Moral Poverty

"Formerly the restraints of discipline were imposed from without. The child faced discipline by parents, discipline by teachers at school, and to a very considerable extent by law….the police officer was a foot soldier. He patrolled a beat, and he knew just about everyone who lived on that beat…"   A young man going through hard times fell into criminal activity to meet his needs. Now in prison he said to the counselor, " …I wish that when I had been given an education, someone had put a little more emphasis on teaching me the difference between right and wrong….."

it is time we ceased to regard juvenile delinquency as a isolated phenomenon…it is a by product of our national way if life. …These are selections from a article written in 1957 regarding the growing moral poverty in America. 

 

We are a liberated culture. The only thing that matters is do your own thing. But something needs to  be said about our responsibility for doing our own thing impacting others in a harmful way. Individual freedom without a sense of social conscience is dangerous. Our best chance to make a better world is to be a better person. One whose person and life is spent doing good and encouraging others in the way of Christ.

 

 

The Right To Vote

> Freedom to vote. The power to go to the polls and cast a vote. This is a responsibility. There are people in countries run by dictators who need not worry about voting. They do not have the freedom or power to vote. Maybe it is because I do not have to go to work every day and worry about a multitude of things to do, but I have paid more attention to the presidential races this time around. It is troubling no matter which group I listen to. People throw words at one another and make accusations and insults while the listener doesn't know whether all this is true or even partly true. One reason this is a problem is we have no one running who is perfect, without questionable behavior and decisions in their past or present. Of course that same problem existed when the early pioneers met to form a nation. Our humanity, our clay feet, our flawed characters, our sinfulness complicates the work of forming and being a nation, as well as living our personal lives. Therefore……
>
> Whoever leads, whoever practices a skill, whoever parents, must be accountable to values, principles, purposes that are bigger than any one person or nation. In America our religious heritage has played a critical part in this. The truths taught in our Judaic/Christian story spawns the basis for planning how to be a person, a nation of justice, compassion, sacrifice, love. YES, LOVE ONE ANOTHER….
>

Be Still

>
> There are times when the only thing we can do is WAIT. It is wisdom to know when…."But those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength." (Isaiah 40: 31) We are so geared to action that we deem sitting, doing nothing as lazy. There is a time to wait and a time to act. The first step in taking action is to WAIT. Be still, quiet, listen, feel Presence…….
>

The Lord Bless...

>
> "The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." (Numbers 6:24-26)
> These words came to the surface of my mind this morning. I have said them many times at the close of a worship service in church. Go forth into this day with this blessing.
>
>

The Lord Bless......

>
>
> "The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." (Numbers 6:24-26)
> These words came to the surface of my mind this morning. I have said them many times at the close of a worship service in church. Go forth into this day with this blessing.
>

The Rose

>
>
> "But he that dares not grasp the thorn
> Should never crave the rose."
> (Anne Bronte, "The Narrow Way")
>
> Life is risky, but those who dare to live
> Will receive great meaning.
>
> Be still, listen…you are alive..
>

Eternal Love

>
> GOOD MORNING-YOU ARE LIVING AND BREATHING IN THE GRACE AND BLESSINGS OF ETERNAL LOVE.
>
>

Can Do Thinking

>
>
> A large crowd of people followed Jesus to the mountain side. It was time to eat and no obvious food source was available. Thinking out loud Jesus said, "What can we do to feed all these people?"Phillip said, "There is not enough money to buy food for this many people. The implication is there is nothing we can do. Andrew spoke up and said,"well, there is a little boy here with five barley loaves and two fish." His mind set was to look at what they did have and start with that. ….one response was to name what they could not do thus discouraging any solution. The other response was to look at what they did have no matter how small. That mind set opened the door for Jesus to start meeting the need. …one said that we do not have enough money…the other said that we do have this food available…..maybe that is a faith statement that opened his mind to the miracle of God's response. I like the fish and bread way of responding…
>

I leave my thoughts

"Life's about morning walks and lengthy talks.
Smelling flowers, enjoying showers.
For writing books, exploring nooks.
    I'll squander not my health for wealth.
For when I die, I'll call your bluff.
    I'll leave my thoughts, instead of stuff."
-Patricia Lorenz
 ( Daily Guidepost 2016)

The thoughts of this poem express what I want to share this morning.
Blessings and love all