Joy Lutheran Church Ocala, Florida

We are all “wired” so differently. Within the “norm,” we all have 206 bones in our body. A study of anatomy, and you can learn the “ins” and “outs” of how we are put together. Can you even imagine the intricacies of the brain, the heart, the major parts to us being us? All of that is a “wonder” to me.

When it comes to prayers, this odd thought sometimes meanders into my prayer time. How does God focus on just me? There are billions of people on this planet. Millions of them are “believers” and trust God as their source. What if there were only a thousand believing people? Even still how would our dear Lord sort through all our ups and downs, our pleas, our praises, our woes and worries, our joys, our sorrows? This is where His Holy Word really blesses me. Matthew 6: 30-33 “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.” (The Message)

The unconditional love of our Heavenly Father, answers all my queries. I slice my scrambled thoughts right down to Jesus Loves Me, this I Know! I truly do not need to know the hows and whys. Hopefully, you too, can bask in His LOVE and trust Him, even if your faith right now is the size of a mustard seed.

Jill

I recently read these seven goals for living a Christian life.

1. Put God first in everything.
2. Make prayer a daily breath.
3. Read a passage of God’s word each day.
4. Walk by faith, not by sight.
5. Trust the Lord with all your heart.
6. Focus on Jesus, not the world.
7. Always believe in God’s plan.

I would like to add a few of my own thoughts to this list.  I try to practice these ideals, but  I’m not always successful and I need to work on them more in my life as a Christian.

1. Follow Jesus’ examples of kindness, forgiveness and humility.
2. Live with integrity by being honest in your words and actions.
3. Help others in need through acts of service and generosity.
4. Thank God for your blessings big and small.

 I have decided to turn this into a daily reminder and checklist to keep myself on task. Whether you are a new believer in Christ or a seasoned one, this is a helpful way to live your life as a Christian.

Remember God loves you unconditionally every day of your life.  Thanks be to God!

Patty

Do you wonder about the purpose of your life? I do. As a child, I learned in the catechism of my religion that my purpose was to “know, love and serve God, in this world and the next.” Wow! Quite a challenge for a six-year old to take on. What does this really mean?

I have come to understand that the “know” part of this answer is the daily work that I do in building a relationship with God. The partnership that has come to exist between me and Highest Power that exists. It’s not an equal partnership. God is much more powerful than I could ever imagine. However, I have learned to bring all my questions, worries and challenges to God and plead for answers, calm and assistance.

I trust that I will get my request. And I do, although not always in the form that I had anticipated. To my way of thinking, this is great! In the past, I have been known to spend a lot of time trying to make everything just right and keeping my power close. As my relationship with God has grown and matured, I have come to understand that trusting in the wisdom of the Lord is preferable to insisting on my way. It’s a “Thy will not mine be done” philosophy.

With the maturation of this relationship love has grown and become an integral part of my daily life. I express my gratitude and love throughout the day. I try to be in regular contact with God using the Holy Spirit as the messenger.

With knowledge and love, the willingness to serve God becomes a natural progression. This service takes many forms. It is a big responsibility to become the hands of God. I wish that I could tell you that I do this perfectly. I cannot.

One of the best bits of knowledge that I have obtained from working on my relationship with God is the fact that I cannot get it right all the time. I make mistakes. I’m grumpy. I am not always kind. However, and most importantly, through everything God knows me intimately and loves me unconditionally. Just as He loves you!

I accept this purpose. I accept the challenge inherent in this purpose. Again and again and again.

Terri

On this date in 1961 Dag Hammarskjöld (1905-1961), the second Secretary General of the United Nations, was killed in a plane crash in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia). He was a Swedish economist and diplomat who strove to bring peace to a troubled world. He was posthumously awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. As far as I know, the ELCA is the only church body to commemorate him in their calendar.

He left a spiritual diary which was published in English after his death as Markings. He described the book as a “a sort of white book concerning my negotiations with myself–and with God.” His notes reflect inner experiences and religious thought over a period from 1925 until his death. It also contains Bible passages, quotes from mystics, and poems.

Here’s a rather profound quote from Makings written on 4-10-58. “In the faith which is ‘God’s marriage in the soul,’  you are one in God and God is wholly in you, just as, for you, He is wholly in all you meet.” Here he reflects the mystic view of a person’s soul being united with God so that the person is in God and God is in the person. But if that is true for me, it is true for every one else. Every person I meet is also one in God. What does that say about how we treat others?

One more quote, Easter 1960. “Forgiveness breaks the chain of causality because he who ‘forgives’ you–out of love–takes upon himself the consequences of what you have done. Forgiveness, therefore, always entails a sacrifice.”

Read Matthew 5:9 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne

Visits to my great-great aunts’ home were not often, but always memorable.  They lived in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and were maiden ladies living in their family home.  I remember vividly their stairs up to the only bathroom (glad they had indoor plumbing). The stairs had a very narrow tread and they were so steep.  As a young child, I always climbed up the stairs on my hands and knees. As an older child, I held that banister tightly, the stairs were tricky. How my great-great aunts, in their 90s, traversed these stairs was always a wonder to me.

Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Take the first step. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” Such advice is applicable to our journey with Jesus.  We do not need to see the finish line; we just need to make the effort to believe and trust.  God loves us unconditionally and if you ask Him, He will be your steady companion on your forward march on your faith journey. Study His word.  Seek Him.  Look for Him in others. Taking that first “faith” step may place you on a climb up stairs that can be treacherous. Perhaps you will slide quickly down the banister.  The trek on the faith stairway is not without narrow treads or slick slopes, but with your faith firmly placed, your footing will guide you to a safe haven. Matthew 6:34 says, “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” 

“Take that first step,” as MLKing said, “You don’t have to see the whole staircase…” nor worry about what may or may not happen.  Step out in faith, and as the Gospel of Matthew says, “…give your entire attention to what God is doing right now…”

Jill

If you can’t affirm what you believe without belittling someone else, you’ve got a real lousy testimony.

The most difficult place to be at any given moment is here and now.

Sooner or later many Christians are going to need to own their bigotry, fear, and prejudice – and stop blaming Jesus for it.

You have no idea the massive ripples your life makes in both beautiful and terrible ways.

Depression is like having a squatter in your head showing up uninvited, trashing the place, and refusing to leave.

 The greatest thing you can do for someone, the most Jesus-like, most God-honoring thing is to err on the side of loving them.

You are always unconditionally loved by our God, and more blessed than you realize.

(with acknowledgment to John Pavlovitz)

Pastor Art

I’d like to share a very Little Message from a very Little Book.  A friend shared the book with me recently.  It’s something she read to her children often when they were young, The book is small in size, the pages are few, as are the words printed on each of them.  But there’s nothing small about the message.  It carries all the impact of the finest sermon, all the love of Jesus’ teaching.  The title: “Gifts of the Heart, a Little Treasury About the Treasures of Thoughtfulness.”*

“Giving’s receiving,
Receiving is giving!
That’s really the secret
That lies behind living.”

What is thoughtfulness?  It’s very simply giving – a gift of your heart – a smile, a greeting, laughter, your time, a compliment, a lift, praise, a thank you or a please, It’s all so very simple.  And when we remember, it brings joy to another and joy to us as well.

The Bible is a big book, yet its message is the same.  “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  That’s Luke 6:31. It’s the Golden Rule, given to us in the gospel.  And again, “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”  Matthew 7:12

From a simply moral point of view, these verses encapsulate the essence of ethical behavior and interpersonal relationships, urging individuals to consider how their actions affect others.  From a spiritual perspective, they are the very core of Jesus’ teaching – love one another, as I have loved you.

Love one another, be thoughtful.  In so doing we can begin to share the unconditional love our Lord pours freely on us.  Oh, our efforts may be meager, our failures many, but it doesn’t cost a penny to try.

Judy

*Gifts of the Heart, A Little Treasury About the Treasures of Thoughtfulness, by Dean Walley, Illustrated by Thelma Christensen, Hallmark Edition, 1969.

At a recent book event, I saw friends I had not seen in over 30 years. It brought so many memories to mind. Seeing them brought happy tears to my eyes. I felt great joy! John 15:12-13 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” I feel so very blessed with at least 5 very close friends (two have since passed away). All of them were/are good friends, the “through thick and thin kind of friends.” Then there are long ago friends like I saw just the other day. We shared many wonderful memories of the years we lived closer. A fun trip down memory lane.

My heart felt full and that verse from John came to mind. Jesus had shared with His disciples to love one another just as He shows unconditional love. There are certainly folks who feel as if they have no friends. How sad! Volunteer. Join a church. Get involved in a Bible Study. Home-bound folks could possibly connect with their high school website and seek out those with whom they share memories in common. Start a hobby.  The local Chamber of Commerce can give you a list of local organizations you may have interest in becoming a participant. 

The BEST news is with Jesus in your life, NO ONE is friendless. Remember the hymn, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus!”  Those words are so true! Besties. Acquaintances. Friends with common interests. Be filled with the joy of sharing your life and theirs. Jesus never leaves you and wants to be your #1. He loves you unconditionally. Share His goodness with all of your friends.

Jill

In my writing, I have always loved to do acrostic poems. Here is my latest attempt to
share the word of God.

Grace flows freely from His hand,
Over every heart across the land.
Day by day His mercy shows,

In every trial His comfort grows.
Strength He gives to those who pray,

Light to guide us on our way.
On the cross His gift is given,
Victory won, our hope in heaven.
Eternal love will never cease.

God’s unconditional love for us comes in the form of Jesus who sacrificed His life to give
us the chance of eternal life. It is there for all of us because of his everlasting love. It is
free and comes to any one of us who believe in Him and follow His word. What a
wonderful life in heaven we will have because “God Is Love”. Thanks be to God!

Patty

Just look at this photo for a minute. I took it with my phone camera at sunset a few nights ago-right outside my front door. I was awestruck.  

What a gift! What love! What a creative mind! How fortunate for me that I looked out the window at the right time. God is so good to us all the time. 

I could go on to tell you about the struggle that those little tomato plants in the foreground have had this summer or the crisis that may come about because the lake is so low, but… 

Really, the only things that I want to say right now are: “Amen!” “Hallelujah!” and “Thanks be to God!”  

Always remember that God loves you unconditionally-every single second of your day.  

Terri