We asked His protection and care with complete abandon. – ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 59.
I Will Forgive Myself
I could not manage my life alone. I had tried that road and failed. My “ultimate sin” dragged me down to the lowest level I have ever reached and, unable even to function, I accepted the fact that I desperately needed help. I stopped fighting and surrendered entirely to God.
Only then did I start growing! God forgave me. A Higher Power had to have saved me, because the doctors doubted that I would survive. I have forgiven myself now and I enjoy a freedom I have never before experienced. I have opened my heart and mind to Him. The more I learn, the less I know, a humbling fact, but I sincerely want to keep growing. I enjoy serenity, but only when I entrust my life totally to God. As long as I am honest with myself and ask for His help, I can maintain this rewarding existence.
Just for today, I strive to live His will for me, soberly.
I thank God that today I can choose not to drink.
Today, life is beautiful! – A.A. Daily Reflections, September 8.
Yikes! It’s tough to forgive yourself. Your family and friends would never forgive you if they knew half of what you do. Unfortunately, you know the whole. And the sheer awfulness of it rocks you with guilt and sinks you with shame. God may forgive you. But how on earth are you ever going to forgive yourself? – Ellen Michaud. Prevention. November 3, 2011.
Let It Go
Psychologist Fred Luskin, PhD, director of the Stanford University Forgiveness Project tells us how we can forgive ourselves.
The Healing Power of Forgiveness.
Dr Luskin tells us, “Forgiveness is a tool with which we face what we’ve done in the past, acknowledge our mistakes, and move on. It does not mean that you condone or excuse what happened. It does not mean that you forget.”
Dr Luskin’s Twelve Steps to Self-Forgiveness:
1. Categorize the offense.
2. Know how you feel.
3. Understand what you want.
4. Recognize unrealistic expectations.
5. Identify the hurt.
6. Hit the stop button.
7. Sorry!
8. Practice PERT Positive Emotion Refocusing Technique.
9. Make it right – make amends.
10. Lose the Wicked Witch thing. – Be a Hero.
11. Put things in perspective.
12. Give yourself a break! – Replace Guilt with Gratitude.
My Next Task is to Reconnect.
Prayer for Forgiveness – Psalm 51.
Create a pure heart in me, O God, and put a new and loyal spirit in me. Do not banish me from your presence, do not take your holy spirit away from me. Give me again the joy that comes from your salvation and make me willing to obey you. Then I will teach sinners your commands, and they will turn back to you. Amen. – Psalm 51: 10-13.
Forgiveness. Michael West.
It’s the hardest thing to give away and the last thing on your mind today. It always goes to those that don’t deserve. It’s the opposite of how you feel. When the pain they caused is just too real, It takes everything you have just to say the word … Forgiveness.
Prayer: Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Eph. 4:32.
In 1966, U.S. Senator Robert Kennedy made an influential visit to South Africa.
Bobby Kennedy, Ripples of Hope
Robert Kennedy offered words of hope to opponents of apartheid in his famous “Ripple of Hope” speech at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. He declared, “Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”
Ripples of Hope
At times in this world, hope appear scarce. Yet there is an ultimate hope readily available for the follower of Christ. Peter wrote, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3.
Jesus can infuse #hope into the most hopeless of situations.
Through the certainty of Christ’s resurrection, the child of God has a hope that is more than a ripple. It is an overwhelming current of confidence in the faithfulness of the One who conquered death for us. Jesus, in His victory over death, our greatest enemy, can infuse hope into the most hopeless of situations. – Bill Crowder. – Daily Bread.
Cornerstone – Hillsong Chapel. 2012.
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. – Edward Mote, 1834. Lutheran Hymnal.
Servant Sunday Immeasurable Grace Celebration for the Community
Everyone is Welcome!
Servant Sunday introduction:
A servant may be biblically defined as One who is distinguished as obedient and faithful to the Lord. Joshua 1:2; 2 Kings 8:19; Daniel 6:20; Colossians 4:12; 2 Timothy 2:24. In Scripture, we clearly see and hear that at the heart of Jesus’ work was the humble, selfless desire to serve. Jesus lived as an example of practiced humility and walked the path of obedience to the Father all the way to His mortal death. The service theme rings loudly and powerfully throughout Jesus’ entire ministry. Jesus teaches us,” If anyone wants to be great, he must be the servant of the rest, and if one of you wants to be first, he must be your slave, like the Son of Man who did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life to redeem many people.” Matt 20:26.
– Pastor Vince Gerhardy. St Luke Lutheran Church. Nambour. (2003).
He Makes the Deaf Hear and the Mute Speak! Mark 7:37.
Jesus Lover of My Soul – Charles Wesley (1740).
Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to thy bosom fly, while the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high; hide me, O my Savior, hide, till the storm of life is past; safe into the haven guide, O receive my soul at last!
Prayer: O Lord, Wisdom of the universe, you bear the pain of your people. Grant us the gift of wisdom, that we may discern your way and live justly and graciously amid the struggles of this world. Amen.
Morning Has Broken.
Lyrics by Eleanor Farjeon (1931). – Sung by Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam).
Morning has broken, like the first morning. Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird. Praise for the singing, praise for the morning. Praise for the springing fresh from the world.
Prayer: Lord God, friend of those in need, your Son Jesus has untied our burdens and healed our spirits. We lift up the prayers of our hearts for those still burdened, those seeking healing, those in need within the church and the world. Amen.
10,000 Reasons Bless the Lord – Matt Redman
Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul. Worship His holy name. Sing like never before. O my soul. I worship Your holy name.
Prayer: We praise your abiding guidance, O Lord, for you sent us Jesus, our Teacher and Messiah, to model for us the way of love for the whole universe. We offer these prayers of love on behalf of ourselves and our neighbors, on behalf of your creation and our fellow creatures. Amen.
Christ in Me Arise – written and performed by Trevor Thomson
Christ in me arise and dispel all the darkness. Christ in me arise with your power and your strength. Christ in me pour out your blessing and healing. Christ in me arise and I shall rise with you.
Prayer: Dear Lord, Wisdom of the universe, you bear the pain of your people. Grant us the gift of wisdom, that we may discern your way and live justly and graciously amid the struggles of this world. Amen.
Trust in the Lord. Give our most pressing concerns to Jesus. Be open to what the Lord is doing in our lives.
Be Thou My Vision
Ancient Irish ca 700 Translator Mary Byrne Versifier Eleanor Hull
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; naught be all else to me, save that thou art -thou my best thought, by day or by night; waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.
Prayer: Lord God, friend of those in need, your Son Jesus has untied our burdens and healed our spirits. We lift up the prayers of our hearts for those still burdened, those seeking healing, those in need within the church and the world. Amen.
A Song of Ascents – Psalm 125 Song.
Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. Psalm 125:1.
Prayer: Blessed are you, O Lord and Lover of Mankind, source of beauty and depth of passion. Strengthen and inspire us to do the word we hear and live the faith we confess. Amen.
You Raise Me Up – performed by Josh Groban
When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary; When troubles come and my heart burdened be. Then I am still and wait here in the silence, Until you come and sit awhile with me.
Prayer: Holy Lord, maker of us all, you call us to love our neighbors as ourselves and teach us that faith without works is dead. Open us to the opportunities for ministry that lie before us, where faith and words and the need of our neighbor come together in name of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.
Servant Song – Sister Donna Marie McGargill.
Brother Let Me be Your Servant.
Prayer: Lord God, whose love streams like fresh water into the deserts of our hearts, you turn us from greed and partiality to healing and justice. Make us companions of those who long for your deliverance, and give us safe passage at the last into the land of your shalom. Peace and Joy! Amen.
We are all stewards spreading the Word of Jesus’ blessings for His people.
Picnic Fellowship Activities for the Entire Family!
Of course lively discussion and activities will be available!
A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient. 2 Timothy 2:24.
Servants Heart
At times, the best way to define a concept is to offer an appropriate example …
George Washington Carver is well known as an African-American scientist who developed scores of products from the peanut. Dr. Carver was also a humble servant of the Lord who took every opportunity to speak to others about the Savior he loves and serves.
During the 1920s, members of the YMCA and the Commission on Interracial Cooperation asked Dr Carver to address white student audiences at colleges and universities in the South. Dr Carver spoke about the wonders of the natural world and the loving God who created the earth and all people.
As his goal for these meetings, Carver said he wanted the students to find Jesus and make Him a daily, hourly, and moment-by-moment part of their lives. “I want them to see the Great Creator in the smallest and apparently the most insignificant things about them.”
Dr. Carver sought to follow the words of Paul to a young pastor: “A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth.” 2 Timothy 2:24-25. This approach underscores the power of the Gospel and the winsome appeal of a servant’s heart. – David McCaslasland. Daily Bread.
Let us follow Carver’s example.
Servant Song. Sister Donna Marie McGargill.
Brother Let Me be Your Servant.
Witnessing is not just a job to be done, it’s a life to be lived. Amen.
Prayer: Lord God, whose love streams like fresh water into the deserts of our hearts, You turn us from greed and partiality to healing and justice. Make us companions of those who long for your deliverance, and give us safe passage at the last into the land of your shalom. Peace and Joy! Amen.
If more gifts are to be received, our awakening has to go on. AS BILL SEES IT, A.A., p. 8.
Sobriety fills the painful “hole in the soul” that my alcoholism created. Often I feel so physically well that I believe my work is done. However, joy is not just the absence of pain; it is the gift of continued spiritual awakening. Joy comes from ongoing and active study, as well as application of the principles of recovery in my everyday life, and from sharing that experience with others. My Higher Power presents many opportunities for deeper spiritual awakening. I need only to bring into my recovery the willingness to grow. Today I am ready to grow. – Daily Reflections, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 1990.
Neurotransmitter health and balance: Serotonin for joy
Serotonin is the neurotransmitter of pleasure and enjoyment, feeling good. Serotonin is the main hormone associated with good mood, feeling happy, enjoying your life, family and friends. http://restorativehealthclinic.com/neurotransmitter-health-and-balance-serotonin-for-joy/
One of the effects of alcohol usage is an increase in the release of serotonin. This is … Alcoholics may be chemically incapable of feeling joy the way non-alcoholics do. Many antidepressants are in a class of drugs called SSRIs, selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors. SSRIs increase the effectiveness of the neurotransmitter called serotonin. Serotonin regulates many important functions of our brains and bodies, from how hungry we get to how happy we feel. When a body becomes serotonin-deficient, it can adversely affect mood, leading to feelings of sadness, anxiety and restlessness. Taking an SSRI can regulate the serotonin levels in the brain and thereby regulate a person’s mood. http://luxury.rehabs.com/
These things I have spoken to you, that My Joy may remain in you, and that your Joy may be full. John 15:11.
While waiting in the gate area of Singapore’s Changi Airport to board my flight, I noticed a young family; mom, dad, and son. The area was crowded, and they were looking for a place to sit. Suddenly, the little boy began loudly singing “Joy to the World.” He was about 6 years old, so I was pretty impressed that he knew all the words.
What captured my attention even more was the look on the boy’s face, his beaming smile matched the words he was singing as he proclaimed to everyone at the gate the joy of the Christ who has come.
This joy is not limited to exuberant children nor should it be confined to the Christmas season.
Fruit of the Spirit, Joy
The overflowing joy of knowing Christ’s presence in our lives was one of the themes of Jesus’ final teaching with His disciples the night before He died on the cross. He told them of His extravagant love for them, that He loved them as the Father loved Him. John 15:9. After sharing what this eternal relationship looks like, Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:11. – Bill Crowder. Daily Bread.
Let Joy Begin! – Damon Gerber.
What a promise! Through Jesus Christ our hearts can be filled with Joy, Real Joy!
Lord, You have chosen me and redeemed me, crowned me with love and compassion. I can do nothing less than overflow with Joy at Your great love for me, for those I love, and for the world.
In every season of life we can know Joy in Christ. Amen.
There are enormous numbers of people finding inspiration and motivation to pray after watching the movie, “War Room.”
War Room
Miss Clara and other role models in the movie impress the viewer with their style and conviction in prayer. In “A Simple Way to Pray,” Martin Luther instructs us to pray formal prayers, … The Lords Prayer, the Ten Commandments and the Apostles Creed.
Notable Quotations from the movie:
Marriage Is Based On A Person, Jesus Christ – Elizabeth states in her conversation with Tony, “I am His before I am yours. And because I love Jesus I am staying right here.”
Those Who Have Been Given Grace Should Willingly Extend Grace – The world desperately needs grace, grace from each other but ultimately the grace which can only be received from Jesus Christ. One of my favorite scenes is when Tony serves a former boss (who was very mean to him) by changing his flat tire.
The World Is Dying For More Godly Husbands And Fathers – “I would rather have a man chasing Jesus than a house full of stuff.” – Elizabeth
Husbands Either Serve Their Wives Or Serve Themselves – You cannot do both.
“Raise ’em up Lord! Raise ’em up!” – Miss Clara’s declarative plea to raise up more prayer warriors.
– Brian Dodd. War Room review. Brian Dodd On Leadership.
Inspired or Motivated to Pray or Not?
Please reply with your thoughts to Pastor Michael. Peace & Joy!
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer. – Psalm 18:33.
Baby Steps
My baby is learning to walk. I have to hold her, and she clings to my fingers because she is still unsteady on her feet. She is afraid of slipping, but I am there to steady her and watch over her. As she walks with my help, her eyes sparkle with gratitude, happiness, and security. But sometimes she cries when I do not let her take dangerous paths, not realizing that I am protecting her.
Like my baby girl, we often need someone to watch over us, to guide and steady us in our spiritual walk. And we have that someone, God our Father, who helps His children learn to walk, guides our steps, holds our hand, and keeps us on the right path.
Baby Steps
God keeps our feet steady and catches us when we slip.
King David knew all about the need for God’s watchful care in his life. In Psalm 18 he describes how God gives us strength and guidance when we are lost or confused. Ps. 18:32. He keeps our feet steady, like the feet of the deer that can climb high places without slipping. Ps. 18:33. And if we do slip, His hand is there for us. Ps. 18:35.
Whether we are new believers just learning to walk in the faith or we are further along in our walk with God, all of us need His guiding, steadying hand. – Keila Ochoa. Daily Bread.
Dear Father, hold my hand and lead me in the paths of right living.
