---

September 25, 2005, Laws
“The commandments of the Lord are right,
bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are clear,
giving insight to life.”
(Psalm 19:8 )

The ten commandments are always a challenge. How can we possibly live our lives and obey them in this competitive society? We live challenged by road rage, unreasonable bosses, spousal demands and many other issues. However, if you are reading this, I know that you desire to live the life that is commanded.

Ok, so when we do not make it, what is the solution? Consider this:
“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.  The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
(Romans 13, 8-10)

So the next time you seek out forgiveness, when temptation is in our path, when we are angry, the solution is simple. Say a simple prayer and think about our passion and our love.

Thought for the Week: This week we will encounter frustrations. They come in many forms. You can take your pick. When they occur, let us deal with prayer and love.

Prayer for the Week: Dear Lord and Father, there are things in our past that that we have not let go. This week we pray that we may identify them and through prayer and meditation, let them go so you may help us grow spiritually.
Amen

---

September 19, 2005, The Body
The good news goes out to people in their 20s to 90s. All participate in life at different physical levels. There are two fine ladies with new artificial knees exercising their bodies to be able to walk; there is a personal trainer who can run a three hour marathon any day he may choose; there are several people whose exercise is a walker with the help of a nurse. Many are doing all that they can to be healthy servants at the level the Lord allows.
Bless them

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit,
who is in you, whom you have received from God?
You are not your own; you were bought at a price.
Therefore honor God with your body.”
(Corinthians 6; 19 & 20, NIV)

God wants us to be as good as we can be. To do that we need to take care of the physical plant that is our home base, our bodies. When there is something wrong with our physical selves, it effects our every day lives in noticeable ways.

In our younger years, fitness is a gift that goes largely unappreciated until we are looking back from an older perspective. We lose capabilities as we age but we still need to maintain the body to be the best it can be. The better we do this the better we can serve the Lord.

In 1998, after major surgery, I had six weeks where exercise was necessary for a reasonable recovery. In the hospital, they had me pushing my bags of saline and morphine around the halls for exercise. Ten minutes of that was as tough as any triathlon that I had ever done. It sure seemed silly. However, the medical community recognized that God needs help with the healing process. They had me making the muscles flex and blood flow faster to help God’s natural recovery process. As in footprints in the sand, He will be there always when we do our part and doing our part yields significant rewards.

The message is clear that we need to manage our spirit, mind and body. The Lord and great overseer has a great plan for us but we need to always manage our piece. We need to be the best we can be so that we are better servants and teachers.

Thought for the Week: This week let us all recognize our physical limitations. Let us select one to work on. Not an inability to run a marathon or lift 100 pounds but, if the glasses are old, get new ones to help read; if the legs are a bit weak, park further from the shopping center door; if you are a bit heavy, forego a dessert. God wants us to be all we can be and needs our help in that process.

Prayer for the Week: Dear Lord and Father we give thanks to you for making us who we are. Our bodies are strong but can be stronger. This week we pray for the concentration and faith to walk that extra mile, stretch that extra stretch; lift the extra package or weight. We pray for the faith and support to be all that You need us to be.
Amen

---

September 12, 2005, Finances
“Pay all your debts,
Except the debt of
Love for others.
You can never finish paying that.”
(Romans 13:8, NLT)

To be the best that we can be, for yourself, family and society, we need to keep ourselves financially solvent. We all have a different definition of what that means. Today, we will discuss several.

In our society people tend to feel that if their cash flow will cover their debt and the payments are current, they meet the above. They have a large home mortgage, two car leases and several credit cards. Under one condition they are correct.
Recently we met a couple that functions under the old debt free school. No car payments, no house mortgage and no credit cards. They seem to be meeting the criteria specified above. They may not be true.

Once I heard a lecture on personal wealth that stated that if you had no income starting tomorrow and would lose your house in a year or your car in six months, you are broke. Wow, that includes a lot of our friends.

In all cases, the real test is what is going out to the Lord. In the first case, if the debt is covered and you are comfortable where you are and are offering a tithe to God, you are meeting the one condition that matters. As a church fund raiser I can state that is not generally the case. In the second case, being debt free does not sum it all up. There still needs to be the up front tithe to meet the Bible specification. Also, the financial person who gave the lecture was not a spiritual person. We know that being broke financially is tough, but not as tough as being broke, spiritually.

God will be with us, even in our financial world. We need to keep that faith regardless of our operating life style.

Thought for the Week: This week let us think about our obligation to our Lord, our obligation to society and to each other. Let us review our finances and put the Lord before our next expense item. He needs our support.

Prayer for the Week: Heavenly Father this week we pray for the chance to help others. It is a time of financial stress for many and wealthy abundance for others. This week we pray for the opportunity to share our resources to help others. We prey for the guidance to serve you through our abundance,
Amen

---

September 4, 2005, Special Prayers
This has been a very special week. Surely most churches asked for prayers for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Many, like June’s and mine, sang “Just a Closer Walk With Me”. This week rather than a meditation, I ask for special prayers for the hurricane victims. May Jesus walk with them during this time of need and may Jesus walk with you also.
Bob

I am weak but thou art strong,
Jesus keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long as I walk,
Let me walk close to thee.

Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter Lord who cares?
Who with me my burden shares,
None but thee dear Lord, none but thee.

When my feeble life is over,
Time for me will be no more,
Guide me gently, safely over to thy shore,
Dear Lord to thy shore.

Just a closer walk with thee,
Grant it Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to thee,
Let be dear Lord let it be.

---

August 28, 2005, This is the day
“This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
(Psalm 118v 24)

There are 365 days every year. Our goal and challenge is to enjoy them all. We can not allow our finances, boss or other outside influences to steal the pleasure from any day. God put us here to be happy and we need to do that for Him.

OK. Let’s get real. Some days are just a drag, things go terribly wrong, God rains on our parade, our back goes out again etc. When negative things get in the way, we have a hard choice to make. We can choose to have a bad day, or chose to trust our faith and give thanks for what went right. Some days it seems that the only thing to give thanks for is that it is over. Well, that’s enough to make it a good day.

A friend of mine recently was on a driving vacation in northern Minnesota. She was leaving Duluth for Brainerd and had her son fill her Cadillac with fuel. She only got a mile from the gas station and the Caddy died. OOPS- Patrick filled it with diesel fuel. A bad day began; they did not get to Brainerd; the repair for cleaning out the oil was over 600 dollars; they had to find a place to stay. Now, there is some good news. The hotel they found was great, her insurance covered the repair and they had a very enjoyable evening.

We all have problems and challenges that will take longer than one day to resolve. Many issues seem unsolvable. We need to remember two very important things. When we live one day at a time, we simplify our solutions. If we do not get it today, we can work on it tomorrow. When we believe an issue is unsolvable we need to remember that the Lord is with us and He can change the rules. We need to pray and turn unsolvable issues over to the Lord.

Allowing God to be with us every day guarantees that we will have a good day.

Thought for the Week: This will be a great week for all of us. We will walk through the challenges and bless the Lord for the experiences and lessons that we learn.

Prayer for the Week: Dear Lord and father, we are often confused by our world. There are problems that we want to fix NOW and can not. This week we give thanks for the many things that go well and the blessings that we have. We give thanks and pray that we may contribute to your plan in a cheerful and blessed way.
Amen

---

August 21, 2005, Perseverance
“Therefore since you have been justified through faith, we have peace with God...
we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our
sufferings. Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance brings character; and
character brings hope. And hope does not disappoint us.”
(Romans 5:1-5)

The key word this week is perseverance. Somehow in our lives we search for serenity or peace. Where does it hide, or do we hide it on our selves? Certainly we all go through phases when we are not at peace. Careers get in the way, illness occurs and the general business of our lifestyle disturbs tranquility.

When we are not at peace, who is in control? About five years ago, my daughter gave me a daily meditation book, so I started reading it rather than the morning newspaper. It helped me have a better day. I no longer know the baseball scores, how Tiger did or better yet, how many negative things occurred in the world the day before. Meditating gave me a level of peace at the start of the day.

So where does perseverance fit in? Well, peace is illusive and hard to grasp, or even to define. The search may be everlasting. The message in Romans 5 is very clear. Throughout the ups, downs and general activity of our lives, we must be persistent in our faith and keep God in our lives. Through the grace of God, we will find the hope, peace and tranquility we desire.

My favorite poster hangs on my office wall, it states that “The race is not won only by the swift, but also by those who keep on running.” Somehow when we persevere the Lord will carry us through to the end.

Thought for the Week: As we go through this week, let us review our long standing frustrations. The demanding boss, the developing teenager, the morning commute, whatever is in our lives. Let us pray for God’s guidance on how we should help Him deal with the frustration. If He is involved, we will be less frustrated.

Prayer for the Week: Dear Lord, this week I give thanks for the many blessings that are present in my life: The good friends, the lifestyle, the rain and flowers of Summer.

There still are many issues that need attention. I pray for your guidance so that as I work through the issues, you are with me and somehow am doing your work.
Amen

---

August 7, 2005, Priorities
After I go through Macedonia, I will come to you—for I will be going through Macedonia.
6 Perhaps I will stay with you a while, or even spend the winter,so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go.
7 I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits.”

(1 Corinthians 16, 5-7)

When reading about Paul’s work for the Lord, his accomplishments leave me in awe. There are times when it is hard to understand how it all happened. Today’s letter gives us a hint that his life had similarities to ours. He was not without stress, he had to set priorities. Today’s verse can be paraphrased as “I am too busy right now to.... I will get to you later.” In today’s society that is really said way too often. Here are some questions for the Good Newsers that are over fifty:

• Did you carry a calendar when you were twelve?
• Were there sports, scouts or other activities on Wednesday or Sunday evening?

When June and I raised our children, Wednesday and Sunday nights were reserved for Church and the kids did not carry calendars. My grandchildren not only carry calendars and Personal Digital Assistants full of to do lists, they need them. It is great training for the future, teaching them to make choices, setting priorities. High school kids take college classes; college students are helping in the high schools; there are internships that need to be fitted in. Things have changed.

When reading bible stories, it is always great to recognize that the issues then are different than now, but then they are also very similar. Disciples were expected to support the church and spread the word. Paul recognized his responsibilities and set his priorities for the Lord. We have similar responsibilities and need to keep our discipleship high on our priority list.

Thought for the Week: This week, let’s wake up every morning and think about where we can work for God. How can we be a good disciple? He will present opportunities if weare willing and alert.

Prayer for the Week: Dear Lord and Father, we live in the land of plenty. We often forget you in our daily and busy lives. This week we give you thanks for your gifts. As we go through the week, we also pray that we recognize the opportunities to do your work and that we can help others in your name.
Amen

---

July 31, 2005, Hide?
“I can never be lost to your spirit! I can never get away from my God!”

—Psalms 139:7

“Can anyone hide from me? Am I not everywhere in all of heaven and earth?”“

—Jeremiah 23:24)

---

July 18, 2005, Letting Go
“So if anyone is in Christ,
there is a new creation:
everything old has passed away...”
( 2 Corinthians 5:17 NSRV).

With God’s help, we can release the past and live in the now. By accepting God’s presence in our life, we are able to release the past rather than reliving it. Holding on to hurtful memories takes us down roads that lead nowhere. With God’s help we can choose new directions and turn from a nowhere destination to live in the here and now.

There is a piece of all of us that seems to need to live in the negative past. Divorced people can hold resentments for years; accident victims often recent the other driver; people frequently hold grudges against their managers in the workplace; and it goes on. It is easy to do, but in the scope of Christianity, it does not fit.

Forgiveness is what leads to peace and happiness.

Today is a new day in which we can discard the baggage of old habits that limit us. We can start anew with God and through divine guidance, take control of our lives. We need to be receptive to all the goodness that God has to offer.

One of June’s and my favorite slogans is “Today is the first day of the rest of our lives”

Thought for the Week: This week let us think about what wears us down. When it is a historical issue, let us deal with it. If you can make an adjustment  to the situation, do it. If you can switch to something positive, do it. If you can not resolve the negativity, pray about it.

Prayer for the Week: Dear lord and Father, we need you in our lives more than ever. There are so many negative issues it is often difficult to focus on your goodness. This week we give thanks for the many blessings that you bring to our lives. The great friends that we need, the world that surrounds us with beauty and our families that bless our lives. We thank you as our creator for our many blessings.
Amen

---

July 18, 2005, Let Go and Let God
“I will never fail you nor forsake you”
(Hebrews 13:5)

What do you do when a problem seems unsolvable? You must let God show you that there is a solution. If you are uncertain about the future or having difficulty releasing the past, do not be troubled. God is with you now. Let go and let God guide you in this present moment.

Let go of worries or concerns about how you think something should be done and let God guide you to the best way to do it. Do not become overwhelmed by the number of tasks before you. Let God’s spirit lead you step-by-step to a new life of happiness and fulfillment.

As you let go and let God take charge of your life, you will realize that seeming obstacles can be opportunities in disguise. God will never fail you.

Thought for the Week: Let go of the stress and tasks that seem insurmountable and out of our control. Let us do what we can and pray about the rest.

Thought for the Week: We will all be active and busy as we work through our week. Let us be sure that our inner beauty, that grace given to us, shines through.