SOME PALM SUNDAY MEMORIES

I was confirmed on Palm Sunday, March 19, 1967. There were 29 kids in my confirmation class at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Concordia, MO. I don't remember for sure, but I imagine that we wore white robes, since we were orthodox Lutherans. I also don't remember for sure, but I imagine it was our first communion, too. Sadly, I also don't remember my confirmation verse. What I DO remember was that it was a sunny day, my grandmother had knitted me a new sweater, & my Uncle Royce, who was one of my sponsors, gave me a Thompson Chain Reference Bible.

At our home congregation in Aiea, HI, Our Savior, we had the traditional procession of kids waving palm branches, & those palm branches came from the palm tree that grew on our church property. Isn't that cool? Our Son Nathan was confirmed at Our Savior. Our daughters Sarah & Rachel were both confirmed at Grace Lutheran, our home congregation in Norfolk, NE.

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

"God's doesn't withhold love until we arrive at perfection. He loves us while we are growing & even while we are His enemies. His love enables us to change & mature." Jim Conway, Men's Devotional Bible

TODAY'S INSPIRATION FROM PSALMS

"Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright . . . Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom He has chosen as His heritage! . . . Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His steadfast love, that He may deliver their soul from death & keep them alive in famine." (Ps. 33:1, 12, 18-19)

"God's people are always to put their trust in Him alone & not in arms, generals, national defenses, & so on. Through His Word & Spirit, almighty God grants us faith in Christ & His steadfast love. Thus, He gives us hope in our hearts & minds & certainty of His salvation in His Son, Jesus Christ. All praise, laud, & worship belong to our God, the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit." Engaging the Psalms, edited by Rev. Peter Jurchen

THE PROMISED COMFORT OF HEAVEN

"Heaven & earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away." (Luke 21:33) At the resurrection, heaven & earth will be transformed." Rev. Matthew Harrison, The Lutheran Witness, Nov. 2022

THE LORD'S GENTLE WARNING

"How quickly the surroundings of your life can shift from the security & tranquillity of an upper room to the harsh reality of Gethsemane & the cross. Guard your heart. Listen now to the Lord's gentle warning:  the failure that was possible with His first disciples is also possible with you. You, too, are capable of forsaking Jesus, just as the first disciples did. If Jesus is warning you of an area of your life in which you could fail Him, heed His words today!" Henry & Richard Blakaby, Experiencing God Day-By-Day

A PRAYER ON PALM SUNDAY

"Almighty & everlasting God the Father, who sent Your Son to take our nature upon Him & to suffer death on the cross that all mankind should follow the example of His great humility, mercifully grant that we may both follow the example of our Savior Jesus Christ in His patience & also have our portion in His resurrection; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives & reigns with You & the Holy Spirit, one God, now & forever. Amen." Lutheran Worship

A HYMN ON PALM SUNDAY

The Royal Banners Forward Go, LW #103, Sts. 1, 4, 5

The royal banners forward go; The cross shows forth redemption's flow Where He, by whom our flesh was made, Our ransom in His flesh had paid.

On whose hard arms so widely flung, The weight of this world's ransom hung, The price of humankind to pay And spoil the spoiler of his prey.

To You, eternal Three in One, Let homage meet by all be done, By all You ransomed & restore; Oh, guide & gladden evermore.

THE SPIRITUAL LIFE

"The spiritual life is not a life of quiet withdrawal, a hothouse of growth of ascetic practices beyond the reach of people living ordinary lives. It is the ordinary duties & labors of life that the Christian can & should develop his spiritual union with God." Thomas Merton, "Men's Devotional Bible"

REJOICE & SHOUT

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered . . . You are a hiding place for me; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with thoughts of deliverance . . . Be glad in the Lord, & rejoice, O righteous, & shout for joy, all you upright in heart. (Ps. 32:1, 7, 11) "Psalm 32 is a penitential psalm of confession & absolution . . . Luther saw these psalms as instructive in the sense of wisdom & understanding within a spiritual & holy context over against worldly context." "Engaging the Psalms," edited by Peter Jurchen.

REVISIT THE CROSS

"Our generation lacks a sense of wonder & reverence toward God. We want to bring God down to our level, to the commonplace. He is God! . . . No one who comprehends the incredible price paid at Calvary ever takes his relationship with God for granted. We will never truly understand God & the way He relates to us unless we first comprehend a true sense of His holiness & His demand for holiness among His people. If we are in God's presence, we are on holy ground! We must never act as if it were God's purpose to make us successful. It would be preposterous for us to become impatient when God does not answer our prayers when & how we think He should! He is God; we are not!

"As you meditate on the price Jesus paid to give you access to the Father, you will come to treasure your prayer times with Him. Worship will become a privilege you seize with gratitude. Scripture will be dear to you as you strive to be holy in all that you do (2 Cor. 7:1; 1 Peter 1:15.) If you have lost your wonder at the incredible gift of salvation that has been given to you, you need to revisit the cross & witness your Savior suffering for you. How priceless God's gift of salvation is!" Henry & Richard Blakaby, "Experiencing God Day-By-Day" 

GOD ALLOWS US TO SUFFER

"God allows us to suffer difficulties & hardships for a purpose . . . Testing reveals what is in your hear & produces a robust faith (James 1:3, 12) . . . Is God presently testing you in some area of your life? What has His testing revealed? Have you become bitter toward God because of where He has led you? Or have you come to trust Him more as a result of what you have gone through?" Henry & Richard Blakaby, "Experiencing God Day-By-Day"

THE PROMISED JOY OF HEAVEN

Rev. 12:10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation & power & the kingdom of our God & the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day & night before our God." "With Christ's resurrection & ascension the devil was cast out, no longer able to accuse those righteous in Christ. A heavenly transaction is complete. You have no devil to accuse you. As Luther says, the devil himself has a 'devil' to harass him. Christ is the devil's devil." Rev. Matthew Harrison, The Lutheran Witness, Nov. 2022

LIFE THOUGHTS FOR THE CHURCH YEAR

It may be helpful for you to read Numbers 21:4-9 & John 3:14-21.

"Surprise pregnancy & terminal diagnosis come with risks & costs. But as with the ancient Israelite serpent infestation, the real enemy is neither one's neighbor nor the Maker (Num. 21:8). Only impaling the snake (not terminating each other) brought deliverance, & the antidote called for faith instead of death. Christians insist God has sent His Son for extending lives & not ending them (John 3:10) Grace Lutheran Church Bulletin

TODAY'S PRAYER

"Almighty God, our heavenly Father, Your mercies are new every morning; & though we deserve only punishment, You receive us as Your children & provide for all our needs of body & soul. Grant that we may heartily acknowledge Your merciful goodness, give thanks for all Your benefits, & serve You in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives & reigns with You & the Holy Spirit, one God, now & forever. Amen." Grace Lutheran Church Bulletin

A LENTEN HYMN    

Go to Dark Gethsemane. LW #110, Sts. 1, 4

Go to dark Gethsemane, All who feel the tempter's pow'r; Your Redeemer's conflict see, Watch with Him one bitter hour; Turn not from His griefs away; Lear from Jesus Christ to pray.

Early hasten to the tomb Where they laid His breathless clay; All is solitude & gloom. Who has taken Him away? Christ is ris'n! He meets our eyes. Savior, teach us so to rise.

A MAN'S CALLING

"Vocare, to call, of course, & a man's vocation is a man's calling. It is the work that he is called to in this world, the work that he is summoned to spend his life doing. We can speak of a man's choosing his vocation, but perhaps it is at least as accurate to speak of a vocation's choosing the man, of a call's being given & a man's hearing it, or not hearing it." Frederick Buechner, "Men's Devotional Bible"

EXERCISING YOUR MIND

"Your mind needs exercise just as your physical body does . . . Some Christians allow the world to fill their minds with ungodly thinking. Some people seem drawn to concentrate on the negative, choosing to be pessimistic about everything . . . The things you allow your mind to dwell on will be revealed by the way you live. If you focus on negative things, you will inevitably be a negative person. If you allow unholy thoughts to fill your mind, ungodliness will become common in your life. If you fill your mind with thoughts of Christ, you will become Christlike. What you fill your mind with is a matter of choice. Choose to concentrate on the magnificent truths of God, & they will create in you a noble character that brings glory to God." Henry & Richard Blakaby, "Experiencing God Day-By-Day"

WHERE'S THE HOLY SPIRIT?

"The moment you are born again * you receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the gift. God doesn't give you some thing, He gives you Himself. The Holy Spirit is God. As He lives out His life through you, you have almighty God dwelling within you, carrying out His purposes. The Spirit will manifest Himself through your life, not for your good alone, but for the benefit of those around you . . . What an exciting commission from God! Today the Holy Spirit equips believers because He has given each of His servants a task. How is the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life benefiting those around you? God has equipped you with exactly what is needed for the edification of the body in which He has placed you. If you allow the Holy Spirit to work freely within you, others will be blessed as a result." Experiencing God

* As a Lutheran, I believe that I was born again & received the Holy Spirit when I was baptized.

A PRAYER FOR LENT

"Almighty God, our heavenly Father, Your mercies are new every morning, & though we have in no way deserved Your goodness, You still abundantly provide for all our wants of body & soul. Give us, we pray, Your Holy Spirit that we may heartily acknowledge Your merciful goodness toward us, give thanks for all Your benefits, & serve You in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives & reigns with You & the Holy Spirit, one God, now & forever. Amen." Lutheran Witness

MAR 7

SEXUAL BEHAVIOR

"How could we have expected to preserve symbiotic relationships between men & women when the rules governing our sexual behavior turned upside down? Family disintegration was inevitable." James Dobson, "Men's Devotional Bible"

THE PROMISED COMFORT OF HEAVEN

"Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven" (Act 1:11) "None of us is going to miss Christ's coming to take us to be with Him to live with new, perfect, sinless, resurrected bodies! 'Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man from heaven' (1 Cor. 15:49). What we shall be is unimaginable." Rev. Matthew Harrison, "The Lutheran Witness," Nov. 2022

GOD LISTENS!

"God never promised to tell me why everything happens the way it does. But He did promise that anytime I wanted to talk, He would be happy to listen. And in a world where so many people feel they are all alone, that's a pretty great thing to know." Daniel Taylor, "Men's Devotional Bible"

GOD DELIVERS US!

"Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You & worked for those who take refuge in You, in the sight of the children of mankind!" (Ps. 31:19) "David says that he hates those who trust in worthless idols; he trusts in the Lord (31:6) Too often, we devote our lives to worthless things & despise the things of God. Yet even as God delivered David from his sin & enemies, so He delivers us as well. Christ paid for our idolatry & indifference. His Spirit gives us the gift of faith so that we trust in the only true God. Now we join David in rejoicing in God's great salvation." "Engaging the Psalms," edited by Rev. Peter Jurchen

FAITH IN THE MIDST OF PROBLEMS

"Faith does not eliminate problems. Faith keeps you in a trusting relationship with God in the midst of your problems. Faith has to do with your relationship with God, not your circumstances." Henry & Richard Blakaby, "Experiencing God Day-By-Day"

A PRAYER FOR LENT

"Almighty God, our heavenly Father, Your mercies are new every morning, & though we have in no way deserved Your goodness, You still abundantly provide for all our wants of body & soul. Give us, we pray, Your Holy Spirit that we may heartily acknowledge Your merciful goodness toward us, give thanks for all Your benefits, & serve You in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives & reigns with You & the Holy Spirit, one God, now & forever. Amen.

A HYMN FOR LENT

O Dearest Jesus, What Law Hast Thou Broken, LSB 439, Sts 1, 5, 10, 15 

O dearest Jesus, what law hast Thou broken That such sentence should on Thee be spoken? Of what great crime hast Thou to make confession, What dark transgression?

The sinless Son of God must die in sadness; The sinful child of man may live in gladness; Man forfeited his life & is acquitted; God is committed.

O mighty King, no time can dim Thy glory! How shall I spread abroad Thy wondrous story? How shall I find some worthy gifts to proffer? What dare I offer?

Yet unrequited, Lord, I would not leave Thee; I will renounce whate'er doth vex or grieve Thee And quench with thoughts of Thee & prayers most lowly All fires unholy.

And when, dear Lord, before Thy throne in heaven To me a crown of joy at last is given, Where sweetest hymns Thy saints forever raise Thee, I, too, shall praise Thee.

PARENTS ARE ROLE MODELS

"Parents are the most important role models in their children's lives, for good or bad." Mike Singletary, "Men's Devotional Bible"

GOD'S COMFORT FROM PSALMS

"I will extol You, O Lord, for You have drawn me up & have not let my foes rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried to You for help, & You healed me . . . Sing praises to the Lord, O you His saints, & give thanks to His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, & His favor is for a lifetime . . . To You, O Lord, I cry, & to the lord I plead for mercy . . . Hear, O Lord, & be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper . . . O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever." (Ps. 30:1-2, 4-5, 8, 10, 12b) "David summarizes his feelings & God's response in verse 5. Sorrowful times in life are sometimes caused by things outside of our control & sometimes by our own sins. Trusting in God's deliverance, David knows that the sorrow he feels will be replaced with joy as God comforts him. We, too, are confident in God's promise to comfort us & dry our tears" (Rev. 7:17). "Engaging the Psalms," edited by Rev. James Jurchen

LIFE THOUGHTS IN THE CHURCH YEAR

"The Lord God closely associates life & family. He stands commands about parenting & marriage on either side of the prohibition against killing (Ex. 20:12-14). He holds human life as highest priority & will not accept any other creature as replacement (John 2:15-16). Body & sexuality serve to enrich life--our own as well as one another's--& not to eliminate it." Grace Lutheran Church Bulletin

THE PROMISED COMFORT OF HEAVEN

"But concerning that day & hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only." (Matt. 24:36) "The time when the Lord returns & the resurrection takes place is a mystery even to the angels & the Son of God. How in the world people dare to calculate a date is beyond me. But the day is coming. Ad it will bring Christians eternal blessings." Rev. Matthew Harrison, "The Lutheran Witness," Nov. 2022

NOW IS THE ACCEPTABLE TIME

"God's timing is perfect! . . . God's timing is always perfect. He knows you, & He is fully aware of your circumstances. He knows all that He has built into your life until now, & He extends His invitation knowing that His resources are more than adequate for any assignment He gives you." Henry & Richard Blakaby, "Experiencing God Day-By-Day"

A PRAYER FOR LENT

"O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy, be gracious to all who have gone astray from Your ways & bring them again with penitent hearts & steadfast faith to embrace & hold fast the unchangeable truth of Your Word; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives & reigns with You & the Holy Spirit, one God, now & forever. Amen." Grace Lutheran Church Bulletin

A HYMN FOR LENT

O Christ, You Walked the Road, LSB 424, Sts 1, 4, 5 

O Christ, You walked the road Our wand'ring feet must go. You faced with us temptation's pow'r And fought our ancient foe.

When lures of easy gain With promise brightly shine, Lord, help us seek Your kingdom first; Our wills with Yours align.

O Christ, You walked the road Our wand'ring feet must go. Stay with us through temptation's hour To fight our ancient foe.

FLORIDA ADVENTURE EPILOGUE

Our return from St. Pete yesterday was totally uneventful. In fact, except for the slow driver that we got stuck behind between Wisner & Norfolk, things couldn't have gone any smoother. We even got to sit in exit rows on both of our flights. Awesome! Highlights of our trip:

>  Spending time with Lois' big sister Kathy & little sister Anita. Kudos to Kathy, the penultimate host, who always treats us better than we deserve. Well, at least better than I deserve.

> Four trips to the Ft. DeSoto Beach, our favorite FL beach.

> Opportunities to walk along the beach, in nature preserves, in St. Augustine.

> Wildlife:  Only 1 puny alligator, but a plethora of exotic FL bird species, especially pelicans & shorebirds; plus 2 whitetail deer. [Haven't seen any of those in NE yet this year.]

> Historic sites:  Many historical sites in & around St. Augustine, including the Castillo de San Marcos fortress, St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum, a historical museum next to the trolley headquarters, Colonial Medicine Museum, a historic cemetery, many historical homes & other bldgs, the Dade Battlefield/Massacre Site. In St. Pete:  Ft. DeSoto, Florida Holocaust Museum, & a Native American mound.

> Other highlights in St. Augustine:  The hop-on, hop-off trolley, St. Augustine Distillery [samples!], St. Augustine Winery [samples!], St. Augustine Chocolate Factory.

> Markets:  A visit to the St. Augustine SAT Market. Two visits to the Gulfport Market in St. Pete. Two visits to the Corey Ave. Market, also in St. Pete. A 3rd visit to the Gulfport Market by the ladies, & a visit to the Outlet Mall, also by the ladies.

> Food & Beverages:  Greek food at the Neptune Cafe in Gulfport, along with Mythos Beer; the Polish-Greek Restaurant in St. Augustine; seafood at the Raintree Restaurant, also in St. Augustine; the Habana Cuban Cafe in St. Pete; fresh seafood from Key West Seafood in St. Pete. Seafood at the St. Pete Seafood & Music Festival. BONUS! We found more Mythos Beer at Total Wine in St. Pete!

Culture:  The Lightner Museum in St. Augustine, where we learned more about art deco & art nouveau than we dared to imagine; the Localtopia Festival in St. Pete; the band playing classic rock at the St. Pete Seafood & Music Festival; Classic & superhero movies, which we watched with Kathy.

Worship:  Lois, Kathy, & I attended 2 SUN services at Our Savior Lutheran in St. Pete.

> Weather:  Although there were several days when it was actually warmer in Norfolk than in St. Pete, overall the FL weather was very satisfactory [high humidity but no snow]. Yesterday it was 65 when we left St. Pete, 55 when we got back to Norfolk. [Snow predicted for this coming FRI. Sigh.]

2024 RESOLUTIONS REVIEW

* Lose weight:  A. Not bad, considering multiple road trips.

* Limit myself to no more than 2 cups of coffee per day. C.

* Visit at least 1 National Park and/or 1 National Monument:  A. We toured the Castillo de San Marcos NM in St. Augustine.

* Limit my reading to 1 conservative source per day:  C.

* Walk at least 4X per week:  A.

* Finish writing & publishing a devotion book:  C. I have to do a final edit of the DEC devotions in my "Buzzwords" devotion book, then search for a publisher.

GPA:  B.

WHAT I'M READING

"Spain in Our Hearts:  Americans in the Spanish Civil War," by Adam Hochschild. I knew virtually nothing about this war until I started reading this book, & I'm finding it very fascinating.

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

We've resumed watching our favorite CBS procedurals on Paramount+, now that their hiatus due to the writers' strike is over. We're caught up on NCIS, our favorite. Last night we started catching up on NCIS Hawaii. We continue watching previous seasons of Scorpion & the current season of NCIS Sydney. And I've been watching previous seasons of Brooklyn 99 & Monk.

TODAY'S AMAZING TRIVIA *

* Source:  Uncle John's Awesome 35th Anniversary Bathroom Reader

"Scientific name for the striped skunk:  Mephitis mephitis, Latin for "stinky stinky."

DEPT. OF SHAMELESS JOKE-STEALING *

* Also from Uncle John's Awesome 35th Anniversary Bathroom Reader

"Did you hear about the guy who invented a clock with 10 dials? He had a lot of time on his hands."

"If you turn over a canoe you can wear it as a hat. Because it's capsized."

LEARN A LANGUAGE AS AN ADULT *

* According to Reader's Digest, Sep. 2022, it's not too late.

> Find your motivation. Pick a language you are excited to use, whether on a grand vacation in Spain or on your couch watching Spanish soap operas. [FYI:  Lois & I are going on a cruise in OCT that includes ports in Spain.]

> Pick your tools. Mobile apps such as Duolingo & Babbel. Rosetta Stone.  McGraw Hill & Barron's textbooks & grammar guides.

> Dive in. Immerse yourself in your chosen language as much as you can. Watch movies, listen to songs, label items around your house with those words.

> Get social. Practice with other people.

> Don't sweat your mistakes.

> Try less. It seems counterintuitive, but you're more receptive to pick up on a language when you aren't hyper-focused on learning it.

TRENDING NEWS FROM DRUDGE REPORT

"Fast talkers have healthier brains."

TRENDING HEADLINES FROM BABYLON BEE *

* Your trusted source of fake news.

"NY mayor warns migrants if they keep attacking NYPD officers, they'll be downgraded to 4-star hotels.

"Important things for a father to teach his son. > How to open your wife's Amazon boxes with a pocket knife. > How to start a fire with nothing but an entire bottle of lighter fluid & a butane lighter."

"Atheist waits patiently for Ikea coffee table to assemble itself."

"What does Gen Z want in a job? "A reasonable 5-hour work week. > Paid leave every time they change gender. > Health insurance for their pets."

"Biden visits border to cut ribbon for official border grand opening."

"McConnell acknowledges he is no longer fit to be senator. Will keep being senator."

"Police warn women joggers not to jog within 2,000 miles of border."