SATURDAY, MARCH 10

Revelation 21:4 And He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.

These words of comfort as quoted from Revelation are often shared in a funeral or memorial service. They are encouraging, particularly to family and friends. They can be equally meaningful to one close to embarking on this final journey as they are words of encouragement and freedom. These words tell the dying, "The pain, suffering, and tiredness of your physical body are soon to leave; you are safe as you make the transition into eternal life with our Lord." Such encouragement!

Sadly, we are often uncomfortable being with those in their final hours/days/months of life on this earth. Yet, this is often a time when our community of family and friends can be so important as each brings some aspect of comfort, care, and compassion. It is in these moments we are united in the Body of Christ.

For a number of years, the two of us have been fortunate to be involved in visiting hospice patients in hospitals, nursing homes, and residences. These visits have ranged from where we might see a person only once before dying to where we are blessed in a seemingly long term relationship as we share weekly in new friendships.

As hospice volunteers, we have come to understand the privilege of being with those who are dying. We may simply be a quiet ministry of presence; we may get to know family and provide family respite at the bedside; we may be that new friend who listens to a person reflecting on his/her life. We have the opportunity to learn about lives we may never have known. We are blessed in our sometimes short lived friendships as each person we visit reminds us that life is all relational – between one another in this time, as well as between this world and the next.

Dear Lord, we thank you for helping us understand that no one need ever be alone while traveling through the final days in this world. We thank you for the honor and privilege to be witness to your power as some of the last visitors with our patients before they see you face to face. Amen.

Susan Bay and Sarah Krug

FRIDAY, MARCH 9

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.

The Desires of Your Heart

Your relationship with God ought to bring you more joy, satisfaction, and pleasure than any other relationship, activity, or material possession you have. Scripture exhorts you to delight yourself in the Lord, finding your greatest pleasure in God and the things dear to His heart.

How can you find pleasure in what God enjoys? Only as you spend time with Him will you begin to take delight in the things God loves. As you spend intimate time with God and allow Him to show you your situation from His perspective, you will begin to see things as God sees them. As you adjust yourself to God, your heart will begin to desire the same things God’s heart desires. Matters foremost on God’s heart will be preeminent in yours. Your first request in prayer will not be for yourself, but for God’s name to be exalted and His kingdom to be extended (Matthew 6:9-10).

Have you been asking God to give you the desires of your heart without first seeking to understand what is on His heart? God places this important requirement for those who pray: that we seek His priorities and make them our own. This great qualifier prevents us from asking out of selfishness. As we find joy in the Lord, we will see what is truly important, and we will long for these things as the Father does.

Dear God, Open my eyes, that I may see glimpses of truth Thou hast for me, open my ears, that I may hear voices of truth Thou sendest clear, open my mouth, and let me bear gladly the warm truth everywhere, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Rosy M. Latimore

THURSDAY, MARCH 8

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

At this time of year I often find inspiration in readings from a book by Max Lucado, Grace for the Moment, which I would like to share with everyone.

Reasons for Joy

“How’s life?” someone asks. And we who’ve been resurrected from the dead say, “Well, things could be better.” Or “Couldn’t get a parking place.” Or “My parents won’t let me move to Hawaii.” Or “People won’t leave me alone so I can finish my sermon on selfishness.”

Are you so focused on what you don’t have that you are blind to what you do?

You have a ticket to heaven no thief can take.

An eternal home no divorce can break.

Every sin of your life has been cast to the sea.

Every mistake you’ve made is nailed to the tree.

You’re blood-bought and heaven-made.

A child of God – forever saved.

So be grateful, joyful – for isn’t it true?

What you don’t have is much less than what you do.

Dear God, please help us to realize and be grateful for the many things we do have. Amen.

Bob Morrill

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7

Psalm 118:24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Quoting from the Sanskrit:

Look to this day for it is life, the very life of life.

Today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of

happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Many years ago a colleague asked me to replicate this quote in calligraphy. It was very meaningful to her and it became meaningful to me. What does it mean to live a day well? What actions make a day well lived?

As I analyzed these questions, these thoughts emerged:

Was I true to my values today? Did I act in ways which are congruent with my Christian beliefs?

Did any action of mine make the world a better place for someone?

Did I show and receive love for/from my family and friends?

Did I accomplish or make progress toward accomplishing goals or meeting responsibilities?

Did I consciously enjoy nature or my surroundings?

I do encourage you to give thought to what is important in making your life well lived. I wish for you tomorrows which are visions of hope.

Lord, help us to be mindful of your guidance in making wise choices and focusing our lives in ways which are beneficial to others. Amen.

Diane K. Bert

TUESDAY, MARCH 6

Matthew 11:17 “We played the flute for you, but you did not dance.”

Dancing Through Life

We are musical aficionados. We love to listen to old/new musicals in the car, on tv, work on them at the Birmingham Village players, watch them, or in some cases, just sing them. Our current "fav" is Wicked. I never knew you could learn so much from Musicals!

 

For example: Fiyero, in the song Dancing Through Life, says: “The trouble with schools is they always teach the wrong lesson. Believe me, I've been kicked out of enough to know. But I say why invite stress in? … and learn to live the unexamined life.” This, to me means, the path less taken. The rambling road instead of the straight and narrow. There's nothing wrong with that one, it's just not as interesting.

 

Some would say that is growing up but I don't advocate for perfection, as some might. My daughter Liz told me: “But I am perfect at being me – not what someone else wants me to be.”

In another song, right after Dancing, Galinda wants to make Elphaba over into someone popular – "Just like me." Galinda: “Elphie - now that we're friends, I've decided to make you my new project.” Elphaba: “You really don't have to do that.” But Galinda goes onto explain her plan in Popular.

 

How degrading to try to change someone into someone they are not. We're all different. Some, like Galinda, are further along than those like Elphaba. God loves us all wherever we are (as long as we don't injure others mentally or physically).

 

In the old hymn, I Danced in the Morning, the chorus echoes the sentiment:

Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the Dance, said He,
and I'll lead you all, wherever you may be
and I'll lead you all in the dance, said He.

 

How can we go wrong if Jesus leads us in the dance of life?

Maggie Garza

MONDAY, MARCH 5

Numbers 32:23 And you may be sure that your sin will find you out.

It was Oakridge, Tennessee. A referendum was held to determine whether alcoholic beverages could be sold in the county. My friends, reporters working for the local newspaper, asked my wife and me to pick up a press card and go to Gamble Valley, a precinct, to observe. We went.

We stood on the official line which separated us from the three people who were counting the votes, and I realized the man who was handling the votes and counting them could not count.

He was floundering and he was sweating profusely. So I, an engineer, moved across the line and helped him, and he thanked me, moved over so I could see, and off we went.

Meanwhile, my wife stood legally on the line, and on the way home told me she was fascinated by the fact that the two women tallying the votes (by pencil in notebooks) were very precise. One marked her book twenty-four entries per line; she never varied. The other marker her book twenty marks per line; she never varied.

Well, 52 votes for whiskey won the day.

Several weeks later, the editor of the paper called saying "We told them you would not have to be subpoenaed; we were sure you would appear on your own." We did, at the county courthouse to be questioned by the Attorney General of the State of Tennessee.

He asked a number of questions until he casually wondered if we would know if the books had been tampered with. I heard my wife speak very firmly: "I would! I watched those women. One always put 20 marks per line on her book and ---" At this point we were thanked for our cooperation and were told we would hear from them. We never did, even after a lawyer for the Baptists and the bootleggers asked us to go the courthouse again, then leaving us, saying they would require a deposition. They never did.

The result? A dummy copy of the newspaper: "YOUNG COUPLE FLEES" and a hilarious article to follow.

Help us, O God ... and forgive our sins, for your name's sake. (Psalm 79)

Arthur Held

SUNDAY, MARCH 4

Luke 22-23 And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat, nor about your body, what you shall put on. For life is more than food, and body more than clothing.”

Live for Today

While at 7^th grade Winter Camp with my daughter, I recently fell and broke my right hand and right foot. I had been worried all day this would happen as the mud became very slippery, traveling through the woods to study signs of various animals. I had become so focused on falling, I am not surprised it happened. I should have focused on being with my daughter and learning all of the wonderful things about nature and God’s creation.

While at home healing, I have time to read and contemplate my life and its choices. I came upon this wonderful quote:

“Live today. Not yesterday. Not Tomorrow.

Just Today. Inhabit your moments.

Don’t Rent them out to tomorrow.”

(Jerry Spinelli – children’s author)

Some days while I heal, I contemplate, and I know God is here to help me through. Try contemplating today and listen for God’s voice, it’s right there inside waiting to be heard. Just listen.

So focus on today and its joys. Tomorrow will come soon enough. It’s also good to know you can change your path in life, and I am ready to make some much needed changes.

Dear Lord, help us to listen and contemplate our day as it unfolds. Help us to stop and listen to your voice within today. Amen.

Kathleen Sleder