Daily Devotional

I am reminded of so many important lessons when I am out fishing. One such lesson came to me on a fishing trip with my family. We were fishing for alligator gar on the South Fork of the Trinity River in Texas. We had a wonderful guide with us to help us catch the big one. Our guide holds the world record for catching alligator gar on rod and reel. We were excited about the possibility of an epic fight when we hooked one of these pre-historic river monsters.

“For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

God has created each of us with the capacity to do good. Through God’s love, we are inspired to make a difference. By God’s grace, we are empowered to work so that others may be blessed. With the presence of God’s Spirit in our lives, we have the freedom to live and serve, just as our Lord Jesus did. We have been created and called to make a difference in our world.

The kingdom of God is beautifully defined by love, joy, and peace. Of course, the greatest of these is love. It is not a place far away, a utopia we will never see.

Josette Duran had been sending extra food to school in her son’s lunch for some time. Her son, Dylan had asked for the extra food and Josette thought he was just a hungry, growing boy. It turns out that Josette’s son’s heart is much bigger than his stomach.

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. There are friends who pretend to be friends, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

May your unfailing love come to me, Lord,
your salvation, according to your promise;
then I can answer anyone who taunts me,
for I trust in your word.

When I was a kid my favorite breakfast food was cereal. I loved cereal. In case you are wondering, my favorite cereal was Frosted Flakes. I could eat cereal every day. In fact, I could eat cereal at breakfast, lunch, for an after-school snack, and dinner. I loved cereal. During college, I found cereal to still be a great meal. It was easy to prepare and inexpensive.

Alex had a flat tire on her car. It was frustrating and inconvenient. She put her daughter in the car and went to the nearest tire shop. She was prepared to pay for the repair to the flat, but unfortunately, the tire could not be repaired. The people at the shop told her that her tires were bald, and she needed to replace all four tires. It was a matter of safety. The tires were so bad it made her vehicle unsafe to drive.

A school field trip is a wonderful experience for students. They leave the confines of the classroom and are free to explore a new environment. Field trips allow new opportunities to learn. Sometimes, field trips allow students to celebrate their accomplishments with a day away to celebrate. Alex Dupuis is a 12-year-old student in Road Island. His class took a field trip to the beach to learn and have a fun day away.