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TUESDAY THOUGHT 11/18/08

When Silence Speaks

I have a friend at church.  He speaks rarely, but when he does, he speaks volumes of value.  I am not like that.  I am a man of words, many words.  I speak often, long and loud.  Words are the tools of my trade, my weapons of defense, my amusement.  Few people, let alone God, can get a word in edgewise. 

But it is when I sit in silence — when I let my soul be still and I stop trying to sell my faith, fears, needs and petitions to God or others — that I feel closest to God. 

My point:  Today, do not pray that God comes to you; instead, silently let Him in.  Do not talk to God about your cares and needs; instead, listen as He speaks to your soul.  God bless, and rejoice in the gift of this day and our ability to simply, silently admire and enjoy it. — jri

“We all stumble in many ways.  If anyone
is never at fault in what he says, he is a
perfect man, able to keep his whole body
in check.”
    –    St. James
           (James 3:2)

MONDAY THOUGHT 11/17/08

Clay Feet, Empty Head, Dry Soul
 
Some mornings, I wake up without a clue.  Dumber than a stump.  I pray and ponder and wonder.  Nothing.  Someone stole the batteries, punched the “Off Button,” or hooked something up backwards.  Still, my mind chatters and blathers away — whining, complaining, praying. 
 
Finally, shhhhhhhhh.  Some days silence is the best prayer.
 
My point?  Shhhhhhhhh.  Amen.  — jri
 
“Our seeking of God is not all a matter of
our finding him by means of certain ascetic
techniques.  It is rather a quieting and ordering
of our whole life by self-denial, prayer, and
good works, so that God himself, who seeks
us more than we seek him, can ‘find us’ and
‘take possession of us.’”
        –    Thomas Merton

THURSDAY THOUGHT 11/13/08

Welcome Home!
 
I had always had wonderful, marvelous, terrible wanderlust.  I left my home in New York when I was 17 because, as I am fond of saying, “I heard rumors that there was life west of the Jersey Palisades.”  That was also about the same time I left behind my mechanical, perfunctory, rote-memorization, youthful faith.  My soul, my mind and my body were always restless, prowling, never satisfied, always craving something new, something different — from ideas to places to experiences.
 
It took a few decades and many thousands of life miles, but I eventually ended up home again.  No, not in New York, but as a devoted, smiling, redeemed and convicted man of faith (nicked and bloodied, but joyfully grinning, still and always very much flawed), welcomed in the house of the Lord and embraced in the spirit. 
 
My point:  It seems to me that if we are open and honest, every road we travel — though it may take us far away and through some pretty spooky terrain — will help us grow and eventually bring us home to a Lord and God who has been with us all along.  Celebrate your faith and your doubts, for they are all part of the journey. — jri
 
“One thing I ask of the Lord,
    this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life.”
        –    Psalm 27:4
 
Please pray for all those who stumble and fall as they struggle with the horrible burden of alcohol and drug addiction, that they may know they are loved by you and by God.  God bless.  
John R. Ingrisano

WEDNESDAY THOUGHT 11/12/08

“THE Way” Means Just That
 
I’ve wandered through a lot of unlocked doors in my restless life.  Like all of us, I’ve searched for that something — joy, peace, purpose, whatever.  I’ve looked in literature, stoicism, skepticism, cynicism, whiskey, Zen Buddhism (a neat philosophy, but a dead end as a religion), travel, adventure, conventionalism (spouse, dog, three kids, well-groomed lawn), unconventionalism (life on the fringe), “sportism” (I just made that up; it means an obsessive love of sports, elevating it to the level of a religion), business, money and a whole lot of other stuff that may be fun, but just doesn’t go the distance, just doesn’t keep delivering over time, just doesn’t fill that hole in the heart.
 
You know how this one ends:  It’s a cliché.  I found it in Jesus … not as a last, desperate resort out of fear or despair (though I’ve been there, too), but with head held high, a swagger in my step, my nicked sword in my hand.  I found balm for my restless, burning heart, peace for my howling, lonely soul, a whole lot of purpose and things I need to do and want to do, and a hoot and a half of pure joy and spiritual strength.  Whew!  Found it! The gift that keeps on giving.  
 
My point:  Wander as many paths as you like, check out as many “ways” you need to.  And then, when you’ve had enough of the whiskey hangovers, gotten tired of the cold emptiness of Zen meditation or who-really-cares-who-won sportism; when you’re ready to admit that even spouse, kids and picket fence just aren’t quite enough, remember THE Way.  It is where — if you are honest and a true seeker — you will end up.  Enjoy the trip.  Celebrate your blessings.  Be joyful.  See you there! — jri
 
 ”You are my refuge and my shield;
    my hope is in your word.”
        –    Psalm 119:114
 
For those of you who have been praying for my brother, Lou Ingrisano, I received word this morning that he is in Darfur, complaining that it seems safe and stable and will be heading out into “the bush” in a day or so.  He asked for prayers (no, that’s a lie, but I am asking for him) and for emails (that is true), which will be waiting for him when he returns.  He can be reached at lingrisano@hotmail.com.

FRIDAY THOUGHT 11/7/08

God’s Embrace
 
I know a boy who, when he would become out-of-control distraught, his grandmother would wrap her arms around him and hold him as tightly as she could until he settled down and regained his gentle composure.  I also recall marveling several years ago as a priest (Father Patrick Raymond at Grace Church in Madison, Wisconsin) came out before the service, wrapped his arms around an agitated homeless man in the pews, held him close (the man must have smelled like the gutter), and whispered in his ear until the man calmed down.  
 
I know the feeling.  God has done the same with me many times, wrapping His love around me to calm the anger, pain, frustration, fear and, yes, even the spitting-mad fury that can overtake me at times.  And when I just let it go, let myself become still, ah, in those moments I would sometimes understand the great and wondrous peace that is beyond understanding.  God’s embrace is a powerful embrace. 
 
My point?  If we let Him, God will hang onto us for all we are worth.  So, when we hit a nasty snag in life, just stop and recall that God can handle it.  All we have to do is just hold still long enough to let Him get His arms around us.  Enjoy God’s blessings on this autumn weekend. — jri
 
“May he grant you joy of heart
    and may peace abide among you.”
        –    Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 50:23

WEDNESDAY THOUGHT 11/5/08

TUESDAY THOUGHT 11/4/08

Angry at God?  What God?
 
I overheard a conversation a while back about how a particle accelerator would provide proof of the Big Bang Theory, which in turn would “put a nail in the coffin of religion.”  The one fellow’s gleeful anger is what struck me.
 
It seems to me that a lot of people are angry at a God they don’t know.  And it’s not so much that they don’t believe in God; just that they don’t understand Him.  That’s like not believing in airplanes or computers because we don’t understand how they work.  Our ignorance doesn’t change their existence.
 
My point:  Not sure exactly, but I suspect we ought to be speaking up in these situations (no, I did not), if only to let others know that God is about faith, not science (though science, in my opinion, provides pretty powerful proof of the hand of God at work).  Is it our obligation?  I don’t know for sure, but it is perhaps our opportunity to make a difference, if only to plant a seed of doubt in a doubter’s mind.  Be joyful.  Be happy.  Cherish the gift of this wondrous day.  — jri
 
    “‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look
for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any.  Cut
it down!  Why should it use up the soil?’ 
    “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more
year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it.  If it bears
fruit next year, fine!  If not, then cut it down.’”
        –    Jesus Christ (telling a parable)
               (Luke 13:7-9)

MONDAY THOUGHT 11/3/08

Transformations III
 
I’m going to take a big chance on this one, so be kindly toward me, please.  First, I apologize for getting lengthy, but I could find no way to write it shorter.  Second, I am using a weird analogy.  Third, it may sound like I’m “holy bragging”; I’m not … or at least I think I’m not.  Here goes: 
 
It seems to me that there is a big difference between change and transformation.  Change is one of those goal-focused, measurable things (as in: I will increase my running distance by five percent this month).  Transformation, on the other hand, is impossible to measure.  It is dimension-less.  Imagine (and I told you this was going to be weird) a sperm approaching an egg.  This sperm’s entire purpose in its short life is to swim, to reach the egg, even though it perhaps never or barely understands its own motivation.  This is how, it seems to me, many of us live — expending all of our effort to reach some vague idea of success.     
 
But now imagine that sperm reaches the egg.  Wow!  Boom!  Ka-Pow!  A super-nuclear chain reaction takes place.  Within days (perhaps hours, if not seconds), that previous entity known as “the sperm” is beyond recognition.  And that incredible, unstoppable chain reaction continues for months, as a human being is created and grows inside his or her mother’s womb.  And then the child is born and keeps on growing, constantly becoming something new day after day, year after year.  That’s transformation! 
 
My point?  That’s what happens when we turn our lives over to God.  He doesn’t just change us.  He transforms us.  And, yes, I have proof.  (And here we go with the could-be-bragging part.) That proof is me!  No, I’m not done and I’m not perfect (in fact, far, far, far from it), but my heart, my soul, my very life have been transformed, swept up into a being, a life, an awareness and a knowing that I cold never have imagined, never have planned, never have even hoped for. 
 
And, no, it’s not about halos and steeple-handed bliss.  My life is tough, and I have more flaws than good points.  But when I look at where I’ve been, the man I once was (no, not bad, but with a self-centered, “change”-centered view of the world), the only explanation I have is that either God’s transforming hand is at work, or those chimpanzees finally pulled it off.  (About those chimps, that would be the 50 that, if left long enough in a room filled with 50 typewriters, would write the Great American Novel.  Believe that and the chimps are smarter than you!)
 
My other point:  Anything is possible.  God not only CAN transform caterpillars into butterflies and clay-footed people into men and women of faith, but He DOES it every day.  Just ask.  Oh, and enjoy the gift.  It’s pretty amazing.  Ka-Pow! — jri
 
“God from the beginning chose you.”
            –    St. Paul
                   (2 Thessalonians 2:13)

WEDNESDAY THOUGHT 10/29/08

Cold Gold
 
When I was younger, everything I touched turned to gold.  Oh, I worked hard, but I was amply rewarded for my efforts — a thriving business, beautiful home, lakefront vacation cottage, great vacation travels, etc. etc. etc.
 
On one hand, it was great fun; power and wealth always are.  On the other, I became arrogant, a swaggering, know-it-all, pontificating ass.  By the time I lost everything (and I thank God for that), I was pretty much alone.  Having everything and no one to truly enjoy it with is a sad life.   Today, when it comes to material goods, I have no great mansions, but I do have exactly enough.  I still work hard, but now I am blessed with the opportunity to share what I have with a wealth of good friends and loving family. 
 
My point?  If you have read the story of King Midas (everything he touched turned to gold, too), you know that he ended up miserable, cursing his own gift.  Wealth comes in many forms.  Whether it be gold or talents or just a loving heart, enjoy it and share it.  God bless.  — jri
 
“It is possible to own much and yet
have very little.”
    –    John R. Ingrisano

FRIDAY THOUGHT 10/24/08

Into God’s Hands
 
If you’re like me, you tend to wrestle and struggle over stuff that doesn’t improve with worry.  However, this morning, by the time I could dive into the usual sets of frets and worries — that daily laundry list of concerns, anxieties, uncertainties, distractions and panics — I was reminded by a single line in the Bible (see below) that if I handed them over to God, He’d handle them all for me.
 
Worries over work and finances?  I placed them in the Lord’s hands.  Concerns about my children, my friends, my own faults, flaws, failings and weaknesses?  Into God’s hands.  Anxiety over what I could have done better yesterday and frustrations over what I know I will screw up today?  Here, God, I place it all in your hands. 
 
My point?   When I am able to turn the day’s troubles over to God (no, not ignore my responsibilities, but, yes, approach them with God’s help and guidance), I find that I occasionally bump into one of the most amazing experiences:  Pure joy!  So, my recommendation is to go for it!  Say, “Here, God, may I leave these with you, please?” Then go about your day working, playing, celebrating, enjoying.  — jri
 
“Into your hands I commend my spirit,
    for you have redeemed me,
    O Lord, O God of truth.”
        -    Psalm 31: 5

WEDNESDAY THOUGHT 10/22/08

Rusting Swords
 
Thank you.  One of the most wondrous transformations in my life has been from man of battle to man of prayer.  My nature is contentious, not so much quarrelsome as overwhelming, always up for a good challenge.  In the past, I saw life as won with the sword –  defending walls, overpowering enemies, saving loved ones from themselves and others.  Though I can still stare down an errant interloper (I like that phrase, thank you), I conquer mostly these days with compassion, caring, forgiveness and prayer. Or maybe I don’t conquer at all, and that’s fine with me.  
 
But here’s the best part, and the reason I opened with “thank you”:  It has been the prayers, life example, patience, compassion, honesty, openness, forgiveness, and spiritual strength of you — some whom I know face to face; others only in the spirit — that has shown me true strength, the kind that lets me lay aside my sword and trust in the gentle might and power that can come only from honest love, prayer and faith in the Lord.
 
My point?  Two of them, actually:  First, thank you for all your strengthening prayers.  They do make a difference, like spring rain on a planted seed.  Second, people do notice and garner strength from our imperfect faith strivings.  People do notice.  Be an example.  Be a beacon.  Be a lamb among wolves.  God bless.  — jri
 
“Go!  I am sending you out like lambs
among wolves.”
    –    Jesus Christ
           Luke 10:3
 
Special favor:  I have two daughters whose faith is just starting to emerge and unfold.  Please pray for these wobbly-legged Christians.  Thank you.  John R. Ingrisano

MONDAY THOUGHT 10/20/08

Jesus Walked the Walk
 
Remember Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker?  In the name of God, they built up one bodacious empire (including a dog house with air conditioning on their estate).  Preachers with mansions?  It makes no sense.  Proclaiming the kingdom of God on one hand, while amassing power and wealth on the other.
 
Then there was/is Jesus.  Not only did He have the power to cure diseases and kick demons in the rear end, but he had a silver tongue.   Boy, could He preach.  When Jesus spoke, people listened.  He could have passed the plate and made out like a bandit.  But He didn’t.  And that’s one of the many reasons I believe in Him.  He never used His gifts and talents to carve off a slice of the pie or crown himself King Jesus.  He talked the talk and He walked the walk, giving away what He could have sold for a bundle.
 
The point:  Just that this Jesus fellow seems to be the real thing:  No gimmicks, no angles, no games.  Works for me.  I’ll walk with him .. and I’ll try to keep up.  — jri
 
“Foxes have dens and birds of the
sky have nests, but the Son of Man
has nowhere to rest his head.”
        –    Jesus Christ
               Luke 9:58     
 
Thanks for visiting my website today.  Feel free to roam around, read, leave comments.  Thanks and God bless. – John  R. Ingrisano

TUESDAY THOUGHT 10/14/08

Transformations II
 
My faith is plodding.  I am a slogger along the mud-thick roads of belief.  But I know of transformations, of the impossible becoming possible — of homely, earthbound caterpillars becoming breathtakingly beautiful and graceful butterflies; of barren and snow-covered fields becoming riots of spring flowers; of the green leaves of summer trees exploding in rich fall colors.
 
I also know of people — lost souls by all counts, especially their own — touched by faith in “their season,” people who suddenly see, who are healed, who understand that life is a mystery that goes far, far beyond the clay and mire of what we see and “know” by science and theory.
 
My point:  Just imagine a transformation from caterpillar to Monarch butterfly; from a soul barren and cold landscape of one’s days changed to a rich cornucopia of life.  This IS what the world is about.  It IS what faith is about.  Just open your eyes and let it happen.  And rejoice in the transformation. — 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)

MONDAY TH0UGHT 10/13/08

Transformations
 
It seems to me that God is about Big-Bang changes, transformations even beyond an explosive chain reaction of massive proportions.
 
Picture Saul blinded by the light in a life-changing instant on the road to Damascus; or the violently mad “Legion” (tearing off his clothes and insanely roaming among the tombs) brought to immediate peace by a word from Jesus; or the self-destructive drug addict or alcoholic inspired to get clean and sober and help others reclaim their souls; or the countless individuals who finally “get it,” accept the gift of grace and faith in their lives and recognize that there is only one road worth traveling … and that is God’s way.
 
The point:  If there is one thing I’ve learned in this world, it is that God transforms, making the impossible possible.  Give Him your impossible, hopeless, lost problem.  And then step back, rejoice, and enjoy the quiet, transforming miracles that unfold.  Bang!  — jri
 
“When they came to Jesus, they found the man
from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at
Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and
they were afraid.”
        –    Luke 8:35

THURSDAY THOUGHT 10/9/08

Innocence
 
The other morning, left briefly in charge of Riley, my six-week old granddaughter, I interrupted my reading to pick her up to stop her fussing.  I held her to my chest, lowered my lips to the top of her head and began singing in my low, off-key voice, as I slow-stepped around the room.
 
As I walked and sang, she immediately fell quiet.  I had made her safe, secure.  But just holding her had also brought calm to my soul, as well.  For me, not only did the crises, whirlwinds and battle scars of life fall back and dissolve, but time and distance gently blended together.  I was holding not just Riley, but also her mother, her Uncle Jonny, her Aunt Nicky (my own children so long ago and still), as well as her sister and cousins, my other grandchildren. 
 
My point?  Not sure.  But even as our children grow — as they go out and slay dragons and sometimes get charred medium-well for their efforts — they remain innocent, vulnerable, so very much in need of our love and comforting.  Can we still soothe them by holding them to our breasts?  If only we could.  But we can pray for them and never stop loving them … and make sure they know it.  God bless. — jri
 
“My Riley lies over the ocean.
My Riley lies over the sea.
My Riley lies over the ocean;
oh, bring back my Riley to me.
Bring back, bring back,
oh bring back my Riley to me, to me.
Bring back, bring back,
oh bring back my Riley to me, to me.”

MONDAY THOUGHT 10/6/08

God’s Doorknob
 
A woman I’d never met (the 48-year-old niece of an acquaintance) died recently of an overdose, after years of dealing (or failing to deal) with drug abuse.  I am going to guess (forgive me if I’m wrong), that she’d spent a lifetime struggling to find peace and genuine joy, rattling every doorknob in town looking for something that made sense beyond that first initial aha burst (such as super sports, workaholism, alcoholism, pick your poison).  If so, she’s not alone.  That would describe pretty much all of us.
 
It certainly would describe me in the past (and, yes, sometimes today, too).  But one thing I’ve learned over the years is that God’s way is not “A Way,” not just one more door to try among many.  It is “The Way.”  Big difference. 
 
The point?  Gently, patiently, lovingly, forgivingly — just keep pointing and reminding those we love, “Hey, why not try this doorknob?  If you like, I’ll go in with you.”  God bless, celebrate the joy of this day, and pray for those who are having trouble finding The Way.  — jri
 
“I am the light of the world.  Whoever
follows me will never walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life.”
        –    Jesus Christ (aka The Way)
               (John 8:12)

FRIDAY THOUGHT 10/3/08

Swear to God!
 
Aha!  I got it.  Hurting or struggling?  Suffering or afraid?  Tired beyond weary?  Despondent beyond the belief that you will ever see a joyful day again.  Well, it’s not “God’s odds” or “God’s could-happens.”  It’s not that the blessings and joys and relief from suffering  just might take place. 
 
It’s God’s promise!  God’s word!  An unmistakable, sure thing.  The sun’s gonna rise in the morning, and God’s word is a swear-to-God promise, a guarantee. 
 
My point (albeit, so poorly expressed):  As Christians, it’s not about scientific evidence or two-to-one odds.  It’s not about show-me-the-money proof.  It’s about faith … faith beyond understanding … faith when we’ve run out of anything to believe in except God.  (And, yes, even when we’re not all that sure that God Himself hasn’t gone on vacation.)  So, today, celebrate that faith, no matter how weak or fearful it may seem.  Celebrate God’s promise. — jri
 
“Blessed are ye that weep now:
for ye shall laugh.”
        –    Jesus Christ
               (Luke 6:21)

THURSDAY THOUGHT 10/2/08

“Why, Lord?”
 
Sometimes it just hurts — the man inconsolable after the death of a 40-year partner; the alcoholic who, again and again, fails at recovery and must live with profound and bitter self-hatred; the cancer sufferer who finds that nothing — no, nothing, and certainly not prayer — provides any relief from the torturous pain.
 
I have no brilliant answers.  But I do know that, having myself endured dark and hopeless loss in the past — pain and loss that just kept on coming and coming beyond belief and beyond endurance — for me, at least, it eventually ended, healed, turned to new joy.  Still, I have seen way too much raw suffering in recent days, and my comforting is little more than pathetic and ineffective “there there.”  
 
My point?  Little comfort, perhaps, but I suspect we all, at one time or another, voice the, “Why, Lord? question.  My comfort to those who suffer is small: that you are not alone, and that God does — He MUST, for all we believe — have a plan and a care and a purpose.   God bless and pray for all who suffer.  — jri
 
“And he said unto me, My grace
is sufficient for thee: for my
strength is made perfect in
weakness.”  
    –    St. Paul

WEDNESDAY THOUGHT 10/1/08

Beginnings
 
I love beginnings, do-overs, second chances, and I believe we get as many as we want. 
 
Matthew (aka Levi), on a two-word request from Jesus, turned his back on a lucrative business and a fair amount of wealth (he was a tax collector) and became a devoted follower, never looking back.
 
My point:  Today is a new day.  It is also the start of a new month, as well as the beginning of the fourth quarter of the year.  Go ahead, take your new beginning, and enjoy the transformation. — jri
 
“After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax
collector by the name of Levi sitting at his
tax booth.  ‘Follow me,’ Jesus said to him,
and Levi got up, left everything and
followed him.”
        –    Luke 5:27-28

MONDAY 9/29/08

Not My Problem
 
Sometimes I get so frustrated I want to spit … or worse.  I get tired of what feels like a stupid game of struggle, endure, pay your dues, accept that the tough times are actually good because they teach us strength or patience, or God knows what.  Then there are days — more like  moments or glimpses — when I understand, when it all makes sense. 
 
So, I try not to worry about it anymore.  Sure I work hard and love a freebie day when everything goes right.  But the rest of it’s just not my concern.  So, I try to keep my nose clean, understand sometimes — though not as often as perhaps I should — that God’s not here to serve as my personal valet, but it’s my job to tend to His acreage on this earth (and that there’s a fair day’s wage in it somewhere), and — sure, why not? — savor the many opportunities and blessings with which I am showered each day. 
 
My point:  God’s in charge.  Let go and enjoy.  — jri
 
“Freely you have received, freely give.”
        –    Jesus Christ
               (Matthew 10:8)

THURSDAY THOUGHT 9/25/08

In Spiritual Training
 
My brother — a tough old goat in his 60s — not only does medical mission work in impoverished places like Mongolia, Bolivia, Africa, Afghanistan (he was ticked off because his trip to Darfur was canceled because it was too dangerous), but he also runs marathons.  So, when he’s not fishing, working or sipping on tequila, he’s training — running miles a day, swimming in the frigid Maine lakes, or biking like Pee Wee Herman around Mt. Desert Island.  Very self-disciplined.
 
Then, lo and behold, I read of Jesus, also training for His mission.  Forty days fasting in the desert (seriously, imagine 40 days without food!)  dealing with the temptations of that unctuous and persistent devil, and coming out of it all steeled, hardened, and “in the power of the spirit.”
 
My point:  It seems to me that faith is not a matter of falling down in rapture and hoping God doesn’t step on us.  It’s about being tough, knowing what God wants from us (the rules are in His Book; read it!), and being disciplined enough to follow The Way He’s laid out for us.  God bless, and enjoy the spirit-strengthening challenges of this day. — jri
 
“When the devil had finished all this
tempting, he left him until an opportune
time.  Jesus returned to Galilee in the
power of the spirit, and news about him
spread throughout the whole countryside.
He taught in their synagogues, and
everyone praised him.”
        –    Luke 4:13-15

WEDNESDAY THOUGHT 9/24/08

The Chosen Ones
 
No, I’m not talking about Obama here.  It seems to me that we are all chosen ones — all who acknowledge God and wrestle with faith and our roles as God’s followers — in a grand, biblical epic between good and evil.  (That’s a great and universal theme, one for which I believe we are hard wired to love, repeated endlessly in such stories as The Bible, Star Wars, The Chronicles of Narnia, pretty much every classical western,  and many video games.)
 
It’s a story of good versus evil, of spiritual warfare and, most of all, of choices — free choices and free will.  Some stand firm, sword in hand; others go over to the dark side; and many, it seems to me, wander around trying to avoid the battle lines altogether and hope for the best. 
 
My point:  Do you accept your commission as one of God’s chosen ones?  It’s a simple choice, one we have the opportunity to make — yea or nay — every day.  Choose wisely, Chosen One.  — jri
 
“I will give you all their authority and splendor, for
it has been given to me, and I can give it to
anyone I want to.  So, if you worship me, it will
all be yours.”
        –    Satan
               (Luke 4:6-7)

FRIDAY THOUGHT 9/19/08

It’s Not Supposed to be Easy
 
Perhaps my biggest, most persistent failing (oh, and the list is long) is that I am hard-wired to believe that life is supposed to be easy, and that comfort and joy are supposed to be the goals.  So, I become frustrated and resentful (have to blame God, couldn’t possibly be my fault) when setbacks strike and adversities occur.
 
But Jesus Christ never had it easy, so why do we think I’m supposed to?  Jesus was belittled, chased out of town, spit on, mocked, not believed when he revealed His true nature, and eventually murdered. 
 
My point:  For this day, I will attempt to enjoy any setbacks and thank God for all that He sends my way — from woes to wonders.  God bless and enjoy this beautiful day. — jri
 
“Even after Jesus had done all these
miraculous signs in their presence,
they would not believe in him.”
        –    John 12:37

WEDNESDAY 9/17/08

Blessings Everywhere
 
I have found that every day is an amazing gift, full of wonder, opportunity and joy. 
 
Some days I open my eyes wide and take them in.  Some days I choose to ignore them, step right over them, miss them.  My choice.
 
My point:  God’s blessings are everywhere.  Just for today, focus on them, enjoy them, savor them.  Refuse to complain or offer a single “yeah but.”  Just enjoy. — jri
 
“Finally brethren, whatever is true, whatever
is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is
pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good
repute, if there is any excellence and anything
worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these
things.”
        –    St. Paul
                (Philippians 4:8)

MONDAY 9/15/08

Blaming God & Others
 
I don’t know about you, but I sometimes get pretty angry at God.  But then I realize that it’s not God who trips me up and then holds me down in the mud.  I do that just fine myself. 
 
Sure it’s easier to blame others.  We can blame our parents.  We can blame our spouses or ex-spouses.  We can blame God.  We can blame friends who did us wrong.  We can even blame Nixon or Bush.  However, one of the things I’ve learned over the years is that we are the authors of most of our own troubles.    
 
My point?  If you’re face down in the mud, get up, start fixing what’s wrong in your life, and stop blaming others, especially God.  — jri
 
“The Lord is faithful to all his promises
    and loving toward all he has made.
The Lord upholds all those who fall
    and lifts up all who are bowed down.”
            –    Psalm 145:13-14