Hello friends of the Good Shepherd,
Next week I will be taking some time off to recharge and renew. Because of that, I will not be sending out these “Thoughts for Today” next week. Our weekly newsletter will still come out on Wednesday. Below is a quote and some thoughts for today. I hope you find them helpful. 

“It has been said of the world’s history hitherto that might makes right.
It is for us and for our time to reverse the maxim and to say that right makes might.”
 —  Abraham Lincoln

REFLECTION BY Mary Jane LaVigne:
    It is always within our power to be mighty. When we look to gain power, we often look to big corporations, the wealthy, the political elite. We can feel like helpless supplicants, like the Scarecrow facing the Wizard of Oz. Paying less attention to the man behind the curtain makes it easier to see the ruby slippers on our own feet. World events spiraling out of control? Grab a bag and pick up liter along a road. Invest your money so that it benefits you and others. Treat your neighbors with a little more integrity each day. Wobbling toward balance in our own circle, we set the world to rights.

MY THOUGHTS:
    Often the problems of this world are too much for us to handle. We don’t know what to do, as the problems seem to be out of our control, and so we do nothing. We might worry about them and complain about them, but we do nothing constructive to try and make a difference. Global warming, economic and social injustice, racism, wealth inequality are just some of the many problems we face. These problems can seem too big and overwhelming and so we do nothing.
    If you can do something directly to address the problem and make it right, then do it. But if the problem seems too big and you can’t figure out what to do about it, just do something that is positive and right and helps people in some way. Make the world a better and more healthy place in some way. It doesn’t have to be directly related to the problem and it doesn’t have to be big. I believe that any positive and healthy activity, that makes the world a better place, will ultimately effect everything else. 
     Of course through it all, remember to allow God to be a part of your decisions. Allow God to bring you healing and give you strength. Allow The Way of Jesus to guide your every step. 

   Peace,
    Pastor Dan