博客存档 - Articulating Hope

It All Depends Upon Where You Are

3/13/2019

Wyoming and Colorado are bracing for a huge winter storm. Other states are bracing for a lot of rain. Many areas are bracing for strong winds. Here in the south we are enjoying temperatures in the upper 60's. The church campus looks beautiful with fresh growth all around. Things certainly are different depending upon where you are.

The same thing can be said of our spiritual journey. Things certainly are different depending upon where you are. Our perception of things will look a particular way when we are trapped in the bondage of sin. A similar situation will be viewed in a much different light if we are walking in God's grace. Even when we go through tough times, prayer will give us a different perspective. How frequently do we allow ourselves to struggle more intensely because we refuse to turn toward God?

My dear people, whether you are living in a cold, snowy climate, a rainy climate, or a sun-drenched climate, please stay focused on the Creator of all. We are now a full week into the Lenten pilgrimage. Have these last seven days looked any different for you than the previous week? Is there anything special about Lent for you right here, right now?

I encourage you once again to not let these days pass by without growing in holiness. Pray! Seek an outpouring of God's grace. Open yourself to the power of the Holy Spirit. Be holy! Be in love with Almighty God!

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The Alligator Finally Showed Up For Church

3/12/2019

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This sign has captured my attention since the first time I set foot on the campus of St. Francis by the Sea last April. Were alligators really in the small retention pond located directly behind the church? I kept being told that there was a small one who tended to make this area home. I finally saw it yesterday after all these months. (Look at the turtles. They do not seem to be concerned.)

This reminded me of the potential effects of complacency. After all of these months with never seeing a single alligator in the pond, I just figured that none were present. Today, I was not even looking for the alligator. Thankfully, it was located on the opposite side of the pond. I am not sure how I would have reacted if I had accidentally walked up on it in close proximity.

Are we lulled into complacency in our spiritual journey? Do we ignore potential pitfalls? Temptation to sin is no small matter. If we are simply going through the motions we can miss the warning signs in front of us. Being a person of prayer, keeping watch over our thoughts, guarding our eyes, and being careful with our speech can help us stay on track to living a life of holiness. On the other hand, if we let our guard down and function with apathy and indifference, we can more easily fall into the trap of sin.

Be watchful! Be alert! Be vigilant! Be holy!

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Time Change--Going To Work In The Dark Again

3/11/2019

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We were blessed with temperatures in the upper 70's and even lower 80's in some parts of the area yesterday. Sitting outside and soaking up the sunshine was a real treat. Having daylight for a longer period in the evening was also a welcome change. However, the reality of the time change hit home this morning as I drove to work in the dark again.

We just celebrated the First Sunday of Lent. Do you get a sense that you are spiritually moving from darkness into light? The symbolism of "light" and "water" are prevalent during Lent. How has the Sacrament of Baptism changed your life? How has the Light of Christ changed your life? These aren't fluffy questions to be easily disregarded. If we have not been changed dramatically by God's grace, why not? What obstacles need to be removed?

Now that we have entered into the first full week of Lent, take a look at your progress so far. Have these initial days of the season impacted your life in a positive way? Please don't miss the opportunity to grow closer to the Lord during this holy season. Be intentional about growing in holiness.

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Ash Wednesday 2019

3/6/2019

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How many seasons of Lent have you experienced in your lifetime? In what ways have you grown through these annual experiences? Are you closer to God today than you were last year on Ash Wednesday? Has your prayer life grown deeper in the last year?

While driving into work today, I listened to three radio personalities discussing "Lentil Loopholes." Someone finally texted them and said, You are looking for the word "Lenten Loopholes." After realizing he had been discussing a soup (rather than a season) the radio personality made the correction although he occasionally went back to using the word lentil.

The discussion was done in a lighthearted manner. They were discussing loopholes in your Lenten resolutions because giving up something you like is just "too hard." If you give up fast food, what constitutes "fast food?" They determined it had to have a drive-up window to be considered fast food. So, you could go to a McDonald's located inside a big store because it had no drive-up window. And on and on it went.

The one radio personality who called it lentil loopholes mentioned he had grown up Catholic. Apparently, it had been a while since he practiced based upon the lack of the understanding exhibited during his conversation with the other two people. It would have been a great opportunity to encourage people to grow and improve, but the end result was a mockery of living a disciplined life. If it is too hard, look for a loophole.

My dear readers, life is difficult at times. I get that. We need strength; we need courage; we need all the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We do not need to decrease our pursuit of discipline. Rather, we need to strive diligently to notch it up a bit. Put on the full armor of God by prayer and fasting.

As our country continues to slide toward moral depravity, we need people willing to be recognized as followers of Christ. The Catholic Church has long been an obstacle to those wanting to take the country (or even the world) into immoral and unethical directions. The pro-life movement is one such example. If the Catholic Church had not stood firm throughout all of these years, where do you think our country would be? Abortion would be even more rampant than what it is. Physician-assisted suicide would be an accepted practice across the country. Euthanasia would have sunk its roots deeper into the fabric of our "healthcare" systems.

People with agendas that are contrary to natural law understand that the Catholic Church has to be neutralized to enable them to pursue their objectives. Unfortunately, great progress has been made in that area. The sex abuse scandal has damaged the credibility of the Church to speak on morality, and this has done damage to our Church and our society beyond our full comprehension.

In addition to the side-effects of the sex abuse scandal, there have also been some leaders (and followers) in the Church who have openly embraced lifestyles completely inconsistent with the teachings of Holy Mother Church. These small incremental steps to overthrow centuries of teaching will have astounding consequences, some of which we are already beginning to see. If the Church is unable to be a moral voice in the crowd, we are headed in a downward spiral that will only accelerate as time goes on. Eventually, the growing divisions within the Church will lead to another defining moment. History will most likely repeat itself as another schism comes on to the scene.

Some in Church leadership fail to understand the ramifications of not teaching the fullness of the faith. Others understand it, but they choose to knowingly and willingly teach error to push an agenda more to their liking. The end result is confusion, chaos, and collapse. Has it all been by design as some have suggested? I'll leave that to your discretion.

Here are my thoughts about Lent:

1. Make a resolution and keep it. Don't look for loopholes. Grow in discipline.
2. Pray. Pray frequently and fervently. Don't just honor God with your lips. Pray from the heart.
3. Fast (if you are medically safe to do so). Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are the only two required days of fasting. That doesn't mean you can't do more. There is something about praying and fasting together that draws great grace.
4. Serve others in some capacity. Do it willingly. Do it joyfully.
5. Examine your conscience thoroughly. Root out sin in your life. Don't be complacent with your "favorite" sins. If you are living in habitual sin, try to remove it from your life. Replace it with the corresponding virtue.

Our eternal destiny is no small matter. Years ago we would hear ample preaching and teaching about the four last things--death, judgment, heaven, and hell. We rarely hear anything about these realities in our modern era of preaching. Let me be clear. Just because we do not hear about them does not make them any less important. Please take this seriously. Our relationship with God has to be our top priority. Lent reminds us of that. Please don't miss the chance to grow in holiness.

Be specific. What will you do to enhance your spiritual journey during this Lenten season? Get started now!!!!

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"Think Culture Before Tactics" ~William "Skip" Miller

3/5/2019

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Although I am technically not in "sales," I find these types of books helpful for understanding people and their different methodologies of interacting with others. Creating a healthy culture in any organization is important. While the approach in this book is from a sales management vantage point, I am quite familiar with developing a culture within our churches, schools, and other nonprofit organizations. Developing a healthy culture has to be a top priority if we are going to succeed in the long run.

I am only a short way into the book, but I can already see the wisdom in some of the observations shared by the author. Chapter two is centered on "Creating the Culture ProActively and Implementing It." I found rule # 2 on page 33 very pertinent, "Think Culture Before Tactics." Anyone who has tried to implement change within an organization to improve the culture understands the reality of this rule.

I realize that it is "Fat Tuesday" and we could explore the many ways to splurge before entering the discipline of Lent. I am continuing my New Year's resolution to read more and expand my knowledge base. I like that better than expanding my waistline. In whatever way you are celebrating today, please remember that tomorrow is a day of fasting and abstinence from meat. Get your Lent off to a good start and maintain the course throughout.

Ash Wednesday is Tomorrow!

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It Is The Day Before "Fat Tuesday"

3/4/2019

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If you have ever had the pleasure of taking a cruise, you know that there is an abundance of food on the ship. It is probably a great venue to celebrate "Fat Tuesday." However, I wonder how many people fast and abstain on Ash Wednesday when they are on a cruise.

I encourage you to enjoy these days leading up to the start of Lent, but please make plans to shift gears on Wednesday. Will your life look differently at Easter because of the discipline of Lent? That choice is up to each of us.

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What Do You See?

3/3/2019

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The sun finally made a brief appearance yesterday, and I eagerly went outside to enjoy the warmth of the air. Although March has come in like a lion in many parts of the country, we enjoyed temperatures in the upper 60's the past couple of days here in the low country.

While leisurely strolling through the yard I noticed the tree pictured above. How had I missed seeing the peculiarity of the bark all of these months? I have a simple question for my readers: What image do you see in the tree?

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