Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
After three straight days of rain, the sun is making an appearance today. And while it is still in the forties this morning, the day holds the promise of time for yard work, grilling, and remembering those who have gone on before us.
The birds are visiting the feeder, and squirrels are chasing each other around the yard. My cat is checking out her favorite sun beam location and Tropical Storm Beryl has come ashore to drop heavy rain in parts of the southeast that are in the midst of a severe drought. The works keeps on spinning even as we pause to remember those who died in service to their country. We also set today aside to visit the graves of family members who have passed on. It is a day to rejoice, and a day to mourn. We are humbled by the sacrifice of the men and women who died serving their country to ensure the freedom we enjoy stands. It is also one of those days where conflicted feelings can leave a person uneasy and more than a little emotional.
Those who have died either placed their faith in the principles of John 3:16 or in something else. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For those who have passed on who believed in Christ, we rejoice because they stand in the presence of their Savior. Their struggles have ended. They are home. For those who did not grasp onto the promise of salvation in Christ, we mourn their loss. For whatever reason they made a choice to reject the gift of grace offered freely by God in His Son. They chose to let go of the hand of reconciliation and grasp onto something more unsure, fleeting, and thus condemning. It is never too late to reach out to Christ. We need only to look at the example of the thief on the cross from Luke 23:40-43. But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
On this day of remembrance take time to offer a prayer of thanksgiving for the lives of those who gave their all in service of our country. Offer a prayer of thanksgiving for the lives of our family members and friends who have gone on before us. And offer a prayer asking for the words to share with our family and friends who do not embrace the promise of eternal life in Christ Jesus. Personally, I would rather rejoice over someone's arrival in heaven than mourn someone who did not. How about you?
PRAYER: Lord and Giver of Life, this is a day where we take time to remember those in the faith who have gone on before us. Their lives we shared, and we miss their presence in our lives today and still we rejoice in their victory. Our thanks to You O God seems so inadequate. Yet for those who rejected Your grace we mourn. We ask for Your words today and everyday. We ask for the faith to step out boldly to share Your promise of grace and salvation with those who do not know or have walked away from that gift. Gives us words to speak. This we ask in the name of Your Son Jesus Christ, Amen.
This Is Where Everything Changed
Monday, May 28, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
The path of the wind
Ecclesiastes 11:5 As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.
Catching a flight out of any airport can be an adventure. Regardless of where your flight originates from or is heading to, there are many elements of the process totally outside of you control. I believe the airline is capable a of flying me from point A to point B and have my luggage arrive at the same airport as I do. But then again, their track record indicates something else.
I am not an airline pilot, nor am I a flight attendant or ground crew member. I have to trust that each of these people will do as they have been trained and perform their duties to the best of their abilities. I have to trust that the people at Boeing who assembled the plane, did so to perfection. If anyone in this whole process makes an error I could have an undesirable outcome for my flight. The human element in this equation introduces so many variables. And with each variable introduced, the outcome becomes less and less assured. History has shown there are a lot of things that can go wrong with an airlines flight. Maybe that is why I always offer a prayer before each take off and landing?
In God we have a confidence in the outcome that is like nothing else. With God there is perfection. With God there is a plan. With man there is randomness on a scale that can defy all sense of logic. Yet with God, there is a purpose for everything. And in that purpose for everything there is comfort. I may not see the long term plan, and I accept that I may never see the plan play out. If I am given glimpses into the why, then great! If not, it is okay. I am not God, and it is not for me to worry about what is to happen. My role is to study, observe, pray and write. It's simple and that is what I need for I am a simple human being. God, the maker of all things is in charge of my life and that suffices for me.
Prayer: Lord of all things we look to you for answers when we are troubled or confused. We reach out to you when our faith falters. We humbly asks for Your Holy Spirit to be poured into us that we would have the faith to continue on when we are in doubt. We as this in the strong name of Jesus, Amen.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Catching a flight out of any airport can be an adventure. Regardless of where your flight originates from or is heading to, there are many elements of the process totally outside of you control. I believe the airline is capable a of flying me from point A to point B and have my luggage arrive at the same airport as I do. But then again, their track record indicates something else.
I am not an airline pilot, nor am I a flight attendant or ground crew member. I have to trust that each of these people will do as they have been trained and perform their duties to the best of their abilities. I have to trust that the people at Boeing who assembled the plane, did so to perfection. If anyone in this whole process makes an error I could have an undesirable outcome for my flight. The human element in this equation introduces so many variables. And with each variable introduced, the outcome becomes less and less assured. History has shown there are a lot of things that can go wrong with an airlines flight. Maybe that is why I always offer a prayer before each take off and landing?
In God we have a confidence in the outcome that is like nothing else. With God there is perfection. With God there is a plan. With man there is randomness on a scale that can defy all sense of logic. Yet with God, there is a purpose for everything. And in that purpose for everything there is comfort. I may not see the long term plan, and I accept that I may never see the plan play out. If I am given glimpses into the why, then great! If not, it is okay. I am not God, and it is not for me to worry about what is to happen. My role is to study, observe, pray and write. It's simple and that is what I need for I am a simple human being. God, the maker of all things is in charge of my life and that suffices for me.
Prayer: Lord of all things we look to you for answers when we are troubled or confused. We reach out to you when our faith falters. We humbly asks for Your Holy Spirit to be poured into us that we would have the faith to continue on when we are in doubt. We as this in the strong name of Jesus, Amen.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Sunday, May 13, 2012
If a tree falls
Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another , forgiving each other, just as God in Christ forgave you.
The most amazing thing happened yesterday. My neighbor decided it was time to cut down the tree that was ready to fall on my house. Praise God and Alleluia! Miracles do happen. And more importantly, prayers are answered.
Yesterday was one of those special days where I was given the opportunity to see a prayer answered. The tree I wrote about in an earlier devotional has been removed. My neighbor asked his Father-in law to help remove the tree. And it is gone, removed, it is no longer a threat to my house. And along the way I had an opportunity to help and show that there were no hard feelings. I was given an opportunity to "be compassionate to one another". The tree removal team needed chain saw bar oil, and I happen to have a a bottle of outdrive lube that is the same viscosity. I gladly shared what I had. The stump proved to be a problem in it's removal. I helped by bringing a tiger saw and chipped in with bringing the stump to below ground level. I fulfilled an earlier offer to help. And I helped to eliminate the remnants of the problem tree. No longer would I, nor my neighbor, have to gaze on what had been a problem between us.
The Lord works in mysterious ways. He laid out this whole experience in a manner in which there were several faith lessons and spiritual growth opportunities that I can share. 1.) After no small number of days of whining about the tree, Pam and I tried conversation with our neighbors and praying over the situation. Amazing things happen when we bring it to the Lord in prayer. When we finally tire of our own futile efforts and give it up to God we accept the supremacy of the Lord. And we acknowledge our own inadequacies before the Lord. 2.)We show grace to others because we who are unworthy and sinful were shown mercy and given grace on the cross. Who are we to withhold what is given to us? 3.)And finally by pitching in with the oil and helping to cut the stump to below the surface I was able to show that there was no animosity in my relationship with my neighbor going forward. Any physical trace of the offending tree was gone. Just as God our Father casts out our sins as far as the east is from the west, so too should we cast any issues from the past in our forgiving others. We need to bury the past and should not dig it back up.
I am looking forward to a new chapter in the relationship with the neighbor now that the tree is gone. I hope to practice forgiveness as we are reminded of in Matthew 18:21&22. Then Peter came to Jesus and asked , "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."
PRAYER: Father, we are often humbled by the opportunities You place in front of us to act on our faith. When we open our eyes to the possibilities that surround us, we are blessed. We are able to be Your hands and feet. We are able to see the works You have prepared for us. And we are able to help not out of an obligation to earn grace. We are able to help out of love. For this Lord, we give you thanks. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
The most amazing thing happened yesterday. My neighbor decided it was time to cut down the tree that was ready to fall on my house. Praise God and Alleluia! Miracles do happen. And more importantly, prayers are answered.
Yesterday was one of those special days where I was given the opportunity to see a prayer answered. The tree I wrote about in an earlier devotional has been removed. My neighbor asked his Father-in law to help remove the tree. And it is gone, removed, it is no longer a threat to my house. And along the way I had an opportunity to help and show that there were no hard feelings. I was given an opportunity to "be compassionate to one another". The tree removal team needed chain saw bar oil, and I happen to have a a bottle of outdrive lube that is the same viscosity. I gladly shared what I had. The stump proved to be a problem in it's removal. I helped by bringing a tiger saw and chipped in with bringing the stump to below ground level. I fulfilled an earlier offer to help. And I helped to eliminate the remnants of the problem tree. No longer would I, nor my neighbor, have to gaze on what had been a problem between us.
The Lord works in mysterious ways. He laid out this whole experience in a manner in which there were several faith lessons and spiritual growth opportunities that I can share. 1.) After no small number of days of whining about the tree, Pam and I tried conversation with our neighbors and praying over the situation. Amazing things happen when we bring it to the Lord in prayer. When we finally tire of our own futile efforts and give it up to God we accept the supremacy of the Lord. And we acknowledge our own inadequacies before the Lord. 2.)We show grace to others because we who are unworthy and sinful were shown mercy and given grace on the cross. Who are we to withhold what is given to us? 3.)And finally by pitching in with the oil and helping to cut the stump to below the surface I was able to show that there was no animosity in my relationship with my neighbor going forward. Any physical trace of the offending tree was gone. Just as God our Father casts out our sins as far as the east is from the west, so too should we cast any issues from the past in our forgiving others. We need to bury the past and should not dig it back up.
I am looking forward to a new chapter in the relationship with the neighbor now that the tree is gone. I hope to practice forgiveness as we are reminded of in Matthew 18:21&22. Then Peter came to Jesus and asked , "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."
PRAYER: Father, we are often humbled by the opportunities You place in front of us to act on our faith. When we open our eyes to the possibilities that surround us, we are blessed. We are able to be Your hands and feet. We are able to see the works You have prepared for us. And we are able to help not out of an obligation to earn grace. We are able to help out of love. For this Lord, we give you thanks. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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