Covid-19. Today It’s Going to be a Great Day!

Today is going to be a good day. And even with Covid and It’s going to be a great day… Isn’t this an oxymoron? Like a love-hate relationship?

Looking back over the past year of the Covid-19 pandemic. Almost feels like a year lost…of meeting together with friends for worship. We are doing two online Live streaming services at two church’s, both of which we had been attending in person in the past, but stopped in person, not feeling comfortable at this time.

So we will move on.

With the Covid-19 restrictions…many of us depending on our age but more importantly on any compromising medical condition have decided to worship on Sundays via Zoom or Live streaming from our church. That is good, but we do miss the important face to face fellowship.

We can also find countless opportunities to be involved in online Bible Studies, Men’s and Women’s groups and webinars and even finding safe places with social distancing to meet. In the warmer months I met with a small group of men in a local park. Lawn chairs 8 feet apart. Now I meet with another group of men in a local coffee shop with our masks and social distancing.

My wife Naomi continues with two Women’s Bible Studies via Zoom.

Her Saturday morning Bible study at a local jail with women has been put on hold for now. She feels very disappointed with this. But there is new hope with a Zoom Alpha Group starting up in a few weeks. Now Naomi needs to master Zoom!

One ministry activity we did together was as volunteer chaplains with the Salvation Army in conjunction with the Milwaukee Police Dept. Because of health concerns we have stopped doing this. It was just a year ago that we helped as chaplains at the Molson Coors mass shooting in Milwaukee and that was the last time we served together as chaplains. The picture on the heading is a little stone that was given to us at our wedding at Divine Shepherd by our pastor and his wife. “Let us praise the Lord together, and exalt his name” Psalm 34:3 That has been and is the goal of our lives together. We find new ways to do that as time goes on. In the course of cleaning up my office, I temporarily misplaced the “stone”, so I commissioned our Eastbrook church Adm. Asst. Jean, to make me a new one with the same scripture verse. Just one of her “gifts”. Isn’t it great to discover and encourage each other to use our “gifts”

And I did find the original “stone”, so we now each have one for our desks!

We know who holds the future and we eagerly look forward to what the LORD is doing in our lives. Today our daughter Ami showed up to start the process of organizing the contents of our home starting with our closets. What a blessing! One of her many gifts! She spent over 10 hours taking everything out of cabinets, and drawers, etc in our kitchen and reorganizing. Lots of stuff donated to various local organizations. Now she wants to continue with the rest of our home. We got tired just sitting and watching her.

What we do today matters: Time with the LORD, Bible Study, Praying, Reading God’s Word, Listening to Christian music, Spending time with our spouse if we have one , worship , spending time with our children and serving. And with all this time of social distancing, we can spend a lot of time online connecting with friends and groups with Zoom.

Looking forward to Spring and warmer weather. Thinking about starting a lettuce bed at our church’s Food Pantry Garden

Writing a book?

Our daughter gave me a subscription to Storyworth. Once a week for a whole year I get a question from her or I can make up my own questions. She and our children get the “story” and at end of year, it all gets published in a book. I can also add pictures. A great way to tell our stories and communicate with our loved ones while we are still here and can remember! A new project!

Also, looking forward to fishing with our grandson(s), golfing and , especially short trips with Naomi.

It’s always good to have goals, but we don’t know the future. But Today matters!

“The Lifebuilder’s Creed”

Today is the most important day of my life,

Yesterday with its successes and victories, struggles and failures is gone forever.

The past is past, Done, Finished.

I cannot relive it. I cannot go back and change it.

But I will learn from it and improve my Today.

Today. This moment. NOW.

It is God’s gift to me and it is all that I have.

Tomorrow with all its joys and sorrows, triumphs and troubles isn’t here yet.

Indeed, tomorrow may never come.

Therefore, I will not worry about tomorrow.

Today is what God has entrusted to me.

It is all that I have. I will do my best in it.

I will demonstrate the best of me in it-my character, giftedness, and abilities-to my family and friends, clients and associates.

I will identify those things that are most important to do Today, and those things I will do until they are done.

And when this day is done I will look back with satisfaction at that which I have accomplished.

Then, and only then, will I plan my tomorrow, Looking to improve upon Today, with God’s help.

Then I shall go to sleep in peace…content.

Today Matters by John C. Maxwell An email to him by his friend Dale Witherington

In spite of the Covid-19 virus and it’s effect on the normality or routine of our lives, we can make the choice of experiencing a “Great Day”!

As believers do we spend quality time with the LORD each morning?

Reading His Word and praying with our spouse if we have one?

“This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” Psalm 118:24

Today Is All We Have

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about it's own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:34)

Most of us get so tomorrow-oriented that we do not enjoy the present moment. We are preoccupied by what is coming, and we fail to experience what is. We press on in preparation as if some new plan, relationship, or opportunity will make everything different. It is good to plan but not to the point that we miss what God is saying in the difficult or unpleasant thing we may now be living through.

The seeds of tomorrow’s harvest are today. How we cultivate them will determine what we will reap. Don’t forget to live…today!

God’s Best For My LIfe. John Ogilvie. August 19th Devotion.

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It’s always good to be aware of things that may rob us of our joy and not make it a good day!

Still not feeling confident in the day!

Would love to hear your “comments” on how you are experiencing a “Great Day”

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