"It's the sense of family that has kept me here for nearly 40 years. The opportunities to learn, worship, fellowship and serve alongside my Eastridge family have been so valuable and have helped my faith grow immensely."
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for
such sacrifices are pleasing to God. Hebrews 13:16
We often hear of the phrase “paying it forward”. The online definition refers to someone doing something for someone other than who originally helped them out, but it's often used interchangeably with "good deeds". We hear heartwarming stories of people lifting each other up and helping each other out.
One of my favorite movies, Terms of Endearment, was largely
filmed in Lincoln, my current hometown. A local grocery store, Leon’s, is
featured in the scene where Debra Winger cannot pay for her groceries and her
banker (John Lithgow), behind her in line, volunteers to make up the
difference.
In addition to the highlighted scene above, I had just read an article about someone paying for the person in front of them in the checkout line. It was fresh in my mind when my husband and I were walking out the door at our local store (the same Leon’s from the movie!) and heard the cashier say, “it says there’s not enough funds” when referring to a customer’s debit card. We were almost out the door and it looked like the woman wasn’t panicking, so we kept on our way. The following week, the same thing happened to a little boy in front of me who was using his mother’s debit card. “It says there’s not enough funds.” It was like a sign: Donna, here’s your chance! Especially since I was in a hurry myself and wanted to get home. It would speed things up if I just paid for the little boy’s groceries.
I felt pretty good about paying for someone! I was doing a
good deed, helping out. The child’s mother didn’t feel the same, however.
She was clearly waiting in the car for her son, and he had already called her
cell phone to inform her he couldn’t pay. Then she walked in and saw that I had
paid for the groceries. That I didn’t receive a warm thank
you is an understatement (silver lining: the little boy did thank me, twice). Don’t expect that
your good deeds will be met with a grateful heart. Maybe the lesson is: do it
because God asks you to, not because you want someone to appreciate you.
Reader, I’m not sharing this so that you can appreciate my good deed
when the recipient didn’t; rather, I’d just like to suggest that even when
things don’t go the way we want, the way we expect, or the way we hope, there
is something to learn from the experience. Especially when we are doing as we
are called as Christians.
Prayer: Dear Lord, help me see you in ALL areas of my life.
Guide me to be your light in the world. Amen.
Donna Gustafson
By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spoke, and the earth and people came to be; he commanded and it stood firm. The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he maketh the devices of the people of no effect. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. Psalms 33:6-11
My prayer, as the oldest in our
family, today is:
Dear Father in Heaven, creator of our world, who has blessed our nation throughout our lives, please be with us now.
Help us to know whom we should support that will provide a solid
country for our youngest generation, 6-year-olds Colton and Weston and our
little Hayden.
Please be with the United States today as we face electing a president to guide our country in these volatile times and lead our country safely into the future. AMEN.
Love you all, Mom, Grandma and Great Grandma Sandra
Sandra Hilsabeck
Now God gives us many kinds of special abilities… 1 Corinthians 12:4
Every person has strengths and abilities. Sometimes these are referred to as gifts, talents, or special skills. We should recognize our own strengths and use them to help others recognize their strengths. Some people do not recognize their own abilities; therefore, when we observe the talent of another person, we should acknowledge it, whether it is something that is overt i.e. a beautiful singing voice, an outstanding organist or something that may not be so openly apparent like giving anonymously to charities, recognizing each person by their name, etc.
Ministers, particularly, must recognize the various strengths of members of a congregation and provide members of the church the opportunity to use those strengths that God has bestowed upon them to enhance the church and its mission. We have all seen God at work in those churches where this happens. It truly is a family of God all working for the same purpose.
As an educator who has worked with children for almost 40 years, every child I have known has had strengths and abilities. Our responsibility as an adult is to help children recognize their strengths and abilities whether those be in sports, music, or the way in which that child smiles, the way in which the child helps others or is a friend to others.
Please take a moment to reflect on your own strengths and abilities. How are you using those to help others? Have you recognized and acknowledged the strengths of another person in the past week? How have you helped a child recognize his/her strengths and abilities?
Prayer: Our Father, we thank you for the strengths and abilities that you have given to each of us. Help us to use these to always be a witness for you and your work. Help us to use those strengths and abilities that you’ve bestowed upon us to help others to recognize their own strengths and abilities. Guide us in all that we do. In Your name we pray. Amen.
Linda
Douglas (reprinted from the Eastridge Devotional Book, 2008)
All the earth worships You and sings praises to You; They sing praises to Your name – selah. Psalm 44:6 ESV
Last month my brother celebrated his 90th birthday so I
called him to congratulate him on reaching such a milestone. Then in my “sisterly” way, I said, “However,
you will never live long enough for me to forgive you for raising those bantam
roosters in our backyard when we were growing up.” I really hated those roosters! They chased me and pecked at my heels every
time I went into our backyard. To which
he promptly retorted, “It’s time for you to give that a rest, sis, because that
was way back in the 1940’s.” Then we
both laughed.
As you have guessed, this has been an ongoing conversation
between the two of us for many years, but this time, it made me think of
growing up and being in high school. For
some reason I started thinking about one of my favorite teachers. There was so much I loved about that teacher
but she had a catch phrase she often used when she was about to teach us
something important and it always irritated me no end. So often she said, “Now put your thinking
caps on.” That phrase always grated on
my nerves. After I graduated from high
school, I hoped I might never have to hear it again.
How wrong could I be. It’s found everywhere only using different words. I found it in Psalms with David saying,
“selah” (pause and think - Psalm 44:6 above). Then I found it in Proverbs, “Ponder (weigh in your mind) the path of
thy feet…” (Proverbs 4:26 KJV).
Jesus even had to remind me to put on my thinking cap when
He said, “Consider (think through) the lilies how they grow…” (Matt.6:28 and
Luke 12:27 KJV).
As irritating as it was, my favorite teacher’s catchphrase
was perhaps the most important thing she taught me. It seems the idea of “putting on our thinking
caps,” when we’re learning is recommended even from the highest authority,
Jesus, Himself.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, it’s so easy for us to
harbor wrong thoughts and to even be irritated by right ones. We praise You for showing us the error of our
ways, and we thank You for sending Jesus to be our greatest teacher and for His
words found in the Bible to show us the way.
Amen.
Judy Welch
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:13-14
I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13
I think we all have something about ourselves that we’re dissatisfied with. What I’ve struggled with all my life is my quietness. It has caused me missed opportunities (to say something comforting or wise), uncomfortable moments, inconvenience, frustration, envy (of those who can express themselves easily), and many other feelings. Sometimes I just don’t understand why God would make me this way! And try as I might, it’s very difficult for me to change on my own. I end up feeling pretty inadequate. Finally, I had a revelation. I don’t have to feel this way! My problem is not so much in the quietness itself, but in my attitude towards it. My caring friends have helped me to find a more positive outlook.
Here’s what I need to do: 1. Accept myself the way I am. When I grumble about my quietness, it’s as if I’m challenging the good intentions of my Maker. He made me the way I am for good reasons (even if I don’t always understand them). He loves me this way (so do others)! This acceptance of myself doesn’t mean I should sit back and not try. But it does mean I must surrender to the Holy Spirit’s leading. 2. I need to remember that sometimes my quietness can be a gift to others (like a talker who needs listening ears) or it can lead me to discover my gifts in other areas (maybe writing?). 3. I need to trust that God, through the Holy Spirit, will help me to learn from, and grow beyond those difficult quiet moments as needed according to His will. God can do anything!
I know I’ll still have my weak moments, where I get disgruntled about my quietness or some other difficulty. When I do, I just need to remember to reach for my Lord to give me the strength I need. His strength will help me to cope, to carry on, or even to rise above. Then instead of grumbling, I’ll be exclaiming: “Thank you, Lord, for the wonderful ways you’re working in my life!”
Prayer: Dear Lord, forgive me for complaining about the way you made me. Help me to accept myself the way I am and look for ways to use my quietness as a gift to others. Also, help me to surrender to the Holy Spirit’s leading, so that you can mold and shape me into the person you want me to be. Thank you so much for your love and for the friends you send me—to remind me of it. Amen.
Sharon Irvin (reprinted from the Eastridge Devotional Book, 2008)
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105
Our kids went to Calvin Crest in June. The scripture above was printed on their camp shirts. It got me to thinking “What kind of light am I?” Am I…
…a candle—soft, steady and inviting but easily blown out at times?
…a flashlight or lantern—trusted in emergencies and helpful down dark paths?
…a flood light—provides immense light, but so bright it hurts the eyes?
…a street light—very reliable and a guardian of our sleepy streets?
…a desk lamp—purposeful, task-oriented and flexible for either long or short periods of time?
At different times, we are all of the above. But most of the time I try to be like a Motel 6 and “will leave a light on for you.” Whatever the type, may your light shine for others to see.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank you for giving us your son, the Light of the World. Help us to shine your love on others as we travel down the path of life.
Cathy Schapmann (reprinted from the Eastridge Devotional Book, 2008)
