Tag: Memories

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Begin With Thanksgiving

Begin With Thanksgiving

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Three thousand years have rolled through the pages of time. Yet, one man’s name blazes through Biblical pages because of how he began his prayers.

It is one thing to have a name listed along with many others in scripture. It is quite another when noted exactly what sets him apart from 284 other men.

That is the case of one man by the name of, Mattaniah.

Mattaniah…the leader who began the thanksgiving with prayer; Nehemiah 11: 17

Of the 284 Levites who lived in Jerusalem, he’s named twice. Both times with the notation that he led a prayer with thanksgiving.

Yet a third time he is part of a group of Levites who gave praise and thanks within the city (Nehemiah 11:17, 12:8, 24–25).

A personality trait worthy of pursuing is to exhibit a sincere attitude of gratitude.

It is good to express gratitude for what we have in this life.

We do not know much about Mattaniah. He was a Levite. A servant to the priests. Also a gatekeeper. Above all else God wants us to know him as a man who leads out with thanksgiving in his prayers. Wow!

“Thou that hast given so much to me, give one thing more: a grateful heart.” George Herbert 17th century British poet.

Identify your identity definitely.

We identify ourselves often by the position or place in the family we hold. But others recognize us by the attitudes we display.

Yes, Mattaniah had a job; Levite and gatekeeper. His view of gratitude though made all the difference in how his name is listed.

This leads me to ponder the following questions.

Do we want to be remembered by the position we held?

Or by the attitude, we displayed while holding that position?

Photo by Jessica Castro on Unsplash

Mattaniah received both!

These word cousins; gratitude, thankfulness, appreciation, and graciousness build strong character in us. When the meaning of these words become ingrained in the way we live, peace reigns in our soul. We become much better at facing and dealing with day to day challenges. We make decisions with ease. A better person emerges. One which is more likable. Others will approach and accept us into their social circles.

Why does this remarkable change take place?

Mattaniah shows us the way; he “began” with thanksgiving.

His starting point was;

Thankfulness.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalms 100:4 (NLT)

Beginning each day with a grateful heart sets the tone for the whole day. The interactions we have with others are more pleasant.

Be sure to read; https://richard-armstrong.com/the-discipline-of-thanksgiving/

My Prayer

Lord, teach us to have a lifestyle seasoned with an appreciation for all that You have given us in this life. Give us words of gratitude to encourage others in their journey of faith. Amen.

Enjoy this Thanksgiving season.

Thanks for reading.

Richard

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The Discipline of Thanksgiving

The Discipline of Thanksgiving

“The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts…nevertheless, [they] set aside a day of thanksgiving.” H.U. Westermayer

“Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving.” Psalm 92:2

Grateful people practice the discipline of Thanksgiving at all times.

Grateful people live happier and fulfilled lives. Also, studies are suggesting that those who express thankfulness actually live longer! One thing for sure, I’d rather spend a day with a thankful person than with one full of complaints. Wouldn’t you? For some people, it comes easy, but for others, it seems quite difficult to utter the words; “Thank you.” This becomes an issue of disciplining the soul to live a life of thankfulness.

The man who survived the Holocaust.

Viktor Frankl who survived many years of Nazi imprisonment saw the internal will of men. Every one of his family members, except his sister, died while imprisoned.

Viktor’s book; ‘Man’s Search For Meaning,’ he writes, in the most awful of conditions with no hope of escape. A person’s reactions mentally and spiritually decided their fate. The enemy can strip one of his home, his family and friends. But it is what lives in the soul that determines one’s response to adversity.

Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash

It is reasonable to give thanks.

A reasonable person digs much more in-depth, to his very soul. There are the innermost parts, where no one can see, he builds the disciplines of thanksgiving.

What lives in the soul sustained the Pilgrims for each time they buried one of their own. They lifted eyes to heaven and gave God thanks for what remained.

Viktor Frankl wrote of men who had disciplined themselves to live out what was in their soul. Giving their last piece of bread to prisoners close to death.

“Keep your heart with all diligence,” writes Solomon, “For out of it springs the issues of life.”

Discipline the soul to be thankful. When others grumble, we offer thanks. When hearing complaints, we respond with gracious, positive words.

In the face of adversity, we give thanks that Jesus has promised to never leave nor forsake us.

Lead by our example.

We lead more by example lived than by the words we speak. Strengthen the discipline of thankfulness to a higher measure in our soul.

In the USA we celebrate a day of Thanksgiving this month. November is an excellent time to increase a thankful attitude within our very souls.

I am thankful.

Read “My five words of gratitude”, here.

Enjoy this season of Thanksgiving by building a thankful attitude all year long.

Thanks for reading. Enjoy the holiday.

Richard

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For better family conversations, do this

For better family conversations, do this even though siblings are not all on the same page. Get the family together for breakfast! 

Family breakfasts are one way, not the only way of how to have better family conversations.

Being on the same page is not the point, family ties matter more. 

For better family conversations the Armstrong’s took this approach.

Read on.

What makes excellent family time possible? Sibling synergy is helpful for this to happen. Here is my definition. It is the combined effort of two or more of us to produce something more significant in relationships than anyone of us could accomplish alone.

The back story of Armstrong’s monthly breakfast.

In 1989 my father died. The house got sold, and we seven siblings had no point of reference to assemble as a family. Our mother had passed away in 1965.

My father’s passing, although expected was a sad day for my family. In the sadness of that time, my brother, Joe proposed a tradition that would hold our family together. Joe, said since we have lost our central meeting place lets begin meeting on the first Saturday of each month for breakfast at a local restaurant. My brother, Joe and his wife recently moved to a retirement community in MA and is no longer able to meet with us here in Lancaster County, PA. But our family owes a debt of gratitude to Joe for putting our family on the correct path 30 years ago, thank you, brother Joe.

One of my favorite quotes from President Ronald Reagan.

“The family has always been the cornerstone of American society. Our families nurture, preserve, and pass on to each succeeding generation the values we share and cherish, values that are the foundation for our freedoms. In the family, we learn our first lessons of God and man, love and discipline, rights and responsibilities, human dignity and human frailty.”

Here it is, for better family conversations, do this – Having our breakfasts together is making better family conversations possible.

Continue reading; make no mistake, since we are not the perfect family, yet here is what we are doing. For better family conversations, do this, and ‘this is‘ what we are doing.

Since 1989 we have had breakfast together as a family, only missing one or two Saturdays due to weather conditions. At first, all seven of us and our spouses met, later joined by nephews, nieces and other family members. Over these years 3 of our brothers have passed away. We were together through the grieving times.

Good breakfast food and lots of talk around the table opens doors for fulfilling conversation.

Particular family time has built a cohesiveness to our family. Family time together does not mean we all agree on things, spiritually, politically, or how each of us raised our families. It has been an unspoken rule; we have never discussed the disappointments, misfortunes or miss-steps each family has experienced.
Most, if not all of us are born again Christians which points us in a positive, life-giving direction in discussions.

The Armstrong Breakfast

How to have better family conversations, do this.

Organizing a monthly breakfast might be difficult, but I assure you, the effort will be worth it. Let’s get together for breakfast. Eating together spurs good conversations, always has and always will.

As Nike says, ‘Just do it!’

Every first Saturday is a ‘hallmark day’ for us as a family. It continues to be a significant time bonding us together.

“God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.” Psalms 68:6

For more insight on this read my post, ‘Do we ever get to go home again’ here

Why not start a tradition in your family. If your family is scattered around the globe, be creative, find a way to stay connected with your siblings.

What keeps your family connected?

Just think about this; our lives pass too soon, so family ties do matter.

I’d love to receive your comments, questions or insights you have on this post. Please comment in the comment box provided.

I’d appreciate you passing this post on to others in your groups or on your social media pages.

Thank you,

Richard Armstrong

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Three questions for Lifestyle improvement

 Three decisions I made for a better life.

We all want to live better. 

Am I correct in that assumption?

However, the thinking that occupies our mind is we cannot let go of the past. It is possible to release ourselves from the grip our history has on us. I looked at these three questions for lifestyle improvement, and I want you to know them. Making three choices for a positive turnaround freed me from my past mistakes. However, it continues as an intentional persistence on my part, but the journey produced a tremendously rewarding future. This life journey going from recent missteps into the present and to a brighter future was and is a spiritual and mental challenge for me. When I know what to do and do not do what I should do it puts me in a losing situation.

“Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.’ James 4:17

I’m sure we all desire to go from drifting through life to a more fulfilling lifestyle, am I right on that?

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Then, stay with me on this, keep reading.

Three questions for Lifestyle improvement

A couple of years ago I wrote out eleven choices I wanted to incorporate into my life for growth. I made this list for myself because it is in these eleven areas I needed the most help. Today I am sharing the first three decisions I made for a better life. To know more about me, click here.

 “When you’re through changing, you’re through.”  Bruce Barth
I do not want to be through at this stage of my life, but a continual work in progress!

A look at the first three of my eleven decisions I made to improve my life.

 

1. Admit my mistakes

2. Accept reality as my friend     

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3. Acquire margin in my life

Here is more insight on each of my three questions for lifestyle improvement 

1.  Admit mistakes and correct as soon as reasonable. If not admitted, they will tie me to my past. I must take time to understand why I made mistakes, but I do not continue to live there. Not admitting errors might be a ‘man thing’ but should not be my excuse for admitting I am wrong.

2.  Accept reality as my friend. The sooner I realize where I am at this stage of life, the quicker my problem will be resolved.

“Face reality as it is, not as you wish it to be.” Peter Koestenbaum

3.  Acquiring margin in my life breathes freshness into each day. A book without margins is unreadable, so my existence without margin is unlivable. The margin I need is quiet time alone, money in the bank, time spent with my family and friends. There is a tendency to crowd my schedule with appointments and meetings, but I need some alone time. I’m not talking about ‘loneliness,’ no this is not idle time, but something very different and necessary for me to develop margin in my life. In Richard J. Foster’s book, ‘Celebration of Discipline,’ he writes; “Loneliness is inner emptiness, solitude in inner fulfillment.” It will be necessary for me to withdraw a few times a year to experience an inner peace that only solitude can deliver. 

My hope for anyone reading this is for you to enhance your insights about lifestyle improvements by me sharing the three questions I faced on my journey in life. I will share more from my eleven questions in posts to come.

Write a comment on this post. I’d love to hear from you. What have you discovered about moving into a different season of life? Write your questions; this will help me in determining future posts. Please sign up to keep receiving these posts. I’ll appreciate that very much.

Thank you,

Richard

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Ready, Set, Go in twenty-eighteen

Ready, Set, Go in Twenty-eighteen

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Are you ready for the new year? Have you set your sights on improvement in specific areas? Will you go into this new year with renewed vigor.” Twenty-eighteen is now! What will you do differently in twenty-eighteen?

I know what you’re thinking.

Twenty-eighteen is going to be the year, right! We will make positive choices. Success will be ours. Things will improve.

But how will this happen?

Let me break this down for you. These three words just might be the springboard for a better reality this year.

Ready – Set -Go

Read on to pick up insights on how these three words can make the difference you desire to make in twenty-eighteen.

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  1. Ready. Being prepared is the first item for success.

Let me tell you a little story from my childhood. On school mornings at the break of dawn, I’d throw back the covers, run down the steps to the kitchen for breakfast. My mother would say; “go ‘red-up’ your room, then you can have breakfast”. (‘Red-up’ is a local saying here in Lancaster County, meaning, make your bed, tidy up your room.), You see, some things have to be finished before we go forward. Here’s the point.  Unfinished “business” lingering from 2017 should be put in good order.

  1. Set. Here’s the scoop. Your priorities need to be set when planning for a successful year. What is the most important item for you to accomplish this year? Set your prime concern to be honest in all your dealings, to be faithful to God, your spouse, your friends and to work each day as you would for the improvement. These are essential issues to set you on attaining new highs for 2018.

    Have you ever experienced a defining moment in your life? Well, I did.

I’ll give you one personal insight on when I set my priorities straight. February 1968, this was at my lowest point in my life. My thought on that day was, I had lost everything that mattered to me. There I stood by my mother’s grave, not to talk to her but to God. I chose to follow God where He wanted me to go. The place of the dead became my turning point for a gratifying life.

  1. Go. Are you sure the past is past! Does your history keep nagging you, holding you in its clutches? 

Keep reading because I have great news for you.

The Apostle Paul put it this way in the book of Philippians:

“…but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach…”

Read on for the crucial part of your ‘GO.’ 

 One thing we all have is our ‘past.’

The apostle Paul didn’t let his past dictate his present nor his future. Obliviously, Paul did not forget what he was in the past because he wrote to us about it. BUT, he put the past behind him and saw a better future ahead of him.

In my personal story, I told you how I committed to God, did I always do the right thing? Of course not, many times I failed. When I did, I confessed my wrong and moved on.

Here’s the excellent news.

The past is not a prophet! It is only a teacher.

We learn from our past while releasing its grip on the present. Your history is the one thing you cannot change, let it go. You hold in your grasp this day, take it and press on to a brighter future.

Happy New Year

READY, SET, GO!  This will be the most incredible year, 2018!

Please sign up on the form to keep receiving my post. Also, I’d like to see any comments you write in the below comment section. I read, and I respond. Thank you much, Richard

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Is Your Christmas Merry?

Is Your Christmas Merry?   

It’s Christmas time. Let the celebration continue. Join me in praising God in the Highest for His wonderful gift to humankind.

Jesus, our Savior, was born. I am eternally grateful for God’s love and grace to my wife and me.

First off, the date is not the issue.

The Western world sets the twenty-fifth of December as Christmas. The Eastern Orthodox will celebrate Jesus’ birth on or near to January 7, 2018. Eastern Orthodox use the Julian calendar which differs from the western Gregorian calendar. These dates are different as you can readily see. No one knows the exact date. I believe that God had a reason for the date not to be important. What is important, Jesus, the Son of God came into this world to redeem us. This historical fact is the reason we celebrate. If you are really ‘hung up’ on the date, Erick Erickson wrote an interesting article on this. You can read it here.

Let me tell you why my Christmas is not only merry but intensely bright.

At the age of ten my mother, Betty Armstrong, sat me down in our kitchen and explained to me how much I needed to accept Jesus as my Savior. That was sixty-five years ago! I got down on my knees, right there in my mother’s kitchen, and accepted Jesus as my personal Savior. It has not been all a bed of roses, most of my problems in life I attribute to my disobedience to God’s word. But here is a little secret. When I sinned and repented, God forgave me. Salvation, repentance, and restoration to my acceptance by God is a very happy thought, wouldn’t you agree?

My marriage to Fran has been a forty-seven-year gift to me. I think you’ll agree; I should be merry.

But there’s more.

My wife and I have five wonderful children. All have grown and given us many grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren How great is that. I’m pleased and merry about that.

My Christmas is merry and bright.

Don’t be like the religious leaders who were more concerned with tradition. Follow the example of the wise men, and seek God this Christmas. It’s the reason we celebrate Christmas – God wants to connect with you! Rick Warren  

 

My Christmas season is merry because I’m connected. Secure with God because of His dear Son. Securely linked with my spouse and family. Connected to my extended family and to my many friends.

The Armstrongs

Maybe it would be a great idea to connect with someone we have not seen for many years. Renew old friendships. Keep in touch with those who have helped us over the years.

Yes, This Christmas can be the merriest one of all for us by connecting with Our Savior, our family, friends and forgotten people in our past.

I believe the Christmas story; my Christmas is merry.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger because there was no place for them in the inn. Luke chapter 2

Your Christmas should be merry and bright! 

Make your Christmas merry this year by accepting God’s dear Son, Jesus as your Savior.

I welcome your comments in the comment section. Also please sign up to receive my next post. Thank you.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Richard