Wednesday, January 27, 2021
The Ramblings of a Crusty Old Sailor - Happy Angel Birthday to Navy SEAL Danny Deitz
Happy Angel Birthday to Navy SEAL Danny Deitz who selflessly sacrificed his life during Operation Red Wings. Please help me honor him so that he is not forgotten.
Tuesday, January 26, 2021
The Ramblings of a Crusty Old Sailor - Thank you Bill Phillips
Fought for this country once and will do it again to stop what is happening, by the anti- american liberals.
Rev. Dan Polecheck - Universal Life Church Ministries - Bless Our Troops
God Bless Our Troops
Rev. Dan Polecheck
Universal Life Church Ministries
Rev. Dan Polecheck
Universal Life Church Ministries
The Ramblings of a Crusty Old Sailor - Honoring Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Edward Balli
Honoring Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Edward Balli who selflessly sacrificed his life seven years ago in Afghanistan for our great Country. Please help me honor him so that he is not forgotten.
Monday, January 25, 2021
The Ramblings of a Crusty Old Sailor - Thank You Vietnam Vets
Thank You Vietnam Vets Who Never Received a "Welcome Home"
The Ramblings of a Crusty Old Sailor - Honoring Army 1st Lt. Adam G. Mooney
Honoring Army 1st Lt. Adam G. Mooney who selflessly sacrificed his life seventeen years ago in Iraq for our great Country. Please help me honor him so that he is not forgotten.
The Ramblings of a Crusty Old Sailor - Happy 100th Birthday to Navajo Code Talker and World War II Veteran John Kinsel Sr.
Happy 100th Birthday to Navajo Code Talker and World War II Veteran John Kinsel Sr. Kinsel served in the Marines from 1942 to 1945.
Sunday, January 24, 2021
Rev. Dan Polecheck - Universal Life Church Ministries - What Are You Unintentionally Communicating?
Last week at Sam's Club I saw a fellow talking to at his wife. The way he was doing it, I’m sure all she was hearing was “YOU’RE STUPID!” I heard enough to know that he either thought she should understand or it was something he believed he’s already explained several times. He was frustrated and she was feeling beat up. It was not a good thing for their marriage.
Before I continue, I need to confess that I have done this to my wife. In fact, I’ve done it this year. Now I could rightly claim my recent versions of this were not nearly as nasty as what I saw at Sam's Club, but less wrong and less unloving is still wrong and unloving.
I’ve thought about this a lot. I’m quicker to do this with my wife than I am with others. This despite the fact my wife is in no way stupid and I sometimes deal with folks who seem to be a bit clueless. Why do others so easily receive the grace I have a hard time extending to my wife? “Familiarity breeds contempt” is the easy answer, but it doesn’t really fit.
I think I expect my wife to know what I know and to think and reason as I do. When she doesn’t, I get frustrated and that shows in what I say and how I say it.
So one more difficult thing for me to wrestle with. Oh, joy!
Rev. Dan Polecheck - Universal Life Church Ministries - Give Her The Benefit Of The Second Thought
In Whew! That’s a stick not a snake! Christine Meinecke says “…humans’ first reactions are negative because the brain’s main function is self-preservation.” Sounds right to me; assuming a stick is a snake until proven to be a stick is certainly going to lead to a longer life than assuming a snake is a stick until it bites you.
However, this self-preservation strategy can easily cause problems if it functions unchecked in our marriages. If you regularly make negative assumptions about your wife’s words or actions, you will hurt her and damage your relationship. Even if her past actions give you cause to assume the worst, doing so is saying you don’t think she can change.
Learn to do the second take, and the second thought, quickly. If it still looks negative, but you can’t be sure, take a chance. Be willing to get hurt on occasion knowing that in doing so you are giving her a vote of confidence. I’m not saying be stupid and put yourself in a place of great risk, but be ready to take a hit to show her that you think she can and will do better.
Rewv. Dan Polecheck - Universal Lifw Church Ministries - This is What Growing Up Looks Like
My wife and I had a little tiff a few weeks ago and I thought she overeacted a little bit. What I found interesting was how I reacted vs. how I would have in the past.
• Early in our marriage, I would have gotten upset at her. I would have felt accused and wronged. And my reaction would have made things worse.
• Later in our marriage, I would have realised that while I may have triggered what she did, her reaction was very much her issue as it was based on injuries from her past.
• This time I realised her past was a factor, but I went on to ask myself if I’d done something unloving or stupid that made it worse. (And I decided I had.)
This is what growing up looks like. (I just wish I’d gotten here decades sooner!)
Honoring Marine Capt. Daniel B. Bartle
Honoring Marine Capt. Daniel B. Bartle who selflessly sacrificed his life nine years ago in Afghanistan for our great Country. Please help me honor him so that he is not forgotten.
Honoring Marine Lance Cpl. Julian T. Brennan
Honoring Marine Lance Cpl. Julian T. Brennan who selflessly sacrificed his life twelve years ago in Afghanistan for our great Country. Please help me honor him so that he is not forgotten.
Saturday, January 23, 2021
Honoring Sgt. 1st Class Joshua 'Zach' Beale
Honoring Sgt. 1st Class Joshua 'Zach' Beale who selflessly sacrificed his life two years ago in Afghanistan for our great Country. Please help me honor him so that he is not forgotten.
Friday, January 22, 2021
The Ramblings of A Crusty Old Sailor - Take Down The Bird Feeder
“I bought a bird feeder. I hung it on my back porch and filled it with seed. What a beauty of a bird feeder it was, as I filled it lovingly with seed.
Within a week we had hundreds of birds taking advantage of the continuous flow of free and easily accessible food.
But then the birds started building nests in the boards of the patio, above the table, and next to the barbecue.
Then came the crap. It was everywhere: on the patio tile, the chairs, the table ... everywhere!
Then some of the birds turned mean. They would dive bomb me and try to peck me even though I had fed them out of my own pocket.
And others birds were boisterous and loud. They sat on the feeder and squawked and screamed at all hours of the day and night and demanded that I fill it when it got low on food.
After a while, I couldn't even sit on my own back porch anymore. So I took down the bird feeder and in three days the birds were gone. I cleaned up their mess and took down the many nests they had built all over the patio.
Soon, the back yard was like it used to be ..... quiet, serene.... and no one demanding their rights to a free meal.
Now let's see...... Our government gives out free food, subsidized housing, free medical care and free education, and allows anyone born here to be an automatic citizen.
Then the illegals came by the tens of thousands. Suddenly our taxes went up to pay for free services; small apartments are housing 5 families; you have to wait 6 hours to be seen by an emergency room doctor; Your child's second grade class is behind other schools because over half the class doesn't speak English.
Corn Flakes now come in a bilingual box; I have to 'press one ' to hear my bank talk to me in English, and people waving flags other than ”ours” are squawking and screaming in the streets, demanding more rights and free liberties.
Just my opinion, but maybe it's time for the government to take down the bird feeder.
Rev. Dan Polecheck - Universal Life Church Ministries - Choosing to be Thankful
Choosing to be Thankful
Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire. If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don’t know something. For it gives you the opportunity to learn.
Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations. Because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge. Because it will build your strength and character.
Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you’re tired and weary. Because it means you’ve made a difference.
It is easy to be thankful for the good things. A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.
GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings.
Rev. Dan Polecheck - Universal Life Church Ministries - Who Is Really In Charge
Who Is Really In Charge
We are not masters of our faith. We think we control our lives-but we don't. In an instant life can radically change-a car accident, a heart attack, a pink slip, a child's raging fever.
Frustrated researchers conquer one deadly virus, only to discover one even more Lethal...No book is more realistic about the human situation than the Bible. It won't let us get buy with frothy platitudes or unsupported optimism. But it also gives us hope. It tells us Christ can change our lives, and He has prepared a perfect place in heaven. Even your next breath is a gift from God.
Don't take life for granted, but "gain the heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12).
Rev. Dan Polecheck - Universal Life Church Ministries - Sow More Than Seeds
There was a farmer who grew excellent quality corn. Every year he won the award for the best grown corn. One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors. “How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?” the reporter asked.
“Why sir,” said the farmer, “Didn’t you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn.”
So is with our lives... Those who want to live meaningfully and well must help enrich the lives of others, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all...
Wednesday, January 20, 2021
Rules To Teach Your Son
1. Never shake a man’s hand sitting down.
2. Don’t enter a pool by the stairs.
3. The man at the BBQ Grill is the closest thing to a king.
4. In a negotiation, never take the first offer.
5. Request the late check-out.
6. When entrusted with a secret, keep it.
7. Hold your heroes to a higher standard.
8. Return a borrowed car with a full tank of gas.
9. Play with passion or don’t play at all.
10. Always protect your siblings. #Important
11. Don’t let a wishbone grow where a backbone should be.
12. If you need music on the beach, you’re missing the point.
13. Carry two handkerchiefs. The one in your back pocket is for you. The one in your breast pocket is for her.
14. You marry the girl, you marry her family.
15. Be like a duck. Remain calm on the surface and paddle like crazy underneath.
16. Experience the serenity of traveling alone.
17. Never be afraid to ask out the best looking girl in the room.
18. Never turn down a breath mint.
20. Try writing your own eulogy. Never stop revising.
21. Stand on principle.
22. Eat lunch with the new kid.
23. After writing an angry email, read it carefully. Then delete it.
24. Ask your mom to play. She won’t let you win.
25. Manners make the man.
26. Give credit. Take the blame.
27. Stand up to Bullies. Protect those bullied.
28. Write down your dreams.
29. Remember at times the rain must fall for us to appreciate the sun.
30. Be confident and humble at the same time.
31. Be the bridge builder.
32. If ever in doubt, remember whose SON you are and REFUSE to just be ordinary!
Rev. Dan Polecheck - Universal Life Church Ministries - Spoon-Fed
Those of you who have had children will know what a life changing experience it is. The whole centre of your world changes once there is a baby around. You can no longer keep your house or indeed your life tidy. Everything revolves around the new person in your midst. They become the focus. Their needs and wants take precedence over your own. It becomes very difficult to stick to any schedule you may have.
But in normal circumstances this situation shouldn’t last forever. The hope is that there is a progression from total dependency, to independence. We’re not designed to be dependent on parents for life. Teenage ‘attitude’ and arrogance shouldn’t be a permanent lifestyle. There should come a point when we begin to take responsibility for our own growth to maturity.
That progression from infancy to independence is a good picture of what should happen in our spiritual lives. The apostle Paul was clearly expecting a lot less spoon-feeding and a whole lot more maturity from the early Corinthian believers when he says in his letter to the church in Corinth:
But for right now friends, I’m completely frustrated by your unspirituality. You’re acting like infants…
1 Cor 3 v 1 – The Message
Paul’s not suggesting arrogant independence with no consideration of others. He’s looking for signs of a growing up process; a leaving behind of childish ways of looking at things, becoming less spoon-fed and more self sufficient.
Despite repeated encouragements, patient explanations, and severe warnings, the early believers were still perhaps waiting for instructions rather than taking the initiative; still too dependent on leaders rather than relying on their own experience or judgement.
I know how easy it is when under pressure to lapse into childish ways, unwilling to put the effort in, or make a commitment; happy to let others lead and take responsibility. There are also times when I get frustrated by those who aren’t as ready and willing as me to take up some challenge or head off into another adventure. We all have our moments of immaturity. But if we reach adult age and are unable to make our own decisions in life, it’s viewed as slightly dysfunctional.
So all this raises some questions for me. Are there areas where I haven’t grown up yet? How dependent am I on others? How can I encourage others towards maturity and less dependency? How understanding am I when others don’t seem to be willing to respond as I think they should?
Let’s ask God to help us take responsibility for our own spirituality, and enable us to understand and encourage others, whatever stage they may be at.
Monday, January 18, 2021
The Ramblings of a Crusty Old Sailor - Honoring Army Staff Sgt. Thomas E. Vitagliano
The Ramblings of a Crusty Old Sailor - Honoring Sgt. Cameron Meddock
Honoring Sgt. Cameron Meddock who selflessly sacrificed his life two years ago in Afghanistan for our great Country. Please help me honor him so that he is not forgotten.
Sunday, January 17, 2021
Rev. Dan Polecheck - Universal Life Church Ministries - Be Gentle to Those Who Stumble
Honoring Army Spc. Robert Donevski
Saturday, January 16, 2021
Honoring Army Spc. James D. Riekena
Honoring Marine Sgt. Jayton D. Patterson
Wednesday, January 13, 2021
Honoring Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kyle E. Jackson
Honoring Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kyle E. Jackson who selflessly sacrificed his life fifteen years ago in Iraq for our great Country. Please help me honor him so that he is not forgotten.
Honoring Army Staff Sgt. Ricky L. Crockett
Tuesday, January 12, 2021
Honoring Staff Sgt. Ian P. McLaughlin
Monday, January 11, 2021
The Ramblings of a Crusty Old Sailor - Honoring Army Sgt. Drew M. Scobie
Sunday, January 10, 2021
Rev. Dan Polecheck - Universal Life Church Ministries - Is Jesus Enough?
Is Jesus enough?
It’s a question I’ve been asking myself for the last year.
John 21:15-17 gives us a clear example of the times that we may battle with what is worth it. What is satisfying. Ultimately, what is enough.
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.
Jesus is straight-up asking Peter, do you love me? In other words: Am I enough?
Peter do you love me more than your job? Do you love me more than yourself? Do you love me more than your comfort? Am I enough to satisfy you? Am I enough when you’re seen as a failure in the eyes of men? Am I enough to give you purpose? Am I enough to restore you?
How relevant are these verses as many of us are currently at home, fearful, bored, and anxious?
Not fully sure what the future looks like at our jobs. Not sure when we’ll be able to fill up the pantry. Not sure when we’ll go back to school or what graduation will look like for our seniors. Not sure when we’ll be around people. Not sure if we’ll catch the virus or someone that we love will.
Peter is getting this question (besides the fact that Jesus is publicly restoring Peter after his three denials) because Jesus knows that genuine obedience is a reflection of genuine love.
Obedience in what? In the times where you don’t have a clue how you’re going to pay the bills, is Jesus enough? When you can’t interact with people the way that you’re used to, is Jesus enough? When you get the news that your job is cutting your hours, is Jesus enough?
When we love something or someone, what we are communicating to them is that you are enough. When we put our faith and trust in Jesus, we are saying that He is enough.
If we have fully committed to believing that Jesus is enough then our lives will reflect that. Our interactions with people will. The way we plan. The opportunities we pursue because we know that no matter what relationship changes, what job we may lose, what opportunity we miss out on, at the end of the day, or how people perceive us. Jesus is sufficient. Jesus is enough.
Too often we intellectually can answer this and truly convince ourselves that we have fully committed to the fact that Jesus is enough, but then spiritually we are holding on to the falsely created idea that Jesus is enough. Why is it so hard at times to connect our hearts to our brains? Peter shows us this human struggle earlier as he tells Jesus that he would lay down his life for Jesus and never fail to see his sufficiency. “Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away” (Matthew 26:33)
Peter believes this in his mind but fails to connect to it to his heart.
In order for us to fully experience the freedom that Jesus wants us to, we must lay down our self-reliance, and depend on Jesus. When we do, there is freedom. Freedom from the pressures you may put on yourself to have all the answers or have it all together. The pressure of succeeding or being popular. The pressure to be seen as significant or valuable.
When Jesus is enough, we don’t have to be.
In conclusion: We should be consistently asking ourselves the question, is Jesus enough? If we claim to be followers of Jesus and have faith in Him, our faith should lead to faithful obedience. This means that we ask ourselves, whenever our comforts, privileges, and successes are taken away, is Jesus still enough? When you’re betrayed by that friend or family member and you can’t bring yourself to trust again, even in your pain, is Jesus enough. It’s not that whenever we fully embrace this truth that Jesus is enough that we won’t be sad, hurt, or emotional, it simply means that in the midst of walking on water, like Peter did when we fall, lose faith or get distracted, we trust that Jesus will reach out his hand and be enough.
Rev. Dan Polecheck - Universal Life Church Ministries - Older Blog Posts - Why Have You Forsaken Me?
Before I started this blog I was writing for a blog on the Family Worship Center - Algoma Campus website. This is a copy of one of those posts with links to the original blog.
Why Have You Forsaken Me?
Originally Posted Jun 25, 2020
Original Blog Post
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34)
We can hear the anguish in Christ’s cry from the cross.
I have felt that kind of despair in my own life. Though God will never literally forsake me, I have felt forsaken, abandoned, betrayed by those I loved. I have questioned where God was in my pain. And I have wondered what good could ever come from my suffering.
Because of the cross, we who have felt that pain, who live with unanswered questions and sleepless nights, can unreservedly rejoice. Out of the worst evil imaginable, the sinless Son of God on the cross, God brought about the greatest good ever known.
Genesis 50:20 is a stunning reminder, that what man means for evil, God means for good.
Out of the worst evil imaginable, God brought about the greatest good ever known.
In my own life, through the lens of Scripture, I can see that God has brought the greatest good out of the hardest events. But I say that in retrospect. At the time, none of my suffering felt even vaguely positive.
Sobbing by my mother’s casket, after a horrible car crash, was devastating. Hearing the doctor say that my body was deteriorating, and then watching it happen, was agonizing.
None of those trials felt redemptive. None of them could be celebrated. None of them even made sense. I never could have imagined that God would bring something beautiful out of my pain. I felt that my pain was deforming me. That I would forever be marred by it.
I was sure my best years were behind me — before “this” happened. When I laughed easily and often. When I wasn’t burdened with the memories of all that had gone before.
And yet somehow, even in those horrifying trials, God was doing something. Something extraordinary. Something I could have not have planned or foreseen. He was doing something in me that could not have happened any other way. It was strange and beautiful — wonderful and unexpected — the handiwork of God.
Out of the most crushing pain and terrible despair, God was bringing glorious triumph.
Instead of deforming me, my pain strangely deepened me. It increased my capacity for God. And for joy. It made me see the world through different eyes. Eyes of faith and not eyes of hopelessness. It helped me recognize that what I was going through was just a snapshot in time. One day my life will be totally transformed.
While my circumstances will undoubtedly change one day, what changes most profoundly in my suffering is me. The very struggles that I thought would break me are what God used to purposefully shape me.
That shaping did not happen instantaneously. It took time and trust. At first it seemed like nothing was happening — nothing but disillusionment and defeat. It honestly felt like Satan was wrecking my life.
Similarly, to the disciples on that terrifying Friday, it must have seemed like Satan was victorious. Their Savior was crucified. Their dreams were dead. Their hopes had unraveled. Maybe evil really had won.
And then everything was silent for two long days. It may have seemed like nothing was happening — nothing but disillusionment and defeat.
But in the wisdom of God, when life looked darkest, it gave way to the dawning of the purest, most brilliant light.
The Crucifixion reminds me that God’s perspective is infinitely greater than mine. Much of what is really happening is unseen. While it may look otherwise in the moment, Satan will never be victorious and evil cannot win. God always has the last word.
What Satan means for evil, God means for good. Always.
So if you feel forsaken and have no idea where to turn or what to do, trust that God is using that very struggle. If life looks like a hopeless mess and every day is a fight to survive, trust that God will one day gloriously prevail. And when he has, when you are on the other side, trust that God will have done an incomparable work in your soul.
Then you will have learned how to rely, truly rely, on God who brings beauty from ashes.
Your life and walk with him will be more beautiful than you ever imagined. And somehow, through your pain, you will be transformed. And when you are, when you see how God has changed you, you will never want to go back to the way you were before.
You will understand that nothing can thwart God’s plans for you. What now appears to be evil will result in your eternal joy. And the staggering triumph of Resurrection will fall afresh on you.
Rev. Dan Polecheck - Universal Life Church Ministries - Older Blog Posts - At Your Wit's End
Before I started this blog I was writing for a blog on the Family Worship Center - Algoma Campus website. This is a copy of one of those posts with links to the original blog.
At Your Wit's End
Originally Posted May 31, 2020
Original Blog Post
How many times a day do you get frustrated? Lots? It happens so easily, doesn’t it? Driving along, you come across bumper-to-bumper traffic, which makes you late for an appointment. Or your pen runs out of ink at the wrong time, or the battery in your car dies, or the supermarket closes just as you pull into the parking lot. I’m sure you can think of lots of experiences like this.
There’s just no escaping it. All of us, one way or another, must deal with the problem of frustration. No matter what kind of life you lead, plans will go wrong and opportunities will be lost. It’s just the way life is, unfortunately. I like the story of Thomas Edison who struggled to produce the incandescent light. In his laboratory he had 523 light bulbs that didn’t work. When someone said, “Think of all the time you’ve wasted,” he said, “It wasn't wasted, I found 523 ways it couldn’t be done.” He channelled his frustration positively.
Maybe you have made promises to yourself or to God not to let this be a problem, e.g. I’m going to control my temper, be nicer in traffic or I’m going on a diet. Or I’m going to be more mindful of the needs of others and be less self-centered.
This can be serious. I read of a social worker who wrote in a newspaper: “One of the reasons there is such an increase in drug use is because people find it increasingly difficult to deal with frustration. They can’t take it any more”.
How Jesus Handled Frustration
I’m interested in the way our Lord Jesus handled frustration. When frustrating things happened to him, he knew how to turn the situation into an advantage, and so can we. Let me take you back to an incident in Matthew’s gospel when Jesus received devastating news about his cousin, John the Baptist—he had been put to death.
We read in Matthew 14: 13-21:
As soon as Jesus heard the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns. Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed the sick.
That evening the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.”
But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary—you feed them.”
“But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!” they answered.
“Bring them here,” he said. Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children!
Don’t Let Frustration Have the Last Word
Jesus wanted to deal with the pain and grief of the news of John, and that was fair enough. He wanted to be alone to work through his grief. But what happened next? The crowds saw where he was heading and followed him via land from many villages. In other words, they had interrupted his day and his plans.
How did Jesus respond to this? With frustration and anger? No, not at all. He used the interruption to heal those who were sick and miraculously feed a multitude. When his plans were hampered, he simply made bigger ones. What a terrific way to handle frustrating situations.
Jesus was the master at adapting and learning to use the situations which came upon him, sometimes unexpectedly. Frustration does not mean defeat. So, don’t let frustration have the last word in your life.
Rev. Dan Polecheck - Universal Life Church Ministries - Older Blog Posts - I Pray For Patience And I Want It Now
Before I started this blog I was writing for a blog on the Family Worship Center - Algoma Campus website. This is a copy of one of those posts with links to the original blog.
I Pray For Patience And I Want It Now
Originally Posted May 22, 2020
Original Blog Post
“…so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience.” (Colossians 1:10-11)
Do you consider yourself to be patient? Our daily lives require us to exercise patience, whether the issues we face are small or big. An unexpected expense, dealing with a difficult co-worker, experiencing conflict with a friend or getting sick are all situations that require us to be patient, and it is often easier said than done.
Unfortunately, we cannot control every aspect of our lives. The way others treat us and the situations we find ourselves in are sometimes simply beyond our control, and we have to find ways to cope with them.
So, how can we be patient in seemingly impossible circumstances?
Romans 12:12 says, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” In life, we will face trials. However, as believers, we can find hope in knowing that we have a loving God who is in control of our lives. When we put our trust in His perfect plan rather than our own, we do not need to feel anxious, worried or impatient.
In addition, we do not have to struggle to find patience within ourselves. In fact, when we call upon God, He can give us the strength to be patient. While we may not understand the waiting period we are in, we can rest in the fact that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him. Rather than trying to make things happen, we can let go of the reigns and give Him the power in our lives.
If you are in the midst of a season of waiting, remember that God’s plan is greater than anything we could imagine. As His children, He does not withhold good things from us. When we give our lives to Him and are faithful in prayer, He will work through us in incredible ways.
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The Ramblings of a Crusty Old Sailor - Convention of States - THE MOST WIDESPREAD DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN IN U.S. HISTORY
THE MOST WIDESPREAD DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN IN U.S. HISTORY
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THE MOST WIDESPREAD DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN IN U.S. HISTORY
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If You Haven't Risked Coming Home Under a Flag Don't You Dare Disrespect It -
NEVER FORGET THE ONES THAT GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR YOUR FREEDOM
