Today, I am deeply grateful for those of you who have supported the Dial Hope Foundation with a financial donation. Hope reaches others because of you. Thank you!

Abraham Lincoln’s secretary of war, Edwin Stanton, was angered by an army officer who accused him of favoritism.  Lincoln suggested that Stanton write the officer a sharp letter. Stanton did and showed the strongly worded missive to the president. “What are you going to do with it?” Lincoln inquired. Surprised, Stanton replied, “Send it.” Lincoln shook his head. “You don’t want to send that letter,” he said. “Put it in the stove. That’s what I do when I have written a letter while I am angry. It’s a good letter and you had a good time writing it and feel better. Now burn it, and write another.”

That’s great advice, isn’t it? How often do words spoken in haste or anger come back to haunt us?

A woman once came to Billy Sunday and tried to rationalize her angry outbursts. “There’s nothing wrong with losing my temper,” she said. “I blow up, and then it’s all over.” “So does a shotgun,” Sunday replied, “and look at the damage it leaves behind!”

Let us pray: Loving God, yes there are times when we get angry, times when we feel hurt, times when we feel we can no longer stand the injustice or wrongs in the world around us. We ask that in those moments, you would help us find appropriate channels for our anger. Give us patience and wisdom. Help us to know when to let go and when and how to act. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

I recently saw a funny Peanuts comic strip. Linus says, “So, I had to tell the teacher that I just didn’t know….” Charlie Brown responds, “Maybe some questions don’t have an answer.” “Like what,” Lucy asks? Snoopy answers, “Like did Jesus ever own a dog?”

It’s true. Charlie Brown is right. Some questions don’t have answers – at least not that we can grasp.

I am continually reminded of the need for humility in the face of questions about suffering and loss, and in the face of questions about eternity.

The Apostle Paul reminds us, “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; (one day) we shall see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”

In the meantime, we are reminded, “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13)

Our prayer today is attributed to St. Augustine sometime around the late 4^th Century. Let us pray: God of life, there are days when the burdens we carry are heavy on our shoulders and weigh us down, when the road seems dreary and endless, the skies gray and threatening, when our lives have no music in them, and our hearts are lonely, and our souls have lost their courage.

Flood the path with light, turn our eyes to where the skies are full of promise; tune our hearts to brave music; give us the sense of friendship with heroes and saints of every age; and so quicken our spirits that we may be able to encourage the souls of all who journey with us on the road of life, to your honor and glory. Amen.

A recently read a touching story about a completely selfless act. Three times a month, Jermaine Washington and Michelle Stevens get together for what they call a “gratitude lunch.” They do this for a very good reason! Washington donated one of his kidneys to Stevens.

Originally, they met each other at work and often ate lunch together. One day Michelle broke down and cried as she spoke about waiting on a kidney donor list for 11 months. She was being sustained by kidney dialysis, but suffered chronic fatigue and blackouts and was plagued by joint pain. Because Washington couldn’t stand the thought of watching his friend suffer, he gave her one of his kidneys.

It is a beautiful story. And I love their response. I love the idea of a “gratitude lunch.” What a great way to celebrate!

In just over a week, we will be celebrating our own “gratitude lunch – or dinner.” But this story made me think about how our lives could be so much richer if we spread little Thanksgiving celebrations out throughout the year.  I wonder what excuses you might come up with to set a few “gratitude lunches” of your own.

Let us pray: We have so much to be thankful for, O God. May we never fail to notice and celebrate all your blessings; through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Today’s message was written by Rev. Dr. Roger Kunkel, founder of Dial Hope.

I want to begin this meditation with a passage from the New Testament, 1 Peter 1:22: “Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart.”

The late musician Duke Ellington said his doctor once told him that the bug disease kills more people than any other disease in the world. It is very important, therefore, not to let anything bug you! The Duke’s doctor wasn’t talking about germs. He was alluding to the tensions of living and our relationships with others.

One of the most destructive stresses of life is hatred. If you let yourself hate, the chances are that the one you hate won’t get sick – you will! Loving your neighbor instead of letting him bug you is the very best way to avoid such tension and illness.

Doctors find that Jesus’ admonition to love one another is good sound medical advice. Freedom from the bug disease brings not only a healthy body but also peace of mind, a happy life, and continuous hope.

Memorize this beautiful passage from the Old Testament book of Proverbs: “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries up the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22)

Let us pray: Loving God, we acknowledge that life is a mixture of light and dark, ease and difficulty, joy, and distress. Today we pray especially for those who now experience the darker side; those who grieve, those who struggle with personal problems, those who feel neglected, those whose lives are touched by illness or despair, those who are tired and scared.

Let the hope that comes from Jesus Christ infuse them with healing, love, strength, and courage. Save us all from the bug disease of hatred, bitterness, and cynicism.  Now let the word of joy and hope that is in the gospel ring in our ears with new truth and fervor this day. Through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Pastor David McLennon once wrote about his very first job in a small-town general store. At age thirteen he was hired as a handy boy. He would sweep the floor, bag items for customers, put up stock. One Saturday, he heard the owner say to one of the clerks “It’s that time of the year again, it’s time to take inventory.”  Now that was not a word that entered into his vocabulary yet. So, he went up to the kindly older man and asked, “Sir, what is an inventory?” Patiently the owner explained that it was a time when you made a list of everything that you had–from groceries on the shelves to wrapping paper and string. Still somewhat confused, McLennon asked the owner why?  “Well,” he responded, “it is easy to forget exactly how much you have each year. Now and then you have to take an inventory just to see what all you have.”

This little story raises the question for us: Have I taken inventory of my life lately? Have I made an effort to count all those positive things I have in my life?

So often we are apt to complain about the challenges we face or about what we are lacking. What if instead, from time to time, we sat down to list the gifts, blessings, and opportunities God has given us. It seems to me that this would be a great exercise especially when we are in a mood to whine or wallow in self-pity.

It is easy to forget just how much we have. Now and then, let’s take inventory.

Let us pray: You are good, O God, and you have been good to us. As we make our lists, may your peace rest on us. And, may we remember again that we are blessed to be a blessing. Amen.