Bailouts and Bankruptcies

The Good News Today Is....our needs will be supplied. Perhaps not our wants, but our needs. This is where we have a hard time. We want so much more than we need and that is why I keep reading about bailouts and bankruptcies. The secret is to be content with having our needs supplied and to stop whining when our wants go unfulfilled. "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether in living in plenty or in want." 1Phil 4:11-12.

Today is the Day

The Good News Today Is....this is the day. "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psa 118:24 Knowing this verse does not always makes us feel like we should be glad. In the aftermath of a few hard days, it can be really hard to wake up on the right side of the bed and rejoice. However today is the day - the Lord has made it - and it is a good day.

When Tragedy Strikes

The Good News Today Is....there will be comfort in our sorrow. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." 1Cr 1:3-4. A tragic car accident and our whole lives are changed...when we lose someone in a small church the whole church community is deeply affected. Pray for our church, for our Pastor and for Liz's family over the next weeks. Even though we can rest assured that she is singing in a choir of angels we will feel the sorrow for a very long time.

Are You Going to Church Today?

The Good News Today Is...we can all work together to help the poor in spirit. "Jesus answered them. 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.'" Luke 5:31 The doctor analogy works well because it's not just the doctor who helps the sick. There are nurses, med techs, CNAs, LPNs and even receptionists in a doctor's office that work together to help make us well when we are sick. It is the same in the church community. There is a pastor or minister, but then there are the deacons, the Sunday School teachers, the nursery workers, the door greeters, and a host of others that help to make the church a place where the poor in spirit can heal. When you go to church there are days when you need the healing grace offered, and then there are days when you can offer that same healing grace to others. Together we can make the church community a place of warm, welcoming healing as it was intended.

Super Heroes

The Good News Today Is....there are real life super heroes. I read that there was an on line battle for the best super hero of 2008, with Batman and Iron Man having a tight race, and Spiderman falling into a comfortable third place. I just shook my head and laughed. The things we spend our time on. I am happy there have been real life super heroes though. How about 1st place - Jesus, 2nd place - John the Baptist, and 3rd place Paul. That would be something to talk about. There really wasn't much competition, John the Baptist fully recognized he was in second place. "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie." Mark 1:7 Ahhh, a humble super hero, now there's a new concept.

I Did it Again

The Good News Today Is....we can stand up to temptations. Too much food, too much drink, spending too much money, partying too much....it's almost over...these holiday temptations. Every year I think this will be the year I don't fall into the same old trap, but my stomach tells me I ate too much, and my checkbook tells me I spent too much, once again this year. I did better than last year, but I still overdid. In the midst of the fun and laughter it really didn't seem to be a problem, but I will have to pay the consequences over the next few months; watching what I eat and paying off the credit card! "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so you can stand up under it." 1Cr 10:13. Well, I didn't exactly find my way out before I ate that chocolate torte or bought the outrageously expensive shoes my daughter wanted...but I did do better than usual.

Merry CHRISTmas

The Good News Today Is....."Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:11 Merry Christmas everyone!

Pardon Me

The Good News Today Is....forgiveness is in the air. President Bush has pardoned Charles Winters. Winters was one of three men arrested for smuggling weapons into Israel in 1948 helping Israel to establish itself as a"fledgling democracy". Presidential pardons are public acts of forgiveness that can help healing in a broken world. The other two men involved in this scheme had been pardoned years earlier by other presidents. Finally Winters was pardoned by President Bush and his family has been blessed. "Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors." Mat 6:12

Share the Joy

The Good News Today Is...that joy is contagious. Our local TV station has a section on their website called Share the Joy, and they ask people to send in photos of their holiday decorations, videos of Christmas concerts and a list of local events for us to attend during the Christmas season. I browsed through it and there were some incredibly cute videos of school children singing Christmas songs, there was a section on keeping your weight under control during the holidays, there were tips for gift buying and gift wrapping, great recipes, a section of holiday surveys, maps for holiday travel, and all kinds of tips for a great Christmas. In the list of local events there were concerts, plays, craft fairs, and more craft fairs - then way down buried at the bottom there was one event at a church. That's it - one event - out of pages of holiday joy. "But the angel said to them, do not fear, for I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." Luke 2:10. While the website was spreading joyous news and fun things, they were for a season only. The angel was talking about a joy that lasts forever. Sharing the joy is what the season is all about, so while we are having fun shopping and going to craft fairs, let us not forget to share the joy of the birth of a baby that will keep our joy continuous.

Gift Giving

The Good News Today Is...you can always give of your time. No matter how much money you do or don't have in your pocket, you can always give someone a gift of your time. I love the story of the woman washing Jesus' feet with her tears. Luke 7:37-38 "When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them. " She gave a gift of service and time and Jesus was touched by her. He proclaimed that she gave him exactly what he needed. In Mark we read that Jesus said, "She has done a beautiful thing to me." It was the spirit of humbleness and true selflessness that touched Jesus. While others in the room could not look past the fact that the woman was a sinner, Jesus saw her heart, and he forgave her for her sins. We are meant to give freely of all that we have received freely. Giving is not about how much money we have - so try not to stress this holiday season, but give a gift of yourself - it might be exactly what someone else needs - and that's a beautiful thing.

So Sue Me

The Good News Today Is...our good deeds will be recorded. I was appalled when I saw a news clip that showed scenes of an accident. The headline read, "Good Samaritan's Dilemma." Apparently the court has in all its wisdom seen fit to allow a person to be sued for rescuing someone that was in a horrific car accident. The so-called victim was left paralyzed in the accident, and it could possibly have happened when a good samaritan came upon the accident and tried to remove the victim as it appeared the car might catch on fire. Hmmm....so do we stand by and let someone burn alive or do we risk the possibility of getting sued if we help them live? This should be a no brainer, we should help and we should not have to fear getting sued if we are trying to save someone's life. I sure hope that I have the courage to do the right thing if I am ever faced with a choice such as this, and that the potential legal consequences won't deter me. "So in everything, do to others as you would have them do to you..."Mat 7:12. We may be persecuted on earth by men if we rescue someone, but we will be judged in heaven if we don't.

Home Alone

The Good News Today Is...we are not alone. Even those who don't have anyone to share their holiday with don't have to be alone. "He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him." 1Th5:10 Take comfort that God is with you every day. Search for Him and you will find the one who will never leave you home alone.

Blind Faith

The Good News Today Is....we don't know what will happen in the future. I'm so glad that I have limited knowledge about what tomorrow - or even today - will bring. It is hard enough to face a day with faith when we have no expectations. Jesus was telling his disciples he was going to die days before it happened. He even knew it would be a long suffering and brutal death. "I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe." John 14:29. How much more faith would it take to go down the path of life if you knew all the pitfalls before they happened? And would the joys be as joyous if we knew they were coming? I'm happy to just walk in faith and experience the joys of a day as it unfolds. If there are stumbling blocks along the way, I don't have to worry about them before they happen, I just faithfully follow the path and let God take care of them.

Cleaning Up the Mess

The Good News Today Is....we can clean up our messes. I was attempting to make some chocolate candy, out of a botched batch of chocolate fudge and the mess just got bigger and bigger and bigger. First the fudge was wrong because I put in double the milk, so I cooked it longer to make a caramel candy. However, I apparently didn't cook it long enough because the caramel wasn't hard. So I decided I would use it to make chocolates out of and maybe the chocolate would hold the caramel together. So I melted chocolate and rolled the caramel into balls and tried dipping it into the chocolate. What I ended up with was chocolate from one end of my kitchen to the other, about a thousand dirty dishes (it seemed like that many anyway), and soupy chocolate candies. Finally, I just took a deep breath and decided to clean up the mess and start over. Within about 1/2 hour I had the kitchen sparkling and some leftover caramel that would make great sauce for ice cream. Sometimes when we make a mistake, instead of trying to fix it with more mistakes, we just need to admit we made a mistake to begin with, ask for forgiveness and clean up the mess. "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord..." Acts 3:19. We can start over and our sins can be wiped out, and times of refreshing can come from the Lord. We might even have something good left over once we clean up the mess!

Naughty or Nice?

The Good News Today Is....there is a "nice list". With Santa always checking to see who's naughty and nice, it's good to know that there really is a "nice list" - it's not really a list but a book. "He who overcomes, will like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels." Rev 3:5 These are words of wisdom from another book...the book of truth.

Knock, Knock

The Good News Today Is.....here I am. Wherever you are, be where God has asked you to be. It is simple....here I am. "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." Rev 3:20. You need to be near the door to hear the knock. When God says "here I am" you will be able to reply, "and here am I."

Let's Celebrate

The Good News Today Is....we should eat, drink and be merry. This is the season to go to endless Christmas parties and family affairs. Ecc 2:24-25 "A man can do nothing better than to eat, drink and find satisfaction is his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without Him who can eat or find enjoyment?" Our times of holiday celebration with friends, family and co-workers is a gift. When God is the center, we can enjoy.

Life is Short

The Good News Today Is....knowing that life is short we can make the best of it. The headlines on Yahoo News today talked about the closing of the Taj Mahal and that the pyramids are falling apart. The article urged that we should see these great things before they are no longer available. We may never get to Egypt or India, but we can make sure that we connect with family and friends before it is too late. Life is short - sometimes surprisingly short - as any of us who have lost a loved one to an accident or illness when they seemed much too young to die - clearly know. When they are gone is not the time to be telling them you love them, the time for that is now. "Jesus said, 'I am with you only for a short time, and then I go to the one who sent me.'" John 7:33. Don't miss a chance to fix a broken relationship or tell someone you love them - they are with you only a short time.

Traditions

The Good News Today Is...we have traditions. The even better news today is that traditions can change. Some traditions are wonderful - like baking Christmas cookies (definitely a tradition in our house) - some are not so great - even painful. I was watching Fiddler on the Roof yesterday as I was baking my Christmas cookies and was once again drawn into the story of changing traditions. It was unimaginably that the matchmaker was not allowed to make the matches - a tradition I'm glad I didn't have to grow up with. The real point I'm trying to make is that if a tradition is good then continue with it, but don't get caught up in traditions that get in the way of holding on to the truth. Religion has many traditions and traditions can make our experiences rich. Experiences can also blur our perceptions. "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." Col 2:8. It's okay to examine our traditions and insure they are not getting in our way.

A Happy Ending

The Good News Today Is....we have a story. Just like the nativity is a story of Jesus' birth, we each have a story. Our lives are a living, breathing, changing story and we can decide what the story line is. We may not get to decide how others will act in our story, be we sure can decide how we act and how we react to others, and we get to decide the ending of our story. Have you ever thought of your life as a story? Each decision you make is just another line in the story. If you want to be sure of how your story will end, invite Jesus as the savior in your story and no matter what outside influences affect your story, you will know how your story will end. "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12. There really is a happy ending available - you just need to write it into your story.

What to Do?

The Good News Today Is...sometimes we don't know what to do. Do you ever get to the point where you just don't know what to do? Maybe you have too many things to do and can't prioritize, or maybe you have nothing to do and are bored. Maybe what you are supposed to do is not what you want to do. Maybe you want to do something but you don't have the ability to do it. "Is anyone in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise." Jam 5:13. It's at those times when we just can't figure it out ourselves - what we should do - that we can turn to God. There is a loving, caring, Father who wants to help you figure out what to do. We can always be assured that it will be the right thing to do.

Rain, Rain Go Away

The Good News Today Is...it's raining outside. We need the rain to soak into the ground and replenish our water supply. Yet sometimes a rainy day can be so dark and dreary and cold. In December in the northeast, we would much rather see snow, so we have a white Christmas. Today, however that's not to be - the weather man tells me it will rain all day. So rain it will be and there is nothing we can do about it. It made me chuckle to come across this verse in Proverbs; "A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day;" Prov 27:15. I guess that means rain has always had a tendency to be annoying? Today when I get annoyed with the rain I will think of this verse and smile instead of complain!

Greetings

The Good News Today Is.....I have to write out Christmas cards. Ok - just kidding, that's not usually good news for me, it's a chore. I write out Christmas cards and send them because I really like getting them, and I'd feel guilty just receiving them and not giving them. This year I am going to remember how the diciples greeted others when they wrote their letters. Like this greeting in a letter to the Phillipians: "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God everytime I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy..." Phil 1:2-4. Now that's a Christmas greeting! That's where my heart should be as I am writing out my cards, not looking at my list to see if I am almost done. Reaching out to our family and friends should be a joy filled blessing for both of us.

Justice is at Hand

The Good News Today Is....the squeaky wheel may get greased, but the meek shall inherit the earth. You know when you are young and in school there are always bullies - it seems like their entire existence is built on making others miserable. Then you get older and enter the "real world" and they are the loud mouths that are always pushing to get ahead. They have learned that being rude and arrogant can bring immediate gratification. Then there are others who simple move out of their way. The meek who turn the other cheek and allow the them to push past them in line or take their seat in a theater. There will be justice served, for we have a just God. "... the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace." Psalm 37:11. That's a promise worth living for.

How Much is Enough?

The Good News Today Is....productivity is not always measured by production. For anyone that has ever worked in a factory or other industry where your worth is based on how much you do, it can be very frustrating. Often times we become numbers - our employee number, the number of widgets we have made, our social security number, the number of customers we've served - and on and on. In the scheme of life does any of that really matter? "Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives." Titus 3:14. It's not how much of something we do, but the spirit in which we do it and the desire to do good. Trying to always do more, instead of devoting yourself to doing good will keep your wheels spinning. We are trying to produce the fruit of the Spirit and not just fruitfully provide by increasing our production.

Arise and Shine

The Good News Today Is....there is coffee. I really need my coffee in the morning to get myself awake and feeling alive. The older I get, the more I need that caffeine. After I drink my first cup of coffee I sit down and figure out what to write about for the day. If it were before I drank that first cup of joe, I'm not sure I would make much sense. Today's good news is about starting each day. "Awake my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples." Psalm 57:8-9 It is a good thing to wake up giving thanks and praising God for another day - and that's what I always try to do - right after my coffee!

A Heartfelt Day

The Good News Today Is.....our hearts do not need to harden. "For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'" Acts 28:27 Go about your everyday and really see with your eyes, hear with your ears, and understand with your hearts. You will find that your perception of others and the world changes radically when you care enough to stop, look, listen and feel.

Shop Til You Drop

The Good News Today Is....soon the Christmas shopping advertising will be over. I must get 15 e-mails a day claiming the best sales in the best stores. With money tighter than ever for most people - the retail world has kicked advertising into high gear this year. The temptations abound to spend, spend, spend - whether you have the money or not. Remember these words from Jesus; "'Watch Out! Be on guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of all of his possessions.'" Luke 12:15. Christmas is a celebration of the nativity of Jesus. Wherever did we learn that it was about shopping?

This Little Light of Mine

The Good News Today Is....there is light. "See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness." Luke 11:35. Some days we wake up and just want to crawl back into bed and put the covers over our heads. Laying under the warm covers in the darkness seems like the perfect escape to getting up and facing our day. Whether we need to go to work, run errands or go to church, sometimes we just don't feel like it. Well, we may think laying in the darkness is the best thing to do, but facing what we need to do head on is the only way to make the day better. Get up and find the light that is within you...no matter how dim it is. Find it and get going to face the day. If you concentrate on your little light it will grow brighter and your day will get better. When it is finally glowing brightly remember to share it with someone else and help them make their day better!

Are You Normal?

The Good News Today is....that the word "normal" doesn't appear in the bible. I found this out after doing a word search, because one of today's headlines in the news was that; "1 in 5 young adults have a personality disorder." I thought "wow - that's 2o% of young adults." So if 20% are said to have a personality disorder what are they comparing that to...what is normal? I once read the book by Patsy Clairmont, Normal is Just a Setting on Your Dryer, that gives a humorous look at how to define normal, and finally the conclusion is that there is no such thing as normal - unless you are looking at the setting on your dryer. Normality aside - I do believe there is a right way and a wrong way to behave, however. (Gal 5:14) "The entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" That is supposed to take care of normal.

Back to The Basics

The Good News Today Is...you don't have to know all the jargon or know the bible from front to back to be saved. "For Christ died for sins once for all" 1 Pe 3:18. That's the basic concept and accepting that Christ died for you is the point. Sometimes Christians get bogged down with fancy words and exclusive language. Not that the terms aren't important or studying your bible isn't important, but you don't have to know it all, or do it all to ask Christ to be your savior. This came up during a study we are having at church and we read a short passage in a book. There were all the buzz words in three paragraphs; justification, grace, justifying grace, sanctifying grace...and on and on. It was a little overwhelming even for a seasoned Christian. Thank goodness we don't have to know it all, we need to remember the basics - it's really quite simple and it's for everyone!