Coping

Pause & Reflect with me on the words of Psalm 23: 
“The Lord is My Shepherd, I shall not want. He leads me besides still waters, he refreshes my soul."

What in your life do you need the refreshment of the Good Shepherd today? Listen now.

Good morning. This is Chaplain Kevin. Would you pause with me and reflect as we begin this morning…

Living in a city with busy streets, crowded neighborhoods and constant noise, it can be hard to find space for calm and stillness. 

Psalm 23 verse 2-3 says: “[The Good Shepherd] leads me beside still waters; he refreshes my soul.”

The waters the Shepherd leads his people to are still. These waters invite us to mirror its attributes of calm and stillness. When the waters are still, the glassy surface offers a reflective quality symbolizing an opportunity for spiritual reflection and introspection. 

Nothing refreshes the soul like calm, stillness and reflection. 

Where in your life do you need calm and stillness?

How will you find these still waters today?

Let’s pray: Lord, lead us to still waters today. Give us opportunities for reflection. That our souls might find refreshment in you. We pray these things in your Name. Amen.

July 4th is a celebration where we commemorate and celebrate our nation's freedom and independence. Listen now.

Good morning. This is Chaplain Kevin. Would you pause with me and reflect this morning as we celebrate this 4th of July. 

July 4th is a day of celebration where we commemorate our nation’s freedom and independence. We celebrate through fireworks and parades; family gatherings and barbecues. 

As we celebrate our nation’s freedom and express joy for our own personal liberties let us also recognize the reality of many Americans who are not granted the same rights and freedoms that we are. In Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s famous “I Have a Dream” Speech he described his vision of Freedom saying: 

“When we allow freedom to ring… when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old [Negro] spiritual, "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!" 

As we look ahead to the second half of this year, let us continue to celebrate our freedom while we ask God Almighty to help us ensure that all Americans are free, at last… 

Amen.

Pause & Reflect with me on the words of Psalm 23: 
“The Lord is My Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures."

In what ways is the Good Shepherd calling you to rest today? Listen now.

Good morning. This is Chaplain Kevin. Would you pause with me and reflect as we begin this morning…

Have you ever tried putting a child down for a nap? Sometimes, we have to make them lie down, even when they refuse, knowing it is best for them to rest.  

In the same way, Psalm 23 verse 2 says: “[The Good Shepard] makes me lie down in green pastures.”

The psalmist describes the Lord as making his sheep lie down, knowing it will give them renewed energy and strength for the journey ahead. Also significant, is where the Shepherd has his sheep lie down. That is, in “green pastures.” The psalmist illustrates the Lord as a shepherd who not only leads his sheep to a place of rest, but also to places of nourishment. As we look ahead and see a long road in front of us for the second half of this year, let us seek out places of nourishment and rest. 

In what way is the Lord calling you to rest?

How will you allow Him to nourish you today?

Let’s pray: Lord, you are the good Shepherd.  You guide and lead us in this journey of life. Help us find places of rest. Lead us also to places of nourishment. We pray these things in your Name. Amen.

Psalm 103 describes our Heavenly Father as 'tender and compassionate to his children'

Listen now as we honor and celebrate our fathers.

Good morning and Happy Father’s Day. This is Chaplain Kevin. Would you pause with me and reflect as we begin this morning…

Scripture calls us to “Honor our Father and Mother.” Honoring our dads on Father’s day will look different for each person. For some, honor takes the shape of celebrating and expressing gratitude. For others honor appears as respect and acknowledgement of a father’s role and position in our lives. Then there are those who find the command “to Honor” our Fathers difficult because of their physical absence or emotional distance. 

No matter our relationship with our earthly father, we can turn to the example of our heavenly father to receive from Him what our father’s lacked. Psalm 103 describes our Heavenly Father as “tender and compassionate to his children” and Luke 15 portrays Him as the father who lovingly embraces the prodigal son who finally returns home. In all that God provides as our heavenly father, He does so, that we might have a model to be loving fathers to our own children.

Let us offer a prayer to honor all dads today:

God, we thank you for the fathers you have placed in our lives. The dad that gave us life and the spiritual dads that have helped raise us. Grow in us the attributes of Godly fatherhood, so that we might become the father that we wish we had. And help us to express our love and gratitude to you, our heavenly father today; and every day. We pray these things in your Name. Amen

Pause & Reflect with me on the words of Psalm 23: 
“The Lord is My Shepherd, I shall not want."

What needs can you bring to the Good Shepherd today? Listen now. 

Good morning. This is Chaplain Kevin. Would you pause with me and reflect as we begin this morning…

Shopping malls across America are filled with parents attempting to shop with their small children. The difficulty in this task is the parent’s attempt to teach their child the difference between the things we want and the things we need.

In Psalm 23 verse 1, the psalmist declares: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”

The psalmist’s statement “I shall not want” is not a command, but rather a declaration of praise for the Shepherd who provides. When the Lord is our Shepherd he meets our needs and allows us to make our wants known to him. The Lord hears our wants and begins to align our wants according to His will. With so much hardship, injustice and uncertainty in the world today, let us make our wants and needs known to Him.

What needs will you bring to the Lord?

How will you allow His will to shape you today?

Let’s pray: Lord, you are the Good Shepherd. You meet our needs and hear our wants. Align our wants with your will today. That we might know your perfect will each day. We pray these things in your Name. Amen.

Pause & Reflect with me on the words of Psalm 23: 
“The Lord is My Shepherd."

How is God your Good Shepherd? Listen now. 

Good morning. This is Chaplain Kevin. Would you pause with me and reflect as we begin this morning…

In Psalm 23 verse 1a, the psalmist declares: “The Lord is my shepherd.”

This declaration symbolizes the Lord’s role in guiding and guarding his people. The Lord guides his people through life’s treacherous terrain filled with peaks and valleys; storms and seasons; adversity and adventure. The Lord guards his people throughout this journey leading them to places of nourishment and rest. 

Where is the Lord guiding you?

What have you asked for the Lord to guard today?

Let’s pray: Lord, you are the Good Shepherd.  You guide us through this journey of life. Continue to guard us today. Help us to follow your lead. And bring us to places of nourishment and rest. We pray these things in your Name. Amen.

On this Memorial Day we take time to thank, honor and remember the brave men and women of our armed forces. 

Listen now as we honor their sacrifice and dedication.

Good morning. This is Chaplain Kevin. Would you pause with me and reflect as we begin this morning…

On this Memorial Day we take time to remember the men and women of our armed forces who’ve paid the ultimate price for our Nation’s freedom. We pay tribute to their lives and service as we honor their sacrifice in the pursuit of Freedom and Peace in the world.

For the Soldiers and Sailors lost at war

We pause

For the family and friends who mourn their loss

We pray

For the work they began, and their comrades continue

We thank you

Because there is no greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for a friend

We will never forget

Amen.

Pause & Reflect with me as we begin the Graduation Season:
1 Timothy 4 says: "Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. "

Listen now as we honor our graduates.

Good morning. This is Chaplain Kevin. Would you pause with me and reflect as we begin this morning…

This month marks the start of the Graduation season where Schools and Colleges begin their yearly tradition of sending forth their students. 

1 Timothy chapter 4 provides a word of encouragement for these young people. It says: “Don’t let anyone put you down because you’re young. [Instead], teach [others] with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith and by integrity.

 As this passage suggests, we teach others in all that we do and say, in how we love and hold fast to our faith. Because the best way to teach someone a lesson: is by example.

You see, while Academics is full of exams that test our knowledge and shapes our learning; Life is full of adversity that tests our resilience and shapes our character.

Where in your life are you being tested?

How will you display resilience and character today?

Let’s pray:

God, you are the Master Teacher. Thank you for the lessons you teach us through adversity. During this Graduation season, give the Next Generation your spirit of resilience. Help them to stand up when they are put down. So that their lives might become a lesson in integrity. We pray these things in your Name.

Amen.

Pause & Reflect with me on the words of Galatians 5:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

The ninth fruit of the Spirit is self-control.  Where do you need to display self-control this week? Listen now. 

Good morning. This is Chaplain Kevin. Would you pause with me and reflect as we begin this morning…

In Galatians 5, Paul lists 9 attributes which he calls: the Fruit of the Spirit. The ninth attribute is Self-Control.

Self-control recognizes that we cannot always be in control. However, we have a responsibility of managing our actions and emotions.

Scripture says: "God has given us a spirit not of fear but of power ... and self-control."

The Spirit, which God gives, is His own. When situations feel out of control, His spirit offers us guidance, balance and peace.

Where in your life do things feel out of control?

How will you rely on His spirit today?

Let’s Pray: God you are always in control. There are times our thoughts & emotions get out of control. Grant us your spirit of self-control today, that we might find balance and peace. We pray these things in your Name. Amen.

Listen now as we honor and celebrate mothers.

Good morning and Happy Mother’s Day. This is Chaplain Kevin. Would you pause with me and reflect as we begin this morning…

Throughout scripture there are many special mothers. One of the most remarkable is Mary, the mother of Jesus. Whenever Mary noticed something special about her son, scripture says that she: 

“Treasured … all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

Like Mary, all good moms treasure their children and ponder them in their hearts. So on Mother’s Day, we choose to give back to our moms what they have always given us. We recognize and celebrate all moms today, expressing our gratitude for their gifts of love and life.

Let us offer a prayer in their honor:

God, we thank you for the mothers you have placed in our lives. The mom that birthed us and the spiritual moms that have helped raise us. Grow in us the attributes of Godly motherhood, so that all our relationships may benefit. And help us to express our love and gratitude to mom today; and every day. We pray these things in your Name. Amen.