Today is Wednesday, June 24, 2009 and the leading news stories may cause discomfort to say the least....
Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina, missing in action for several days, admits to an extra-marital affair and resigns as chair of the GOP governors' organization. Previously, Sanford was thought to be a front runner for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination. It would seem that he is no longer in the running for that position within the GOP party. On top of the extra-marital affair, Sanford's staff lied to cover up for his whereabouts during the last week. At first said to be hiking in the Appalachian Mountains, it turns out that the governor was playing in Argentina.
Then there is the story about new home sales continuing to fall during the month of May 2009 to levels almost 33% below last year's new home sales. There still seems to be a long way to go for any significant recovery of the housing market. Existing home sales did rise 2.4% for the month of May as prices were approximately 17% lower compared to a year ago.
Shock and disbelief follow insanity in a small Iowa town and school district where a nationally recognized high school football coach with over 35 years of service was fatally shot by one of his former players. The shooting took place inside a temporary weight room, because as it turns out this community was nearly devastated a little more than one year ago by a deadly tornado which killed eight people and destroyed the coach's home as well as many others. Several current football players witnessed the shooting and as many as 50 students were inside the high school at the time. Iowa's governor, a former high school football coach himself, stated that the loss will be felt throughout Iowa and the nation.
Perhaps one of the most disturbing news stories I ran across today was a story about the federal government's aid package for individuals and families who are trying to purchase homes in foreclosure. Here is why I find this disturbing. This assistance package will allow those who purchase foreclosed homes or purchase them to restore them prior to resale to receive additional incentives like lower interest rates and down payment assistance. With this program, the government is encouraging new buyers to take advantage of the former owner's misfortune.
"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." [James 2:14-17] Time will tell whether the highly debated stimulus package is like those who say, "Be well; keep warm and well fed" without offering real hope or meaningful assistance. I, for one, could use some good news for a change!
~ DB Turnmire
Showing posts with label faith response. Show all posts
Showing posts with label faith response. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
When Opportunity Knocks, Will You Open the Door? (Blog #9)
From a New Testament biblical perspective, one of the most famous portrayals of Jesus Christ is based on the following verse from the book of Revelation. "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." [Revelation 3:20 NIV] This verse has been visualized by numerous artists on canvas, in prints and even stained glass windows. The verse and the renderings raise the question of whether you or I will "open the door" of our hearts to Jesus via faith.
For the moment, let's use the analogy of Jesus standing at the door and knocking in other areas of our lives. Perhaps it is appropriate to do just that, if you consider that God our Creator and Redeemer is the one who guides us and leads us to new opportunities. Do you and I always recognize events and situations in our lives as opportunities? Or are we tempted to get so caught up in negativity and misfortune that we miss the possibilities as they present themselves? I will be the first to admit that sometimes the latter comes more naturally.
Our faith response or lack thereof to Jesus' knocks at our door will have a lasting impact for the rest of our lives. So also, our response or lack thereof to opportunities in our lives carries the possibility of changing the course of the rest of our lives. It is true enough that these types of life changing events may happen more than once in the course of our lives. Over time, we certainly have the inner resources and the capabilities to recover from our failures either to respond at all or to respond correctly to opportunities as they are presented.
In the midst of my blog posting, I have written about following your dreams and living the life you imagined. Surely, there have been missed opportunities in my life, along with events and situations I never would have imagined. There have been pinnacle events and hard crashes. More than once I have, by the grace of God and with His help, risen from the ashes. Through it all, I have been a survivor who leaned on faith a whole lot more than people realize.
"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. hese have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. " [1 Peter 3:6-9 NIV]
~ DB Turnmire
For the moment, let's use the analogy of Jesus standing at the door and knocking in other areas of our lives. Perhaps it is appropriate to do just that, if you consider that God our Creator and Redeemer is the one who guides us and leads us to new opportunities. Do you and I always recognize events and situations in our lives as opportunities? Or are we tempted to get so caught up in negativity and misfortune that we miss the possibilities as they present themselves? I will be the first to admit that sometimes the latter comes more naturally.
Our faith response or lack thereof to Jesus' knocks at our door will have a lasting impact for the rest of our lives. So also, our response or lack thereof to opportunities in our lives carries the possibility of changing the course of the rest of our lives. It is true enough that these types of life changing events may happen more than once in the course of our lives. Over time, we certainly have the inner resources and the capabilities to recover from our failures either to respond at all or to respond correctly to opportunities as they are presented.
In the midst of my blog posting, I have written about following your dreams and living the life you imagined. Surely, there have been missed opportunities in my life, along with events and situations I never would have imagined. There have been pinnacle events and hard crashes. More than once I have, by the grace of God and with His help, risen from the ashes. Through it all, I have been a survivor who leaned on faith a whole lot more than people realize.
"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. hese have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. " [1 Peter 3:6-9 NIV]
~ DB Turnmire
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