Saturday, February 28

And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Matthew 28:20

The Gospel of Matthew ends with Jesus telling His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations and to remember that He is with them always. What a wonderful and reassuring way for this Gospel to end; what Jesus is reminding His disciples he also is reminding us that He is with us always. Glory to God.

The question I would like to raise is: While Jesus is with us always, are we always with Jesus? Are we aware of His presence and the reassurance that gives us in all we do? Or do we allow ourselves to be swallowed up in the concerns of each day as we try to find our own way through?

This morning before church I was caught up trying to figure out how I will find the cash flow to cover all of the financial challenges at the beginning of the year that I have: paying taxes, credit cards, insurance, mortgages, etc. Then I remembered it was time to go to church and I quickly wrote a check for my family’s offering without a second thought. The other demands can wait.

Do we let our plans, our goals, worldly demands guide us? Or do we turn to Jesus to help us set priorities and walk with us through each day. Are we willing to live in the presence of the Lord and enjoy him in all we do? The opportunities and burdens of this world can often drag us away from being aware of His wonderful presence.

I have seen myself and my family find a peace and new direction as we become more aware of Jesus’ presence. That does not mean each day is easy or without its setbacks. It does allows us to move ahead with assurance that the Lord will provide and show us the way. Jesus is with you and me always. Thank you, Jesus.

Dear Lord, Let us live each day more aware of your presence and love for us. Let us be willing to let go, trusting that you are there walking with us. Amen

Dave Zimmer

Friday, February 27

I have come as a Light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer wander in the darkness.

John 12:46

An Alphabet Of Spiritual Inspirations From The Bible (#2)

G	Grace	2 Cor 12:9	My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
H	Heart	Ps 34:18	The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart.
I	Inspiration	2 Tm 3:16	All scripture is given by inspiration of god and is profitable for all things.
J	Joy	Ps 30:5	Weeping  may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.
K	Kindness	Ps 31:21	Blessed be the Lord, for he has shown me his marvelous kindness in a strong city!

In the beginning was the Word

Thursday, February 26

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.

1 Peter 4:10

Gifts take many forms - some for the world to see, some kept quiet within our souls. I think of one day when I thanked Andrew for his gift of music and the beautiful songs from the choir that Sunday morning. His eyes lit up and asked, “Do you sing?” “Not well,” was my response. I explained that God gave my mom and sister the gift of beautiful voices with which to sing, but I didn’t feel too gifted in that area. There are those with athletic abilities (again, not something I feel blessed with), those with intellectual capabilities far surpassing mine, those with knowledge to work technical gadgets (of whom I keep close in my circle for assistance) and the list goes on.

We all have gifts, and how we choose to use them is a reflection of God’s voice within our hearts, of that I am certain. Gifts of time, energy, and patience help me when I’m teaching Sunday school and helping at Alcott. Others have gifts of cooking, reading to others, playing instruments, supplying necessities for those less fortunate… some seemingly simple talents, yet speak volumes to those receiving them. “…It is more blessed to give than to receive,” Jesus tells us (Acts 20:35), yet every time I leave church or Alcott, I feel as though I’ve received a precious gift – seeing the world through eyes different from mine.

Simple Gifts by Joseph Brackett

'Tis the gift to be simple, ‘tis the gift to be free,

'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,

And when we find ourselves in the place just right,

‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gain’d,

To bow and to bend, we shan’t be asham’d,

To turn, turn, will be our delight,

‘Till by turning, turning we come ‘round right

Gracious God, Thank you for your gift of grace. Help me to share my gifts, however simple they may be, with others, honoring and glorifying You. Amen

Stephanie Kummer

Wednesday, February 25

But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

2 Corinthians 12:9

A little book tucked away on the shelf of a seminary bookstore shouted with its title to hold the secret to "authentic, grace-filled relationships.” In it, Dr. Larry Crabb is quoted: "We are not our problems.  We are not our wounds.  We are not our sins.  We are persons of radical worth and unrevealed beauty.  If we face ourselves fully, we will be broken by what we see … but the silver is there.  Something brilliant and intact gleams through the stain of our brokenness."

Dr. Crabb's words are a wonderful reminder of grace. Grace is the marvelous mystery of God acting in our lives to do things we can't do on our own. There is wholeness in the grace of God – a completion that makes up for our failings. The wonder of God's grace is that our brokenness is not the final word nor does it define us. 

The difficulty for us as humans is to allow this truth to seep into the crevices of our guilt-prone souls.

Grace is the love of God pouring over our unloveliness and the forgiveness found through Christ constantly renewing us from the inside out. The grace of God is Light in the darkness, Hope to the hopeless, and Peace to the restless, and it is found in the stark beauty of Jesus' death and resurrection.

grace speaks of restoration

bringing wholeness to the broken

without a trace of hesitation.

so it is without a single token

of shame i come to the table

to hear words of redemption spoken.

my heart fully open and able

receives forgiveness and healing

without need for blame or label.

the light of the savior revealing

only hope for my wounded heart

the altar of grace not concealing

the ugliness found in some parts.

but in grace i find myself whole

in his resurrection i find a fresh start

a place where gratitude fills my soul.

When our focus is on the good grace of God found in the death and resurrection of Jesus, our whole perspective changes. We may still struggle with the wrong shape of certain things in our lives, but in that struggle we will begin to see the glimmer of His Light shining through the cracks.

In what ways has the grace of God restored you to wholeness?

Almighty God, the One who created the order of the heavens and set the galaxies in motion with his word, may you redeem the chaos of our lives and restore us to wholeness once again so that we reflect the power of your grace made perfect in our weakness through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Carla Jordan 

Tuesday, February 24

Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud; love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs; love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up; and its faith, hope and patience never fail. Meanwhile these three remain: faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of these is love.

Good News Bible  1 Corinthians 13: 4-7,13

Love is an emotion that we all feel throughout our lives. It takes many forms- the love of a parent, the love of a sibling, the love of a child, or the love of a pet.

I have been blessed as most of us have to feel surrounded by love all my life, but it was only recently that I experienced true love. At times I felt unloved and alone and I looked around to find signs of  love around me – at that moment, without fail, I found it in the simple things – the cold nose or extended paw from one of my dogs and if you don't know my fellas, they are big and have giant paws! Or I found it in a family photo or when remembering what my mom's laugh sounded like – these simple things reminded me that God is always there for me and will always love me unconditionally. I had always longed to fall in love and marry my best friend and I was beginning to think that God had other plans for me. And then, one of those moments happened again and Ed walked into my life.  We fell in love and I was able to turn the dream of true love into reality.

I dreamed of my wedding for many years and when I finally got to plan it for real, I wanted to capture all the images I had in my mind. I wanted to hear the organ as I walked down the aisle and see my chosen mate for the first time that day but most of all I wanted to hear my pastor read this scripture- always one of my favorites.  On August 2, my wedding day, I got my wish as I was able to stand before God in front of my family and friends and hear Pastor Judson say those words to Ed and I.

That day we opened a new chapter in our life and we began a new journey. We learn each day that love never gives up and we remember the message Pastor John had for us that day - love is a choice. I am blessed to have found Ed to share my life with and I am blessed to feel love in so many ways. Thanks be to God.

God, Please help me to remember that you are always there for me, even when I feel alone. Help me to remember that you love us unconditionally and that love is a choice and a blessing.

Amen

 Mary Aho

Monday, February 23

O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Psalms 107:1

The quoted communication that follows came from the Office of Oliver Bolton during the time he was campaigning to be elected to the Congress from the District that included Willoughby, Ohio near Cleveland in about November 1, 1964. My mother was given this important card and as was her customary habit, she dated it and saved it for us in her memorable collection of interesting events.

History of the Pledge

The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States first came into widespread usage and acceptance on Columbus Day, 1892. In the 77th Congress, its official recognition was granted when Congress codified all rules and customs pertaining to the display and use of our Flag. Then in 1954, the words “under God” were added to the Pledge by the Congress. At this moment in history, when the principles underlying our American way of life are under attack by materialistic Communism, it is well to recall why Congress made that addition. In the year 1620, the Mayflower Compact, a document which contained the first constitution in America for complete self-government, declared in the opening sentence “In the name of God. Amen.” On July 4, 1776, our Founding Fathers proclaimed our Declaration of Independence which no less than four times refers to the existence of the Creator. It was during the Presidency of Abraham Lincoln that Congress directed that the inscription “in God we trust” be placed on our coins.

Unification

With this in mind, ten years ago several Congressmen and Senators suggested legislation adding the phrase “under God” to our Pledge. Congressman Bolton, however, was the first to ask that there be no comma separating “one Nation” from “under God” and the Congress adopted his version.

Thus when the pledge is recited, it should be remembered that nothing stands between our Nation and our God, and no pause should occur at this point in its recitation.

As can be noticed in the time since then up to the present, the wording and meaning of this Pledge continues to be an important focus to us all. It has been said since the Knights of Columbus in 1954 made this change, the Pledge of Allegiance became both a patriotic oath and a public prayer. . . . . . and the people say “Amen.”

Dear God, we give thanks to you for all your abundant blessings. Amen

 Carol Morrill

First Sunday, February 22

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.

Ephesians 2:8-9

So we Thy people and the sheep of Thy pasture, will give Thee thanks forever; we will show forth Thy praise to all generations.

Psalm 79:13

My grandmother’s name was Elizabeth Sekeres. She came from Hungary at a very young age with hardly a penny in her pocket. Like most immigrants to America, she lived a simple life and worked very hard. Grandma’s maiden name was Kiss, rather whimsical and romantic, but the name belied her nature. She was actually fearless and determined, having developed amazing strength through adversity. Here are two things I learned as I witnessed her faith:

First, attend worship - My mother was often annoyed and anxious when grandma, a widow and quite elderly, would travel on five different buses to get to mass at the Holy Cross Hungarian Roman Catholic Church in the Delray section of Detroit. Grandma loved it there, everyone spoke Hungarian and it was home to her. The church was lovely, a jewel in a neighborhood losing its battle with industrial pollution and crime. There were Hungarian saints depicted in the stained glass windows and biblical frescoes on the walls. The day of grandma’s funeral the church bells tolled in her honor for all of Delray to hear.

Second, always remember to pray - Grandma whispered prayers in Hungarian without ceasing. Riding in the car, making stuffed cabbage or chicken paprikash I often heard her prayers punctuated by “En Uram en Istenam!” “My Lord and My God!”

In December 2013 my husband and I attended the baptism of our grandson Leonardo in Florence, Italy. There were eleven family members who gathered in a small Romanesque church on a hill. During the ceremony the priest held up the lighted baptismal candle and said: “Receive the light of Christ.” To our wonder and delight Leo leaned forward out of his father’s arms and grasped the candle. In the candlelight I could see his other grandmother Savina smiling. I thought of all the generations that had brought us to this moment, all the lessons in faith we had learned from those who came before us. Such a circle of grace surrounded us and now a new life of faith was beginning.

Prayer: Lord, help us through faith and grace to let your light shine as your teachings are passed on by our example to our children and our children’s children. Amen.

Colleen Elizabeth Fisher