Thought for Friday March 1

Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Blessed are you, O LORD;
teach me your statutes.
Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.

Sirach 6: 5 – 17  A kind mouth multiplies friends and appeases enemies, and gracious lips prompt friendly greetings.  Let your acquaintances be many,  but one in a thousand your confidant.

How many real friends do I have?   Am I too quick, too slow or just right in the way I choose friends?

Action:   Send friendly greetings to some of your friends.

Thought for Thursday February 28

Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

Sirach 5: 1 – 8  Rely not on your wealth; say not: “I have the power.”

Do I rely too much on my own wealth, skill, strength, power, knowledge, etc.?  Am I actively dependent on God for anything?

Action:  Let someone who is overwhelmed rely on you for a little while.

Thought for Wednesday February 27

O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
Let my soul live to praise you,
and may your ordinances help me.
O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.

Mark 9: 38 – 40  John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.”

Am I suspicious of the good other people do if they are not part of “my group”?   What group seems to be dong the most good in my community?

Action:  Participate in whatever good things are going on in your community.

Thought for Tuesday February 25

Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart's requests.
Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.

Mark 9:30 – 37  If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.

Who do I put first?  Who has always put me first?

Action:  Do something today to honor someone who put you first.

Thought for Monday February 25

The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
The LORD is king, in splendor robed;
robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.
The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

Mark 9: 14 – 29  Everything is possible to one who has faith.

Do I believe that I could have enough faith to do anything?  What am I failing to do because of a lack of faith?

Action:  The best way to grow in faith is to exercise faith.  Launch into some project you have been avoiding with faith that your faith will grow.

Thought for Friday February 22

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Matthew 16: 13 – 19  And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.

Would I have accepted the responsibility Jesus gave Peter?  If I were a friend of Peter’s, would I have supported him?

Action:  Show support for someone who is in a position of authority – even if you don’t agree with everything he does.

Thought for Thursday February 21

From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.
Let this be written for the generation to come,
and let his future creatures praise the LORD:
"The LORD looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die."
From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.

Mark 8: 27 – 33  He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days.

Do I really want to work for someone who predicts this kind of outcome?  What did the disciples know that kept them going in spite of this prediction?

Action:  Make a list of 3 – 5 reasons to kept following Jesus in spite of his own prediction.

Thought for Wednesday February 20

To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.

  

Mark 8: 22 – 26  "Do you see anything?"

What do I see?  Do I see Jesus Christ working in the world today?

Action:  Point out something you see that you think can be made better and get people to help you make it happen.

Thought for Tuesday February 19

The Lord will bless his people with peace.
The voice of the LORD is over the waters,
the LORD, over vast waters.
The voice of the LORD is mighty;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.
The Lord will bless his people with peace.

Mark 8: 14 - 21  The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.

  

What do I forget when I go out to do the work of Jesus?  What do I always take with me?

  

Action:  Make a list of things (spiritual, emotional, & physical) that you need to do the work of the Kingdom.

Thought for Monday February 18

Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.
"Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?"
Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.

Mark 8: 11 – 13  "Why does this generation seek a sign?”

Do I look for signs from God?   Have I ever used “not having a sign” as an excuse for not doing something I knew I should do?

Action:  Do something you have been putting off while waiting for the “right time” or ‘right sign”?

Thought for Friday February 15

Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven.
You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me;
with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.
Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven.

 Mark 7: 31 – 37  And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him.

What do I hear everyday that I would rather be deaf to?  What would I miss most if I were deaf?

Action:  Pick 5 words that you believe shouldn’t be in your vocabulary (e.g. hate, stupid, can’t, ugly, @#$%^) and try to stop saying them.

Thought for Thursday February 14

Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Blessed are you who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.
Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

  

Mark 7: 24 – 30  Jesus went to the district of Tyre.  He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it,  but he could not escape notice.

  

Have I ever thought about what it would be like to have my every movement followed and publicized?  Do I show respect for the people who have sacrificed privacy to serve?

  

Action:  Pray for all of those who are in public positions and think about everything they have sacrificed before gossiping about them.

Thought for Wednesday February 13

O bless the Lord, my soul!
All creatures look to you
to give them food in due time.
When you give it to them, they gather it;
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
O bless the Lord, my soul!

Mark 7: 14 – 23  Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand.”

  

What does it take to understand Jesus’ message?  How hard do I work to understand scripture?

  

Action:  Work to understand whatever Jesus is trying to tell you.

Thought for Tuesday February 12

O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
All sheep and oxen,
yes, and the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea,
and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!

Mark 7: 1 – 13  "Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?"

What do I do based mostly on familial or societal tradition?  Is following tradition having a positive effect on my life?

  

Action:  Adopt a new tradition (for Valentine’s Day, Lent, Spring, President’s Day, etc) that you think will have a positive effect on your life.  To get started you could ask others what they do or research different cultures.

Thought for Monday February 11

May the Lord be glad in his works.
You send forth springs into the watercourses
that wind among the mountains.
Beside them the birds of heaven dwell;
from among the branches they send forth their song.
May the Lord be glad in his works.

Mark 6: 53 – 56  As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him [Jesus].

How do I recognize Jesus?  Do I see him working in the world?

Action:  Look for Jesus this week in places where you have never noticed him being.

Thought for Friday February 8

The Lord is my light and my salvation.
For he will hide me in his abode
in the day of trouble;
He will conceal me in the shelter of his tent,
he will set me high upon a rock.
The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Mark 6: 14 – 29  The king said to the girl, “Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you.”

If someone offered to grant me a wish, what woud I wish for?  Am I working to make  that wish come true?

Action:  Work to make something you would wish for come true.

Thought for Thursday February 7

O God, we ponder your mercy within your temple.
Great is the LORD and wholly to be praised
in the city of our God.
His holy mountain, fairest of heights,
is the joy of all the earth.
O God, we ponder your mercy within your temple.

Mark 6: 7 – 13  Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits.

If Jesus were to send me out like this (two by two) whom would I want to go with?  Who most helps me do the work of God?

Action:  If you have someone you would want to go with, do something nice for him or her today.  If you don’t know someone you would want to go with, treat yourself to a “rugged individualist” special treat.

Thought for Wednesday February 6

The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

Mark 6: 1 – 6  Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house." So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,

  

Do I ever pigeonhole people based on my first impression or experience of them?   Do I stereotype people in a way that limits their ability to “perform mighty deeds” around me?

  

Action:  Take a fresh look  at 3 people in your life and see if you can notice how God is working through them in ways you haven’t noticed.

Thought for Tuesday February 5

They will praise you, Lord, who long for you.
I will fulfill my vows before those who fear him.
The lowly shall eat their fill;
they who seek the LORD shall praise him:
"May your hearts be ever merry!"
They will praise you, Lord, who long for you.

 Mark 5: 21 – 43  But his disciples said to him, "You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, Who touched me?"

In the crowd of people that has surrounded me throughout my life, who has touched me?  How have I touched others?

Action:  Make it your goal to help (touch) as many people as have helped you, but don’t overburden yourself with a schedule.

Thought for Monday February 4

Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

Love the LORD, all you his faithful ones!

The LORD keeps those who are constant,

but more than requites those who act proudly.

Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

Mark 5: 1 – 20  “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?

What does Jesus have to do with me?  What do I have to do with Jesus?

Action:  Involve Jesus in some activity in your life that you have never made him a part of.