In Philippians 1:2, the Apostle Paul
said. "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the lord Jesus
Christ."
And that is my prayer for all who are
reading this newsletter. As always, I count it a great honor to be the
pastor of this great church.
I thank the Lord for all the prayers,
cards and calls that Beverly and I have received over the past few
weeks. You have been a great encouragement to us.
The following excerpt is called "The
Choice" by Max Lucado. It is from "When God Whispers
Your Name."
"For the next few hours, I will
be exposed to the day's demands. It is now that I must make a
choice. Because of Calvary, I'm free to choose-and so I choose."
I choose love.
No occasion justifies hatred: no injustice warrants bitterness. I
choose love. Today, I will love God and what God loves.
I choose joy.
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse
the temptation to be cynical...the tool of the lazy thinker. I will
refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God.
I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see
God.
I choose peace.
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.
I choose patience.
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing
the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so. Rather than
complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to
pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them
with joy and courage.
I choose kindness.
I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone; kind to the rich, for they
are afraid; kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.
I choose faithfulness.
Today, I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their
trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not
question my love. And, my children will never fear that their father or
mother will not come home.
I choose gentleness.
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my
voice, may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in
prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.
I choose self-control.
I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will
soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose
self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned
only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be
taught only by Christ.
God Bless,
