“All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:16 NIV)

All scripture in the Bible is from God, confirmed by his son, Jesus Christ, and validated over time by the Church fathers.  Scripture instructs us about life, existence, purpose, truth and all that is important. 

For many years I have made scripture a part of my daily prayer time with the Lord at the start of the day.  After experiencing a renewal of the Holy Spirit’s presence in my life more than forty-five years ago, I had an intense desire to read the Bible.  I started to read it from cover to cover as I commuted on the trains in and out of New York City each day.  As with many people who have experienced the Holy Spirit in a new way, the words seemed to leap off the page with new meaning.

Psalm 119, the longest of the psalms, spends its entire length extolling all that God’s word is and does for us. “Your decrees are my delight; they are my counselors.” (v. 24) “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.” (v.105) “Through all generations your truth endures.” (v. 90)

Proverbs 30:5 says, “Every word of God is flawless.”  James exhorts us, “Be doers of the word and not hearers only…” (James 1:22) Finally, the Gospel of John tells us that God’s word became flesh in the person of Jesus “and made his dwelling among us.” (John 1:14)  

God’s promise is indeed to dwell in us if we invite him in.  “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.” (John 14:23) Amazing!  The God and creator of all that exists, and his son want to make their dwelling in us!  Wherever we may be with God’s word, we can go deeper!

Do you want to get to know God and Jesus better?  God says read his Word.

Dear Christ in Life and Work Readers,

I am excited to tell you that my new book, A Friendship that Transcends, Experiencing a Personal Relationship with Jesus is now available at https://www.billdalgetty.com  Sixty-five stories illustrate passages from scripture and various experiences encountering God’s presence in all kinds of circumstances.  Here are just a few examples:

1. Praying with an employee planning to have an abortion
2. Experiencing God’s voice after a child is born with Down syndrome
3. Declining a career advancing promotion for family considerations
4. Experiencing physical healing of a child’s heart after the prayer of friends
5. Praying with people who are dying.
6. Seeking God’s will impacting decisions of a large multi-national oil company 

This book has received a Nihil Obstat from Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Arlington, Virginia Diocese as well as an endorsement from Bishop Peter Smith of the Portland, Oregon Diocese, and words of encouragement from Father Raniero Cardinal Cantalamessa of the Vatican. 

Father Jack Peterson, former Director of Youth Apostles of the Arlington Diocese, said, “While this book speaks from a Catholic perspective, it will appeal to all Christians because of Bill’s passion for inviting everyone to know and love Jesus with all their hearts.”

Thank you for considering. 

God bless you,

Bill Dalgetty

“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Mt. 23:12)

In spite of Jesus’ admonition, many of us struggle with the desire to be recognized and honored.  While I may try to be humble, there is an unspoken desire in me for recognition that has been a weakness in my character for most of my life.

This can manifest itself in various ways — being disappointed when we don’t receive compliments, experiencing jealousy over another’s success, allowing ambition to crowd out other priorities in our lives. There was a time earlier in my career when I allowed the desire to move up the corporate ladder to shortchange other responsibilities in my life.  Fortunately, the Lord opened my eyes to this reality and gave me the grace to bring better balance to both family and work. 

Still, I quietly desire recognition for things I do.  St. Gregory of Nyssa said we should “openly despise the accolades of the world and reject all earthly glory.” He suggested seeking God’s will instead of our own as a true act of humility and self-denial.   

St. Paul has one of the best statements about seeking recognition.  He says, “Do nothing out of selfishness or vain glory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves.”  He proceeds with one of the more eloquent statements in scripture when he declares that our attitude should be the same as Christ Jesus, “Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.”  (Philippians 2:3, 6)

If Jesus, the Son of God, did not seek recognition for who he was, why should we? Confident in his relationship with the Father, he was content with the family who raised him, with his likely carpenter apprenticeship to his earthly father and the evolving revelation by his heavenly Father to teach, to witness and eventually to sacrifice his life in a tortuous death for the rest of us.

St. Peter in his first letter encourages us to “clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for: ‘God opposes the proud but bestows favor on the humble.’” (1 Peter 5:5) Our pastor once told me that the recognition we receive from God in being loved by him is all the recognition we need. 

Do you seek recognition in the world’s eyes or is being loved by God sufficient for you?  

Announcing a New Book

Dear Christ in Life and Work Reader,

I am excited to tell you about a new book I have written that will be published in the next couple of weeks.  It is A Friendship that Transcends, Experiencing a Personal Relationship with Jesus.  Sixty-five stories illustrate passages from scripture and various experiences encountering God’s presence in all kinds of circumstances.  Here are just a few examples:

• Praying with an employee planning to have an abortion
• Experiencing God’s voice after a child is born with Down syndrome
• Declining a career advancing promotion for family considerations
• Experiencing physical healing of a child’s heart after the prayer of friends
• Praying with people who are dying.
• Seeking God’s will impacting decisions of a large multi-national oil company 

This book has received a Nihil Obstat from Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Arlington, Virginia Diocese as well as an endorsement from Bishop Peter Smith of the Portland, Oregon Diocese, and words of encouragement from Father Raniero Cardinal Cantalamessa of the Vatican. 

Father Jack Peterson, former Director of Youth Apostles of the Arlington Diocese, said, “While this book speaks from a Catholic perspective, it will appeal to all Christians because of Bill’s passion for inviting everyone to know and love Jesus with all their hearts.”

I will let you know soon when it will be available. 

Bill Dalgetty

“Enlarge the space for your tent, spread out your tent cloths unsparingly; lengthen your ropes and make firm your stakes.” (Isaiah 54:2)

The Prophet Isaiah is suggesting that we should enlarge the tents of our lives and work.  Whether as individuals or as a group, we tend to get comfortable with familiar friends, familiar routines, familiar work, and even familiar forms of outreach.  Isaiah encourages us not to fall into the bed of comfort but rather move the walls of our tents to include people who are not a part of our normal social patterns, people who may not necessarily share our background, beliefs and values.

Much of the Christian ministry that I have been involved in over the years has been peer related — young people when I was young; business people when I was in business; people who were part of my social patterns at the time. 

A few years ago I started volunteering in a local jail ministry.  It challenged me.  I was not comfortable and felt that I was out of my element.  God calls us to faithfulness, often without the benefit of a report card or feedback.  It is our presence and love that he wants regardless of our view of the outcome.

Enlarging our tents can also include how we relate to one another — family, friends and strangers.  Pope Francis encouraged us to engage in “little gestures” of love.  “Love is shown by little things,” he said.  In an Alpha outreach program at our parish, when we pray with people to experience more of the Holy Spirit, we often hear about their desire to love more.  Loving more starts with “little gestures” of love.  As the King said in the Parable of the Talents, “Well done my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities.”  (Mt. 25:21)  

Loving more starts with the little things every day.  As loving in the little things becomes a habit, God increases our capacity to love and sacrifice in the larger things.  A habit of love in the little things will open the door to people familiar and unfamiliar, and enlarge our tents.

How can you enlarge your tent to love in the little things?