“This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.”
(Psalm 188:24 New King James Version)
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.
The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
(2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV)
Dear Friends,
Greetings in Jesus’ name.
Zig Ziglar was a motivational speaker who happened to be a Christian man – or better, he was a Christian man who happened to be a motivational speaker. Anyway, he has shared a lot of wisdom over the years and I share with some insight profitable for us in this new year:
The “Tudes” of Life
The first “tude” I want to talk about is “gratitude,” because the more you express gratitude for what you have, the more you will have to express gratitude for. It’s equally true that you will never find a happy person who is not a grateful person, so gratitude is a marvelous place to start.
The second “tude” is “attitude.” Psychologists have maintained for generations that attitudes are more important than facts. An attitude with the facts, however, is going to be tremendously rewarding and productive. It’s also a fact that attitude is the determining factor in the major accomplishments in life and, fortunately, attitude is something you can control.
The next “tude” is “magnitude.” We need to magnify the important things and reduce the magnitude of things that appear to be insurmountable problems. “Don’t make mountains out of mole hills” is a wise observation all of us would do well to observe.
The next “tude” is “latitude,” which is another way of expressing the fact that we have the freedom to do virtually anything within the bounds of human decency and law in this land of ours. We have the latitude to be all that we can be, and accomplish some incredible objectives. Regardless of our ancestors, the circumstances of our youth, etc., we have the latitude to move from where we are to where we want to be.
The next “tude” is “multitude.” We face a multitude of challenges and opportunities every day. It’s a fact that you can hold a dime close enough to your eye to blot out the sun. If we concentrate on the multitude of challenges we face, we will blot out the opportunities of life. It is equally true that if we concentrate on the opportunities of life we will blot out the challenges to the degree that we can overcome those challenges.
With a good set of “tudes” you can accomplish some incredible objectives in life. So concentrate on the “tudes.”
Perhaps you can feel Zig’s words going beyond mere human positive thinking to embrace the new life we have in Jesus. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” God bless you with good “tudes” today.
Coming Up at Prince of Peace …
Sunday, February 1
9:00 Sunday School & Adult Bible Class
Adult Bible Class: “You are a Witness – A Checkered Past” based on John 4:1-42
10:30 Holy Communion
Sermon: “Love, Speak, Act in the Name of Jesus” based on 1 Corinthians 8:1-13
News …
Prayer & Communion Service is an informal midweek service where we gather prayer concerns and I pray through them. We finish with a brief communion liturgy. You are welcome to attend with your prayer concerns or simply another opportunity to partake of the dear body and blood of our Lord Jesus which feed our spiritual life. We begin tomorrow evening (Wednesday) at 8:00pm.
EDLYA Retreat: The Winter Young Adult Retreat will be this weekend at Trinity Lutheran in Toronto. The speaker will Pastor LP Yeong. This is the last chance to register. Go to http://www.edlya.ca/. Please register as soon as possible so food can be planned. Don’t forget to bring Bibles and invite a friend! Mark Walrath and Kyle Wise are going. You can still encourage your young adults to attend, too!
Lutheran Hour Sunday will be observed this Sunday: You can listen to The Lutheran Hour every Sunday at 8:00a.m. on AM Radio 820. Carol and I enjoy hearing it on our way to Sunday School. Give it a listen!
GodConnects: A Course in Christianity begins this Monday (February 1) at 7pm. We will enjoy some fellowship time with a meal and then begin the class at 7:30 concluding by 8:45. The class will feature short videos with reading and discussion following. Those enrolled will receive a catechism. Thank you to those who offered to help with food. Talk to me if you’d like to help with upcoming weeks. Prince of Peace members are welcome to come in support of those who are examining these things for the first time.
Online …
Lutheran Hour Ministries: This Sunday there will be an insert describing the work of Lutheran Hour Ministries. While that’s a good introduction, the fact that LHM is a multi-media ministry means that you can better see what they do by visiting their website where you can easily click to watch and listen and read. Check it out here: http://www.lhm.org/
In your prayers, please remember:
- All those under Doctors’ care
- Christians suffering persecution in various parts of the world
The Lord be with you.
Yours in Christ Jesus,
Pastor Kevin Walrath
