GO AHEAD AND DECIDE

You won't make your decisions easier just by putting them off

Until later. When a decision is called for, go ahead and Make it.

 If you keep your options open for too long, those options

Will no longer be available to you. Choose one option based

On your best information, and go with it.

 Give sufficient thought and consideration to your decisions,

But don't drag them on endlessly. The sooner you get started

Implementing a decision, the more effective you'll be.

 Accept the fact that you won't make a perfect decision every

Time. And remember that you'll have opportunities to adjust

Your approach if things don't work out the way you planned.

 You cannot predict the future yet there is much you can do

To intelligently and effectively prepare for it. Instead of

Agonizing over what might or might not happen, get busy

Creating value that will be there no matter what happens.

 Go ahead and decide. The sooner you decide, the more time

And energy you'll have to make the decision work out the way

You intended.

~Ralph Marston~

♥ - First Sunday Of Lent - ♥

GOOD MORNING

First Sunday Of Lent 

 February 26, 2012

My Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ.

I greet you in the Holy and Righteous Name Of Jesus.

Our Lord and Savior.

 

Inspiration

Covenant of promise followed the Flood, which destroyed most of the world. A covenant of service followed the baptism of Jesus, who saved the world. The wilderness of testing leads to pathways of fruitful ministry. Persons in every generation need to be reclaimed by the baptism, which opens vistas of discipleship for the believing heart.

 

This is day the LORD hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.

HEARING GOD'S VOICE

Genesis 22:1-14

Romans 8:31-39

Psalm 25:1-10

Mark 1:9-15

 

The same Spirit who descended on Jesus 'like a dove' at HIs baptism now sends Him into the desert for His first recorded encounter with the great adversary Satan.

This was no accident. Jesus had to face Satan head-on, alone; no fellow believers were present to comfort and strengthen Him. The battle was arduous, long and lasted forty days without food. His only companions were wild beasts, whose presence underscored the awful loneliness of that region.

When Jesus had won the battle in the wilderness, He was completely exhausted. It is then that the 'angles attended to Him'. Our LORD leaves the battlefield qualified to meet every challenge and challenger and thus enters on His ministry.

Today we gather to hear what it is like for even the beloved of God to be frighteningly alone.

 

When temptation comes to us, we know we are not alone in our isolation. We hear and tell these stories so that our own trials will not overwhelm us. We who come into this world with sin ingrained in our souls, will never be able to win the battle with Satan. We need a Savior who can do that for us.

During this Lenten season of preparation for baptism and renewal of baptismal promises, we profess our faith in the words of the Nicene Creed: "We believe." Jesus took flesh "for us" and suffered "for our sake" We are strengthened by these reminders of God's caring relationship with us and our relationship with one another as the baptized people of God. Ps. 25:1-9

The witness of scriputre is consistent: However deep into the wilderness we might find ourselves, whatever tricks Satan might have in store for us, God is close at hand. and the last words are always God's

 

Is God aloof from human pain

That ravages our mortal frame?

Oh no, Christ felt our agony

When sin and death He overcame!

 

PRAY- O Almighty and eternal God, we implore You to direct, sanctify, and govern our hearts and bodies in the ways of Your laws and works of Your commandments that through Your mighty protection, both now and ever, we may be preserved in body and in soul; through our LORD Jesus Christ, Your son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

♥ - Experiences Shape Your Reactions - ♥

There is no such thing as a right or wrong response to any given situation as we all come to it with our own experience.

Our view of the universe is largely determined by our experiences. It is when we are caught off guard by the spontaneity of existence that we are most apt to respond authentically, even when our feelings do not correspond with those of the multitude. Events that arouse strong emotions with us or are surprising in nature can be disquieting, for it often is in their aftermath that we discover how profoundly our histories have shaped us. The differences that divide us from our peers are highlighted in our reactions when these diverge from the mainstream, and this can be highly upsetting because it forces us to confront the uniqueness of our lives. 

When our response to unexpected news or startling ideas is not the same as that of the people around us, we may feel driven by a desire to dismiss our feelings as irrational or incorrect. But reactions themselves are neither right, nor wrong. The forces that sculpted the patterns that to a large extent dictate our development are not the same forces that shaped the development of our relatives, friends, colleagues, or neighbors. There is no reason to believe that one person's reaction to a particular event is somehow more valid than another's. How we respond to the constant changes taking place in the world around us is a product of our history, a testament to our individuality, and a part of the healing process that allows us to address key elements of our past in a context we can grasp in the present. 

Life's pivotal events can provide you with a way to define yourself as a unique and matchless being, but you must put aside the judgments that might otherwise prevent you from gaining insight into your distinct mode of interpreting the world. Try to internalize your feelings without categorizing or evaluating them. When you feel unsure of the legitimacy of your reactions, remember that cultural, sociological, spiritual, and familial differences can cause two people to interpret a single event in widely dissimilar ways. Examining your responses outside of the context provided by others can show you that your emotional complexity is something to be valued, for it has made you who you are today. 

ONE THING TO NEVER FORGET

Your presence, is a present to the world.

You're unique and one of a kind.

Your life can be, what you want it to be.

Take the days, just one at a time.

Count your blessings, not your troubles.

You'll make it through, whatever comes along.

Within you, are so many answers.

Understand, have courage, be strong.

Don't put limits on yourself.

So many dreams, are waiting to be realized.

Decisions are too important, to leave to chance.

Reach for your peak, your goal and your prize.

Nothing wastes more energy, than worrying.

The longer one carries a problem, the heavier it gets.

Don't take things too seriously.

Live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets.

Remember, that a little love goes a long way.

Remember, that a lot of love goes forever.

Remember, that friendship is a wise investment.

Life's treasures, are people... Together.

Realize, that it's never too late.

Do ordinary things, in a extraordinary way.

Have health, hope and happiness.

Take the time, to wish upon a star.

And don't ever forget....

For even a day....

How very special you are.

Author Unknown