Just A Closer Walk With Thee

 

Image courtesy of www.ThinkingOnScripture.com

One of the things I want to do better starting this year is daily prayer.  Don't get me wrong, I've always tried to chat with God at the end of the day, but lately it seemed like it was so...routine.  Same thing everyday and very rote.

I have never been able to pray out loud very well.  I just think I sound stupid.  Which is, well, stupid.  God doesn't care how I sound, He just wants to hear from me and know that I am in a relationship with Him. 

I've tried those prayer-a-day calendar things or the daily meditation book or whatever.  I either end up 10 days behind or I lose the book or something.  

Then the other day at mass, the priest was talking about reading the bible and how hard that is for people.  True statement.  He mentioned a bible study podcast that he found particularly helpful and gave the name of that for our reference. 

This got me to thinking that there must be a daily meditation podcast out there somewhere that I could listen to.  Turns out, there there is a plethora of them to choose from!  

The one I finally settled on is called Your Daily Prayer and is hosted by a group of women who have a daily devotional and prayer to "help you start your day in conversation with God."  I found this on the Podcast App in the Google Play Store, but I'm guessing it's available on other podcast providers as well, or you can go to their website at www.ibelieve.com and check it out there.  

This morning's devotional hit me right between the eyes.  It's about loving the unlovable people in your life.  I struggle with this frequently.  As much as I try to be nonjudgmental and inclusive, I have a hard time interacting with people who annoy me.  To compound this problem, even if I don't say the very nasty words that are in my head, they show up on my face anyway.  Hence, conflict.

The devotional today cited I John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

This theme of loving those we don't want to appears in other chapters of the New Testament as well such as Matthew 5:43-48 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven, for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous."

I know this and I still struggle because...hey...I am human.  So the words of today's devotional really hit me.

Lord, thank you for loving us when we were unlovable.  While we were sinners, you died for us.  We have offended you deeply yet you love us still.  So much so that you gave your life in our place and defeated death so that we could live with you forever in eternity.  Lord, I admit that type of love doesn't come easily to me.  The last thing I want to do when someone offends me or upsets me is to love them much less invite them to join my family forever.  But that's exactly what you did.  Lord, forgive me for not loving others the way you showed us to love.  God, would you help us to love you and grow in the knowledge of you in your word?  Would you help us relate to others in a way that shows them that we belong to you?  Lord, would you make your people grow in love for you and others so that onlookers would know that you exist and that you love them too?  God, would you forgive us when we allow petty annoyances to distract us and make us forget the good news of the gospels and our role as your ambassadors.  Holy Spirit, would you convict us when we overreact to the shortcomings of others.  Would you strengthen and equip us to love others well.  Thank you that this is possible because you loved us and love comes from you.  In Jesus' name, Amen.  

I hope that sharing my struggle with this duty of loving others as God loves us might help anyone else who struggles with it as well.  Let's all prayer for each other, my friends!

Image Courtesy of Silent Warrior

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Image courtesy of www.vectorstock.com

We spent a pleasant evening last night hanging out at the local watering hole with Bigger and his friend, our camping friends, and childhood friends who were providing live music.

This brought back memories from when I was a kid and Dad had to run errands in Elgin or Plainview.  If one of us kids got to go along, we knew there was going to be a stop at the local watering hole which meant a glass of pop for us...a very rare treat back then.  

The live music also brought back so many memories of our dating years when that what we did every weekend.  There was always at least one venue nearby that had live music and generally all or most of our social circle would end up in the same place at the same time.  Ahh, the good old days!

Because we were at the local watering hole, we also ran into some acquaintances that we haven't seen in months or years.  One of them was the young man and his who just built a new house down the road from us.  They'd left their toddler with grandma and came out for some adult conversation.  I remember those days too!

This particular establishment used to be a prime destination.  I remember my parents talking about going there for shenanigans back in their day.  Unfortunately, about the time I migrated to the neighborhood, it took a dive and became...well...a dive.  For 30 years, I wouldn't set foot in the place unless I had an entourage of my guys with me for protection.

I don't say that to be snide; just to provide the background for how the next generation running it have made significant efforts to turn its reputation around...such as bringing back live music on Saturday nights. 

 

I'm really glad that we had a chance to see the new and improved approach to public relations for several reasons.  First, we always love to see a local, independent business doing well.  It's just plain good for the entire community.  Second, it's nice to know there is a clean, well-run, local watering hole where we could just stop in for a pint on the spur of a moment and likely spend an hour or more chatting with people with know who were doing the same thing. 

So here's to the Douglas Saloon and Social and Social Club and the band Warrior Revival who helped us have a very enjoyable evening out!