Winter continues without much winter weather here in Troy, IL. We have had some cold, especially back in January. We have had a little bit of snow. Nothing to really complain about. There have been some gray days but nothing like I just read about in the Lutheran Hour Ministries devotion for today. Moscow having only 6 minutes of sunshine in January? Really. That is hard to imagine. And we complain when we have 4-5 days in a row without sunshine. That reminds me about how selfish and self-centered we can be. We are tempted to make all things about "me." But that isn't why I am writing today.
Actually, I don't know why I am writing. I just had the compulsion to blog. It has been a while and I felt the need to put down random thoughts on "paper." Nope, not really on paper. I guess it is random thoughts on the Internet. It will be "out there" for the world to see. The world for my blog is the few of you who spend the time reading these ramblings.
The Southern Illinois District begins the triennial convention this evening. We will be in convention for Thursday evening, Friday all day and Saturday morning. What is done at a convention? There is worship and study, elections of officers and board members, and resolutions discussed. What is the goal? The goal should be to better equip the congregations of the Southern Illinois District to share the message of the gospel in their communities. The goal should always be the sharing of the gospel. If we are not sharing the gospel, then we are nothing more than another civic organization. No, the Church is meant to be something different from other organizations. The Church is meant to point folks to the Savior Jesus Christ. It is meant to proclaim the good news of salvation in a world that is in desperate need of this good news. Let us pray that is what is done over the next 3 days.
What else is going on in the my life that you might want to know about? Christ forgives me. Christ leads me. Christ loves me. I pray that everything I do reflects that wonderful message.
Baseball season is almost upon us. I enjoy baseball. It is a fun diversion from the actions of the world. Boy do we need that diversion. Over and over again we see the struggles of the world. We feel those struggles in our lives. Financial struggles. Relationship struggles. Health struggles. Emotional struggles. Societal struggles. Spiritual struggles. We need this diversion to help us find some joy in the world. As a Cubs fan, I enjoy watching my team play and win. Yet, I have to say, even when they don't win, I still enjoy watching them.
As I watch the Cubs, I am reminded of the struggles of life. Sometimes you do really good. Sometimes you do really bad. You have to stay the course to make it through each year. Spiritually, that is the way it is too. Some days are really good. Some days are really bad. Through it all we live in the forgiveness of Christ and the love of the Father. We need to stay the course in both good and bad times. I would encourage you to focus your eyes on Christ as you go through today and each day. He will see you through. It might be a struggle. It might be easy. It might be overwhelming. It might slip by without so much as a whimper. Whatever you day brings, may Christ guide you through it.
Yes, I have no clue what I am going to write today. There is it. Peace and joy on you today as you live in Christ's mercy and grace.
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