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WEDNESDAY THOUGHT 3/10/10

Strange Blessings

Now, this is going to sound a bit dopey, but the most fantastic thing happened to me this week.  I had a TIA, which is a medical term for a kind of mini stroke (aka a brain fart).  Pretty scary, actually, because all of a sudden my memory got fogged in and I wasn’t sure what day it was or where my Golden Retriever was.  (She had gotten old and sick and I had put her down about 10 days before.  Still, I roamed the house looking for her, knowing something was askew.) 

 Now for the blessing part:  Well, first of all, I’m feeling almost normal again.  (Yes, let the jokes begin.) But what blew me away was the amazing outpouring of phone calls, support, visits and prayers.  Made me almost want to do this again next week.  Seriously, like most people, I think, I am puzzled when people actually seem to care about me, even though the evidence is pretty solid that many do.  Also, I remember a time in my life when I had no one on my speed dial except my brother, having chased away or neglected other relationships.

 My point (four, actually):  First of all, thank you for your prayers and support.  Second, I can use this to get out of pretty much anything in the months ahead:  “Sorry, but I can’t do that. I’m recovering from a stroke.”  Or, better yet, “Hey, be nice to me.  I just had a stroke.” Or my favorite:  “Hey, what do you expect, I just had a stroke.”  Third, it is truly amazing how a potentially devastating experience can become a wondrous blessing.  That’s partially because, in the words of Winston Churchill, “There is nothing more exhilarating than to be shot at without result.”  Fourth and most of all, this is quite a reminder that life is so very fragile.  In a blink, God can change everything and anything.  We are not in charge.  (Sorry if these thoughts aren’t deeper, but remember, I just had a stroke.)  — jri

FRIDAY THOUGHT 3/5/10

Got Ministry?

What are you doing here?  Why has God called you?  (And, yes, by the way, He has called you.) 

For me, one of the most momentous shifts in my ego-based life was to go from “Lord, save me!” to “Lord, show me how to serve you!”  It harkens back to the recent morning I awoke with the words formed in my heart and on my lips: “Lord, as you died for me, so I will live for you.”

My point:  We all have a ministry, a calling, an opportunity a dozen times a day to love one another and, in so doing, serve the Lord – perhaps with a simple “God bless you,” or by picking up that one extra 60-cents-a-can tuna at the store for the food pantry donation, or even by biting your tongue and offering a consoling word when an over-stressed friend takes a bite out of you.  – jri

THURSDAY THOUGHT 3/4/10

Another Morning, Another Miracle 

Ho hum.  I’ve seen more miracles than I can shake a stick at.  You have, too, I’m sure.  I mean, think about it:  Hopelessly broken relationships restored.  Totally lost drug addicts and alcoholics now clean, sober and cherishing life like never before.  The birth of the smallest child growing and grown into full-blown adults.  Amazing.

It is the miracle of transformation, of new birth and new beginnings.  In many cases (second chances by the bucketful) it is the changing from a life of squander and destruction to one of hope and life.  It is the awakening of the tiniest of tiny seeds of something (care to hazard a guess what that is?) that brings forth a lush green spring after the barrenness of a dark, cold winter … not just literally, but in our hearts and in our souls.

My point:  We see miracles every day.  We are miracles.  Enjoy the blessings of this miraculous day. – jri

MONDAY THOUGHT 3/1/10

A Random God?

Two totally normal but completely weird things happened while I was out walking on the Ahnapee Trail last fall.  (No, sorry, this is not a story about burning bushes, blinding flashes of light or voices from on high.)

Weird thing number one:  I noticed my fingernail and realized that it is an amazing covering that protects my fingers … almost never recognized, but incredibly important.  What an odd thing.  Who’d have thought to invent such a thing, yet our lives would be very difficult without them.  Weird thing number two:  I heard the machine-gun knocking of a woodpecker and realized that such a thing — the speed and power of a jackhammer — was impossible to conceive … yet there it was.

My point: Chance, my butt!  It’s a world teeming with awesome, awe-inspiring creation – from giraffes to eagles to breath-taking sunrises; from snails to toenails; from gentle breezes to thundering hurricanes.  And atheists – such silly folks — claim we’re naïve to believe in a loving, magnificent creator!  Have an awesome, wondrous day amid the miracles of this earth. – jri

THURSDAY THOUGHT 2/25/10

The Power to Heal

 Ah, to have the power to forgive sins, heal souls, change lives!  But, wait, we do have that power.  Yes, perhaps I am wandering through the mine field of heresy, but here is how I see it:  Through faith, grace and the promise of Jesus – Whatever you ask the Father in my name He will grant – we do have the power to heal.  

A priest I once knew told the story about how he saw a burly biker-type fellow at a nearby table at a nearly empty diner.  Half on a dare and half through serious faith, the priest took up his courage, went to the man and told him, “Jesus loves you.”  This rough and tough biker broke down in tears. 

My point:  Not us alone, but through the love and sacrifice of our Lord, we are given the opportunity each and every day to heal and comfort and make a difference.  What a wondrous gift! – jri 

TUESDAY THOUGHT 2/23/10

Unlikely Heroes

As a man who admires strength, stubbornness and power (yes, I admit it; I am – or at least was – a bit of a control freak), I am fascinated by the idea of strength through weakness.  Still, I’ve seen it time and time again, how the most unlikeliest of men and women rise to the occasion and become shining heroes, especially in the world of faith.  In fact, St. Paul praises our weaknesses and our foolishness and brags how (like plain water transformed into fine wine) that very foolishness and weakness become the greatest of wisdom and strength.  (Think of that the next time you watch a priest raise up the cup and the bread.)

From Joseph transformed from slave to ruler of Egypt and Peter redeemed from weak-kneed denier to the rock of faith, or Paul who believed he served God by killing Christ’s followers blinded into true sight to become a spreader of the word.  I know, at least for me, at those times when I am ready to give up (or, I admit it, have given up), I am amazed how, without any real sense of what is happening, the darkness turns to light, the pain turns to joy, the confusion turns to clear-headed understanding.  Amazing! 

My point:  Funny how God does that stuff.  It’s the foolishness of faith, the logic of the contradiction, the beauty of the caterpillar transformed into the butterfly.  No need to understand it.  Just enjoy and rejoice in it.  It’s real. – jri

MONDAY THOUGHT 2/22/10

The Popeye Factor

Of the people I know who are “inactive” in their faith, two of them are atheists who have sought and come up short … at least for now.  I encourage them to keep their minds open to the God who will reveal Himself … in His own sweet time. 

The vast, vast majority, however, are not so much inactive as indifferent.  They ask the top ten FAQs (“If there is a God, how can he…” and so on) but never listen to the answers.  They never crack open a Bible or read about why and how some pretty intelligent folks have come to their faith conclusions.  Usually, when I recommend a book or a simple response that just might answer the question, the subject changes to the latest video game or sports score.  Ask them to think more than one step ahead and they reply, in essence, “Well, I know what I know and that’s all that I know.”  (Offered with apologies to Popeye the Sailor, who was wont to say: “I y’am what I y’am, and that’s all that I y’am. Eeek eeek eeek eeek!”)

My point:  The great logic of faith (and, yes, though I am no theological scholar, I do see the great logic of faith) is not always easy to grasp.  On one hand, it is simplicity at its most basic; on the other, it can be as elusive as a wisp of smoke or a gentle breeze.  However, it’s been my experience that those who seek do find.  Always.  – jri

FRIDAY THOUGHT 2/19/10

A Simple, Joyous Gift

 I love those mornings when I awake with the entire world in balance and perspective, when the most important things seem simple and make clear sense.  Doesn’t happen all the time, believe me.  I am a man of competing passions. 

But I awoke this morning with a vast peace and joy in my soul, so real and solid I could taste it, feel it, laugh aloud, just about sing it … with these simple, gentle words fully formed in my mind and heart and on my lips:  “Lord, as you died for me, so I will live for you.” 

My point:  Nothing more to add here.  I wish you all a joyous, peace-filled weekend.  God bless. – jri

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MONDAY THOUGHT 2/15/10

Why I Can’t Do Miracles

Christ could cure diseases, break a loaf of bread and feed thousands, drive out demons and forgive sins.  He asked nothing in return.  I don’t think he ever made a buck or got carried around in a four-slave sedan chair.    

If I had those powers, I’d have the cure for cancer named after me, take a dollar bill and make myself a super-billionaire, marshal those demons – and everyone else – into a cult of adoring followers, and make sure everyone knew I held the power to decide everyone’s fate. 

My point:  Not that I’m so darn human, but that Christ is so darn incredible for not doing any of those things.  Instead, asking nothing in return, he allowed Himself to be humiliated, tortured and murdered, and all for our sakes.  That’s a God and a man I can admire. – jri

Please pray for all who struggle and suffer in this world, for those who would gladly trade their abject miseries for our minor discomforts.  God bless.

SATURDAY THOUGHT 2/13/10

Toni (right) at The Horny Toad Guesthouse, St. Maarten, 2003

 

Sunrise, Sunset

My 11-year-old Golden Retriever, always youthful and, as always with Goldies, eager to please, is fading away.  We assume it’s cancer since she has simply stopped eating and only wants to sleep.  So, I spend time with her these days hand-feeding her canned food and reminding her that she’s still “the puppy.”

Still, it’s the way things go.  Somehow, those 11 years slipped by.  Same with me, I guess.  I look in the mirror and am surprised to see a man in his 60th year.  Last time I looked, I was about 25.  What I have lost over the years in energy I’ve gained in would-be wisdom, gentleness, patience and caring.  A fair trade.

My point:  Nothing special.  Just the passing of time and a reminder that our times are in God’s hands.  Cherish each day and use it in service to the Lord and to make the lives of others a tad softer and sweeter.  God bless. — jri

“You sweep men away in the sleep of death;  

they are like the new grass of the morning –  

though in the morning it springs up new,  

by evening it is dry and withered.”  

– Moses  

Psalm 90: 5-6 

WEDNESDAY THOUGHT 2/10/10

A God of His Word

As a businessman, I know that the true value of a working relationship is trust.  So, when I give someone my word and shake on it, it’s a done deal, a solemn pledge.

In this respect, I have a personal covenant with the Lord.  I ask His blessing on those for whom I pray in our covenant.  In return, I promise, as a sign of my commitment, to follow His laws.  It’s the deal I make.  In return, I live in expectancy (no, not expectation, but expectancy) that He will also keep His word as given in the Bible. 

My point:  A “deal” with God is not exactly a business deal, but it seems to me (and I’m no Bible scholar, mind you), that, as believers, we are asked to keep our promise to God, and in so doing (or at least in honestly trying), we have every reason to believe He will bless us with spiritual abundance and all that we ask.  Pretty simple, really, eh? – jri

“I have taken an oath and confirmed it,

          that I will follow your righteous laws.”

-         Psalm 119:106        

My brother is safely back in the U.S.  He described his travels as mixed:  beautiful people, beautiful country, challenges so easily met in this country but so deadly in Uganda.  He asked me to thank all of you for your prayers.  God bless. 

John Ingrisano

DailyConnections

204 Lakeview Drive

Algoma, WI 54201

(920) 559-3722

February 10, 2010

ALMOST MONDAY THOUGHT 2/8/10

God’s Odd Blessings

This one’s longer than usual.  Sorry ‘bout that.

My mother used to say I could fall in a pile of horse manure (not the exact words) and come up with a rose between my teeth.  I’m not the only one. 

Last Friday, I did a platform presentation at a client’s annual meeting in Pennsylvania.  The plan was to fly in on Thursday, do my dog ‘n pony show on Friday morning, fly out Friday afternoon, and be home, safely snuggled in my own bed, Friday night. 

God had other plans … again.  This time He decided to “bless” half the nation (and me personally; yes, I take these things personally) with one humungous blizzard.  After a series of misadventures reminiscent of the movie, “Planes, Trains & Automobiles,” I finally made it home Sunday afternoon.   

The rose between my teeth?  I got to meet some fantastic people along the way, most notably a fellow speaker with whom, by happenstance (yeah, right, Lord), I shared a limo from the airport on Thursday and also shared part of the return trip adventure, including paying a delightful hotel cook $100 to four-wheel us through unplowed highway roads to the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania airport after the snowstorm shut down the shuttles and cabs.

His name is Mike Schlappi (no, not the cook; the speaker).  He’s an Olympic Gold Medalist (basketball), businessman, husband and father, marathoner, snowmobiler, scuba diver, etc.  He’s also a man with a humongously huge positive attitude.  (No, not the silly-grin, butterflies and everything-is-beautiful kind, but one with substance behind it.)  Still, no big deal, right?  (Well, except for that Gold Medal part … oh, and the marathon stuff, too.) 

The big deal part is that Mike has done all this from a wheelchair, after having been accidently shot in the chest by a friend when he was 15.  His presentation got a standing ovation — several actually — as a genuine inspiration to never quit, to never give up.  (His book is titled, “Shot Happens: I Got Shot.  What’s Your Problem?”) 

The rose part for me?  With my schedule blown to Kingdom Come, my luggage circumnavigating the globe in the opposite direction, my underwear on the verge of breaking a record for how many days and ways it can be worn, and all the usual stress of disrupted travel, I had the opportunity to laugh, talk and travel through part of my journey this week and this life with a terrific, everyday guy who had done (and continues to do) some pretty amazing things.

But I admit that, to me, I am not so much impressed with Mike Schlappi because of his pretty amazing accomplishments.  I just got the biggest kick out of his magnificent, positive attitude, as well as his candid honesty.  (Part of his presentation addressed his bouts of self-pity and how you can have some pretty lousy days even if you work to have a good attitude.)

I like Mike for a number of reasons, one of them being that he landed in a pile of horse manure at age 15 and yet keeps coming up with a rose between his teeth. 

My point:  God always blesses us …  just not in ways we might originally choose.  For me, it was a blizzard that delayed my return home and gave me an opportunity to meet Mike Schlappi.  For Mike?  I don’t want to put words in his mouth, but I’d say it was a bullet in the chest at age 15 that gave him the opportunity to rise to his own personal great heights and to inspire, motivate and make a big difference to the thousands of people he touches. – jri

“Faith is not something we have but

something we do.”

-         Barbara Shlemon Ryan

(Living Each Day by the

Power of Faith)

John Ingrisano

Daily Connections

204 Lakeview Drive

Algoma, WI 54201

February 7-8, 2010

THURSDAY THOUGHT 2/4/10

I think what I admire most about St. Peter is that he was no saint … so to speak.    He was a hard-working, impatient and impulsive man, the first to jump in and passionately commit to Jesus and, so humanly, the first to turn tail and run. 

There was nothing tepid about Peter.  He did nothing half-heartedly.  In for a dime; in for a dollar.

My point:  Jesus chose the most unlikely of followers.  They were imperfect, often unreliable, filled with doubts and fear.  Gives hope for all of us, eh?  Savor your many blessings this day and rejoice in the gentle forgiveness and love of the Lord. – jri

“You do not want to leave me too, do you?”

Jesus asked the twelve. 

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom

Shall we go?  You have the words of eternal

Life.  We believe and know that you are the

Holy One of God.”

                 –        John 6:67-69

WEDNESDAY THOUGHT 1/27/10

SATURDAY THOUGHT 1/23/10

FRIDAY THOUGHT 1/22/10

TUESDAY THOUGHT 1/19/10

FRIDAY THOUGHT 1/15/10

WEDNESDAY THOUGHT 1/13/10

MONDAY THOUGHT 1/11/10

WEDNESDAY THOUGHT 1/6/10

MONDAY THOUGHT 1/4/10

MONDAY THOUGHT 12/28/09

FRIDAY THOUGHT 12/18/09

Wednesday Thought 12/16/09