Clear Thinking & Common Sense

Dear friend, guard Clear Thinking and Common Sense with your life; don't for a minute lose sight of them. They'll keep your soul alive and well, they'll keep you fit and attractive. You'll travel safely, you'll neither tire nor trip. You'll take afternoon naps without a worry, you'll enjoy a good night's sleep. No need to panic over alarms or surprises, or predictions that doomsday's just around the corner, because God will be right there with you; he'll keep you safe and sound. Proverbs 3:21-26 (The Message)  

This has been a difficult period in our country as we have become more divided than ever over political issues. The media sometimes adds to the concerns we have when they discuss the issues. I’ve heard commentators use the words “fear” and “panic” when they discuss the public’s reactions to the news of the day.

This passage from Proverbs advises us to keep our sound judgment and use common sense, for they will help us on our travels. Especially appropriate is the section suggesting that we don’t need to panic over predictions about doomsday—because God is with us and will keep us safe and sound.

How appropriate it is to reconsider these words from thousands of years ago. It’s easy to be overwhelmed when it seems all the news is bad and there doesn’t seem to be any hope. We worry about the political scene, climate change, the economy, health care, and education, to name a few. But worry doesn’t really get us anywhere. It merely diverts our attention from honoring God for our blessings.

            

Eastridge will soon be conducting its stewardship campaign, and it might be tempting to fall prey to all the negative news around us and think our church pledge is an item that can be moved to a lower priority. However, the next verses of the Proverbs chapter advise us not to take such action:

         Never walk away from someone who deserves help;

               your hand is God's hand for that person.

            Don't tell your neighbor "Maybe some other time"

               or "Try me tomorrow" when the money's right there in your pocket.

The church budget includes money to operate the church building and programs, but it also includes funding for local, national, and international mission projects. Prayerfully consider your situation when completing your pledge form. Remember that God is always there and will provide and try not to succumb to the fear and panic that seems all around us. 

Prayer: Dear Lord, we thank you for giving us common sense and good judgment. We need your assistance to remember our blessings amidst the “fear” and “panic” that seems to be everywhere today. We know you are always there and will keep us safe. Help us to always understand that we can reach out to others, for our hands can be your hands.

Robin Hadfield (reprinted from 2018)

Children with Special Needs

Congenial conversation - what a pleasure! The right word at the right time - beautiful! Proverbs 15:23 The Message

I have been a cashier at a grocery store for 12 years. In that time I have been unsure how to handle interactions with certain members of our community - children with special needs. Some of these individuals can't speak, some are crying, some are yelling and I just didn't know what to do. I felt convicted that I should say hi to the child as well as the parent. So recently I had a child with special needs come through my line with her mother. I said hi to the mother then said hi to the approximately 8-year-old child. She didn't say hi back but the mother immediately engaged me in conversation. She said her daughter got so excited about going to school. 

"Does she like school?" I asked. 

"She loves school!" Her mother seemed quite appreciative to talk to me. I finished scanning her groceries and told her to have a good day, and she left.

Later I told a teacher friend of mine about the experience because I was unsure if it had gone well. My friend said, "You did great. You acknowledged the existence of her daughter when a lot of people look away, and you gave her a chance to talk about her daughter."

I felt good that for once I had handled the situation well. "The right word at the right time - beautiful!"

Prayer: Dear Lord, it is so easy to look away when we come across children with special needs. Help us to treat them as members of our community, greet them and make their families feel welcome. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Nancy Brumbaugh

Care a Lot and Pray a Lot

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:22–25

A friend of mine told me, “My worst sin is that I’m a procrastinator. It gets in my way and it keeps me from doing all that God created me to do.” I would have to say that I’m the opposite. My worst sin may be that I’m an “urgent-inator. I want everything to happen right away, as in “Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today” – even if it means losing sleep and missing other good things in order to get it done. I like to write things on my to-do list and check them off at the same time. If an email is in my in-box, I feel I need to respond to it. 

In my advancing age, though, I have learned that some things are better off if they’re left to sit for a while – chili soup, angry words, home decorating, and God’s work. Scripture tells us that it is through challenges that we grow in our faith and our dependence on God. Paul writes this in nearly every letter – Hebrews, Corinthians, Philippians, 1 Timothy. It was true for them then and it’s true for us now. 

Right now, there are a lot of things that make us afraid. And fixers, like me, would like to fix things up right away. A nice easy solution would be very nice! But God sees things with eternal eyes. The Apostle Paul talks to all the early churches about the need for struggles and perseverance in order to grow faith. As the writer Anne Lamont says, “It’s good to be afraid, when it mobilizes us to fight tooth and nail for what is right, when it pricks the balloon of our complacency, when it gets us back on our feet. A lot of us are both afraid and devoutly faithful at the same time…courage is fear that has said its prayers.” 

We can respond to the things that make us afraid with fear. Or we can care a lot and pray a lot. We can stick together and share and listen and draw nearer to God knowing that we are loved and chosen and safe. We know the ending of the story, and it is this. In the end, God wins. Jesus came to tell us that.

Today I will pray to the God that loves us and be at peace.

Prayer: Dear Lord, it seems like there are so many things to be afraid of, but I know that you tell us over and over again in Scripture to, “Be not afraid”, and to trust You. Protect me from my urgent-inator ways. I pray for peace in my soul as You slow me down and help me to remember to pray and to trust You while You work out Your way in the world. Amen

Lori Snyder-Sloan (reprinted from 2016)

Glimpses of the Kingdom

Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. Mark 10:14 KJV

What do an English-speaking grandma and a little girl who only speaks Spanish have in common? Not long ago, I would have answered, "Not very much." This summer, however, I found the courage to step outside my comfort zone — and to serve as a craftsperson for a Bible school program presented to Spanish-speaking students by the youth group of my local church.

When the week was over, "Do you speak Spanish?" was a question I was often asked. After responding multiple times, my standard reply became, "No, but I speak crafting." Actually, I didn't need to speak at all.

Each day during Bible school, a beautiful little girl with huge dark eyes and a very complicated hairstyle came running through the door straight toward me. As I held her in my arms, she laid her head on my shoulder. We walked around the room like this for several minutes, after which she was ready to begin her craft project.

During Bible school, today's Scripture came to mind often. I was thinking that this little girl needed to feel secure in my arms. However, after reading Mark 10:14 many times since then, I've concluded that it was I who felt inadequate and uncomfortable. I was the one in need.

Silently each day, this little girl came to me offering her love. Holding her and walking with her made me feel needed. "For of such is the kingdom of heaven" took on a whole new meaning. Without speaking one word, a little child had shown me glimpses of the kingdom — a place where Christian love is freely offered and readily accepted, and a place where no one feels inadequate or outside their comfort zone.

Prayer: Thank You, Father, for bringing little children into our lives to teach us how to be Christ-like. Thank You for showing us that the kingdom of heaven is a place where the love of Your Son, Jesus Christ, breaks down all barriers. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Judy Welch (reprinted from PresbyCan devotional page, 2005)

A God of Miracles

May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of your faith in Him, so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 

Some of you know that my oldest son struggled with alcoholism. Today he has been sober for 6-1/2 years. He is a single dad of his 13-year-old son. If you had told me that years ago, I would not have believed that he’d be sober. 

I remember my Al-Anon sponsor calling me after we met at length. I was very down because he was continuing to drink. She called me and asked “have you considered that God will provide a miracle?” No, I hadn’t. He had sunk lower than I ever thought possible. He hadn’t hit bottom yet. But it was when he found himself out on the streets of Omaha in the winter, that he finally hit bottom that he decided it was time to get sober.   

Miracle of miracles! Praise God from whom all blessings flow.  

Prayer: God of miracles, remind me when I’m down and hopeless that you fill me with hope and strength because you care about each of your children. Amen

Barb Anderson

Words from Deuteronomy

When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. Deuteronomy 8:10 KJV 

Let the Coastlands be Glad

The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad. Psalm 97:1 

Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands afar off: say, 'He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.' Jeremiah 31:10

He will not fail or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. Isaiah 42:4                     

My deliverance draws near speedily, my salvation has gone forth, and my arms will rule the peoples; the coastlands wait for me, and for my arm they hope. Isaiah 51:5

I recently read several devotions that referred to the coastlands. I thought these were not words that I readily remembered from scripture, so of course I had to do some research. I found 10 scriptures that referred to the coastlands, most of which occurred in the books of the prophets. The word coastlands referred to distant regions along the sea and symbolized the farthest reaches of the earth and God's sovereignty over all nations. It represents diverse peoples and cultures that acknowledge God's authority beyond Israel. It represents hope for those who are marginalized or in despair and those waiting for redemption and renewal. It showed anticipation of a new age where all nations are called to glorify God, where boundaries are expanded and barriers are broken down. The coastlands are a symbol of a hope divine for inclusion in the Kingdom of God and God's relentless pursuit of humanity across time and space. The coastlands are a call for evangelism. Matthew 28:19-20 states "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for the hope you bring to the coastlands. Thank you for the acceptance of all of us to be part of the Kingdom of God. Thank you for your promises of justice to the world. And finally, thank you for your love of us like a shepherd to his sheep. Amen

Nancy Hall