Updates (Page 4)

Dear SCC & Friends, …at work in you… ~Philippians 2:13 Reflection #309                  Some people like recognition and some people don’t, but we all need it even if it’s not our primary “love language.” God has created us that way, and to greater or lesser degrees recognition and affirmation remain central to our lives. In business I was once told I had done a magnificent job, and they were so glad I worked there… On another occasion at a different job,…

Dear SCC & Friends, Forgive us our trespasses… ~Matthew 6:12 Reflection #308                  A trespass is a violation – an inappropriate crossing of a boundary in thought, word or deed. The Lord’s prayer makes it clear we need forgiveness both for our trespasses and to forgive those who trespass against us… For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions. ~Matt. 6:14-15… Conflict…

Dear SCC & Friends, God meant it for good. ~Genesis 50:20 Reflection #307                  Whatever God is doing in your life is meant for good both now and forever. “God is good and good all the time” may sound like a cliché or be the bedrock of what we believe. Clichés can have meaning, but with overuse and familiarity, they become empty platitudes. “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade…”  or “Every cloud has a silver lining…” or “All that glitters isn’t gold…” “What doesn’t kill…

Dear SCC & Friends, …brothers were jealous. ~Genesis 37:4 Reflection #306                  A root cause of jealousy is fear of losing status, influence or importance. It festers through insecurity, envy and fear. If we get mired in jealousy, we will not be grateful… and when we are not grateful, we are not happy, and when we are not happy, we’re sad, and when we’re sad, we tend to be depressed, and when we’re depressed, we go after things that we think will…

Dear SCC & Friends, The way of a fool… ~Proverbs 12:15 Reflection #305                  It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt. ~Abraham Lincoln~ A fool has many attributes but none are considered complimentary. A fool acts without thinking, ignores good advice, repeats harmful mistakes and inflates an errant perspective as valid… Being a fool is not about a person’s I.Q or wealth… Furthermore, a fool can be rich and intelligent by human standards…

Dear SCC & Friends, Above all… ~1 Peter 4:8 Reflection #304                  Priorities are important, as they keep us on track with that which is of most importance. Personal priorities tend to shift with time and the inevitable transitions that come with life and circumstance…not so with God! The plans of His heart are from generation to generation.~Ps. 33:11 His purposes never change and He sets the priority to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. ~Matt. 6:33 The goal…

Dear SCC & Friends, In the fullness of time… ~Galatians 4:4 Reflection #303                  The Lord uses seemingly ordinary people in extraordinary ways. Jesus arrived “in the fullness of time” which is a beautiful word picture of prophetic fulfillment and joy… Part of that beautiful picture was to be fleshed out through two willing servants, Joseph and Mary. Obeying God does not mean that “the wind will always be at our back.” Joseph’s faith required great courage, compassion and sacrifice. Mary’s faith endured…

Dear SCC & Friends, Immanuel ~Isaiah 7:14 Reflection #302                  Seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, the prophet Isaiah penned these words… For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. ~Isa. 9:6 Jesus told us that in this world we would have tribulation, but to take courage because He has overcome the world,…

Dear SCC & Friends, On the first day… ~Acts 20:7 Reflection #301                  The safest place for ships is in the harbor, but that’s not why ships are built. ~John Shedd ~ When sea-going vessels return to port, that is the time when repairs are made, sails are mended, engines are refurbished and crews are refreshed. The amenities and provision of the harbor prepares for the next embarkation. It is analogous to Sunday morning church. It’s a time of renewal, edification and gathering to…

Dear SCC & Friends, Where are you? ~Genesis 3:9 Reflection #300                  We can’t go back and change the beginning, but we can start where we are and change the ending. They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where…

Dear SCC & Friends, O give thanks… ~1 Chronicles 16:34 Reflection #299                  Be on the lookout for mercies. The more we look for them, the more of them we will see…~Anon.~ Last month I was invited to speak to a group of sixth grade Vietnamese students regarding a program called The Gratitude Project. It’s designed for the students to hear both from American and South Vietnamese veterans of the Viet Nam war. Gratitude may be defined as the quality…

Dear SCC & Friends, …everything by prayer… ~Philippians 4:6 Reflection #298                  Each day is a gift to be opened with prayer. ~Anon.~ We are exhorted to pray without ceasing, which seems impossible unless we realize prayer is far more than an ongoing volume of words. Prayer is not learned in the classroom but in the closet. ~E.M. Bounds~ There is no record of disciples asking Jesus to teach them how to do signs and wonders. They did ask Jesus…