Christian Reflection and Prayer

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation
has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Reflection:

Today is the first day of 2012.  You have an
opportunity to make this the first day of the
rest of your life.  I would like to make a
suggestion, BELIEVE IN CHRIST! not simply
of Christ, or about Christ, but IN CHRIST!.
Bring Him into your life, make Him a psrt of
your life. I guarantee your life will change.
When you give your life to Christ, the old
passes away and the new begins. 
Remember God Loves You, believe in that
love, give that love to others. believe in
Jesus Christ.

BE HAPPY IN JESUS!  HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

New Year's Prayer

Lord, this year I want to change,
and I've said that in the past.
but now my prayer is different
'cause I understand at last.

I wanted my own way before,
I ignored your loving plans.
But now I'm putting everything
into your nail-scarred hands.

I promise to obey you
out of gratitude and love.
I won't be giving orders
to my Father up above.

I finally realize the truth
and so I've changed my prayer.
The safest place for me to be
is in your gentle care.

(by Jack Zavada)

By Rev. Wayne Palmer

Scripture:

Read Matthew 8:23-27.

...and His Name shall be called ...
 Mighty God .... (Isaiah 9:6b)

Reflection:

Last June tow truck driver Pedro Arzola
was working under a 1990 Cadillac Seville
when the car lurched forward. The front
right tire ran over his torso and dragged
him about 10 feet before he was finally
pinned under the rear tire. He yelled to his
wife to help him. Even when she was joined
by two strangers they were unable to lift
the car.

That's when Danous Estenor, an offensive
lineman for the USF football team walked by.
Hearing the screams he joined them but was
also unable to budge the car at first. Then he
backed up, felt energy come into him and tried
again. This time he was able to lift the 3,500
pound car and save Arzola's life.

At one point or another in our life we will all face
troubles larger than we are, situations from
which we can't save ourselves. We will
experience that helplessness when our last hour
on earth comes. No one on earth will be able to
save us-no doctor, lawyer, celebrity-not even a
football player.

Isaiah wrote, "To us a Son is given ... and His
Name shall be called Mighty God." No situation
we face is too difficult for the Baby of Bethlehem.
The devil and all his fellow, fallen angels tried every
trick in the book but were unable to overpower Him.
Even as He was dying on the cross the mighty Son
of God was able to crush the devil's head while
paying for our sins. By His resurrection He has
defeated death and opened for us the doors of
heaven.

PRAYER:

Savior of the world, thank You for Your great might.
You have crushed all my enemies and promise to be
at my side always. Protect me through this life and
bring me to heaven when You return.
Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)

This is our "morning after," so to speak: a
time to treasure all the Christmas events.
A time to ponder them in our heart. A time
to begin pondering what we want in the New
Year. How do we deal with the Christmas
story? What's it all about? How do we make
sense of it? What does it mean for our life?

A man who was feeling this kind of pain
decided to go to his doctor for a physical
checkup. After hearing the man's complaints
and conducting the examination, the doctor 
said, "You have to remember that after fifty,
it's just patch, patch, patch." A woman who
heard this story said that there is a much
better way to tell that you've reached the
"patch, patch, patch" stage in life. She said,
"It's when you wake up every morning with a
terrible hangover -- and you haven't been
anywhere the night before."

Jesus is not offering us a "patch, patch, patch"
existence. He wants to lead us into a style of
life that will make us whole. And we don't have
to wait until we're having those terrible hangovers.
He wants us to experience genuine living now if
only we will say "Yes!" to God by embracing a
style of life in which we place our trust in the
power of love in every situation. Accept your
assigned role as God's dependent child and, in
new and beautiful ways, the power of love will be
released in your life, and you will begin to
experience the joy and wonder of becoming the
kind of person you were created to be.

If, on this morning after, you're going around
feeling as though everything is patch, path, patch
then you have missed the overwhelming
statement of the Christmas Event: The virgin will
 conceive and give birth to a son and they will call
 Him Emmanuel, a Name that means 'God is with
us'" (Mt. 1:23).

GOD IS WITH US

(from Sunday Sermons Online)