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FRIDAY THOUGHT 2/29/08

I enjoy what I see as the playful, teasing side of Jesus.  (Personally, I think he’d be great at a poker game, able to look you in the eye, wink and bluff you into folding an ace-high straight against two small pair.  But I digress.)
 
Picture the 12, worried and unbelieving (as always) in a boat on a stormy sea.  And then Jesus comes strolling across the water (whistling?), as if he is going to go right on by them.  After they called out to him, he “climbed” into the boat (I picture him smoothing his robes and wiping his hands) as if this sort of stuff happened every day.  (Hey, boys, how’s it going?)
 
My point:  First of all, forgive any liberties or heresies.  As a layman, I claim latitude…and ignorance.  But my point is that Jesus, in addition to being God, was very human and very approachable.  I’m serious when I say I think He would be a hoot and a half at one of my low-stakes poker games.  So, enjoy our playful, loving God.  And don’t even think about bluffing Him.  — jri
 
“He saw the disciples straining at the oars,
because the wind was against them.  About
the fourth watch of the night he went out to
them, walking on the lake.  He was about to
pass them, but when they saw him walking
on the lake, they thought he was a ghost.
They cried out, because they saw him and
were terrified. 
 
“Immediately he spoke to them and said,
‘Take courage!  It is I.  Don’t be afraid.’ 
Then he climbed into the boat with them,
and the wind died down.”
        –    Mark 6:48-51

WEDNESDAY THOUGHT 2/27/08

This one’s a bit muddled in my head, and that’s okay.  It just struck me this morning that Herod, jr. was such a sad man.  But I suspect that if he hadn’t been so burdened down by all his king stuff, he could have made a good Christian.  He had potential.

Still, so sad:  He had to throw his own birthday party, which is tough enough.  Though he could have had the pick of any woman in the country, he choose his brother’s wife (which is why John the Baptist kept hounding him).  Then he got manipulated by his misguided sense of justice and the wiles of a teenage girl (the daughter of Herodias) into beheading John the Baptist, a man he truly admired.  He could have changed the world, but he just slogged along doing everything wrong.  He was a powerful man, but woefully weak.  How sad.  What a waste. 

My point?  I think it’s that even with our sometimes big, clumsy clay feet, we too have a choice — to either slog along making a mess of everything, or to live (or at least try) by the faith that guides us.  We have great potential; it would be a shame to waste it.  All I know for sure is that I’d rather have been John the Baptist than Herod…or any of his “friends.” – jri

“When Herod heard John, he was
greatly puzzled; yet he liked to
listen to him.”
    –    Mark 6:20

TUESDAY THOUGHT 2/26/08

Imagine thinking your life is over, that you’ve screwed the pooch big time this time!  That must have been how St. Paul (aka Saul) felt after he was rather strongly confronted by Jesus on the road to Damascus.  He was handed a one-two punch.  First, in a flash, he must have realized that everything — and I mean, EVERYTHING — he had thought was right turned out to be dead wrong.  Plus, he also faced the possibility of spending the rest of his life blind and hated. 
 
From the top of his game — rounding up those errant Christ followers in the name of God — to total loss of everything, including his purpose and “vision.”  Well, the good news (correction: the great news) is that Paul’s life took an abrupt and radical change and, almost single-handedly, he ended up spreading the good news of Jesus throughout the Roman world.  What an amazing transformation!
 
My point:  Never despair.  Never think you’re too bad or too weak or too far gone to change yourself and to change the world … or more accurately, to let God change you.  All it takes is listening when Jesus taps us, whispers to us…or knocks us to the ground.  Enjoy the many blessings of this beautiful day. — jri
 
“For three days he was blind, and
did not eat or drink anything.” 
    –    Acts 9:9

MONDAY THOUGHT 2/25/08

One of the people I admire most in this world is Winston Churchill.  He was tough, abrasive, brilliant and, it seems to me, single-handedly  threw up the sea wall that stopped the advance of Hitler in World War II.
 
He was pure determination.  And for that reason, he was perhaps the deciding factor in winning the war. 
 
The point:  Decide what you want to achieve …  and go for it.  And then keep going for it.  And then keep going for it.  And you will get it!  Hang tough and enjoy this kick-butt challenging day.  — jri
 
“Never, never, never, never give up.”
        –    Winston Churchill

FRIDAY THOUGHT 2/22/08

I get a kick out of the very human Jesus.  For one thing, by every indication, he loved to sit down to a good meal with friends and even strangers.  And I cannot imagine that it was all preaching, but also included talking about the crops and the price of donkeys, as well as joking around (These two Romans went into a bar….).
 
Jesus also seemed big on his creature comforts, to the point of getting a bit foul-mooded (now there’s a term) when a tree had no fruit so he cursed it, and chewing out his disciples when they woke him from a deep sleep because the boat was in danger of sinking.
 
My point?  I don’t really think I have one, other than the observation that Jesus had good days and bad days and could get a bit short-tempered when he was hungry or tired, just like we can.  Also, I like the human side of Jesus; it gives me hope and an inexplicable joy. –jri
 
“He got up, rebuked the wind and said
to the waves, ‘Quiet!  Be still!’  Then the
wind died down and it was completely
calm.”
    –    Mark 4:39

THURSDAY THOUGHT 2/21/08

What’s your purpose, your message, your ministry as a person of faith? 
 
Is it to serve on your church board?  To give to the poor?  To teach Sunday school?  To minister to the sick?  To preach on a street corner?  Your ministry doesn’t have to be anything grandiose or even obvious.  It’s just a way — big or small, subtle or loud — to share with others the message that we are of God.
 
So, here’s my plan for the day:  At the end of every conversation with everybody to whom I talk, in person or on the phone (and, hey, how about email, too?), I will try to remember to conclude with, “Thanks and God bless.”  That’s all.  Sort of a mini-ministry.  Care to join me?  Enjoy and rejoice in this day.  Oh, and by the way, thanks and God bless.  — jri
 
“Do you bring in a lamp to put it under
a bowl or a bed?  Instead, don’t you
put it on its stand?”
    –    Jesus Christ
           (Mark 4:21)

WEDNESDAY THOUGHT 2/20/08

It’s not about luck.  It is about work, focus, goals … and downright determination. 

Just as important, success is not about never failing, getting an easy ride, or even being born with a silver spoon in your mouth.  If you never give up, you will succeed — maybe not today, maybe not next week, maybe not even next year.  But if you hang tough, work and prepare, you will succeed at whatever your goal may be. 

So, enjoy the hard work, long hours, and setbacks.  Each brings you closer to your goal. — jri

“I always view problems as opportunities
in work clothes.”
    –    Henry Kaiser

MONDAY THOUGHT 2/18/08

“Come on, God, pony up!  I just need one more million to make it to a million bucks!”  I know I get frustrated with God when He doesn’t deliver the goods I ask for.  I even say all the right words: “Heavenly Father, in the name of your son, Jesus Christ, who said whatever I ask in His name you will grant, please (fill in prayer request here).”
 
Then I realize that somewhere, somehow, I just don’t have it right.  That’s almost like saying, “God, if you bring the ball, we’ll let you play in the game.”  I just don’t think we’re doing God such a big favor when we tell Him to give us something.  I just don’t think we can buy with false promises of friendship and acceptance the stuff that God is offering.
 
Maybe, just maybe, we should change it around to something like: “Lord, thanks.  You know I need a lot of help, so I ask you to please give me what I need.  Thanks.”  And those are the prayers I’m fairly sure will always get answered…in God’s way, not ours.  So rejoice and celebrate this gift of a day, with all the blessings God has waiting for us.  — jri
 
“The idea is to open yourself up,
honestly and truly, to receive a
special grace from God.  That is
not the same as being ready to
close the door in God’s face if
God doesn’t satisfy you immediately.
If you do that, you’re not being
faithful or even respectful to God;
rather, you’re treating God like
some trained dog you expect will
perform tricks for you.”
    –    Anthony DeStefano
           (Ten Prayers God Always
            Says Yes to)

FRIDAY THOUGHT 2/15/08

Quick quiz:  Are you rich or poor?  It’s a gut-level question, so put away the calculator. 
 
I’ve found over the years that money and wealth are not evil; nor is poverty enlightening and illuminating.  I’ve known poor people who were mean and soulless, and rich people who used their wealth to give others joy.  At the same time, an idiot with money is still an idiot; a good person with nothing is still a good person. 
 
My point:  I don’t know.  Maybe it’s that we decide for ourselves whether we are rich or poor, blessed or damned.  Personally, I recommend deciding to be rich.  So, enjoy your vast wealth (whether physical or spiritual) and the joys of this world.  — jri
 
“The material is not the only thing that gives
joy.  Something greater than that, the deep
sense of peace in the heart.  That is the
difference between the rich and the poor.”
    –    Mother Teresa

THURSDAY THOUGHT 2/14/08

This morning I did not pray.  I did not read.  I did not petition God for favors, ask His forgiveness, or even thank Him for my many blessings.
 
Instead, we just visited together.  We sat together in the pre-dawn quiet in total silence.
 
It was a wonderful, gently powerful visit of deep, abiding joy. — jri
 
“[A]nd after the fire a sound of
sheer silence.  When Elijah heard
it, he wrapped his face in his
mantle and went out and stood at
the entrance of the cave.”
    –    1 Kings 19

WEDNESDAY THOUGHT 2/13/08

I love reprobates, people whose goodness isn’t emblazoned on their sleeves (and very often they themselves do not recognize how stubbornly it is tattooed on their hearts). 
 
My big brother Lou is a gruff, tough, highly irreverent physician’s assistant, with a healing gift that you wouldn’t believe.  (He once had the label “PA of the Year” slapped on him by both the state of Maine and the national PA organization.)  Though highly disdainful of pious folks, he is deeply spiritual in his own way, and spends pretty much all of his free time in dangerous, diseased, suffering places, from Mongolia to Afghanistan, all for no pay…and sometimes even paying his own way.  (He is currently in Kenya, working in the refugee camps.)
 
My point?  Besides bragging about my big bro, I guess it is rather funny how God picks those to serve Him and care for his flock.   Please keep Lou, a most unlikely disciple, in your prayers.  And rejoice in God’s blessings. — jri
 
“Know that I am with you and will keep
you wherever you go.”
    –    God
           (Genesis 28:15)

TUESDAY BIZ QUOTE 2/12/08

When I was young(er), I saw business dealings as winner-take-all propositions.  I wanted the whole pie! 

Then I learned that the best way to get what you want is to help others get what they want.  Rather than battling it out with competitors in a bunkhouse brawl in which everybody came out bloodied, I now have dozens of friends and associates.  We all work together these days and, amazingly, we each end up sharing a much bigger piece of the pie. 

The bottom line:  The name of the game is not screw your neighbor, the customer or a competitor.  Instead, long-term business survivors know it’s all about win/win deals.   So, work hard.  Make money.  Have fun.  Oh, and play nice. — JRIngrisano

“It is possible that, in making other people
wealthier, happier, and more secure, you
will have more of your own needs satisfied.
This is, in fact, an ideal result of any
negotiation.”
    –    Gerald I. Nierenberg
           (The Art of Negotiating)

MONDAY THOUGHT 2/11/08

I think sometimes we truly do miss the forest for the trees.  We see miracles every day and — for that very reason — we take them for granted.  At least I do. 
 
I mean, if God — who made all those logical, scientific rules  — can transform an ugly, creeping caterpillar into a drop-dead gorgeous and graceful  butterfly; if He can transform the darkest night into the brightest day, and do it within 12 hours; if He can transform the coldest, most bitter winter into the warmest, soul-warming summer … well, doesn’t it just follow that He can do anything?
 
My point:  God can transform any of us into what we want to become.  He can turn sinners into saints, losers into winners, the spiritually numb into passionate believers.  Anything is possible.  So, enjoy this day, and rejoice in God’s transforming blessings. — jri      
 
“Your faith should not stand in the wisdom
of men, but in the power of God.”
    –    St. Paul
           (1 Corinthians)

FRIDAY THOUGHT 2/8/08

Rejoice!  That’s it.  It’s that simple, really.
 
Sure, we have work to do, but I tend to believe that our greatest work is just to be joyful … to rejoice.  (And if that’s work, pile it on.)   
 
So, at least for today, no sweat, no fret from me.  I’m going to go about this day doing my work enjoying and celebrating the Lord’s love and all my way-too-many-to-count blessings.  Rejoice!  — jri
 
“Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident
to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious
about anything, but in everything, by prayer
and petition, with thanksgiving, present
your requests to God.  And the peace of
God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in
Christ Jesus.”
    –    St. Paul
           (Philippians 4: 4-7)

WEDNESDAY THOUGHT 2/6/08

Why in the name of God do we worry?  I mean, as believers (albeit with big, clumsy clay feet), don’t we understand the promises God made us?
 
Look at Christ’s miracles.  To me, it seems that the real point of them is  to show us that no situation is hopeless, nothing is impossible, even to the point of returning to life from death.  Wow!
 
My point?  Just for today (we can talk about tomorrow tomorrow), don’t sweat the small stuff, the big stuff, any stuff.  God knows who we are and where to find us.  Just trust Him, leave all our stuff in His hands, and enjoy His many blessings.  Sounds like fun to me!  — jri
 
“[Y]our Father knows what you need before
you ask him.”
    –    Jesus Christ
           (Matthew 6:8)

TUESDAY THOUGHT 2/5/08

I sometimes think we spend too much time looking for God and not enough time letting Him find us. 
 
I know there are times when I become almost obsessed with reading, praying and talking to God, frustrated by that panicky feeling that God is slipping away (or I am slipping away), so I am tempted to pray harder, seek more earnestly (can you hear the sweat crackle?), and end up in a very non-spiritual dither.
 
Then I remember, eventually, often when I’m too worn out to fight on any longer, that it’s okay.  So I stop cluttering up the universe with all my noise and accept, know, believe that God is with me, even when he’s not pumping me full of bliss.  So, rejoice.  God is there, not just when we bug Him to the point of distraction, but always.  — jri
 
“Be still and know that I am God.”
    –    Psalm 46:10

MONDAY THOUGHT 2/4/08

A new week!  A new adventure, filled with perils, pitfalls, opportunities and challenges! 
 
Don’t hold back.  Buckle on your armor.  Strap on your sword. 
 
Give it your 100 percent all. Slay dragons.  Work up a sweat.  And enjoy every challenging minute.  — jri
 
“Athletic achievement and success,
like all good things in life, can only
be bought through hard work, sacrifice
and discipline.”
    –    R.J.H. Kiphuth

MONDAY BIZ QUOTE 2/4/08

The best part about being in business is that there are no guarantees.  It’s not a pony ride at an amusement park; it’s an extreme adventure without a safety net. 
 
I still get the biggest thrill in the world when I land a new contract…and just about die from despair when I lose an existing client.
 
The bottom line: Business is tough.  That’s why only some of us are crazy and tough enough to be in it.  So, work  hard.  Make money.  And, yes, enjoy the adventure. — jri
 
“To be an entrepreneur, you have to
be like a bobo clown.  You punch it in
the nose and it pops right back.”
    –    Lisa Renshaw

FRIDAY THOUGHT 2/1/08

“Always!” One word can make a difference, but it took me more than 30 years to hear that one.

My father was by nature a grumpy man, often cold, sometimes angry. Though an excellent family physician, he was not much of a family man. But one thing I remember, back from my days in college. Whenever I called home collect (no phone cards or cell phones back in those pre-dinosaur days), I would hear the operator say, “Collect call from John. Will you accept the charges?” The answer was always — “Always!” That one word meant little to me then. Today — more than three decades later — I can hear it and know that, regardless of anything else, my father, in his crusty, distant way, loved me.

My point: Our words make a difference. Maybe we don’t see the outcome right away, or in the way we imagined. But they do make a difference. Always! Enjoy the many opportunities you have today to make a difference with your smile, your touch, your words, your prayers. — jri

“The years teach much which
the days never know.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson