“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside still waters...”
(Psalms 23:1-2).

In the 40s and 50s, 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 through out our lives.

Yes, today our lives get filled with stress. As Christians we are given wonderful tools to work with 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.

Amen.

In our very active, overcrowded lives, we are often “stressed out.” Often conversations start out with how busy we are. Fitting things in seems to be the norm. Even retirees like to say that they do not know how they ever had time to work! Then they go home and take their blood pressure medication.

Several years ago, a very good friend had both serious back problems and high blood pressure. She had tried too many chemicals to work on the problems and was addicted to the pain killers. The addiction upset her tranquility and affected her blood pressure. A very common and vicious cycle for a young lady.

In desperation, she and her physician reduced the chemicals and substituted hypnosis and meditation. The meditation evolved into prayer! Well, I can’t say that “all her problems” were solved. She had a bad back disease and a family history of high blood pressure. This is not a story of healing.

However, “most” of her problems went away. The meditation and prayer brought her peace and relaxed her back muscles and her blood pressure went down. The disease did not leave, but the symptoms were relieved. She found peace and a better life.
The effect of slowing down and taking time out for prayer will make God’s peace be yours.

Thought for the Week: Slow down, pray for peace, pray for the tranquility and serenity that God has for you when you are willing to let it in.

Prayer for the Week: Heavenly Father, with these words we pray for the ability to live serene and peaceful lives doing your work: “God grant me the serenity, to accept the things we can not change The courage to change the things we can and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Amen.

As many of you that know me will understand, I need to keep it simple. Forever I have been operating under the “KISS” principal. Because of that, Romans 13 is a great blessing in my life. You see, by following it, I do not necessarily have to worry about ten commandments. But is it always possible to “love the neighbor”?

Yes it is, but it is not always easy. To make love happen, one has to be able to step back when stressed, pray about the situation and somehow understand the difference between behavior and a person. Frequently, we move very quickly from hurt, to anger, to dislike. (I prefer not to use “hate.”) We put our focus on the person’s behavior or action rather than on the person’s self. We fail to separate the two and they are different.

In Romans it is clear that we need to pray for our friends, neighbors and perceived enemies. Somehow we need to exercise our faith and trust that God will help us through stressful times.

Thought for the Week: The ten commandments spell out a great way to live our lives. Often people around us, in our families, our neighborhoods, in business, break the Laws of Christ. This week, let us focus on the caring and forgiveness that we are asked to practice regarding others and not be judgmental.

Prayer for the Week: Heavenly father, Lord of our lives, we are living in a confusing and seemingly angry world. At home there are violent crimes and many streets are not safe. terrorism and war abound in several areas of the world. Somehow, the laws of Christ and many other religions are not being practiced. This week we pray for understanding of what is going on. We pray that somehow a path to peace may be found in your name. In the name of Jesus

Amen.

The attached poster is from the Scarboro Mission in Scarborough Ontario. It shows the golden rule as stated in thirteen different faiths. June and I found it interesting as I hope you will.

With Blessings,

Bob

So how do you deal with antisocial, aggressive or opportunistic and generally unChristian behavior? We encounter it on a daily basis and sometimes we deal like Christians and other times we do not. Wouldn’t it be great if we always forgave with prayers and did not cross the line between hurt and anger?

This week, one of my partners in the music business seemed to do something unforgivable. He gouged the company in what seemed to be an attempt to take advantage of his partners. God forgive me, but it was such a surprise coming from him, that my feelings of “hurt” almost instantly crossed into “anger” and near rage. Somehow this turned into a blessing for all of us.

My reaction twenty years ago would have been to pick up the phone and act rather inappropriately; ANGRY and unChristian. I would have damaged the relationship, hurt the company and it would have been all his fault and I would have been blameless. Have you ever been there while “judging” someone else?

Instead, I counted to ten (thousand!!) a few times and talked with June and Bob over the next few days. Unfortunately, I forgot to pray!! However, God works in strange ways and I learned that he was passing on a true cost from somewhere else and the issue was a youthful mistake in business judgment that needed to be dealt with as a learning experience rather than a relationship destroying bit of anger. My first “judgment” was way out of line.

In Romans 14 it asks us not to judge but to let God make the judgments. It is hard to do that in our society, but praying before reacting is a great idea. I wish that had been my immediate reaction. Somehow, God came through and we will all built on His strength together.

Thought for the Week: This is a week to give thanks for the many fall activities that start. School begins, kids are excited and the formal learning process starts. To some, the start of the fall sports season is meaningful. To others the fall means hunting and being outdoors. It would be easy amongst all the activity to forget God. Let us try remember that all this is God’s work and give thanks for it all.

Prayer for the Week: Dear Lord, Just over a year ago, our world was turned upside down. What we believed to be someone else’s problem became our problem. In our “New World”. we often seek revenge with little consideration of the teachings of Jesus. We act out of fear and not out of love. We claim self interest as our highest value. Many hard questions go unasked or issues unexamined, because they would require us to change.”

Lord, we thank you for your patient love. We hope and pray that we may use that love to understand this complex world and apply it to everyone’s benefit.*

Amen

*paraphrased from the Spirit of Hope bulletin, Sept. 1, 2002

I believe that somehow there is one God and we all will love Him.

This week June and I hosted a group of people that shared a common bond. A group that we had hosted regularly during the ’80s but had not assembled in over ten years. It is a truly a mixed group, economically, religiously and socially. You see, the bond is physical fitness and it crosses all lines. There were opportunities for the differences to show through, but none were apparent.

This is a group that helped June and I start a charity event in the late ’80s and many had not seen each other in ten years. Since then, there were many stories. One fellow brought his adopted son; he was Jewish, his son was black. Another was fighting Parkinson’s disease and could not join us for a short jog but was glad to be with us. A 73 year old was complaining about how slow he runs now. (I hope I can stand up at his age!!) Another brought his college age son to join us.

The mix of people crossed most social and economic boundaries. The common social bond was fitness, but somehow, in His way, I sense that God was contributing to a great mix of people. These were people that helped a charity, these were all people of God.

As it says in 1 John 4:17 “Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” It does not specify any qualification other than a Love of God.

Thought for the Week: Love is a world leader. When it exists, people are happy and successful. When love is not present, everyone suffers. This week, let us search for opportunities to convert our anxious moments into positive events through caring and love. Let us recognize resentments, jealousies and other negative forces. Let’s bury them with God’s love.

Prayer for the Week: Heavenly Father, we are trying to live our lives showing love and compassion, following Jesus’ laws. We get confused by the hate in the world and in the neighborhoods around us. Often we get caught wondering what the hate and violence is all about. This week we pray for some understanding of it and the ability to effect negative forces with our loving and caring ways.
Amen

Each year on my birthday, I give thanks to something that I learned in my youth as a YMCA brat. The symbol for the Y is a triangle, each side has a meaning, they are “spirit, mind and body”. Each year I give thanks for my role as a father, son and my place in society. But let’s talk a bit about what it takes to be in a good place with ourselves. It is selfishness. Yes, being selfish in pursuit of a healthy self: mentally, physically and spiritually.

In each of our lives, we must fit into some basic places in society; A family, a workplace and a social setting. We fit best when the three sides of our personal triangle are in a healthy balance. That is to say we focus on each a little every day so that we minimize life’s problems.

In all areas of our lives, it is important to demonstrate the forgiveness and love that comes from a strong spirituality. We need to be physically fit enough to deal with the long days without being fatigued and run down. Also, we need to be mentally sharp enough to make the decisions that are expected of us. That is a lot to ask of mortals and not an easy task.

So be a bit selfish, take care of yourself so that you may be all that what God wants you to be and be capable of doing God’s work when the opportunity presents itself to you. Take care of yourself so that you can be all that your family needs you to be. Remember the logo of the YMCA, spirit, mind and body. Keep totally fit. “Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless...” (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

Birthday Thought: Today is the day the Lord has made, a day for me to enjoy. Friends will recognize it, family will celebrate it and I will enjoy it. It is a blessing that we all have and a great day to give thanks to the Lord for all of our many blessings.

Birthday Prayer: Heavenly Father, today is a very special day, the day that you brought me into your service. Through out this day, I give thanks for all the opportunities that you have given to me. The opportunity to have a healthy relationship with family and friends. Today I will often hear the words “happy birthday.” To those words I say, “Thanks be to God.”

Amen

In business and in life in general, few of us flaunt our Christian beliefs. Few of us are willing to stand on a corner or go to a podium and speak the word. Rarely do we speak out that our goals are to follow Jesus’ Laws.

In business today, the human resource rules generally state that religion is a taboo subject in the office. We certainly would not want to make a person of a different faith “uncomfortable in their work place.” In fact, out of over two hundred “Good News” subscribers, very few go through a company firewall and some companies reject anything with a referral to God in the text.

Several years ago, I started wearing a gold lapel pin that is two feet. As a runner, I am often asked if they represent a prize or a race. However, more often, I am asked if they are from “Footprints in the Sand.” These questions lead to a discussion of faith and I have made many fine acquaintances this way. Why? Because we do not stand on a soap box, but we want to share our faith and need to open the door to the discussion.

The feet are my light for everyone to see. Yes, even as a salesman, I am reluctant to stand on the corner and speak the word until I have screened the audience. We Christians are an interesting group.

Thought for the Week: This week let us all be aware that we are the light. Yes, people see what we do and copy our example. We can chose to have a positive or negative influence on our surroundings. This week let all of us recognize our position and be a positive force following the laws of Christ.

Prayer for the Week: Dear Lord in Heaven, what is the confusion here on earth all about? We see abductions, murders, rape; way too many personal violations. In the East, there is terror and war. We are confused. This week we pray that somehow we can be brought to understand it and start to lead society into more peaceful and forgiving ways.

Amen

In the words of Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, “Temptation is the urge to do or say something wrong, something contrary to the will of God and the law of Christ. Temptation often comes in pleasant and seductive forms and the mind always attempts to rationalize it to make it seem right.” That certainly hits home for us. We face it every day.

Through out our lives we are given the opportunity to chose, the correct path or the wrong path. The opportunistic path from the Godly path. None of us has always chosen the right path, the path that follows the law of Christ. We have all crossed that line and felt the remorse, the guilt or the doubt that follows. Yes, admit it, you just are not quite perfect.

It is common for us to hold on to the memories that we have of the times when we slipped and took temptation. Often this sorrowful thinking leads to a bad self image or a subconscious guilt that effects our lives. Working with others for the last 25 years, I have seen many people turn their lives around by accepting the concept of “spiritual growth” and making amends to those that they have harmed. Yes we are not perfect, but when we are growing spiritually, we feel good about ourselves and turn down the temptations that confront us in our daily lives.

Thought for the Week: In our personal lives there are many temptations. Ways to cheat, subtle dishonesty, procrastination, lust, etc. We all have the opportunity break the law of Christ. This week, let us be conscious of these opportunities. Let us note our wise decisions and give thanks for the spirituality and maturity that gets us through the week.

Prayer for the Week: Heavenly Father, our world is a very confusing place. Religious wars and terrorism abound in the east. Neighbors use their version of God to discriminate against others. Within our society, there are many opportunities for us to help. This week we pray that we will recognize that part of our lives. We pray that we may find opportunity to help bring peace and love. We pray for the time to counteract the fear and hate in our world.

Amen

In life and business there are temptations. Opportunities to take more than we know we deserve. In many parts of the world, that is thought of as the American way. The relentless pursuit of “things” or money. After all, that is what makes our economy run.

A classic example is the negotiations between young athletes and the team that drafted them. Often, these people are grappling over “extra millions” and the relationship and respect between those involved is permanently damaged.

This week, Harvey McKay, one of my favorite people, wrote about this subject in his weekly article. He pointed out that good negotiations were not opportunistic, but “win-win.” The temptation to go for it all leads to ultimate failure because the team spirit is damaged.

Harvey is a business man, tennis player, marathon runner and author. In all of his endeavors, he is a winner and has that burning desire for excellence. Harvey has built his life around playing by the rules and constructing a win-win lifestyle. I do not know Harvey well enough to know his spirituality, but from a casual observation, he does God’s work very well.

Thought for The Week: This week, let us search out the temptations in our lives. Let us recognize them for what they are and follow good Christian ethics in our decisions. Everyone can win.

Prayer for the Week: Heavenly Father, our World seems to be full of ungodly events. Kidnappings, suicide bombers, illness and many other events, cause us to focus on the negative. This week, please help us maintain our focus on the good things in our lives, give us the will to spread goodness in a confused world.

Amen

In business and life, aggressive and opportunistic behavior is fairly common. Our economies are generally cash driven; sales is often “let the buyer beware.” In our more modern economy it seems that service has become a lesser part of the equation.

We are a society of checks and balances and our scale seems to be tipped on the negative or “evil” side. Keep the faith as we proceed. I believe that God plays a role here and we will tip the scale back to more Godly behaviors.

Often in my younger days as a salesman, my youthful enthusiasm, lack of confidence and immediate financial needs generated behaviors that may have not been as professional as they would be today. Perhaps that is not the whole truth. I was trained to use all the tools of the opportunistic salesman. Win the negotiation. Guess what folks? They do not work over the long haul. In fact, over the 30 years of sales, my experience has proven, without a doubt, that open and honest sales- and businessmen out perform the sharks and slippery guys every time. Good ethics and Godly behaviors generate good rewards. The term “win-win” should be in the Bible but I couldn’t find the right passage.

In my mind, faith and values need to be practiced in business. Sales is service the customer; integrity is don’t cook the books; buying is get a fair deal; everybody can win, but only when there is confidence and a Godly presence.

Thought for the Week: This week let us ask a simple question as we go about our week: Where is God in all of this?

Prayer for the Week: Heavenly Father, we seem to be in a downward spiral. There is fraud, scandal, anger and war in abundance. Evil seems to abound and there seems to be no end to it. Please help us focus and demonstrate that your ways are the correct ways. Help us maintain the confidence and maturity to overcome the evil around us.

Amen

• We all hear, read and believe that we are forgiven.
• We all have, in our histories, reasons to be forgiven.
• We all have memories of being forgiven.

I pray that all readers find the previous statements true and ask that we think about the many times in our lives when we were down and out, possibly guilt ridden. Within a family or social structure growing together in a spiritual way so that faults are forgiven creates great landmarks in our lives.

Children often misbehave. Fight over toys, sneak a treat before dinner. The simple things. We almost always forgive them after a consequence. That is a great example of our love. As teens, some of the behaviors are often more extreme, but we again forgive the behavior and show our love.

When we were growing up, we often had disagreements with our siblings, friends and neighbors. Most of the time, we forgave each other and grew from the experience. That’s just life. However, each and every time we forgave someone or were forgiven ourselves, we created a landmark in our lives.

Forgiveness and love is what creates family and social landmarks in our lives. They create the memories that make us what we are. To be a positive and happy person it is important to be aware of the many times that God’s will has generated forgiveness in our lives and be grateful. We have all experienced His grace through these landmark events.

Thought for the Week: We all realize that God forgives us for our sins. We also pass forgiveness to others who have wronged us. Through the act of forgiving others, we receive the reward of “good feelings” and a growing relationship. This week, let us focus on being tolerant and forgiving of others’ unique qualities and behaviors.

Prayer for the Week: Dear Loving God, often we find ourselves offended by the behaviors of others. We have noisy neighbors, careless drivers, inconsiderate fellow employees and many other irritable factors in our lives. Sometimes it is difficult to be a good Christian when dealing with irritants. This week we pray that we can behave as Christ would behave when tested by our society. We pray that we may display tolerance and love for all.

Amen

God wanted the Israelites to make landmarks for the future children of Israel. He also wants us to have “landmarks” in our lives. Often when we are about our daily activities, something happens that triggers a distant but fond memory. These memories are landmarks in our lives. Landmarks that we have that remind us of the value and pleasure of living.

Over memorial day weekend, my thoughts transgressed to a very early celebration back in my home town in Massachusetts. It was just after World War II and emotions were very high as there were many soldiers to be honored. But something simpler than that effected me as six year old. At a parade, I heard my first marching band, up close from a curbside seat during the parade. Led by the older “kids” in the neighborhood, we all jumped up and marched alongside the big base drum. My heart was beating out of my chest with excitement. In fact I can feel it as I write. An experience that had slipped into my sub conscious, a landmark saved for me.

Through out our lives we are blessed with many positive landmarks. We celebrate certain ones, birthdays, anniversaries, Holidays etc, but many of the fondest landmarks are much simpler. Often very personal. These are the ones that bring meaning to life.

Thought for the Week: This week, let us think back and try to remember what brought us to this point in our lives. Let us focus on the “landmark” events that shaped us to be what we are. Let us understand God’s role in the meaning of these events and how he shaped and developed us in many simple ways.

Prayer for the Week: Heavenly Father, as a nation, we have just celebrated our independence, our many privileges and especially our religious freedoms. This week we give thanks for all of them. We pray that around the world, people can learn to appreciate their own faith, the love that goes along with it and appreciation of the faith of others.

Amen

More regarding serving. Last week we thought about tough love and tough decisions. In follow up to that, let’s talk about avoidance of issues. Staying out of negative situations. Not being involved.

Often when someone is in trouble— a serious illness, a relationship issue, under financial stress— their friends and even relatives withdraw. They don’t know what to say, they can’t help, they are uncomfortable. All great excuses. “What would Jesus do?” He would get involved.

Serving is a tough thing to do under adverse conditions. But what do we have to lose by getting involved, by offering our help. Let me share a story with you. Around ten years ago, a good friend was having a marriage break up. I saw him at the lap pool that week and asked if he would like to talk. He very politely thanked me for my interest and advised me that counselors couldn’t help; my advice would not be needed. I told him that he would be in my prayers and wished him well. No harm done.

Last year, when our business was causing us extreme grief, he made a similar offer. My answer was thanks and we talked a bit. Again, no harm done to anyone. Most people greatly appreciate an offer for support. However, many of us fail to take the opportunity to serve.

Thought for the Week: Is there a problem that you can help with? Does a friend or relative need an ear? A hug? A bit of advice? There are always opportunities and we may either back off or volunteer our support. When we notice these opportunities, let us ask, “What would Jesus do?” Let’s be involved and do God’s work.

Prayer for the Week: Heavenly Father, each week at church we do “Joys and Concerns.” They always slow down the service. There seem to be more each week. That is great and gives us all a chance to pray that your will will be served. This week we pray for understanding of our roles in all of the joys and concerns of our world.

Amen