Fighting the Battle

Today - this month - in the Mid-West - the battle has been with the very low temperatures. It has become all too routine to see temperatures at -4°F to -18°F  (-20°C to -28°C) - which has kept many people at home where they may stay warm.  To make matters worse - the media now reports wind chill factors that makes these temperatures seem even worse.  Funny - when I was a youngster - I do not remember wind chill factors - cold was simply cold - you bundled up in layers and went outside to play anyway. Common sense tells us that coping with extreme temperatures is about using available heating and cooling (we should be so lucky) devices to keep us comfortable. Adding or removing clothing - layering - fabric content - all work together to help us accomplish that goal. With a little common sense (it is not rocket science) all of us can be kept comfortable in any type of temperature.

Fighting other battles is similar and does not require a doctorate degree from a university to empower us to cope.  Spiritual battles are being fought daily by all of us. We are constantly under attack by evil forces in the world.  Not everyone believes that these exist - when you hear about grown men who burn a three year old child to death because the grandfather failed to pay off a debt - what more proof is needed? Unfortunately the media is filled with similar reports of humans committing similar despicable deeds against fellow humans - evil is real - Satan is real - his followers are real. For those of us who believe - we need to constantly be on guard against attacks from Satan and the forces of evil. We must put on our battle gear - arm ourselves against those attacks - strengthen ourselves through prayer - patience - understanding - compassion - forgiveness. If we can become listeners instead of shouters - if we can raise our hands in prayer and praise without holding swords of evil - if we put on Christ as our garment of protection - we will win those battles against evil. We have to trust in Jesus - our Saviour - our Leader - follow in His ways - be an active disciple - spreading hope - not fear - and we will be victorious in the greatest battle we will ever face.  With God all things are possible!

Deacon Dale 

Half Done

Half baked - half done - accomplishes nothing.  When planning any project there are certain steps that need to be followed to guarantee success - planning - designing - creating - implementing - finalizing - reviewing - correcting - reviewing - adjusting - an ongoing process. You see - most projects do not have a final end date - there is always some follow up required. One does not build a house without planning for routine maintenance. There is always maintenance - unless you are comfortable with the project becoming outdated - obsolete - unattractive - no longer meaningful. Probably one of the hardest projects to attempt is building a web site. All too many people make the mistake of thinking their job is done once the initial site goes live - wrong.  Websites are dynamic - constantly being viewed - reviewed - updated. They take on lives of their own - requiring - demanding - constant attention by their creator.

When we consider our relationship with God - we learn that He is never done with us. We are His creation - His project - His love - reflected through our lives - viewed daily through the eyes of others whom He has created. Each of us is a reflection of His love - a myriad array of light beams - love beams - shining through the darkness of this world - giving proof of Him - the author of life - the lover of the world - the creator of all. God knew that once He created us - ongoing intervention would be needed - adjustments made - improvements introduced. That is our history - the story of our relationship with Him - the one who continues to work in our lives daily. We are a creation of God - each and everyone of us - He is not finished with us - never will be - thank God.

Deacon Dale 

And This Too Shall Pass....

I am referring to the bitter cold that we have been experiencing lately - I am not a fan of bitter cold.  Normal cold - above freezing is tolerable - even temperatures in the twenties - are tolerable - below zero - that is another story.  Now that I am older - some say ancient - the cold has an unfavorable affect on me.  It makes me want to do my imitation of a bear - hibernate - stay under the covers - snuggled warmly in bed. Unfortunately - life cannot be lived under twelve inches of sheets - comforters - blankets.  Life is for the living - the living move and breathe - walk - wander - exercise - accomplish - socialize - think - dream - much more than just exist.  I do not want to simply exist - I need to live - to be active.  I need to "be" - to "do" - to "live".

As spiritual beings - our spiritual lives need to be "lived" just as much as our physical and intellectual lives do.  We cannot let our relationship with God go into hibernation - dormant - bearing no fruit.  Spiritually - we need to be pro-active as with every other part of our lives - we must be thinking - meditating - praying - following Jesus. To be healthy spiritually - one must make a conscious effort to do spiritual exercises - to keep that part of our life healthy and strong.  The best part - it can be done in any type of weather! Jesus is waiting - just like your personal trainer - waiting for you to take that first step - even in below zero temperatures!

Deacon Dale

New Gateway

New Gateway Added

As we begin to register participants for the Poland Pilgrimage we have had requests from interested people to make it easier to join the group.  To this end - we now have four gateways available to choose from:

.  Chicago - LAX - Orlando - San Diego

POLAND 2014 Pilgrimage

July 25 - Aug 3, 2014

10 Day Spiritual Travel Experience

*All Inclusive Per Person Double Occupancy

$3338* from Chicago

$3636* from Orlando

$3738* from LAX

$3788* from San Diego

Registration is available online

Register Here

Deadline to register is March 11, 2013

Late registrations open til April 11, 2014

(Penalty May Apply)

Deacon Dale 

Raindrops.....

Yes - raindrops keep falling on my head - as the song goes - unfortunately I was not outside in the rain - rather in my garage attic - that was not a good thing.  Seems that because of the extreme cold - condensation had built up on the rafters - so much that it was falling like raindrops. Hopefully - increased air flow will solve that issue - waiting to see how effective that is.  My preference - in place of raindrops - is sunlight bathing me in a warm glow - hopefully in the near future.

God is constantly raining His blessings down upon all of us - like morning dew - raindrops from heaven. Many recognize His constant outpouring of blessings - some do not.  There is no good or bad season - when it comes to God's blessings - they are there - constantly.  If you have not seen any blessings in your life - stop - look around - you will be surprised.  A smile - a laugh - a hug - a kind word - a bit of encouragement - all signs of God's blessings.  Open your eyes - ears - heart - God will not disappoint,

Deacon Dale

eeeeeeeepiphany!

BAM! That is how epiphany happens. It may develop over a period of time - or in an instant. One moment there is nothing - then - manifestation - realization - awareness - a God moment - Divine revelation.  Events happen in a progressive order - beginning - development - implementation - comprehension - appreciation.  God is the one who starts the ball rolling - we become involved - experience revelation - appreciate the experience - are changed. 

God's revelation to the world - multiple epiphany events -  to the shepherds in the field -  the visit of the Magi  - the miracle at Cana - Jesus' baptism in the Jordan by John - His resurrection - His appearance to the disciples in the upper room - to the two on the road to Emmaus - all Divine revelation.  Moments to reveal God's presence in human lives - in our lives. In today's celebration of the Epiphany - when the Magi presented gifts to the baby - we celebrate with joy - the most awesome gift of Jesus to us - His love - His compassion - His forgiveness - His acceptance - His very gift of life.  We rejoice in Jesus as GIFT - we ponder ourselves as GIFT to Jesus. He - the Saviour of the world offers each of us hope.  As Christ's modern disciples - we are called to be Christ like - to reflect His love - to offer ourselves to each other - to offer His hope.

Merry Christmas - the 12th Day of Christmas
Deacon Dale 

What Was I Thinking?

How many times have you asked yourself that question - "what was I thinking" - unable to come up with a reasonable answer. Everyone does this - from time to time - caught up in the emotions of the moment - blood rapidly flowing through your brain - heart beating rapidly - mouth fully engaged - brain two minutes behind.  We misspeak - we misstate - we offer our opinion - too quickly - without all the information - without taking time to think through the situation.  In our desire to be of assistance - in a quick manner - we wag our tongue - when we should have taken a deep breath instead - and waited.  Sometimes we only make ourselves look foolish - sometimes we hurt feelings - on occasion - we cause problems. Why do we do that?  What was our rush - our intent?

It might be cute when a baby puts a foot in their mouth - adults are expected to avoid that scenario - most do - most of the time.  For those times when we do misspeak - hopefully - we are mature enough to apologize - correct our actions. Jesus asks each of us to treat others with love and respect - acting charitable - forgiving error - accepting those who are different - forgiving. When the shoe is on the other foot - others should reciprocate. As we begin this New Year of 2014 - all of us need to reshape our minds - hearts - attitudes - to that of Jesus - to be more Christ like.

Merry Christmas - Yes, It is still Christmas!

Deacon Dale 

Moving On - Moving In

It is January 2, 2014 - the old year has passed away - whatever happened in 2013 is now history - the new year of 2014 is one day old and the future looks bright - the possibilities unlimited - the potential still untapped. No matter what issues you had to face in 2013 - most are now tucked away - fond memories at best. What lies ahead for each of us is still to be discovered. Resolutions - make them if you will - if you want to feel like a failure when you don't succeed - better than a resolution - take action - today. Do not plan your future actions - implement them! Identify your goal - if nothing else - write it down in your heart - start living it immediately. How far you go - how successful you will be - is limited only by your commitment to yourself.

Start your new year with a prayer - ask God to bless all your plans and activities for 2014 - then live them - with Jesus at your side. He is there waiting - to take your hand - waiting to hold you - waiting to walk with you.  You need to take the first step - to place your trust in Him - invite Him into your heart - ask Him to move in to your life.

Happy New Year
Deacon Dale