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Living The Solution – Online Newsletter |
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January 3, 2008 ISSUE |
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Opening Thoughts:
A New Year can signal a new beginning. Beginning again,
starting over, making a fresh start – there are times
in our lives when we all need to do that. It’s good
to always have an open mind to fresh insights, what is
sometimes referred to as a “beginner’s mind”.
Each day can be a new start. However, we also need consistency in the way we
live. Practicing our faith in prayer and action is good living when we use the
principles of the Gospel to guide us.
The depth of Jesus’ teachings is incredible. The more I study those teachings
the more amazed I am at his wisdom. Plus, I keep discovering new insights.
There is much for us to learn, but the greatest lesson is still that we can’t
live life successfully without God’s help. Jesus shows us the way and he
reminds us that God the Father wants very much to help us all.
Peace and joy,
Tom Gilbert
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IN THIS ISSUE
Feature Article: Family Time
In The Spotlight: Resources for Renewal
Daily Thoughts: Serving God
Prayer & Sharing Requests
Quotable: Everybody Needs a Family |
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| FEATURED
ARTICLE |
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Family
Time
Article by Tom Gilbert — © January, 2008
The Holidays can, and should
be, a time of joy. We gather together to celebrate
and to embrace family time. Christian believers rejoice
at Christmas that God so loved the world (His creation)
that He gave us His only son to restore us to our place
in God’s family. Jesus is God becoming human,
the Word made Flesh, one of us, sent to show us how
we are to live as members of the human race, as part
of the very big and diverse family of God.
There is a saying, “Everybody is one of God’s children.” I
truly love this because it reminds me that in God’s eyes I’m one
of many and no more special or less deserving than anyone else.
The primary message of the Bible is the story of God’s love for His family.
And family is at the core of many of the great stories in the Bible. More than
once an Angel of God appears with a message that barren couples will have a child.
Abraham and his wife Sarah were quite advanced in years when promised they would
have a son. Sarah even laughed at the absurdity of the idea, but then denied
it to God’s messenger (Genesis 18:10-15). The couple had a son, Isaac and
he had children who had children and nations of people came from that lineage.
In Judges 13 we find the story of Manoah and his barren wife being promised a
son by an Angel of God. This child was Samson. And let’s not forget that
the very cousin of Jesus, John the Baptist, a great prophet who had many followers
but pointed to Jesus as the Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of
the world, was born of Elizabeth and Zachariah (Luke 1:5-23). They, too, thought
they would never have children. Elizabeth was about six months pregnant when
Mary, herself pregnant with Jesus, came to visit (Luke 1:39-56) and they rejoiced
together over their good fortune and what God was
doing in their lives.
Things weren’t very easy for the holy family from the start. The Gospel
of Matthew tells us the birth of Jesus took place in humble circumstances, but
was awe inspiring to certain shepherds as well as Magi from the East. Joseph
had to take Mary and the baby on the run to Egypt to escape King Herod’s
jealous wrath. When they eventually returned and settled into a life in Nazareth
Jesus was essentially “off the grid” until his adult ministry began.
Read the entire article here
More articles here.
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| IN THE SPOTLIGHT |
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Resources for Renewal
The New Year brings a fresh start and can
be an excellent time to recommit to spiritual
development. Our Living the Solution store is stocked with
excellent Devotionals, Bible
Studies and Health/Wellness
Books.
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Be sure to visit our Spotlight
Specials page for other special resources and causes.
Our Living the Solution online store
has resources to help you grow spiritually. It’s
secure and extensive with many great gift ideas!
Visit our
online store
There is something for everyone. When you shop with us,
you support our ministry – thank you!
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DAILY THOUGHTS & REFLECTIONS |
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Serving God
God says, "You have spoken hard, rude
words to me. You ask, 'When did we ever do that?' "When you said,
'It doesn't pay to serve God. What do we ever get out of it? When we
did what he said and went around with long faces, serious about God-of-the-Angel-Armies,
what difference did it make? Those who take life into their own hands
are the lucky ones. They break all the rules and get ahead anyway. They
push God to the limit and get by with it.'" Then those whose lives
honored God got together and talked it over. God saw what they were doing
and listened in. A book was opened in God's presence and minutes were
taken of the meeting, with the names of the God-fearers written down,
all the names of those who honored God's name. God-of-the-Angel-Armies
said, "They're mine, all mine. They'll get special treatment when
I go into action. I treat them with the same consideration and kindness
that parents give the child who honors them. Once more you'll see the
difference it makes between being a person who does the right thing and
one who doesn't, between serving God and not serving him." (Malachi
3:13-17 — The Message)
Have you ever known people who think
and speak this way, “It doesn’t pay to serve
God; what do we ever get out of it”? Have you ever
had such thoughts? We look at those in the world who mock
God and His ways and yet seem blessed; they have all the
nice things—good jobs, money, homes, and toys. Yes, there
are many times things seemed to look one way but really
they are something more than we see.
Have we forgotten that this life is but for a brief moment in the vastness of
eternity? Our lives here are but a vapor in the scheme of things. Our real life,
the one we are training for, is yet to come and it will be forever. The question
is whether you are willing to risk that life for material blessings in the here
and now. Many are. They have been given a choice, the same choice you have, and
they have made it.
The truth is we have all been blessed. We have the forgiveness of our sins, we
have life every day, we have the beauty of the world all around us, we have people
who love us, and the list goes on and on. There are many who have very little
in material things, but are happy and thankful for what they do have. And there
are many who have almost everything they want and yet they are not satisfied.
Our happiness and gratitude do not come from things or events outside of us,
but from our hearts and a longing to be one with God and pleasing to Him.
Live intentionally, purposely, free and with passion,
Pete Reinbold
Get daily inspiration with a Scripture verse and commentary
at
Daily Thought
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PRAYER REQUESTS & RESULTS |
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Prayer works. It really does.Submit your prayer
requests and we will pray for them.
Of course, we keep your information confidential.
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My thoughts are shared regularly on the pages of
our web site, especially on
the Journal pages.
We welcome and appreciate your feedback. If you would
like to submit an article please see our writer's
guidelines.
It is our hope that the content of Living The Solution will
stimulate you to deepen your faith. That is certainly a result for us in both
our writing and reading. If you would like to see articles on a particular topic
or you have comments please let us know.
Send an email
Quotable: Everybody Needs a Family
“Call it a clan, call it a network, call
it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are,
you need one.”
— Jane Howard
Copyright 2008 Living the Solution, all rights reserved.
Tom Gilbert
Editor/Web-servant
Living The Solution
www.livingthesolution.com
P O Box 25584
Albuquerque, NM 87125-5584
Toll free 1-800-399-2564 (US only) or 505-247-3232
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