A Comforting Sign

December 29

Before they left the funeral home the sisters prayed for a sign that their deceased dad was all right. A few days later Diane was listening to Public Radio while driving her car. Faith Middleton, was interviewing an author who responded to a question by saying, “It all began when I was shipwrecked off the coast of Africa.”
That’s how her dad started every bedtime story when they were girls. She called her sister who had heard the same program while driving in another state. They took this as a sign their dad was ok.

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords!
For His mercy endures forever.”
(Psalm 136.3)

Cheerful Giving

December 28

The minister said there were ten apples in the basket and took one out to illustrate tithing. "This one is for God," the minister said holding up the apple. A little girl said, "Poor God, only gets one apple." The minister ate the apple while telling of the widow's gift of two Mitre coins. Placing the core in the offering plate she asked, "When we give are we giving just what is left over?" That was a sobering question. Am I willingly and joyfully sharing my bounty or am I just giving leftovers?

"So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:7)

New York Cab Driver

December 27

I was catching all the lights green. I zipped across Broadway to the other side to continue my journey when suddenly traffic was coming directly at me. I was heading right for a cab. Breaks squealed and I swerved to the right and he did the same. Both cars came to a screeching halt side by side. Slumped over his wheel the cabby whispered, "One way buddy." It seemed all of New York was staring at me. Clearly I was at fault. I didn’t know the city to be driving the way I did.

"It is not good for a soul to be without knowledge, and he sins who hastens with his feet." (Proverbs 19:2)

The Day After

December 26

The Christmas wrappings are trash, the stockings are empty and soon it will be time to store the decorations for another year. I admit to a day after Christmas let down. Why can’t we smile some more and wish each other happiness as we did yesterday. I want to linger a little longer to the notion of peace on earth. I want to hold onto Christmas everyday and not go back to ‘normal.’

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:14)

A Granddaughter's Christmas Wish

December 25

Joyous asked our nine-year-old granddaughter what she wanted for Christmas.

"MiMi, I know exactly what I want for Christmas but I won't get it."

"What's that Rowan?"

"I want world peace and that no child would go hungry."

We can all help this wish come true...by loving our neighbor as we love ourself and by contributing to our local food bank.

I say to you inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My bretheran,you did it to me." (Matthew 25:40)

Speak Up

December 24

It is Christmas Eve and we are to give the “moment of sharing” at First Church of Christ in Wethersfield, Ct. Joy has a bad case of laryngitis. We pray hard.
At the 5:30 service she is barely audible.The Senior minister says tell Joy to speak up.
At the 7:30 service her voice is a little louder.
By the 9:30 service her voice is stronger.
At midnight she sounds like herself. I share with that congregation how the Lord has been answering our prayers. There is applause for God. Driving home Joy turns to say something and her voice is gone. It doesn’t return to normal for two days.

"With men this is impossible but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)

The Wise Men

December 23

The story is familiar. Magi come from the East, following a bright star. "On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary and they bowed down and worshiped him." (Matthew 2:11)
HOUSE! What happened to the stable?
The wise men traveled better than a year to find the new king, which explains when they didn’t return to Jerusalem paranoid Herod orders all children two years and younger slain. Wise men obey God and act on faith. I should too.

"And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod they returned to their country by another route." (Matthew 2:12)

Ice Breaker

December 22

Many of us hadn’t met before so the hostess played a game to break the ice. Each of us was to say three things about ourselves, one of which was a lie. I said:
“I spent a day with poet Robert Frost;
President George Bush Sr. greeted me to the White Housse; “Tony Randall said he saved my life.”

Actually it was Barbara Bush who greeted me. The game is an exercise in how to deceive by twisting the truth. The master deceiver, Satan, does this all the time..

“Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.” (Matthew 24:5)

Advent Can get Personal

December 21

It is Advent but our nation is at war.
The Priest’s heart is heavy with the killing and by the atrocities men do to other men.
He says he turned on the TV and a woman is asked what she would like most this Christmas. She sings, "Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me."
The Priest says, "I wept. I knew what I had to do and it has to begin with me," We agree, to find peace it starts with us.

Jesus lived the words of that song, "Let there be peace and let it begin with me."

"I did not come to judge the world but to save it." (John 12:47)

Born Again

December 20,2011

"Are you a Christian?" YES

"What denomination are you?" I'M BORN AGAIN

"Oh. What event did you have?" EXCUSE ME?

"The Born Agains I know all went through some crisis or life changing event."

BEING BORN AGAIN IS THE LIFE CHANGING EVENT!

Jesus said to Nicodemus: "Most Assuredly I say to you,unless one is born again,he cannot see the Kingdon of God." (John 3:3)

Toll Taker

December 19

The front page of The Hartford Courant has a picture of two toll stations on a bridge. Both have green lights but one is empty while the other has a line of cars. The caption explains the commuters are going out of their way to show their appreciation to a friendly toll taker on his last day at work.

That picture shows me I can be God's aroma of love to everyone, no matter what I'm doing or where. Isn’t that the best place to be, in His will?

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” (Colossians 3:23)

Its a Wonderful Life

December 18

The video I bought was Frank Capra's classic, "It's a Wonderful Life." I didn’t know the story but I like Jimmy Stewart.

The main character George Bailey is a good man but blames himself when things start going wrong. He had misplaced his faith.

The message is an important reminder that when our heart is right and we help others God will bail us out just as George Bailey was delivered in the film. It is a wonderful life when we see God in it.

“The blessing of the Lord makes one rich and He adds no sorrow to it.”
(Proverbs 10:22)

Its all Attitude

December 17

She was in her 80's and walked a mile everyday to the church office arriving with a smile and a kind word for everybody.

Then there was Leo, “Mr. Fix It,” drawing after his car rolled backwards demolishing a metal shed he had just erected. What are you doing Leo? “I'm designing a new shed and this time I'm making it out of wood, so if this ever happens again, at least I'll have some kindling left."

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

Shopping

December 16

While shopping Joy saw a young mother struggling with two little girls. She was speaking sharply to them.
I said to those girls “aren't you fortunate to have such a nice Mom who brings you shopping with her.” Walking down the aisle I heard the woman address her girls in a pleasant tone of voice.
“That was God using me to reach that young mother." Joy mused, "God wants to use us to give words of encouragement."

I can do that I thought. Who can I encourage?

"Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.”
(Matthew 20:26)

On The Air

December 15

It is my big chance to do the midday café show, on campus radio. I am the disc
jockey and my own engineer. The hour goes well, I think, and I fantasize some pretty coed making her way over to Davis Hall to get a glimpse of the man behind the voice. I end on time and reach for the main power switch. HORRORS. It is already off. My voice has never left the studio.

Lesson learned.If I am not connected to my power source all I do is for naught.

"I am the vine. You are the branches, he who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)

God Speaks in Many Ways

December 14

God speaks to us in many ways, most notably through His Word. Many times I have picked up my Bible and there is the very passage I need for that moment.
Charlie, a friend, while laying in traction thought, “Ok God you have my attention.”
God often speaks loudest through our circumstances.

God wants to interact with us. Listen and notice God’s way in your life.

“See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from Heaven.” (Hebrews 12:25)

Christmas Carols

December 11

There we were, about 20 strong including about eight young children, singing carols in the dining room. Several residents and their visitors sang along with us from their tables. Then we went singing to those who had their meals at their bedside. We left wishing all a Merry Christmas. Joy exclaimed, "This is the best thing I've done this Christmas."

It is wonderful all the little things God does through us.

"I was sick and you visited me. Assuredly I say to you inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me." (Matthew 25:36-40)

Charitable Gift

December 10

As advisers to a handicapped facility we would sometimes learn of needs of the
Individuals. One lady wanted a special attachment for her apartment, which was not covered by financial assistance. I gave the director a small check for the item.
Months later during an open house Joy went on a guided tour. Driving home she says, “I’m glad I came, otherwise I would never have known about your gift. The resident saw my name tag and told me how appreciative she is.”

“and your Farther who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”
(Matthew 6:4)

Freedom

December 9

“You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32)
December ninth is Joy’s freedom day. On this day a spiritual sister helped her through The Steps To Freedom in Christ outlined by Neil T Anderson, author of The Bondage Breaker. “Now I know the truth, God loves me, I am His child,” she says. “God used this to open my eyes and ears to His truth.” In a symbolic ceremony Joy gave up those things keeping her in bondage from knowing the freedom that God offers all of us.

“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”(James 4:7)

History Lesson

December 4

In Westminster Abbey there are statues to British figures dating to the 17th century. In the crypt are graves that predate the Mayflower. Outside of London I tour the ruins of an old Roman garrison. Yet we are told in the history of our planet the last five minutes has been mankind.

“Indeed, You have made my day as handbreadths. My age is nothing before you; certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Surely every man at his best walks about like a shadow; surely they busy themselves in vain; He heaps up riches and does not know who will gather them.” (Psalm 39:5-6)

Recession House Sale

December 3

It is a buyer’s market with the average house sale taking six months or more. We are moving in a month and need to sell fast.
I am pounding a for sale sign into the ground when a car stops in front of our house. The young lady driver says she has been looking for a house on this street. A week later she buys our house. Realtors call and can’t believe we sold the house so quickly. They didn’t know that we had asked God to be our real estate agent.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God.” (Philippians 3:6)

Every Day is a Gift

December 1

Another day to hear the birds sing,
A chance to see another rainbow,
An opportunity to learn something new,
More time to forgive and to forget,
Another day to appreciate all that grows,
Lord thank you for another day to serve,
Another chance to make a difference,
More time to laugh, linger and love,
Time to embrace the moment
Everyday is a precious gift.

“Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:13)

A Yellow Dot

November 30

While visiting a small Lutheran church in Massachusetts I found a sheaf of yellow dots with sticky backs in the guest register in the pew. A note said to put one of these dots on the face of your watch to remind you to take time to pray. Good idea I thought. I’m always looking at my watch.

Every time I look at my watch (or cell phone) now I see that yellow dot and pray. I need more yellow dots in my life How about you?

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” {1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Bill's Example

November 29

Bill was a family man, a partner in a large law firm and head of the community foundation board. I was on the staff. For years Bill had been quietly fighting cancer. He was back in the hospital this time he had his nose removed.“ I’ll have a dressing over the hole,” he said, “but I’m still going to the conference.” On the plane he was as upbeat as ever. Suddenly he sneezed. I blurted, “I didn’t know you could sneeze without a nose.” He smiled
“Sure, and I have a built in handkerchief.”

“The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; he who keeps his way preserves his soul.” (Proverbs 16:17)

A Moving Day in DC

November 27

It had been a beautiful weekend to visit our nation’s capital. We visit the White House with a group but President Johnson remains upstairs. On Sunday we attend the National Cathedral where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is guest preacher. Driving to Connecticut we hear President Johnson say he will concentrate on seeking peace and will not seek reelection. It is a dark time for America. It would get worse. The following Thursday Dr. King is assassinated in Memphis

“Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God.”
(Matthew 5:9)

The Hand

November 26

There it is! The shadow of a hand is on my bedroom floor. I scream! My mother flicks on the light. I insist the hand was there. My mother turns out the light and sits on my bed. Soon the moonlight reappears on the floor. “Look,” I yell, “There is THE HAND.”I hear her gasp. My mother saw it too.She turns on the light. I can see a frown then a smile. She removes a cutout of Pinocchio waving from the wall. I am thankful for a mother who showed her boy compassion.

“Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.” (1 Thessalonians 5:14)

Guardian Angel

November 24

An angel is “a messenger of God.” This is the first definition listed in the dictionary.
I stop in a coffee shop in a small city. The young woman behind the counter looks sad. I ask if she is OK. She tells me she has just come from the hospital where her mother is facing a sensitive operation in the morning. I say I will pray for her and her mom. A week later as I enter that shop I hear her say to another customer, “Here comes my guardian angel.” I’m not but God did use me to bring her hope.

“I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” (Matthew 25:40)

Happy Thanksgiving

November 24

We pack up the kids, the hot dishes and slide off to the church parish house.
There are about fifty adults and children at this neighborhood thanksgiving. We stand hand in hand giving thanks for all God’s bounty. We break bread and share the Lord’s Supper before eating our own.
We arrived as strangers but we leave filled with fellowship with others who are grateful for God’s blessings. This is a Thanksgiving I shall long remember. I pray your thanksgiving was joyful and memorable.

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. (Psalm 95:2)

Cheerful Gicer

November 23

“She is desperate,” the secretary said, “I thought you might be willing to help. She can rent a car and get to the hospital and back for fifty dollars.” Joy drops the money off at the church office. The next day while rummaging through a desk. Joy found $65 she had put away for something she has forgotten about. (Hmmm). She learns the lady received a ride to the hospital but spent $23 on gas and tolls. She returned the $27 to the church office.

“So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”
(2 Corinthians 9:7)

Learning from the Geese

November 22

Canadian geese fly in a V formation, which actually helps the individual bird fly higher and longer than if it flew alone. Several geese honk encouragement to the leader up front and when the point bird tires, another takes its place. If one bird is wounded or sick and leaves the formation, two will go with it for protection. The two will stay with the injured bird until it recovers or dies. The remaining two will return to another flock.
We can learn a lot from those traits of the Canadian geese.

“In the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge.” (Psalms 57:1)

Turning Point

November 21

Turning Points! These are the defining moments in our lives. My wife Joy’s turning point came at a Billy Graham crusade in Hartford Ct. “I responded to the call that night,” she says, “but I didn’t come to the Lord until I decided to follow Him wherever He wants me to go.”

The real turning point is when a life is turned from the world to God, from me to Thee.Have yoy had you turning point?

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

Jack's Miracle

Week of November 20

Good Friday Jack was working out at the gym, as he often did. Without warning he collapsed on a weight machine and slid to the floor. A cardiac nurse happened to be working out nearby. She normally would not have been at the gym at that hour but a schedule change at work allowed her workout. She had the presence to remove vomit from Jack’s mouth which cleared his air passage. Jack, unconscious but breathing on his own was rushed to a nearby hospital.

In the emergency room Jack remained unconscious, a couple of times the doctors lost a pulse. He remained in a coma. The doctor told his wife that a cat scan showed no activity. If he regained consciousness he probably would be a vegetable.

Jack’s youngest daughter, Colleen, a high school student, told her mom not to believe the doctor.

“Our God is bigger than that,” she said. Later after the rest of the family arrived Colleen found her way to the Chapel. She was alone. She prayed for God’s healing power. She said she clearly her a voice in her head say, “I will restore those (brain) cells Sunday to glorify my son’s resurrection.”

When she reported this revelation to her family she was met with skepticism, heads shaking in disbelief, and eyes rolling. The next day Jack was still in a
comma and on life support. Twice Colleen, in talking to her dad, got such a strong reaction on the monitoring machine that the nurses came in the room. The second time she was asked her to leave the hospital room. She insisted her dad was going to be ok. “You don’t know my God or my dad,” she told the nurses as she left.

The next day, Easter morning, there was a banging at Colleen's bedroom door. It was her little brother reporting that, “Dad woke up.”

An excited Colleen, while driving to the hospital stopped at every convenience store she passed to exclaim “Behold the Lamb of God, my dad is healed.” She arrived at the hospital to find her dad sitting up and being his old feisty self.

When Colleen returned home that day and turned on her favorite Christian station the first thing she heard was “Behold the Lamb of God.”

Jack Reilly
Tucson, Arizona (as told by his daughter)

Where does the Sun Go.

November 20

A small voice from the back seat asks, “Where does the sun go? I reply, “I’ll show you when we get home,” I bring a flashlight (sun) and grab an orange (earth) and there in the dining room I explain the cosmos to a four-year-old.
A week later driving home as the sun sets I hear “There goes the sun behind the orange.” I should have told her where the sun comes from not where it goes.

“Then God said, “Let there be light;” and there was light. And God saw the light that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. (Genesis 1:3-4)

Mordern David and Goliath

November 19

This time the battlefield is downtown Montpelier,Vt. Goliath is a major ice cream maker and David is an Italian Ice vendor whose slingshot is a one page flyer protesting being barred from a festival sponsored by the giant. The flyer works. The vendor is invited to the festival. The giant is not slain, just cut down to size. I know God is smiling. I’ll bet an ice cream or a dish of Italian ice on that.

“All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves,for the battle is the Lord’s. (l Samuel 17:47 NIV)

Keep Praying

November 18

A friend in our church is going in for an operation for breast cancer. I pray briefly right then for the Lord’s mercy and hand in that surgery.
Later that day I learn that her operation went well and the surgeon thought it was a success. I quietly say,” Thank you Lord for a prayer answered.” I’m blown away when I hear that her whole office stopped what they were doing and prayed when she went into surgery and didn’t stop praying until she came out.

“Pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:28)

Thank God for Life and Death

November 17

When I read that line in a newsletter I thought, “right on.” I hadn’t thought about praising God for death before but I should. Art, who authored the newsletter, wrote “I walked into ‘Granma’s’ room to see if she wanted anything when I realized that she is not there. She is alive in Heaven with Jesus.”

My daughter called me six months after her grandfather died and said, “I just realized Pop Pops is not here, I can’t call him anymore.” That realization can be a lonely moment or it can be a freeing one.

For believing Christians, death is not end but a beginning.

“For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)

Fear of Bridges

November 16

Time to face my fear of big bridges and trust God. The Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay looms in the distance.I start reciting the 23rd Psalm.

I start up the main span “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.” I’m shaking. “yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for You are with me.” My sweaty hands grip the steering wheel.

“Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” I'm at the highest point.

“You prepare a table in the presence of my enemies, You anoint my head with oil.” The sky brightens. “My cup runs over.” God is faithful.

Now I know what the statement means--Fear knocks at the door and faith answers and noone is there. I have driven over that bridge several times since without any fear.

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” (From Psalm 23)

Love Light

November 14

She said she felt sick and could I come right home. I just had a thought to call.
I found her in bed with a temperature.
Seeing her eyes, I was struck by how real love can be. I remembered a preacher saying, “Our love is like a light, which instantly dispels the darkness. Sometimes the light is shut out when a door is closed but that isn’t the light’s fault. The moment the door is reopened the light is there.”

God’s love is like that, I thought. On this night our bedroom was filled with His love light. We left the door wide open.

“Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:8)

Cantaloupe

November 13

Cantaloupe is my favorite. I marvel at the master gardener who conceived this delicious and wholesome food. We plant the seed, maybe weed a little and then harvest the crop. Our partner provides the earth, the seed, the sun, the water and all that is needed for growth. He asks for the first ten per cent of the yield and we get to keep ninety per cent. What a great deal.
Have I kept my part of the bargain? Have I thanked my Partner for my 90%?

“We made ordinances to bring the first fruits of our ground and the first fruits of all trees, year by year, to the house of the Lord.” (Nehemiah10:35)

Asking God for a Sign

November 12

We first met her at a divorce recovery small group Joy and I facilitated. She said at her lowest point a friend invited her to a birthday party for a six-year-old boy. While there she felt so lonely she retreated from the party and wandered into the living room and stood before a stone fireplace with her head bowed and prayed.
“I asked for a sign of help from God. I lifted my head and through my tears I saw a framed copy of “Footprints” hanging over the fireplace.

“Call on Me in your day of trouble and I will deliver you and you will give me the glory.” (Psalm 50:15)

Rainbows

November 11

My daughter, age eight, ran toward the brilliant rainbow descending into some trees. She is back quickly. “Did you find a pot of gold?” She shrugs, "Nope, just another campsite." Twenty years later visiting Hawaii together she borrows my camera and walks off. When she returns to the beach I point out a rainbow. “That’s why I borrowed your camera, I wanted to surprise you when you get home. She was my rainbow that day, for rainbows are signs of a special bond.

“I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.” (Genesis 9:13)

Short Chnged

November 10

“I need a little change for food," he asks?
“I don’t have any change but I have a dollar,” which I hand him.
“Thanks,” he says, “a hotdog costs $1.49. Do you have fifty cents?”
I bristle. “That’s it, I told you I didn’t have any change,” I say, knowing I have another dollar in my pocket.
He hurries off. I have given to the poor but reluctantly. “God loves a cheerful giver.” ( 2 Corinthians 9:7)

I return to my Bible lying on the park bench and read:

“Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8)

Pathways

November 9

The preacher lists different pathways people take to feel close to God:
1. Relational…with other people
2. Contemplative- solitude ( Joy’s path)
3. Serving- feel closest when serving
4. Creation- feel God through nature
5. Intellectual-reading/study (mine)
6. Activist-the action people, leaders,
7. Worship- feel closest when worshiping
We may feel close spiritually with one or more on the list but there is one true pathway for all of us.

"Jesus said,"I am the way and the truth and the light. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14: 5-6)

Fruit Trees

November 7

When I was growing up Rhode Island there was a small pear tree and a large apple tree in our yard. All we had to do was pick and enjoy the fruit at the end of the summer and rake the leaves at the end of the fall. God did all the rest.
Our family, friends and neighbors enjoyed plenty of tasty fruit throughout our eighteen years there. It wasn’t until long after we moved that I thanked God for the bounty from those trees. What do you need to thank him for?

“Others fell on good ground and yielded a crop of a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears let him hear.” (Matthew 13:8-9)

The Meaning of Life

November 6

What is the meaning of life? Isn’t this the question of man down through the ages?
A local camera crew went to the man in the street to find out. Some responses: “The meaning of life is to have fun and love others.” “Avoid Death!” “Sex” “Darn if I know.” “Take care of Mother Earth.”

Jesus answered the question this way:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind. This is the first commandment. The second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew (22:37-40)

Names and Addresses

November 5

Joy and I join others at the front of the church. The visiting preacher and the regular senior minister hand out 3x5 cards and pencils and asks each of us to print our name and address. We all pray together. The ministers vow to pray for each of us by name everyday for a month. They ask us to pray for them daily. We say we will. The cards are placed on a table at the foot of a small wooden cross.
God doesn’t need our names and addresses God knows where to find us. The cross is there so we can find God.

"Come take up the cross, and follow Me." (Mark 10:21)

Give it Away

November 3

He has been stuck since his last operation. He is on disability, is ending rehab and is totally depressed. I pray for guidance. At
lunch he says, “I’m challenged physically but I’m ok mentally and spiritually.”
“You are not OK!” I retort. “ You are caught up in your pain and fears and it is consuming you.” He stares at me. “What you are saying is that I have the grace but I’m keeping it to myself. I need to give it away.” I nod. We stand and hug..


“You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to Me.” (Acts 1:8)

Perfect Gentleman

November 2

He is a perfect gentleman,” Joy says. “He is gentle, patient and kind. When I make a mistake he doesn’t throw it in my face. He lets me be me. That is a real gentleman.”
“How can anyone who demands things be done his way be a perfect gentleman?”
“You don’t understand me but he does.” I’m feeling totally inadequate now. “I try to be a gentleman,” I suggest.
“You are.” she says, “But you are not a perfect gentleman-- “ only God is the perfect gentleman.”

“As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.” (2 Samuel 22:31)

Choices

November 1

A lady calls seeking a title for the church bulletin. I blurt out “Choices.” So that is the topic for my talk on Layman’s Sunday. Later I realize that the message I delivered that day was intended for me. I need to make the right choices in my life. I am a pretend Christian, going to church and saying the right things but not walking the walk. I needed to choose God as the priority in my life. I began by heeding the scripture read at that layman’s service.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be open to you.” (Matthew 7:7)

Halloween

October 31

“Trick or treat?” Years ago we didn’t ask we just did tricks. Now children don masks and costumes and demand treats from grownups, like an entitlement.

The fact that All Saints Day follows Halloween is an appropriate reminder to put away the craziness for another year. Otherwise life could become a series of Halloweens with people wearing masks all the time. I know God wants me to take off my mask and get real with Him. No tricks or treats Lord, just living everyday humbly obeying You. How are you doing?

“By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life.” (Proverbs 22:4)

A First for Baseball

October 29

He had a knack of seeing the best in people and encouraging them. Bob Harrron. was the first sports publicist at Columbia University. At Bob’s urging a Columbia baseball game became the first telecast of a team sport. (April 17, 1939) A reviewer wrote “baseball will never go on television.” When Bob retired he came to Trinity College and became my mentor.

God knows Bob I am still trying to be everything you thought I was.

“Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.” (Romans 14:19)

Memory

October 28

I am struck by what a priceless gift memory is. Without memory there would be no knowledge. There would be no Bible. I wouldn't know my own name.
Memory is a wonderful gift and I shouldn't take it lightly. Thank God for it.
Moses warned us of this long ago.Remember this.

“You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. If you by any means forget the Lord your God, and follow other Gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish.” (Deuteronomy 8:18-19)

Redemption

October 27

This is redemption day (2004) for the Red Sox who win their first World Series since 1918. Destiny? They were down three games and came back to beat the Yankees then swept St. Louis in the World Series.
Was it because Curt Schilling wore a cross around his neck pitching or that David Ortiz pointed skyward crossing home plate after each homer. Was it those signs in the stands, “Reverse the Curse,” “We Believe” and “Have Faith.” Hmmm.

“I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed you can say to this mountain, Move from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20)

Birthday Present

October 26

This is Joy’s birthday. Friends drive us to a surprise gift. The car slows, then we see. Gads! It is a glider. The pilot is dressed in jeans and a plaid shirt. “Nothing to worry about,” he smiles, “ the leaves are in full color.” We squeeze into one rear seat and the pilot closes the canopy. “We are in God’s hands now,” I whisper. The noise of the wind is loud. I thought gliding would be quiet. Joy gets her wish for a bird’s view of the countryside. We thoroughly enjoy ourselves. I’m just thankful the surprise wasn’t hang gliding.

“Give all your worries to God for He cares what happens to you.” (2Peter 5:7 NLT)

Soccer Lesson

October 25

Mario learned to play soccer as a boy in Italy. He coached my sons in beginning soccer, stressing the fundamentals and teamwork. During a game there was a break away. My Robbie (10) was back, his brother Steve (9) was goalie. They met the threat, legs went every which way and Rob kicked the ball right past Steve into his own goal.The booming voice of Mario rang across the field, "It's OK Robbie, even Pele' scored against himself.” He was God's aroma to my young boys.

"Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God." (Mark 10:14)

Dave from the Project

October 24

His mom raised him, and five siblings in a housing project. At 13 Big Brothers matched him with Bob,19. who encouraged Dave to finish school and go to college. After college Bob offered Dave a job at the TV station where he worked.
Today, on his own, Dave is literally helping people around the world become successful in business. One of those people is Bob. Accepting an award Dave thanked God, his Mom, and Bob. "To succeed," he says,"work hard and pray.”

"The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it."
(Proverbs 10:22)

Deceiving Myself

October 23

Our facilitator, Ron says, deception is looking outward at what the world says instead of looking inward at ourselves and what God says.” We list how we have
deceived ourselves. I write:
Judging my success by the world’s standard-praise from men. Thinking that if I work hard all will be right and if I do good I am good.

“The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it? I the Lord, search the heart. I test the mind, even give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” (Jeremiah 17:9-10)

Rock Climbing

October 21

The rock face is straight up. My arms ache as I stretch for the next finger crack. It is out of reach. I stretch and my feet slide out and I fall. Barry Barth, my bailer, is doing his job. He holds the lifeline and I bang against the rock and dangle there. No damage to the bones just to my pride.
God is like that bailer. I can't see Him but I know He is there. He keeps me from falling too far, but allows me to climb my own obstacles. He picks me up when I fall and He renews my strength when I stumble. God can be your bailer too.

“The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid.”(Psalm 27:1)

How Does God Keep Track?

October 20

How can God keep track of everything?
I read,"God is within you.” That's it. I imagine.I’m like a personal computer tied into a master computer. If I'm not plugged in I'm powerless. My screen is dark. Getting plugged in is an act of faith. Once logged on I can get an infinite amount of wisdom from the Master but that doesn't make me a mainframe. I’m still only a personal computer.

Jesus put it this way: "The Kingdom of God does not come visibly, nor will people say ‘here it is' or ‘there it is' because the Kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:20-21)

Waiting for Direction

October 19

I have a friend who has been out of work for more than a year. He lives at least a mile from me on another street but there in my mailbox is a letter for him. God works in strange and wonderful ways. When I hand him the letter I ask how he is doing. He replies, " I am waiting on God to give me direction.”
"Did you ever think maybe God is waiting on you to get ready for His direction?” “I’m ready,” he says.

“How's your heart? Don't answer me, that's between you and God. I was just prompted to ask."

"As in water face reflects face, so a man's heart reveals the man." (Proverbs 27:19)

Woodstock Open

October 18

We call it the Woodstock Open, named for the cartoon character. If your golf ball strikes a tree you get a plastic woody. You can pass it on when another golfer hits a tree. There is a snake for a three putt, a camel for a sand trap, a fish for water etc.
I play the Woodstock Open once a year. The cashier asks if I'm a resident. I lie. I’m an ex-resident. I save $7. I play awful, costing me $10 in animals and I lose my self respect. Ok God, no more cheating.

"Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man,
But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel." Proverbs (20:17)

Stand in the Gap

October 4

A million men gather on the Mall in Washington D.C. on this day (1997) to humble themselves before their God.
We find a place to sit 500 yards from the main stage. It is 6:30 a.m.. The event starts at 1 p.m. It is a moving to see so many men from all over this nation arriving to Stand in the Gap. One speaker says, "Most assemblies on this mall demand rights. We are here to confess our wrongs."

"If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT)

Joy's Golf Shot

October 2

The first hole at the Blue Rock Executive Golf Course on Cape Cod is 90 yards. You can see the green from the waiting area. It is crowded and Joy prays, "Lord just let me hit the ball." It is quiet. Whack!
The ball bounces in front of the green and rolls up to within a few feet of the cup. There is applause. Joy turns and curtsies.
Joy taps in for a birdie- more applause. She bows. At the next tee she says, "That's it, It’ll never get better than this; I retire." And she did.

"I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." Mark 11:24)

Old Car

October 1

The car won’t start. Ugh! We are going to Florida even if we have to jump-start this car all the way from Massachusetts. We stay with family in New Jersey. We ride to church in their van. During adult Sunday school I hear, "we need to pray for my brother-in-law's old car, that it will start and make it to Sarasota. The car starts the next three days and we arrive safely in Florida. The next day the car barely starts. I drive it directly to a repair shop.

"This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us.”(1John 5:14)

The Chowder Bowl

It was the annual Chowder Bowl football game at Providence Country Day School in East Providence R.I.

Seeing the cores under the bench our coach was determined to teach us that apples and football did not mix. He put us scrubs in the game. I was the quarterback who never played. I called the three plays I could remember. No gain. Ugh! Fourth down. I kicked a low line drive that hit one of their players and rolled crazily downfield. It was a live ball we recovered it. Our ball! I still only knew three plays.
The first team trotted back onto the field.We were having too much fun.I think the coach learned a lesson that day.

“Do not answer a fool to his folly, less you be like him.” (Proverbs 26:4)

Be Ready

August 29

We embraced in the kitchen and I remember thinking how muscular he had become. He was no longer a boy but at eighteen he had become a strong young man. I stood in the doorway and waved as he drove off. He tooted the horn. I lingered in the open doorway until the car was out of sight. I can’t explain it, but I knew I would always remember this moment. I had no inkling it would be the last time I would see him. His spirit was called from this earth four days later.

“Be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
(Luke 12:40)

Miracle Births

September 28

“It is a miracle that they all survived. It is a miracle any of us survive, “ my daughter said. One of her cousins had triplets born six weeks prematurely. They weighed less than seven pounds together. My daughter had weighed more than seven pounds when she was born. I remember peering through the nursery window while a nurse held her to the glass. My first thought was thank God she is all there. I was looking at a miracle. I knew it. Babies are a gift.

“You are of God. little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
(1 John 4:4)

Hospital Visit

September 27

Before we enter the hospital Joy goes to an art shop. In her mother's hospital room family sit around the bed talking about medications and pain. Joy parts the curtains, tapes color paper to the walls and ties ribbons on the green plants. Within minutes that sterile room is warmed by sunlight and color and even the bedside conversation brightens.

God loves on us with light. You can’t see the beautiful colors in the dark.

"Then God said, 'let there be light'; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness." (Genesis 1:3-4)

Being Safe not Sorry

September 26

A young electrician gingerly touched the metal box with a screwdriver. I asked him why he did that since he had shut off the power. “I always check twice,” he said. I was working on a big unit with my boss
And he went to grab the cover and I said, ‘don’t you want to test it first?”
He turned to me and said, “Are you telling me how to do my job? He grabbed the cover with both hands and was electrocuted on the spot.”

We all need to learn that lesson.

“He who hates correction will die.”(Proverbs 15:10)

Two Words

September 25

She told Joy things weren't going well at work, her husband seemed distant, she was short with the kids etc. The two talked in the kitchen while I sat in the living room. When we were leaving. I prayed, " Lord give me the words to say." He did.
I whispered two words in her ear.

Days later Joy reports her friend, "is full of life again and back loving her family.” She said she took your two words of advise; “Tell God!"

“Now a word was secretly brought to me, and my ear received a whisper of it.”
(Job 4:12)

Profound Moments

September 24

"I just had a thought,” Joy says,” God is saying to me 'hurry up and grow so I can teach you more. There is so much God wants me to know but I need to be ready.
* * *
On the eve of leaving for Washington D. C. to gather with other men to Stand in the Gap, I open my Bible and read:

"May the God of endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 15: 5-6)

Did You Like Our Church?

September 23

My friend is excited,her neighbor finally attends our church service.

“I‘m glancing sideways during the service to see how she is reacting. Her face seems non expressive.. During the message she stares at her feet and I’m confused.” The service ends and my friend asks awkwardly, “Is there anything you liked?”

Her neighbor smiles, “Oh! I saw God’s love before the service even started when your pastor walked in and kissed that boy in the wheelchair by the door.”

“Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.” (Matthew 18:5)

Reading the Word

September 22

Cliff our men’s Bible teacher passed out an 81/2 x 11 sheet of paper divided into 367 little rectangles with four biblical references hand written in each box.
He was awakened at three and visualized finishing the Bible in a year by reading two chapters from the old testament, a psalm, a proverb and one chapter from the new testament everyday. The class ended for me a few weeks later when I moved to Florida. I have used Cliff’s outline daily for the past eighteen years.

"Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.”
(Proverbs 30: 5)

How's Your Day

September 21

Paraphrasing Thomas Merton Joy says "Live in the moment and see all that God has provided...it’s awesome." She asks how my day has been. I pause. Typically, another day has gone by and I have missed those precious moments. Keeping a daily journal helps as does reading the Bible, taking a hike or listening to a child. Joy listens to chants or other music she enjoys as part of her quiet moments. I think I'll go for a walk and notice what's around me.

“This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”
(Psalm 118:24)

Dungaree and Suit People

September 19
Our pastor says the essential ingredient for an authentic Biblical community is "the presence of the Holy Spirit. Then people live in oneness and love. All else is artificial barriers...like different races, like dungaree people, the suit people, the ear ring people, its all artificial."

“Here there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, slave nor free, but Christ is all, and in all. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you, so you must also do." (Colossians 3:11-12)

Share the Hope

September 18

It has been a week since the horrific events of September 11 when America was attacked by terrorists. The country is still trying to pick its sanity out of the ashes.
Our small group shares feelings ranging from depression and fear to outrage.
“What can we be doing as individual Christians?” someone asks. We are quiet.
A woman responds, “We can share why we have hope. I’m calling my neighbors.”

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.”
(1 Peter 3: 14-15)

Is that You God?

September 17

How do I know when a thought or message is from God? When it is not?
How can I be sure? When I ask the Lord for direction how do I know the response is from God and not the great deceiver? These questions remained until I was shown a simple way to test if the Spirit bringing the thought is of God. I have found that this test works quite well.

“By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not from God. (1 John 4:2-3)

Sickness and Health

September 16

At seven she awakes, walks to the bathroom and a minute later I hear a crash and a loud thud. I literally have to push her body along the floor with the door to get in to help her. She is shaking.

Later the doctor says it looks like flu. I pray for healing. She props herself up in bed for a cherry pop and God provides a phone call from our youngest daughter to cheer her.
More prayer, several bottles of ginger ale and many pops, God heals Joy. I didn't even get a mild version of what she had. Praise the Healer!

"The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up."
(James 5:15)

Parking Ticket

September 14

This morning I drive downtown for a meeting. There are two parking spaces on the street near the hotel. I take the one nearest the corner so I can get out quickly.
Less than an hour later I return to find a ticket on my window. I parked in a no parking area and the quarters I had put in the meter were for the parking space in front of me.
A friend says, "Don’t fuss over it, or it will you cost more than the amount on the ticket." That tip is 2,000 years old.

"Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." (Matthew 22:21)

French Class

September 13

I had completed all my credits at the university except four years proficiency in one foreign language. I had two. I told the visiting professor my situation. He advised a tutor, one of his graduates. The last week the tutor had me translate the same four pages until I got it right.
The dreaded day arrived. I opened the final exam and stared in disbelief. The passages to be translated were the same two documents I had worked on for the last week. It was a gift. It was mercy and a blessing.

“The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.”
(Proverbs 10:22)

Special Encounter

September 12

We are looking for kindling. My son, 4 runs back and hugs my leg. Looking up with a big smile he says, "Dad isn't this fun picking up sticks, just you and me?"
My teen daughter beckons, "Dad you have to see this." I join her astronomy class at the top of Talcott Mountain. A chill runs up my back as I look into the scope and clearly see Saturn and its rings glowing like a toy top in space.
Any parent holding a baby for the first time must feel an encounter with our Creator. How about you?

“Come behold the works of the Lord."(Psalm 46:8)

Attack on America

September 11

This is the day there was a deliberate attack on America. We are shocked.
That evening I join others in church. The first prayer isn’t for the victims or their families (although that would come later) it is for repentance. Is this a wake up call for America to stop worshipping idols? What about all the people killed? Then I read what Jesus said in Luke.

“Those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem. I tell you, no: but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:4-5)

Soft and Hard Putty

September 8

The preacher came down the aisle holding two cans of putty, one contained putty which, had hardened after exposure to the air and the other was a new can that contained soft pliable putty.

"When our hearts are open we are pliable and God can mold us like clay but when our hearts are neglected they become hard.” I need to give up what I think I am and let God mold me into what He intends me to be.

Jeremiah said only with God's help can we be softened. Jeremiah said God told him, “When you search for Me you will find Me; if you seek Me with all your heart!”
(Jeremiah 29:13)

A Very Special Day

September 7

This is a very special day for Joy and me. Pastor Pat baptizes us in a lake. We both emerge from the water shivering but it is not from the coolness of the water. We praise the Lord while we huddle together on the shore draped in towels. We are all trembling with excitement and for good reason.

"He who believes and is baptized will be saved." (Mark 16:16)
"Indeed I baptize you with water unto repentance but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 3:11)

Family Mystery

September 6

He had come to help my dad repair the front porch but now Papa felt he had to go home. Dad drove ‘Papa’ to the bus station.
The next day the deadly hurricane of 1938 hit the R.I. cost. All the phone lines were down so dad drove to Tiverton to find the bridge to Portsmouth was gone. He rented a boat. On Papa’s road all the houses were crushed or gone, except one. He had boarded up the windows and all were safe.
What had urge for my grandfather to return home? He didn’t try to explain it.

“Whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure without fear of evil.”
(Proverbs 1:33)

Power of Prayer

September 5

Never underestimate the power of prayer.

A granddaughter in Connecticut, who has had diabetes since she was two, is rushed to the hospital. She doesn’t respond to treatment and is listed as critical.
I call a niece in Spokane for prayer. I pray and prepare to fly from Florida to Connecticut. The next day my son reports Jessica is doing so well the doctors are talking about letting her go home.

My niece calls and before I can tell her the good news she says, “I have been praying most of the night for Jessica to be healed and back home by the weekend.”

‘If you ask anything in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:14)

Dealing With Anger

September 4

We are in the house, voices raised. Joy yells, "pray." We both kneel. I reach out to hold her. She pulls back and snaps, "don't touch me, I don't even like you now." She demands, “Jesus we can't handle this, we need You now!" Her arms come around me. The anger subsides and our voices are now softer. We forgive each other. God answers knee-mail.

"Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another; even as Christ forgave you, so you must do. (Colossians 4:13)

A Boy and a Fire Truck

September 3

It’s time to leave the church fair. My three-year-old grandson wants to sit in the driver's seat of the fire truck-again.I carry him screaming and kicking to his stroller.
Joy leans over him and says, "Tommy calm down.” He stiffens and shudders a couple of times, wiped the tears from his eyes and softly repeats, "Tommy calm down." He takes Joy's hand and they walk to our van. Later Joy says "I have never seen a child get in touch with himself like that, the Spirit was with him.(Fifteen years later that child asked Jesus to be his Lord and Savior.PTL)

“I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." (Luke 18:17)

When Life Becomes Unbearable

September 1

This is the day I receive the call every parent fears. Our youngest child, Steven, has died in a house fire. He was 18. The world stops. I’m numb. Tear flow freely.
For many nights after the funeral, I tried to respond to the cards and notes of sympathy. One night I threw down my pen dropped to my knees and cried out to God. That was the night my Shepherd took this broken lamb in His arms, and whispered in my ear, “Here I am.”

"You shall call and the Lord will answer; You shall cry and He will say, Here I am." (Isaiah 58:9)

Will Work for Food

August 31

Ever see a person with a cardboard sign that reads "will work for food?"
I ask, “Does your sign mean what it says, will work for food?” He says yes. I drive him to my house and he mows my lawn. He is desperate for money to pay the rent and to buy food for his wife and child. He has some leads for work but nothing has come through.I pay him in cash, not food, and drive him to his neighborhood. We are both blessed this day.

"He who despises his neighbor sins; But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he." (Proverbs 14:21)

FIRE!

August 28

FIRE! The word yells at you. It demands action." Call the fire department! Let's go!
"Where are Pat and Steve?" "At the fire!"

We run up the hill behind the cottage. "It is steep--and long." "I smell it." "I see it.” Finally the top! There are two blackened faces, one boy holds a charged shirt. A circle of flames 10 feet in diameter is growing. Thank God there isn't a breeze. Finally firemen, who panted up the same hill with back pumps, douse the flames. All are safe.

"But I have trusted in your mercy;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.” (Psalm 13:5-6)

Day in a Park

August 27

I sit and read my Bible. A woman with two girls in the play area asks, “Tell me in what book do you find the Tower of Babel? Whan I pause she adds," Oh I can look it up later.”

I leave surprised by her question. I look it up. Men decide to build a tower to become famous. In case I don’t get it, the commentary says, "We should glorify God, not build towers (riches) to get our self worth, which become more important than God." (NIV)

“Its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth." (Genesis 11:9)

Hot Day

August 25

"I had no idea why I bought four bottles of water," Joy tells me, "one bottle would have been enough for the trip home. Something just told me to buy four.
The bottles sit in a bag while she drives down the Mass. Pike to the exit for Sturbridge. "As I approach the toll station, I notice a family of four sitting by the side of the road with a dog. They are beat. I
stop, all are thirsty, especially the dog.

“Whoever shall give a drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no way lose his reward.”(Matt 10:42)

Yelling

August 21
A national magazine shared a survey of elementary school children who were asked if there was one thing they could change about their mom what would it be. Their answer-"not to yell at me." Ouch! Sorry Moms.

We received a call that a couple we knew was having a violent argument in front of their children. By the time Joy and I arrive the husband has left the house and the wife was still shaking from anger and fear. The confrontation started when one of the parents yelled uncontrollably at a child who refused to finish her breakfast. The other parent jumped to the defense of the child and a yelling match ensued. How different things can be when we follow the wisdom of the Proverbs.

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
(Proverbs 15:1)

Handling Stress

August 22

We are moving and boxes are all over the living room. I fear two things I seek are in one of the taped boxes. “Let’s stop and pray right now,” Joy says.. “Lord we seek your help here. We need to find the work folder and the gift certificate or give Mal peace about it.”
I feel my stress subside. I thank her for her love. As I rise from my knees I spot an open box under the divan. Inside is my business folder and the gift certificate.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6

God Knows

August 21,2011
Robin helped her best friend Lisa pack and move from Florida to Texas.Feeling the loss of her friend, Robin went off to attend a new comers class at a church. She sat next to a sweet lady who told her during the break that her name was Lisa and she was feeling lonely because she had recently moved to Florida from Texas where she left her dear friend. Robin.

"...your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask him." (Matthew 6:8}

100 holes of golf in one day

August 20

It is a perfect day to play 100 holes of golf to raise funds for Christian charities. The object is to keep moving and finish. Each of us has raised pledges by the hole. I’m leaning on my club when the ground gives way and swallows my putter. I finish with a borrowed one. The golf pro suspects my old putter fell down the shaft of an old well. At the awards breakfast I win a new handcrafted putter. Now whenever I'm asked about my unusual looking putter, I say, "God gave me this putter. You see I was playing 100 holes of golf one day…

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above…" (James 1:16)

Persistence

August 19

Dickey needed to pass lifesaving to be an Eagle Scout. He was handicapped with slow speech and weak legs. All the carries required strong kicking power. On his last day I said to Dickey, "I don't care how you do it. Bring Jim (my assistant) back,” He wrapped his legs around Jim and while on his back flapped his powerful arms. Jim's head and shoulders were out of water. It was smooth and quick. He met the test. God rewards honest persistence. Dickey was my instructor that summer.

"Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." (Galatians 6:9)

Unconditional Love

August 18

My teacher told the class my name, Malcolm meant “bald-headed monkey.” Laughter.

“Your teacher is mistaken, you tell her your name means bald-headed eagle,” Mom said.

My teacher apologized and told the class. A loving mother and a compassionate teacher had restored a boy’s self-esteem.

I didn’t fully appreciate my mom’s love for me until she was gone. I bet the Apostles felt the same way about Jesus.

God loves us so unconditionally that, “He gave His only begotten son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Reeling in Walter

August 16

Walter, Joy’s dad, and I are returning from lunch to the Soldier’s Home in Holyoke Ma. We enter the chapel together. I read from "Would you like to Know God Personally?" There is a suggested prayer to receive Christ through faith. I ask if this is his desire? He nods and he repeats the prayer. Then we pray together.

I call Joy who is still in Florida. I tell her and I hear a gasp. “I can't believe this. God is wonderful. The last two days I have been picturing my dad standing before Jesus, head bowed, fidgeting and holding his fishing pole.” Praise God.

“Rejoice with me; I have found my sheep which was lost.” (Luke 15:6)

Responding to a Rebelling Son

August 15

I love my son. For a time we tested each other. He was a "dead head" and I was a dull head. He had long hair, wore genes and smoked stuff. I had little hair, wore a suit and drank scotch. We were both lost. “I’m leaving school, I can always get a GED.” I pray for the right words. ”An interviewer is going to see GED on your resume and a red flag will go up. You will have to explain these years.” He quits. A year later he says, “I am going to get a regular diploma, a GED will be a red flag on my resume.” I quietly thank the Lord.

"Now go, I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." (Exodus 4:12)

Family Reunion

August 4

It is August and that means family reunion at Buffumville Park in Massachusetts.

There is something special about a family reunion and seeing each other and the children who grow so quickly into little people. Once a year our various busy lives intersect for a day. We share and care, not because we know each other well but because we are family. God wants us all to love each other, simply because we are all family, His family.

"A new commandment I give to you,love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. (John 13:43)

Barred from Prison

August 3

Our prison services were suppose to start in February. I had April. I asked people to pray for me and they did. We never got into the Prison. The clearances hadn’t come through. We prayed for the men through the barbed wire fence.I was reassigned to December. A call in late November cancelled our group.
God didn't want me in that prison. Why? Wasn't I properly prepared? Wasn't my heart right?
A year later I heard God’s reply, "You never asked Me." It wasn’t His will that I go it was mine.

“For without Me you can do nothing.” (John 51:5)

Deserted Village

August 2

We paddle a skiff to a small beach and walk up the trail to the huts. Clothes hang on racks, two smoldering fires and chickens mill about but not a soul in sight. It is eerie. Now I have an inkling how missionaries must feel going to a remote area to share the Gospel. Their faith must be bigger than their fears. Is mine?

“Go therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and know I am with you always, even to the end of the world.”(Matthew 28:19-20)

Baseball Lesson

August 1

The coach is chiding his third baseman.
A grounded heads for third and the baseman, thoroughly rattled misplays the ball. As the inning ends the player storms off the field and slams his glove down.
The catcher tells him “cheer up, the coach only rides those he thinks have potential. It is his way of trying to bring the best out of you.” The third baseman lifts his head.
God is like that coach. He is trying to bring out our best. He knows what is inside. He put it there.

“For whom the Lord loves He corrects; even as a father the son in whom he delights.” (Proverbs 3:11)

Where was It?

July 31
I ask in the van if she has her cell phone. She returns to the house to look for it.
She is back in less than half a minute with the phone in her hand and a quizzical look.
“ Where was it,” I ask relieved?
“I don’t know,” she says softly.
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
“I went into the kitchen and I didn’t see it, I prayed and then I’m holding the phone. It was like someone handed it to me.”

“Let your request be made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses
all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 4:6-7)

IG Inspecton

July 30

Try keeping anything metal from rusting in Panama. It is impossible. The Inspector General team arrived headed by a Captain I had served with a year earlier. I told him my evaluation was riding on the weapons inspecton.
The captain took over inspecting the weapons himself. Later he made an oral report to the brass. When he got to the weapons section he turned to my company commander and said; "Captain, I congratulate you and your men for having the best looking weapons in the battalion."

“… with God all things are possible." (Mark 10:27)

Lost Swimmer

July 29

I ‘m 17 and the waterfront director at a Boy Scout camp. The counselors had left the water for lunch. My assistant reports there is still a nametag on the board.
On my fourth dive I see the body several feet below me. I gasp, lose my air and re- surface. My heart is pounding. I take a deep breadth and dive straight down, arms extended. As I near the bottom the body is a towel draped over some rocks.

When I surface my assistant is walking on the dock and tells me our missing person is at the dinning hall. My reaction is how heaven feels about a new believer.

"Rejoice with me for I have found my sheep which was lost." (Luke 15:6)

Seek Counsel

July 28

A small plane plunges into the dark ocean off Martha's Vineyard claiming the lives of the pilot, John F. Kennedy, Jr., his wife, Carolyn and her sister, Lauren Bessette.
JFK Jr. left for the island that night despite predictions of poor visibility. A reporter who is also a pilot concludes JFK Jr. fell victim to the young pilot's disease he calls, "gotta-get-there-itis."

I ask God, what am I supposed to learn from all this? The reply comes quickly.

"Without counsel plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established."(Proverbs 22:1)

Tommy on a Beach

July 27

“Grampy, want to go for a walk on the beach?” What I don’t realize is what a four-year-old means by a walk on the beach. To him it means racing down the beach looking back, smiling and off again. This goes on for several minutes. Finally he stops and starts running back towards me, arms extended. I throw my arms up and run towards him. As he draws near I crouch and he leaps into my waiting arms, squealing with delight. What joy.

“ These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15: 11)

Angels in my Lfe

July 26

My thanks to these special angels:
An orthopedic nurse who encouraged a boy for ten years so I wouldn’t be crippled;

The priest who stopped and taped a leaky fuel line in my car on a hot summer day;

The unknown angel who awakened me just as I was drifting off the road;

Thank you Lord for sending these and others in my time of need.

“He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways."
(Psalm 91:11)

How as your Day?

July 25

How was your day? Ok. Let’s look again.

The car accident that almost happened but didn’t, the call from a friend inviting me to something good, a hug and smile from my wife and a surprise call from a daughter.
There is food to eat, no aches or pains, and nothing dangerous to face. There is a meeting with a friend, a Bible to read, wild ducks to feed, a computer to use, music to hear, a comfortable bed and prayers to say. It’s not just Ok. It was a day from GOD.

"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
(John 10:10)

Specialst Johnson

July 24

Specialist Johnson worked in personnel when I was at the Officers Candidate School at Ft. Benning. I was from his hometown so he befriended me. On graduation day I wanted my first salute to come from Specialist Johnson so I could give him the traditional dollar. He saw me and waved. I said sternly, "Specialist is that the way you greet an officer?"
Isn't God like that, making us humble ourselves first, then comes His blessings"
Spc. Johnson was a blessing at OCS.

“There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." (Proverbs 18:24)

Under a Tree

July 23

Joy shares that, “When I am with God, I see myself in a pasture sitting under a tree with my pillow and baby blanket. When I am separated from God, I am somewhere on a hillside and I can’t get to the pasture.”
When she is agitated she focuses on herself and “Satan does a number of me.”

But when she lifts her troubles or concerns up in prayer “that is the moment that frees me. I’m off the hill and back under the shade tree again.”

“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32)

Roth's Example

July 22

Roth, who is in his seventies and has Parkinson’s disease told this story to our group. He is at the pool and a young girl swims to the ladder where he is standing.
"I thought because I am older and in my condition she should let me come down first. But she grabs the ladder, lifts herself out of the water and swings by me into a wheel chair. It is then I see she has no legs. And I am thinking I’m handicapped.”

We all needed to hear Roth’s message.

"Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."
(John 7:24)

Getting out of my Cave

July 21

What do you do when your wife tells you she feels disconnected from you. I go into my cave to process and sulk and pray.
On this day I return home to a sweet embrace. Entering my office I see a love note from Joy on my swivel chair. It is a pencil drawing of a cave with two eyes peering out (me) and outside is a dancing piglet (her) trying to coax me out. I can honestly tell her that I am now out. How God has softened my heart and removed my hurt. It takes my breath away. Wow!

“O Give thanks to the Lord for He is good: for his mercy endures forever.” (Ps 136-1)

Multiplying God's Gifts

July 20

“God has gifted us all,” the pastor told three recipients, “use these gifts and come back next week and tell us what you did.”
At the next service a man came forward with a cookie jar holding $660. He passed the jar at a golf course. A woman donated her money to a Christian relief effort.The third person said he gave the money to a woman whose husband had lost his job. The pastor read a note from that woman. "My husband has a job and the gift restored my faith,” she wrote.
Have I been multiplying God’s gifts? When I do I know what I will hear:

“Well done good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21)

What is really Important

July 19

I have a habit of losing hats, umbrellas and pens. Usually I leave them somewhere and walk off. I use to go spastic especially when I misplaced my pen. Now I am learning to put these material things in perspective. It’s all small stuff. It doesn't really matter if it is a pen, or hat or umbrella. It doesn’t matter if it’s a watch, a car or a house. The material things of life are not really that important. I have seen people on the news standing in front of a pile of debris after a tornado giving thanks they are alive.

“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Col 3:2)

Perfect Growing Condtions

July 18

Panama Canal Zone has ideal weather for plant growth. Where I was stationed
the Army would cut the wild grass and plants along the railroad tracks about every six weeks. The day it was cut I could see the rails as I drove beside the tracks. Just before the next cutting, the plants were as high as the train. It is true!
When the right ingredients are present growth can be remarkable.

“But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundred-fold, some sixty, some thirty." (Matthew 13:23)

Batchatraphobia

July 17

My wife has a fear of frogs. It is called Batchatraphobia. So what does her loving husband do? He buys a cottage on a cove where there are lots of bullfrogs. I net the amphibians and transfer them across the lake. Joy read that scientist say that many deformed frogs found around the globe may be an early warning of a deteriorating environment. I can assure the world that the bullfrogs on Cedar Lake in Sturbridge Ma. are healthy.

Joy now tolerates frogs and is dealing with her phobia in a proper way.

"Give all your worries to God for He cares what happens to you." (1Peter5:7)

Shell Fishing

July 16

I am preoccupied with fishing when a crack of thunder startles me. I prepare to leave, but my motor won’t start. The sky is black. Here is a college kid in an open boat, no radio, no flares, not even a horn.
A boat approaches. It is a commercial fisherman. All he says is, "need a tow?"
He throws me a rope tied to his boat.
Soaked and shivering with lightening all about is frightening. There is nothing I can do but leave it in God’s hands.He takes mercy on a fool.

“After rebuking the wind and waves Jesus said to them, ‘Why are you so fearful?
How is it you have no faith?” (Mark 4:40)

Lady in the Rain

July 15

We are at a stop sign and I clearly see a lady standing in the rain. Gads! She doesn’t even have an umbrella. I am convicted driving down the highway. I could have invited that lady into our car for a few minutes or at least loaned her an umbrella. I feel shame, ask for forgiveness and tell myself I will be more responsive to the needs of others.
“Lord when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister to You? Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.” (Matthew 25:44-45)

Confused by Life?

July 14

I’m confused, not focused.Not sure of any direction. In the mail is a flyer, quoting Thomas Merton: "My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone."

What timing. Thanks you Lord.

"Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

One for Car Talk

July 13

We stop in a Maryland rest area along I-95. Returning to the car I turn the key. The car is dead. I call our motoring plan. The agent says he will have to send two tow trucks, one for our car and one for the trailer. It is going to be a long night.

“Lord we need help here.” Something in my head says, try Joy's key.I turn the key. Ignition. I thank God, cancel the tow and drive off. How did this happen? I should call the "Tappett" brothers of Car Talk on public radio about this.

“We give thanks to You, 0 God we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.” (Psalm 75:1)

Church Greeter

July 12

It is my Sunday to be a greeter at church.
I learn that Mahatma Gandhi once read about Jesus and was so intrigued that he headed for the nearest Christian Church. An usher confronted him at the door and reportedly said, “You don’t belong here, go back to your own kind” The spiritual
leader of India was turned away.
I remember Gandhi when I'm a greeter for our church. Actually I should be a greeter all the time spreading God's love.

"In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him." (Acts 10:34-35)

No Rain

July 11

It hasn’t rained for seven weeks. I can't imagine how bad it gets after seven years of drought, which the Bible records during Joseph's time in Egypt. God gave Joseph a plan to deal with it; store up during the years of plenty to survive the lean years.
Where is my treasure? I opened my account by accepting Jesus as My Lord and Savior. How much have I added?

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys.” (Matthew 6:19)

Dead Tree Branch

July 10

Joy has left for the day and now is my chance to remove the dead branch hanging over the water. Joy wanted me to hire someone but I know I can do it myself. I reach up and twist the branch. SNAP. At that second I realize I am standing directly underneath this branch. How dumb.
I brace for the impact. Splash. The main branch crashes harmlessly into the lake and I am left holding some twigs and feeling absolutely stupid. The Lord has taken pity on a fool.

"Oh give thanks to the Lord for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."
(Psalm 136:1)

Three Boys and a Snake

July 9

At camp two boys and I confronted a dull brown and red snake with a vibrating tail. One boy pinned the snake with a stick. The other boy grabbed it and put it inside a flimsy cupcake box. In a flash the snake sprung out of the box, slithered over a bare knee to the ground and escaped. A bugle sounded and three tenderfoot scouts ran off to a parade field.

Angels were looking after three boys that Sunday when that Timber Rattlesnake chose to get away rather than get even.

“He will give His angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways."
(Psalm 91:11)

Polio

July 8

Polio! The word terrorized parents and children alike when I was growing up.
A lot of prayers were answered when Dr. Jonas Salk discovered an effective vaccine. In this 21st century scientists project 21 million will die from Aids in Africa alone. That’s more than all killed during WW II. A cancer continues to claim lives.

I give thanks to God for the army of people who eradicated polio. Now we need a new army to win these battles.

"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
(Matthew 19:26)

Cigarette Boat

July 7

It’s a perfect day on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. We are with a group on an island owned by a successful businessman. Joy and I climb aboard a cigarette boat with six others. We all hang on to stay upright. It is invigorating but it isn’t fun. That is how I feel about roller coasters. Why go? Is it for the thrill?

Today I get that rush of excitement when I feel God is near or is calling.

"These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full." (John 15:11)

A Candle in a Cave

July 6

It is a restaurant in a cave. The room is well lit yet a lone candle burns on a ledge. Our waiter says, "that's our test candle as long as it flickers we’re fine.” Nervous laughter. Half way through dinner a woman yells, "The Candle is out!" Heads turn. "It is OK," her husband says relighting the candle, "the waiter was only joking."

Life is like that test candle. We can relight with His truth or be nothing and flicker out. And that is no joke.

"You are the light of the world." Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14,16)

Ike and a Golf Ball

July 5
One summer President Eisenhower made an impromptu visit to the University of Rhode Island. There was Ike standing tall in an open car. Someone yelled, "Hey Ike!" and tossed a golf ball toward the President, prompting a secret service agent to leap and grab that ball in midair. It could have been a bomb and that agent was ready to sacrifice himself for our President.

Am I ready to give up this life for Christ? Are you?

“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:25)

Independence Day

July 4

Old Glory flies from the deck of our cottage on Cedar Lake, Sturbrdge. Friends arrive for a cookout. At dusk, we will paddle canoes to the middle of the lake to watch home-launched aerial fireworks. We pledge to our flag, "one nation under God."

But we are not one nation under God. There are those who take offense at the word God. We are divided. Such a pity.

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Climb Your Mountains

July 3

We stand on the narrow summit of Mt. Albert in Colorado, which is something like seven feet higher than Pike's Peak. The view is breathtaking. I reach the top with 16 others who are completing a week at the Exec. Course at Outward Bound. There is a true sense of accomplishment at the top. God has put in each of us the ability to reach higher and further in our lives. We learn that failure is not falling short; it is not starting in the first place.

What mountains does God want you to climb? Have you started?

"Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us..." (Hebrews 12:1)

Changing Direction

July 2

It is pre-camp week, I’m the rookie waterfront director trying out sailing with Ray, my division head. We are off in a stiff breeze. I learn the hard way the difference between “coming about and jibing.” We jibe and capsize. A horn sounds signifying a tip over. When they arrive, I say, "Good thing we ran this test. You took your time getting here." Ray blesses himself under water.
Turning the wrong way can be disastrous.

“Anyone who wonders from the truth…he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” (James 5:20)

Notes from God's day

July 1

This is God’s day. I’m at the seashore.
Some notes:“ Write the book,” (These entries?) Discipleship is a decision.
“Be still and know that I am God.”
“You were born anew-listen to your Father.” Don't go to Phoenix.” (this is disturbing. I'm flying to Tucson Thursday to drive to Phoenix for a conference.)
“Take off your hat.” (I do.)
“You and I can be one
I am in you and you are in Christ.
“Know me better through My Word.”

"Be you therefore imitators of God, as beloved children." (Ephesians 5:l)

PS (I cancel my trip to Arzona.)

A brief Conversation with God

June 30
This is God's Day. I read, I pray, I meditate, I fast, and at 4:47 I have a
CONVERSATION WITH GOD.
"God, are we saved by Your grace once?”
"How are you saved?"
"By your son dying on the cross.”
"Do you believe that?
"Yes"
You are saved."
"What about people who don't know?"
"It is your job to tell them. Do you love your neighbor as yourself?"
"I hardly know my neighbor."
"I know!"

“A backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied from above.” (Proverbs 14:14)

Take a day for God

June 29
On Monday our men’s group facilitator said, "Take a day this week and let it be God's day. Say, ‘God this is your day, it all belongs to You.’ have no agenda. Let God control the day. Experience His grace.”

Of all the days God has been with me, finally I'm proclaiming a day for God. Tomorrow is God’s day.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23-24)

Sunday in a Park

June 25

It is a Sunday service in the park. Paul, a homeless man says, "Man does not live by bread alone." The preacher thanks him. Later Paul is up again quoting scripture and confronts the preacher. The two grab each other and the preacher yells, "Get out of my face man." Mike gently leads Paul off.
After dinner, Paul sees me and says, "I don't mean to sound disrespectful, but I am a second Jesus. People need to start paying attention to me.” Later I read:

"I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves." (Matthew 10:16)

Special Giving

June 25

One of my duties while stationed in the Canal Zone was to pay the Panamanian drivers employed by the U.S. Army. I was shocked at how little money each received every two weeks. At the pay table there was a jar for contributions for some cause. Few put anything in it. One day the jar filled. I turned it to read "For Red Cross flood relief for New England families." Someone had written below that; "This is where the Lieutenant is from."

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35)

Home Hunting

June 24

When we arrive in New England I ask Joy how she feels about that house we saw in Florida. She suggests offering what we can afford and leave it at that. Steve, our realtor, presents our offer and the other realtor laughs. That is that, we'll look again in the fall. A month later Steve calls, "The owner wants to know if your offer still stands?” I’m stunned but Joy isn’t at all surprised.
"I have been praying about that house since we saw it."

In three weeks we have our new home.

“Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” (John 16:24)

Positive Strokes

June 23

I call God's positive strokes, “attaboys” or “attagirls.” We all need encouragement.
We are attending a new church. The pastor is inexperienced. One day we agree not to second-guess this young enthusiastic pastor but to become part of his support team. At the next service we sit in the second row smiling. We beam during the young pastor’s sermon. He pauses, and says, "At times I see the radiance of God in other people...like right now I see God in the faces of Mal and Joy." It is an Attaboy! Attagirl!

"For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." (Romans 11:29)

A Special Driver

June 22

We are hungry and tired when we reach our Sturbridge Ma. at 2:30 p.m. We stop at the Country Kitchen. I’m eating when a man in a UPS uniform picks up my bill, says, “dinner is on me," and leaves. The waitress explains on payday he pops in, finds some tourists and buys their meal.
Back at the table Joy has tears streaming down her cheeks. "That was Jesus showing us there are still good people in our country."

“He has told you what he wants, and this is all it is; to be fair and just and merciful and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

That Day is Coming

June 21

Today is the longest day of the year. The days will start getting shorter again. It is the order of our universe, happens every year. The Bible tells us that this order will all come to an abrupt end someday.

This dire prediction takes on a distinct probability since astronomers discovered a huge asteroid falling through space, which could collide with our planet later in this millennium. We have been warned.

“And the stars from heaven fell… and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.” (Revelation 7:13-14)

Yard Sale

June 20

This isn’t your typical yard sale. All he owns is in the front yard. He is desperate.

When I arrive the first thing he asks is, “will you pray with me? I’m upset.” I ask the Lord to help my friend through this. Two hours later the phone rings. He returns saying, “That was a lady who wants me to paint her house. I gave her a bid four months ago and she calls today.” My friend tears up and so do I. The yard sale is over.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
(Matthew 11:30)

Maine Vacaton

June 18

When I was nine my family rented a cottage on a lake in Maine. I fished every day from a dock with the boy next door.
That vacation inspired me as an adult to buy a cottage on a lake in Massachusetts.

Every summer spent on that lake while my children were growing up was a special blessing. It was a dream come true for me. I thank you Lord. I really didn't then.

“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
(John 10:10)

Critcal Choice

June 17
I had other things that I loved more than God, like money, sex, sports, recognition,
alcohol and tobacco. I spent more time pursuing these than I did the Lord.

God sent me a gentle soul who shared with me that by asking the Lord Jesus into my life I would "be born again of the Spirit." So I did and I was.

Jesus said. "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh, is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you that you must be born again." (John 3: 5-7)

Reflections

June 16

Dilly, the drake, died.. Daffy his mate was devastated and would spend hours in front of our cellar window quacking at her reflection. We ended her loneliness by taking her out to a farm which had other ducks.
Years later a robin was throwing itself at our front window. The duck saw a friend, the robin an enemy. What do I see when I look in the glass? What to I do then?

"For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was." (1 James 1:23-24)

Pentecost

June 15

Pentecost means the fiftieth (day). For Christians, Pentecost is celebrated the seventh Sunday after Easter (50 days). It was on Pentecost that the Holy Spirit first came among the apostles. (Acts 2)

We can’t be passive about the Holy Spirit.
How we treat the Holy Spirit is major. How important? Jesus tells us straight out.

“Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.” (Matthew 12:32)

Priorties

June 13

I have a friend who is a financial planner. I have to call months in advance to make a lunch date. Yet he literally will drop everything to go on a fly fishing trip.

Peter dropped his nets when he heard “follow me.” He was leaving for life.
Am I ready to do the same? Will I have the same passion for my Lord as my friend does for fly-fishing? Am I ready to make the commitment Peter made and drop whatever I'm doing and follow Him?

"Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow Me." (Mark 8:34)

That is the Answer

June 12

She is unemployed seeking the right job. “I'm trusting in the Lord. I'm not going to struggle with this thing any longer. Why did it take me so long to give it to Him?"

She lingers for my reply. Then, as if someone else said it, I state, "because you weren't ready to trust Him before."

"That's the answer," she says over her shoulder as she walks away.

“Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding
In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5)

The Old Course

June 11

St. Andrews is where golf was invented. I am in Scotland on a business trip and play a round on Jubelie, a links course nearby. After birdying a par three it is my honor to tee off first. Before me is a tundra of sand, bushes and tall grass.

I gasp, “ This is the worst looking hole I've ever seen." A voice says calmly, "You are facing the wrong way sir!"

For years I had been facing the wrong way in my life. Then I changed directions.Do you need a new direction for your life?

"I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life." (John 8:12)

Who Do You Trust?

June 10

"Cursed is the man who trusts in man. And makes flesh his strength whose heart departs from the Lord." (Jeremiah 17:5) That is my problem. I have been trusting in man. I am judging my life by the world’s standards and by what other people think. No wonder I feel like “a shrub in the desert.” (Jeremiah 17:5) I need to trust in the Lord.

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord. And whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters which spreads out its roots by the river.”
(Jeremiah 17:7-8)

Drawing on the Ground

June 9
Before uttering those famous words, ’let he among you who is without sin cast the first stone’ we read: “Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger,” (John 8:6)
He does it a second time. What is all this writing in the dirt? Why mention it?
On a subsequent reading of this passage the reason became clear. The Gospel of John is an eyewitness account. The writer was simply describing what he saw. That is the way it happened. Hallelujah!

“This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.”
(John 21:24)

Ethnic Joke

June 5

Don is a good minister. One Sunday he tells a joke about a minister who wired all the pews in his church. He asked "all who pledge $100 a week stand up," He pushes a button and several people are jolted to their feet. Applause. He does it again for $50 etc. After the service the preacher notices a Scotsman slumped over in his pew. As I leave I tell Don he needs to take the Scotsman out of the joke. He does and none to soon, for at the next service there is a visiting family from Scotland.

"Rebuke one who has understanding, and he will discern knowledge.”
(Proverbs 19-25)

Last Words

June 4

A pastor friend shares that when his car was about to collide with another, he yelled "Oh Sh--." He felt ashamed, horrified “These could have been my last words,” he laments.

Are last words important? They certainly were for one thief at Calvary.(Luke 23:42)

God, just in case I don't get the chance to say something appropriate, let me echo Your Son's words now.

"Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit." (Luke 23: 46)

A Fish Sign

June 3

For my birthday Joy gives me, among other things, a key chain with a medal fish sign, the symbol adopted by the early followers of Jesus. A few days later I notice the fish sign is missing from the key chain. I take this as a bad omen.

Our car is showing its age 11 years and 175,000 miles. That summer we drive some 3,500 miles on faith and prayers. The engine is noisy and it is leaking oil. I take it to a repair shop. The mechanic returns to me and holds out his hand. “I found this on top of the block,” he says.
It is the fish sign.

“You called in trouble, and I delivered you.” (Psalms 81:7)

More God Things

June 2

Tonight I share, “A God Thing,” with the other members of the Gifts from God board. The Chairman related he helped a man who was out of gas. That encounter lead to a grant from the man’s family foundation. “That was a year ago,” the chairman said, “I ran into him last month on the same road again out of gas? He said, ‘guess it is time for another grant.” And it was.

Who else can arrange a timely rescue, twice leading to needed funding?

“The Lord hath done some great things for us; whereof we are glad.” (Psalm 126:3)

A God Thing

June 1

I’m on a library computer, type in the web site for airline tickets, hit enter and up comes the Foundation Center Directory online. I’m reminded I am meeting in the morning with a Christian organization to talk about foundations. I had forgotten how close the meeting is. But God hadn’t.

The log indicates no entry for the Foundation Directory this day. So how did I get this password- protected site I wasn’t looking for but which I needed?

“For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.”(Matthew 6:8)