shelters etc.
We do that well. This week let us also look for the occasion when God would want us to share our faith. Let us recognize that opportunity.

Prayer for the Week: Dear Lord and father, life is good for us. We have food, shelter and love around us. We give you thanks for our abundance. This week we pray for the opportunity to show our appreciation to others, We pray for the opportunity to share,

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June 12, 2010

“But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is
light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: “Wake
up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
Be very careful, then, how you live; not as unwise but as wise,
making the most of every opportunity...”
—Ephesians 5:13-17

Wow, we are sure all busy. Often when saying “Hi, how are you?” the reply is “busy” and a review of their calendar follows. It seems that when Paul wrote this passage, he was advising an active life style. Even many retirees comment that they do not know when they ever had time to work.

June and I made a pledge not to ever be too busy in our retirement; to always have time to smell the roses. In fact, our definition of retirement is to have four days a week when we decide what we will do that day while having our morning coffee. That doesn’t mean nothing to do, we want a long “to-do list” with few deadlines. We have not quite made it.

My first attempt at official retirement lasted nine weeks and I bought a business- what a nutcase! With that said, it is a sales business with a flexible schedule and there are very few weeks that get booked in advance. June has evolved in a slightly different way. She is still very involved as president of this and a member of that, but her calendar is also flexible.

There are many blessings in being involved. As “qualified” retirees, June and I often reminisce about frantic past lifestyle. Many of the times that seemed the craziest and most out of control have generated the fondest memories. The Blessings. Paul goes on to say in verses 17 and 18:

“Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Thought for the Week: Yes we are busy. It seems that being busy is a good thing. As we move through our schedules this week, let us take the time to thank God for the opportunity to be involved or busy. Let us stop and appreciate and feel good about our lives.

Prayer for the Week: Heavenly father, we live in a world of anxiety. We pray that somehow it will all end, but it seems that it is just beginning. We pray this week for some sort of love attack to break out. Somehow for the world to recognize the advantages of Godly love.

Amen

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June 6, 2010
“The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the lips of fools”
—Proverbs15:7

One characteristic that we all seem to want is respect. We earn respect through our interactions with other people. It is earned both with words and actions. Saying good things without commitment and follow through does not earn it. Great actions with course words, sarcasm and hurtful methods also will not earn respect.

From my youth I remember two of my families favorite expressions: “ If you don’t have something good to say, then say nothing”. (don’t be negative).” and “ It is better to be silent and be thought a fool rather than speak and remove all doubt”. Most of us have violated these more than once!!

We are all born with God’s blessings and a high level of respect. If we are not satisfied with the respect we have in our present lives, we need to recognize that we have not earned it yet. The good news is that we can turn it around by living our lives the way our faith has taught us.

Thought for the Week: This week let’s focus on earning respect through our words. Let us search out the good things to say, avoid any put downs and remember that our faith teaches praise and love. Let us sing the praises of the Lord in our daily lives.

Prayer for the Week: Heavenly Father we are living in a confusing world. Hate seems to run rampant and integrity seems to be on the wane. We are confused by it all. We pray for some understanding and a way to contribute to a solution. This week we pray for a way to help.

Amen

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May 30, 2010—Memorial Day
“Oh beautiful for hero’s proved in liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!

America! America!
May God thy gold refine,
Till all success be nobleness,
And every gain divine.”
(America the Beautiful, Vs 2)
Words by Katherine Lee Bates, 1904)

At our church we sing America the Beautiful several times a year but it means the most to me on Memorial Day weekend. Verse two says a lot to me about what I think of as the spirit that made America. That is soldiers that thought enough of their country to gladly go into harm’s way to defend it knowing the downside risk was not coming home.

I remember my dad who tried several times to join the services and was rejected because he had really bad eyes. He was very sad but did what he could to help. We lived on the New England coast and he spent evenings as a warden watching for submarines. My earliest memories are sitting around our RCA radio console in a dark room listening to reports of Pearl Harbor while dad was out “on patrol”.

Today I learned on Facebook that my friend Dave lost his dad in WWII after flying 32 missions. That is sad but Dave is proud. I doubt that anyone over 65 can say that they did not lose a family member in the “big war.” These losses are grave, and we are proud to honor them today.

I guess as a weekly meditation we need to think about the people who, even today, are willing to place themselves in harm’s way for us. There are soldiers, police, fireman, EMT’s and on and on- they need our prayers and unyielding support. Their efforts protect us and our country and let us be free; Blessings to them all.

Thought for the Day: Read that last paragraph again.

Prayer for the Week: Heavenly father, today we pray for those who protect us. May they be safe and successful in pursuit of peace and may their efforts conform to your will for us on earth. May world peace through love somehow emerge from our present situation. Amen

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May 11, 2010
“A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find
satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God,
for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment. To the man who
pleases him, God gives wisdom, power and happiness, but to the
sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth...”
—Ecclesiastes 2:24-26

Recently my granddaughter was picked up at 6pm and taken past McDonald’s for a Happy Meal on the way to buy a Mother’s Day gift for Mom.

How many of us rush our way through the drive-through, cursing the length of the line and the fact that we would be held up ten minutes waiting for lunch? I certainly have done that.

What is the hustle and bustle all about? The pursuit of “things” and “stuff”? We are all working our hearts out, many have too little time to look at their lives and what really matters.

Yes, I realize that it is easier at my age (70) to say slow down and smell the roses, but I pray that you do.

“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

Throughout our lifetime, June and I have met people that seem at peace, people that have never quite joined the “rat race” of life, people that had something that we were looking for. Well, through the last 25 years of spiritual growth, we have come close. There seems to be a strong message here that the things that bring peace, serenity and happiness to our lives are found in our spirituality and it will be found in yours.

Thought for the Week: This week, let us look at our pursuits and find the time to meditate and understand where God fits into the puzzles that are our lives. Let us be sure that our puzzle does not have a piece missing.

Prayer for the Week: Dear Lord, please help me locate what you want from me this month. There are many options in my life: The celebration of a “Hallmark Holiday”, the celebration of my Christian Family, several rounds of golf, opening of fishing and many others. Somehow help me keep you in this puzzle so that there are no pieces missing. With love for you and Jesus, Amen

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May 1, 2010—Self Control
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

4Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit let us keep in step with the Spirit.

26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”

(Galatians 5 verses 22-26

Ok, today let’s talk about self control. Many of you that know me have heard me say that I am over rated by as much as three fold in most areas of my life. June often defines me as obsessive and compulsive. Well, they are talking about what appears to be my “self control”, my fear of failure, characteristics that drove me to AA in 1977. As my own worst critic, I do not see myself that way.

The control piece that I want to talk about is daily faith: having it, praying about it and sharing it with others. (This is being written at 5:30 on Saturday before my 90 minute cardio workout). You see, time must be made to fit our Faith into our daily lives. I am blessed with being an early riser.

Today the options were the newspaper, TV news or the Good News of the Lord. The latter will not include economic news, political news, the latest environmental disaster caused by the pursuit of profits. Today my task is to read and share what I found with you, my friends.

Yesterday in bible study, a friend talked about the lack of prayer in his life. He felt badly that he did not pray enough and did not necessarily feel right about asking for help and guidance. With that said, like many in the World, he reads the paper every morning while watching the TV news.

That is not a process that will yield a positive start to the day. We need to all pray for my friend Phil and others like him over that issue.

Years ago a friend and four times Olympian advised me that to stay physically fit and at the top of my game I had to make exercise a calendar item. His advice was to not go to bed until I figured out when to do my work out the following day. That led to a lot of 5am workouts and once or twice a midnight run! It was obsessive and worth it.

Today I am up early, not for my physical fitness but my spiritual fitness. They are both important. Yes, 5:30 writing is bit obsessive, but it works. I pray that each of you can find the time to recharge your spirit daily. (But sleep in if you like!)

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April 27, 2010—School Days
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside still waters..."
(Psalms 23:1-2).

In the 40's and 50's, public school in Massachusetts always started with the 23rd Psalm, the Lord's prayer and the salute to the Flag. Wow, by today's standards, that is powerful stuff. Let us take a look at this and see if we can apply it to our lives today.

The first two lines above, lead us to tranquility. Faith will take care of our wants and lead us to that inner peace we desire and lead us to the restful place beside still waters.

"He refreshes and restores my life;
He leads in the paths of righteousness
for His namesake"
(Psalm23:3).

There are always periods when things in our lives need rebuilding. There are temptations to take the easy way. These verses point out that the way to get out of the "dumps" is to follow Him.

"Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff to comfort me."
(Psalm 23:4).

In the biblical context, the rod is an instrument used for guiding, rescuing and protecting (sheep) and the staff is an instrument of support. The Psalm points out that the Lord is with us and will guide and support us throughout our lives.

Yes, today our lives get filled with stress. As Christians we are given wonderful tools to work with and apply in our daily lives. The more we let God lead us, the more we will be at peace.

Thought for the Week: Let us reflect on this fall season. Read the 23rd Psalm and accept the help that God has available to us as we move into the winter and holiday season. It will be a big help in locating those still waters we all seek.

Prayer for the Week: Heavenly Father, many times stress builds up in our lives. It is a combination of hurts, anger and resentments kept hidden inside of ourselves. I pray that when this occurs, I find a way to let you help and can accept the guidance, protection and support promised through our Christian faith.

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April 16, 2010—Winning
“Help us accept each other as Christ accepted us;
teach us as sister, brother, each person to embrace;
Be present , Lord, among us, and bring us to believe
we are ourselves accepted and meant to love and live.”
(Fred Kaan, “Help Us Accept Each Other,”
—1974 UMC Hymnal 560

We are faced with decisions every day regarding our relationships with others. Sometimes there is aggressive behavior that needs to be dealt with. In business there is a competition to get to the top; in school, the head of the class; in sports 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 ahead. Of course, every day his famous quote was stated quite clearly. “ Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing”. Over the years the operating principals that were learned at that seminar have made my live very successful. However, that last quote bothered me then and now. Often I have seen people climb over others in an attempt to get ahead. In almost every case they fail either financially or personally. People that play by the old rule always do better.

To play by the old rule takes faith in yourself and God as well as a love and caring for people. Good News recipients are a varied lot from all walks of life and socioeconomic backgrounds. Two are very successful Christian CEOs and how their companies behave matters to them. Christian ethics takes great faith. No matter where or who we are, fairness and love of others is the real key to success. Then how do we deal with the aggressive ones? the considerate neighbor? the cut throat business man? The ones that bend rules ? John quotes Jesus in Chapter 15 verse 17, “This is my command, Love each other”. We need to pray for and love our competitors in life.

Thought for the Week: This week let us practice unconditional love in our lives. If confronted with opportunistic or aggressive behavior, let us find a way to get through the situation in a positive and loving way.

Prayer for the Week: Dear Lord, this week let me reach out to people. Help me understand them and care about them. We pray that through our faith in your ways we can improve ourselves and our surrounding world.

Amen

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April 5, 2010—Hurry Up God
I send this every spring, it is a month early this year. For you Good News friends in warmer climates please remember that I write in Minnesota. We just had our first snowless March in over 100 years.

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for
and certain of what we do not see.
This is what the ancients were commended for.
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command,
so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”
—Hebrews 11:3, NIV

Spring is a test of our patience and vision. We are tempted to believe that summer has arrived only to be brought back to reality. We will often get a week of cloudy, cold and windy weather after several weeks of warm weather. Bulbs pop through the ground and get covered with frost and dew. Our hoses are on the reels and we worry they will freeze. The lawn needs to be mowed but it is too cold to sit out and enjoy it.

June and I have been remembering some of our late spring weather happenings, the cruelty of it all. Two years ago on the last Saturday in April, Get In Gear race day, we had 6 inches of snow and 30 mph winds. On April 10th in 2006 we altered our evening plans because on a blinding snow squall that evening. Those are two recent events that closed golf courses, challenged our psyche and left no doubt who was in charge!

A friend used to say “Spring has come the grass has riz, I wonder where the flowers is.” English teachers may shudder on that one, but has a good message. We do wonder where the flowers are and are generally impatient while we wait. We buy flowers in pots and find warm places for them. We want to rush the season. There needs to be a prayer called “Hurry up God.” Spring is also a great time for visions. We know that at His pace, God will make things green and colorful. The frost will go away, the buds will open up and the color will return to nature. We know this will happen and we trust in it as we trust in our faith.

Thought for the Week: This week let us stop and smell the roses that aren’t there yet. Yes, they have not come out yet, but we know that they will. Spring is a great example of God’s power and wonders, let us enjoy it.

Prayer for the Week: Dear Heavenly Father, Hurry Up! Yes, we on earth need you to step up the pace! Bring us our spring flowers, warmer weather, fishing season and all that we enjoy.

While you are at it, let’s eliminate the hungry, the poor and have world peace! Now let us ask for how we may help. This week we pray that we can contribute to these tasks, that we may find a place to help serve your will in our world.

Amen