Friends,

I was reminded early this week that we can easily lose our focus on God in our daily activities. Our older grandchildren are spending the week with us. We have things planned with them every day. Yesterday we headed down to Hermann Park and went to the Museum of Natural Sciences. When we finished there, we headed over to the Zoo for an hour or so. By the time we reached home it was time for dinner, then a little down time, then showers and off to bed. By the time they settled into sleep It was almost 9:00 pm and I had not even begun to think about this week’s newsletter. We have another round of fun things to do today, so I am trying to make sure I juggle my time to get everything done that needs to be done. And just when I thought I was getting back on schedule someone called and asked me to help with a funeral on Saturday. I thought I had it figured out. Newsletter this afternoon, Sunday message tonight and Thursday night, Bible study Wednesday afternoon and night and of course, the grandchildren things during the day and early evening. Now, the reality is that I can make it all fit if I am willing to give up a round of golf this week. Now you see my dilemma. Does this happen to you?

It is so easy to let all of the things that we do every day keep us from doing the things that God wants us to do. The difficult thing is that for most of us the things we do every day are important things to do. They are not bad things. In fact, I think that the things I did with my grandchildren yesterday were good things. So how do we make sure we do the things we need to do in addition to the things we want to do?

I am not sure I have a good answer. The answer may be different for each of us. But I do think there are some basic things to remember.

• Never forget that God wants a relationship with us so much that he put on flesh and moved into our neighborhood.
• Never forget that since God lives next door, he knows our struggles, our pains, our strengths and our weaknesses.
• Never forget that Jesus asked God to send the Holy Spirit to walk alongside us and guide us
• Never forget that we can ask for help in keeping ourselves aligned with what God wants of us, even when we are wrapped up in all the other things in life.
• Never forget to look at all the things we have to do then set a priority and work on a schedule.

I try to choose a Scripture each week that relates to my newsletter thoughts. These verses in Deuteronomy don’t exactly address the issue I faced this week, but they are close. They better address not letting our successes get in between God and ourselves. However, I can relate them to letting our business get in between God and ourselves. Make sure you don’t let the business of life get in the way of doing God’s work. It is easy to do.

God bless you. See you Sunday

Colossians 2:6-19(NRSV)

6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision, by putting off the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ; 12 when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, 14 erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it.

16 Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or sabbaths. 17 These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Do not let anyone disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, dwelling on visions, puffed up without cause by a human way of thinking, 19 and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God.