Today's Scripture Passage: Psalm 37:3-7
3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. 7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. 8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. 9 For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.
Today's Scripture Message:
I have seen so many blessings. Even though there are turns in life, thank God for always showing you the blessing. Nothing that God intends is against you, it is for you and in it lies the blessing of love, strength, endurance, vindication, health, prosperity and joy…all of the desires of your heart. Our father speaks direction and timing through others to reach the heart that needed to hear it. Stay your course and know you are cared for, that the purpose of your life will be realized and do not waste a moment in worry… “He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.
Prayer for the day:
Father, thank you for all that I have seen and will see. I appreciate the opportunity for one more chance to do as you will. I am a spec in the eye of this world and will use what you have gifted me to be a living example of your sacrifice and what that has meant to me. I am not perfect, but know if I can share with just one person and have their realization be to look up and see you, than at the end of the day it was worth it. I thank you in Jesus' Name, Amen.
Thought for the day:
“Count your blessings. Once you realize how valuable you are and how much you have going for you, the smiles will return, the sun will break out, the music will play, and you will finally be able to move forward the life that God intended for you with grace, strength, courage and confidence.”
~ Og Mandino
Goal for the Day
Focus on the blessing, stay on course.
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Pastor Dickow’s Fast from Wrong Thinking
Revolution Day 39:
Today we’re fasting from thinking: “I missed my chances of success. I missed my opportunities.” We are often held back by the regret of missed opportunities.
Let’s change it today:
1. Don’t REGRET; FORGET! Forget what might have been, and look forward to what CAN BE. Faith in the possibilities of God extinguishes regret. Ephesians 6:16 says the shield of faith quenches all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
2. BURY missed opportunities. And believe the dead buried seed of the past will yield living harvests of the future. Your past is dead to you. Become dead to it.
3. Meditate on Philippians 3:13-14 which says, “...this one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind, reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal...” Notice 3 words: forgetting, reaching, pressing. Forgetting means: to turn away from what is gone; and turn toward what is to come.
4. Recognize God has something better for you. Hebrews 11:40 says, “God has something better for us.” Expect it. Look forward to it.”
5. Take charge of what CAN BE with your words. Job 22:28 says, “You shall decree a thing, and it shall be established to you...”
6. Just Do It. Start doing, today, what you should have done yesterday (provided it’s godly!) It’s not too late! Psalm 118:24 says THIS IS THE DAY the Lord has made—let us rejoice—take ACTION. (Daniel 11:32).
THINK IT & SAY IT:
Today I replace regretting with forgetting. I bury the past and expect resurrections of opportunities and new chances. I will not ask ‘what might have been.’ I’ll declare what will be with my words. I forget what lies behind and refuse to look back anymore at what I missed out on or could have had. God has something better for me today, and I accept it, take action toward it, and expect the greatest days of my life, ahead—in Jesus’ Name!
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Daily Lenten Reflection from
St. Michael of Old Town
Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent
April 16, 2011
“I will make with them a covenant of peace; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them.” (Ezekiel 37: 26a)
As Catholics, our heads are often full of numbers: 10 commandments. 12 apostles. 3 days in the tomb, And of course during Lent, those often long and chocolate-free 40 days and 40 nights. Growing up, I was one of those kids. The ones who swore off Snickers bars and Junior Mints and Milky Ways and anything else even remotely related to the cocoa bean. But then again, I didn't eat that much chocolate, something I must have subconsciously known when coming up with my "sacrifice," something my mother certainly knew, as she decided to kick it up a notch and have our entire family give up TV. Suddenly I was paying attention. Wait--what was this Lent? And why am I not allowed to watch my daily six hours of tube?
Needless to say, from day one the countdown began: 40 days and 40 nights. The numbers were ingrained in my head, and I did my best. There were slip-ups. Sure. I wasn't perfect and don't even get me started on all the loopholes (so no TV in our house, but what about the neighbors' house...?) But the point was, I, on my own accord, asked the question that opened up the Lenten season for me. Why 40 days and 40 nights, and what does giving up TV, or chocolate, or salty foods, or bad language, or smacking around your little brother, or whatever, have to do with God? With anything?
The readings for this Saturday of the fifth week of Lent remind me of the answer I eventually discovered to my question. Both Ezekiel and John (Ch. 11: 45-57) speak about unity—the coming together of God's people. The passage from Ezekiel is broader in scope perhaps--with God scooping up Israelites from all over the world and bringing them to this one particular mountain to hang out--and the passage from John of course is a bit more sinister in nature--with the Pharisees deciding, quite ironically, that Jesus must die should the nation expect to remain stable.
And during my 40 days and nights growing up, I experienced both intonations of these passages. On one hand, I recall TV-less evenings where me, my brother, and my parents spent a little more time at the dinner table, since no one was trying to sneak off to catch their favorite show. That's right. We set aside our differences (and between brothers a little over a year apart, there were differences) and we got to know one another during the Lenten season. It was nothing profound, and sometimes I'd walk away from that table only knowing that my father really enjoys McDonald's coffee--but it was us. And “us” was enough. And of course there were those sinister nights where I'd had enough—where Lent had worn out its welcome and the TV was coming on and I was going to prove to my mom, to my dad, to the entire church, why giving up stuff didn't matter. So I'd go to the Bible and start flipping pages, searching for that hiccup in logic that I could use as my hall pass to that marathon of Beavis and Butthead that was starting any moment now. And there I was--a tiny Pharisee set out to prove Jesus wrong--but unlike the Pharisees, while bending over backwards for my own personal gain, I ended up learning a thing or two. About God. About Jesus. About my faith. And about why Catholics insist on this Lenten thing every year.
It's about the covenant. Unity. Coming together, not in avoidance of the good and the bad, but in direct acknowledgement of the good and the bad. We are human, we say each year during Lent. We are not perfect, not even close, but we were put on this earth to learn about each other through our imperfections. At the end of the passage from Ezekiel, God references an everlasting covenant of peace. I've always liked peace. Peace doesn't require math, or calendar countdowns, or many numbers at all. Peace only requires us to turn off the TV, or stash away the chocolate, and look at each other instead and realize we're all in this together. That's unity. That's a great sigh of relief that will go well beyond 40 days and nights.
Steve Ramirez
God who calls us to be one with you, help us in our Lenten resolves. Encourage us in our desire to live the 40 days and 40 nights, not only during this Lenten Season, but through all the days of our lives. Amen.
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Inspiration
By Lindsey Ragans
Happy 106th Day of the New Year
Daily Affirmation: “Something GREAT Is Going to Happen To and Through Me Today!!!
LIVE ON PURPOSE!!! LET’S GO!!!
Many Blessings!!!
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