"How to Live in the Sunlight"

“The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip”. Genesis 32:31

Oh, I walk with a limp these days and many people notice my limp lately uniquely at church. Sometimes, they even point it out to me or concernedly ask about it, as if I am too laughable to notice that one of my legs is too short and that my back and hips are constantly making a valiant effort to make up that difference: “Are you okay? You’re limping.” “You have a limp.” “What’s wrong with you?” “Why do you have a limp?”  Is it an old football injury”? The band plays on. “as they remind me of my Glory days of youth”.

Now, since I have no obligation to respond, educate these potentially well-meaning folks that I love dearly, about my condition, or give an answer, I have developed a coping strategy that works best for me, and it is to either ignore these people with a “smile” and/or pretend like they might be talking to someone else,” with a “smile”. Or response with what is a man to do, “with a “smile” Surprisingly, what usually works, is when I say’ “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” particularly when I am entering God’s House, “with a heartwarming smile

“Who is the man who desires life and loves length of days that he may see good? “Psalm 34:12

Hanging on to any moment, once it's gone, deadens us to the joys and lessons of the present. Dwelling on the hopes or fears of the future is an illusion that robs us of present life as well. So how shall we live in this day? So much to say --- so little space.

When we awaken each morning, it is with a cleanse plate. Time to focus on our gratitude for the day. So, for me I usually make a gratitude list. Even when I /we do not feel grateful, we thank God for those things in our lives that are good. Say these things in a prayer or better yet write them down if possible. This is the start of what makes me most excited about daily!

Remember God's faithfulness. The past is a cancelled note. The record is clean. It is ok to think of the past, but to obsess about it is to deny God's creative presence for us in this day. God is with us at this very moment. And for the Christian, the future can be faced without worry or fear.  The same God who has been faithful in the past, will lift us to pass through any challenge. Our faith that he is ever-present in our day, enables us to face it with confidence and joy. The hairs of our heads are numbered (perhaps a few less than yesterday). He cares even for the sparrow. How much more will he care for us today?

As you deny yourselves and take up your cross daily and follow Christ.

Do you ever think about looking for someone to love? Look for someone that you can make feel better today--every day. The spouse, the neighbor, someone on the sidewalk, someone in the care center home or hospital. Build someone up. Tell them why you are glad God made them. Tell them that they have a special gift. Thank them for their gentleness with you. If there is no one present--then look for someone until you find them and sing your joy to them.

“I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.” Psalm 104:33

Begin a hobby or interest that requires ongoing attention. It might be well to find a hobby that requires the participation of other people. As long as we are conscious and have breath, we can come up with a hobby.

5. Thank God at night for every event in this past day. It was a part of your reality today, and you are grateful for it. You may not have liked all of it. But if you have placed every event of the day in the hands of your loving Father, then you are filled with gratitude that you were able to experience the joys, disappointments, and lessons of this day.

speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord,” Ephesians 5:19

Take the world, but give me Jesus

"O Love that follows all my way, I yield my flickering torch to Thee. 

 My heart restores the borrowed ray,

 That in Thy sunshine's blaze its day, may brighter fairer be"

Prayer: Loving Father, help us to look for joy and meaning in each day. Sometimes our days seem empty and without purpose. We know that even then you are with us. We want to live in this day no matter our trails. May we see the way. We wait for the healing ointment of your presence in our life’s, what a great friend we have in you. Thank you for each day, our strength and our redeemer Amen

God Bless You and This Ministry!

God Never Leaves Us

                                                

"Hey Ron, you remember when you were a kid and would often have many deep thoughts, especially after viewing a movie. This particular time the movie was Mary Poppins a 1964 American musical fantasy. You see this movie paralleled your life at the time, full of a lot of dysfunction.  You see Mary Poppins, employed her unique brand of lifestyle to improve the family’s dynamic. In the movie a magical and loving woman who descends down from the clouds in response to needs for a voice to the hurt within. She is not only firm in her use of authority but gentle, kind always there, using many songs to heal the pain.

Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?

1 Corinthians 3:16

Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. James 5:13

In my thoughts, I imagined I was walking along the streets of the West End of Cincinnati with the Lord. Many scenes from my life raced across the sky. Some of these scenes may be positive, harmful and beneficial.

In each scene I noticed footsteps in the street, large and small. Sometimes there were two sets of footsteps, other times there was one only.

This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only small, one set of footsteps that were negative, maybe the result of my environment or choices, so I said to the Lord,

“You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been tiny sets of footsteps in the street. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?”

The Lord replied, “The times when you have seen only one set of small footsteps, my son, is when I carried you.”

“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me” 1 Corinthians 13:11. “Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching” Proverbs 1:8.

The above is a assumed thought written by me today, to me as a kid, but its truth is sometimes everlasting, if your experience was like mine. Sometimes it seems that God has left us alone to deal with the floods that occasionally sweep over us. Finances do not meet expenses. News from the Doctor reminds us that this human body will wear out or susceptible to a disease. A loved one has been snatched from our life through a horrible accident. These things happen to us all. And we can feel very much alone. Even Jesus, as he hung dying on the cross, cried out in dismay that He at that moment, felt alone and forsaken by God

But as surely as Good Friday was followed by Easter Resurrection Sunday, so too in our lives we can move through difficulties knowing that Sunday is coming. Jesus said he would always be with us--through thick and thin. When things look hopeful, and when there is no light at all in the darkness of our lives. When the disease is in total remission, and when it is inoperable. When we are surrounded by family, and when it seems that nobody cares enough to call. God stands with us in all of life. Sometimes he sits like a quiet friend and shares our tears. Sometimes he must dance (to disco in my case) with us in joy. Sometimes he lifts us up and carries us on the way. Sometimes I think he even hits us on the head with a stick, just to get our attention. But be assured that our loving and redeeming God is always with us.  I love Jesus, Do You; he is with us. If we curse Him, he is with us. If we scream that he has deserted us, he is with us. "Love, that will not let me go..." is the first line of one of my favorite hymns. Probably because I need to be reminded again and again. Let us sing:

"Be still my soul, the Lord is on your side.

     Bear Patiently the cross of grief or pain.

Leave to they God to order and provide,

     In every change, He faithful will remain.

Be still my soul, thy best, thy heavenly friend.

     Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end." 

Prayer: O Heavenly Father, thank you for your constant company in our lives. Sometimes we don't see or feel that presence when storm shadows hang over us. In those moments remind us that nothing can part us from your love. Amen

God Bless You And This Ministry!

“The Value-Driven You” Resurrection

“As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.

 Psalm 17:15

I often think about this Psalm and I say to myself,” Ron what is a value driven intimacy with God? What does that look like? And what are the character qualities that every Christian person possess or need to work on?

The apostle Paul exhorts Christians to “walk by faith and not by sight” 2 Corinthians 5:7 What Paul helps me see here is a contrast between truth and perception- “what we know, believe to be true and what we perceive to be true” with the two separate Kingdoms in mind (Law and Gospel). This is where I, as a Christian use to struggle, with a lack of faith finding my basis, separating the two. How about You? For me the main reason why I had a hard time with faith was my perceptions of truth being blinded by the secular world as I try to absorb the word of God; by many confusion types of “SWOT” a business concept (a simple framework evaluation used by business that help them look at strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that they face). But I applied it to my spiritual life of Faith.

First of all, Faith is not belief without Proof. We should reject that notion. Rather Faith is complete trust confidence, it is Faith-based, Faith in God and his Son, Jesus Christ. Despite this we as Christians still struggle with believing the biblical accounts of scriptures (like as we study Job) because it doesn’t matchup with our perception of “Google” this justice reality needed in this first kingdom world of the left. Think about it, in our daily world it’s hard to trust a stranger.

O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord who swears to his own hurt and does not change; who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved. Psalm 15:1-5

Psalm 15 finishes us with a list of many of the necessary traits. David is trying to describe a righteous man who walks with integrity and gains not only the respect of others but also the audience with God. So, what drives your Values and ethics? What is your picture of a godly Person?

Just recently, I overheard a fellow Christian say this about me after I invited him to another bible study, “He acts the same there as he does here” In the first Kingdom my reaction could have been negative with the law in mind only but because I want to hold on to the Habits of Grace with a mindset of Intimacy with God My Reflection for you and myself are:

Define your identity, “who do you/I belong to”. If there are any discrepancies in what God says about you, replace them with the truth and Purpose. Live loved. Live out those words for you and the world to see and enjoy! You are His beloved! Second, develop a strong core of all these values. Spend time with God in the Word daily, applying all He speaks to your personal life with questions. Let integrity be worked through and through that is honest and trustworthy, reflecting God in your words, choices, and responses. Serve others in humility, bending low and lifting up one another’s with the essence of a strong love not gossip. Third, declare your vision mission. Write out your vision statement that you believe God gave to you when He created you and then list the ways you desire to walk out in mission of that vision statement:

“Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me”. Luke 9:23

God Bless You and This Ministry!