International Prayer Day First Monday each month 10 am

Joel Griffith 9/6/25 Joel Griffith 9/6/25

Grumbling...again.

“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky” Philippians 2:14-15

I read somewhere recently, that complaining is a sure sign of spiritual immaturity as a lack of faith is being shown by the person doing the complaining; grumbling. The reasoning was that if we place our trust in our Triune God, He has our best interest in His plans. If I am constantly complaining about my provisions, my family, my house, my job, my life and Job, then I cannot accept God’s Will for my life. A complainer will cry, rant, kick and scream until they get their way and when that moment arrives, they are generally still not happy. At breakfast this morning, the older guys and me talked about how this world seems to place so much in negative thoughts, words and actions. Have you seen any positive political ads recently? Have you seen any positive comments from either of the political television or radio programs in the past twelve months?

The opposite of complaining is praising. The opposite of grumbling with the gifts that God has given to you is giving thanks for all that He has placed on your plate. The child in the attached photo attends the Lutheran school in Cap Haitian. The smile on her face is a sign of happiness and giving thanks for somebody like you who has blessed her day with a meal; the only meal of her day. She won’t complain that she got rice and beans yesterday, today and tomorrow; it is food!!! I close today with the words from the song ‘It is well with my soul’ that was written by Horatio Spafford in 1873. He wrote the song following the sinking of the steamship Ville du Havre which carried four of his daughters while crossing the Atlantic.

“When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll; whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, let this blest assurance control, that Christ has regarded my helpless estate, and hath shed his own blood for my soul. My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part but the whole, is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! And, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight, the clouds be rolled back as a scroll; the trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, even so, it is well with my soul.” Been complaining lately? Consider all that He has lavished upon you.

Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 9/5/25 Joel Griffith 9/5/25

Grumbling!

After living in the Assisted Living for over 16 weeks, I have heard my share of grumbling…and I confess that I too am guilty. The food, laundry service, cold water in the shower and those other grumpy people. Have you ever had a few moments to complain about something?

Aren’t we all just natural complainers? The seeds were sown back in the garden years ago. It is in our genes, our sinful genes. Our Triune God gives us everything that we truly need to exist; food, shelter, clothing and family. He takes care of us each and every day but we still find time to complain about something. When I had a job, I would find something to complain about my work. Children complain about their parents, husbands complain about their wives and wives about their husbands. People in the pews complain about their pastors and politicians; they complain about everything. From the Old Testament to the New Testament to today, man has always found something to complain about.

Our Heavenly Father loves us just the way we are. He does not always give us what we may want but rather gives us what we need. The children in the attached photo are from Cap Haitian and they are getting their Trinity HOPE lunch. They don’t need pizza, chicken nuggets, corn on the cob or hamburgers; they need Jesus and food. This meal will provide them with all the nutritional elements that their young bodies need; their teachers provide them with a message of Hope of their risen Savior and a Heavenly Father who loves them and continues to provide for them. Please, ease up a little with the grumbling on this side of Heaven.

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 9/4/25 Joel Griffith 9/4/25

Amazing sights.

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” Revelation 22:16

Our Heavenly Father has given us some pretty awesome things to appreciate while living on this planet. Watching your children taking their initial breath is truly special. Watching your children on that first day of school. Standing in awe of the Grand Canyon, the Rocky Mountains, the autumn colors in the Niobrara River valley and watching the waves of the ocean crashing on the beach are memorable sights.

Simple things like watching a colorful sun dropping into the horizon in the evening or getting up early to catch the sun rising in the morning are also treasures to be captured. The attached photo was taken just after sunrise in the Arcahaie District one quiet morning in 2002 and it reminded me of God giving me another day to serve Him.

With every coming day, He has given each of us another opportunity to spend time here dwelling within His creation serving Him with the gifts and talents He has provided to each of us. As the sun rises in North America it is also rising in Haiti and children attending Christian schools are offering up prayers of thanks for Him and for you and for the Morning Star who is the Savior of this world. The hymn ‘How Lovely Shines the Morning Star’ was written by Philipp Nicolai in 1597 and verses 1, 6, 7 are a wonderful way to close this morning.

“How lovely shines the Morning Star! The nations see and hail afar the light in Judah shining. Thou David's Son of Jacob's race, my Bridegroom and my King of Grace, for Thee my heart is pining. Lowly, Holy, great and glorious, Thou victorious Prince of graces; filling all the heavenly places. Lift up the voice and strike the string. Let all glad sounds of music ring in God's high praises blended. Christ will be with me all the way, today, tomorrow, every day, till traveling days be ended. Sing out, ring out triumph glorious, O victorious, chosen nation; praise the God of your salvation. Oh, joy to know that Thou, my Friend, art Lord, beginning without end, the First and Last, Eternal! And Thou at length O glorious grace! Wilt take me to that holy place, the home of joys supernal. Amen, Amen!”

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 9/3/25 Joel Griffith 9/3/25

Where are you today?

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is; his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2

Consider for a moment what pattern your life resembles. Our parents provided a lifestyle for each of us; our friends may have twisted our fabric in a few different directions, some good and some with room for improvement. When we left home the direction that we followed surely added a few new wrinkles to our pattern and where you and I are today. So where are you today? How would another person describe your life?

The girl in the attached photo, Lizette, lives in Ouanaminthe, Haiti. Her home has a dirt floor, no electricity or indoor plumbing. She has three changes of clothes until she outgrows them. Her school has a dirt floor, corrugated metal siding, no electricity or indoor plumbing. Her meal of the day cost around forty cents. She knows that Jesus loves her.

For practical purposes, you and Lizette only have one thing in common, you both know that Jesus loves you and your Heavenly Father provides for you daily. You probably require much more each day than she does; electricity, clean water, furnace, air conditioner, food, different clothes, transportation and entertainment. But dear friends, in your abundance, you have been blessed to share with Lizette so that she may have one meal every day she is in school.

The following two verses from “A mighty fortress is our God” by Martin Luther describe this world, the forces that threaten to crush us and that one sweet word, “Jesus” that has more power than all the darkness of this world.

“And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us: the Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure, one little word shall fell him. That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth; the Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth: let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; the body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still, His kingdom is forever.”

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 9/2/25 Joel Griffith 9/2/25

Living sacrifices.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1

One of the first images that comes to mind when I read this passage from Romans was the choir at Bon Berger Eglise Lutherienne in Caredeux. This photo was taken in October 2010 which is the year of the deadly January earthquake and sad to say, there were several voices missing when I visited there.

Back in the day, I was blessed to have sung with this group on a few occasions while living in Haiti. I am not certain if my voice was pleasing to God in the proper sense, probably brought joy to Him listening to my broken Creole; I tried. When I look at the faces in the choir, see photos of the children attending that school and also think about several of you…the term ‘living sacrifice’ comes alive. Turning lives over to our Triune God is certainly not an easy thing to do; IT IS the right thing to do. This fallen world will provide ample reasons why not to turn your life over to Christ and follow the foolishness of this age and the lies of satan.

Thank you for your sacrifice that feeds His children in Haiti. Thank you for the sacrifice you daily give to Him in the face of this world. The following Offertory is sung by me every morning in my devotion as it reminds me of how important it is to always remember the joy of Salvation and I hope it is a part of your daily prayers as well.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me, cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free spirit. Amen.” Lutheran Hymnal

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 9/1/25 Joel Griffith 9/1/25

RAK

“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” Luke 6:35

If we are supposed to love and do good to our enemies it would seem that we should do the same to our friends and family. To my way of thinking most of us would give a plate of fresh cookies to our enemies but the ones we would offer to our loved ones might have frosting or double chocolate chips. I remember that as a child there was one really hard winter when we had a lot of snow and I shoveled snow off the sidewalk in front of houses on my block and a woman two houses from my house, Mrs. Boals, asked if I would do her driveway as well, as her husband was not well. I gladly did and she said that she would like to pay me but didn’t have any money and presented me with a plastic plate that had a few cookies.

This verse from Luke reminds me of the phrase ‘random acts of kindness’ (RAK). How many opportunities have you been given along your journey to reach out to a person in need of a random act of kindness? How many dead auto batteries were in need of your jumper cables? How many items were dropped along your journey that you took the time to stoop down, pick up and return to their owner? How often have you given assistance to another human being when it wasn’t expected?

The Haitian word for kindness is ‘bonke’. Albert Schweitzer said “do something wonderful, people may imitate it” when asked to give an example of the word kindness. Random acts of kindness come in many different forms; the attached photo reflects one. This child who lives in Ouanaminthe is carrying a plastic bowl with his daily meal of rice and beans that is in hands because somebody donated the change in their pocket. This small random act of kindness took place in the lives of over seventeen thousand children when this child was photographed on October 5, 2010.

I doubt that few if any of the Trinity HOPE supporters are seeking to be repaid for their kindness and many of the donors that I know are the type of people who would say that it is better to give than to receive; their random acts of kindness are not just limited to children living in Haiti. There is a quote by Margaret Cho that defines the person responsible for this bowl of rice and beans; “Sometimes when we are generous in small, barely detectable ways it can change someone else’s life forever.”

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 8/31/25 Joel Griffith 8/31/25

Prayer guide for September.

We begin our prayer time in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. + Amen.

“I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.” Martin Luther

‘Adoration’

Psalm 62:7–8; “On God my salvation and my glory rest; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.”

Heavenly Father, we stand in awe of Your presence as we consider how Christian education has been spreading throughout schools in Haiti at a time when this world’s media tells us that it should not be happening, because of the gangs and rampant inflation. The Holy Gospel is being proclaimed because of Your plan being fulfilled, in Haiti, in the USA and throughout our fallen world. We are living in very challenging times in our country as well and more challenging events in every corner throughout this fallen world. Our souls have been tossed about like waves that are crashing against a shoreline, and our lives seem to be splashing back and forth in a pattern of endless disarray. You came down into our lives and rescued us. You brought us the gift of forgiveness and that brought us relief, and You introduced us to a wonderful, unknown state of mind on this side of Paradise; AT PEACE and a STATE OF REST. Thank You for the wonderful peace that accompanies this rest. Thank You for the freedom from worrying about the difficult challenges of this world that surround us daily. Heavenly Father, You are our refuge and bring us a peace filled rest.

A time of ‘Adoration’ to our Triune God.

· Think about the endless challenges that are taking place in our country and elsewhere in our fallen world and where we turn to continually find true peace and rest.

· Try to grasp the immense work that our Creator is doing in the lives of each Haitian child who are prayerfully preparing to walk to their Christian school this month and the thousands of children who will be experiencing a Trinity HOPE lunch for the very first time.

· Stop and look back where you have been this past year and where you are today, praying for and supporting a Trinity HOPE feeding program; HE knew you would be here today.

· Heavenly Father, please keep us focused on Your presence throughout our daily lives.

‘Confession’

Proverbs 28:13; “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”

We were born, sinful and unclean, through no fault of our own, but because of the sins of our parents, grandparents…Adam and Eve.

God sent His only Son to die for our sins. Jesus did everything right while he was here on this earth. He loves you with a love that cannot be measured. He gave to the world when no thanks were returned to Him. He healed when there was no hope, and He died without complaint. Jesus did nothing wrong and everything right; all this for you. He lived for you and died for you. Our sins nailed Him to the cross on Calvary and kept Him there until His life on earth had ended.

· A time of personal confession.

Our sins are placed at the base of the Calvary cross...His cross, and we give thanks that the times we have fallen short in the eyes of our Heavenly Father have been washed clean and we have been forgiven through the Blood of our Risen Savior Jesus Christ.

‘Thanksgiving’

1 Corinthians 10:13; “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word that has been preserved throughout the history of our world and is still alive today. Thank You for the careful concern of men like the apostles Peter and Paul who knew both sides of life on this planet: what it was like to live in this old world and what it was like to walk with the Savior, Your Son. Thank You for Peter's admonishment to prepare our minds for action, to keep sober in spirit, to fix our hope on Your grace and not to conform our lives to the former lustful temptations of this fallen world; but to continually strive to be holy as You are. Father, thank you for providing us with an opportunity to come along the side of Haitian children learning about You, and who are eagerly becoming Your messengers who will bring the Truth to ears that have not heard and lives that have turned away from You. Thank You for giving us the ability to prayerfully and financially support Your work through them.

Heavenly Father, we come to You now with hearts, minds and words filled with ‘Thanksgiving’.”

· We give thanks for our Creator, Redeemer and Holy Spirit.

· We give You thanks for the many people who have pledged to be recurring donors to Trinity HOPE and will continue to pray for the school children as they share the Holy Gospel throughout their homeland.

· We give thanks for this new school year and the many additional students in new schools who will learn about Jesus and receive a daily meal from Trinity HOPE.

· As we give of our first fruits may we also give a portion of our best to His children in Haiti who need the assistance we can provide because of You.

‘Supplications’

Psalm 51:1–2; “Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.”

Lord God, Heavenly Father, these verses should remind each of us that every morning, You give us a fresh start to walk beside and at times following You. There are over 52,000 children in Haiti who will hopefully be resuming their classes this month or if necessary, in the next months, amid the threats from gangs, and learn more about You and share that life-saving message of salvation with those still in bondage to the lies of vodou. There are evil gangs within Haiti that are eager to destroy anything that will bring Hope to Haiti; cause them to repent and turn from their evil. .

Father God, we live in a dry, barren and fallen world, where sin is becoming more and more rampant and our society is so filthy; we need a fountain of fresh, clean water that is full of blessings, truth, and strength; we need a fresh start. The children in Haiti and each of us are thirsty today for the Living Water that is only found in You. May the Living Water do its work in cleansing us and this world. May it wash our minds, may it cleanse our motives, may it scrub away the evil that permeates within the Haitian gangs so that You can lead their members and us too, onto right paths and closer to You. Sadly, we confess of having a history of being prone to wander and leave the God we love. And only Your cleansing, fresh water of the Spirit can make us clean deep within and provide a fresh start within us. We give ourselves to Your sacred work, to be set apart for Your best use, for Your greater glory.

Heavenly Father, we bring our supplications before You;

· Heavenly Father, please place your healing hands upon Your servants in Haiti who are facing physical challenges from the evil gangs that prowl throughout the country of Haiti. Give courage and protection to the Haitian Police. Foreign Police and a UN Peacekeeping force.

· Lord Jesus, bring a calming breeze and a fresh start throughout Haiti before the start of this new school year. Bring truth, peace and wisdom to the people who are trying to establish a new government and a desire to seek and follow YOU more closely every day.

· Lord, be with the Haitian principals, parents and Feeding Program Directors as they prepare for the new school year that will hopefully begin this month. May their planning bring more souls closer to You.

· May the charcoal fires started by the cooks snuff out the lies of the vodou priests and bring those who still cling to those lies to the foot of the cross; repenting of their past and seeking Your future for them.

· Father, please dissolve the gangs that are threatening to take over Haiti by force. Dissolve their plans to move into the agricultural lands in the Central Plateau and the Artibonite. Cause them to put down their weapons and repent. May Your people rise up and reclaim their country and restore peace where there is none and dedicate their country to You.

· Father, provide Trinity HOPE team members in the US who oversee the monthly records from all of the Haitian schools with abundant joy as they serve you in this way.

Lord God, bless Your Word wherever it is proclaimed. Make it a Word of power and peace to convert those not yet Your own and to confirm those who have come to saving faith. May Your Word pass from the ear to the heart, from the heart to the lip and from the lip to the life that, as You have promised, Your Word may achieve the purpose for which You sent it; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

“I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.” Martin Luther

2 Corinthians 13:11-14; “Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints send their greetings. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

May God go before you to guide you; may His arms be beneath you to support you, around you to protect you and above you to bless you. And may the blessings of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you always dear sister and brother in Christ,

In His love, Jay Brinkmeyer

Joel Griffith 8/30/25 Joel Griffith 8/30/25

Victory in Jesus!

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57

What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘victory’? Victory, noun; (1) win: success in a contest against an enemy or opponent, or a particular contest or battle that is won (2) success: success in overcoming a difficult situation or an obstacle "Being able to get out of bed was a small victory in her struggle against the illness."

Watching these children from Merrotte walk across a gravel yard from the kitchen to their classroom holding onto their daily lunch is a victory. We cannot imagine what kind of difficult situations or obstacles they have gone through when not in school. I have slept in their Church on several occasions and I can tell you that the vodou drums beat very loudly in Merrotte; pounding out a beat to attract evil spirits from near and far.

These children attending Christ the King Lutheran School in Merrotte have a smile on their face because they have Jesus! They have a smile on their face because they have their meal for the day in their hands as promised! The vodou priest cannot claim their spot in Heaven. The vodou priest lied when he told them there would be no food at school on this day. There are 16 children in this photo. Thank you for sending six dollars for their lunch on this day. What seems to be so little to us is such a large victory for them. Barney Warren wrote a hymn titled ‘Victory’ in 1897 and its words are a wonderful way to close.

“Hallelujah, what a thought! Jesus full salvation brought, victory, victory; let the pow’rs of sin assail, Heaven’s grace can never fail, victory, victory. Victory, yes, victory. Hallelujah! I am free, Jesus gives me victory; glory, glory! hallelujah! He is all in all to me. I am trusting in the Lord, I am standing on His Word, victory, victory; I have peace and joy within, since my life is free from sin, victory, victory. Shout your freedom everywhere, His eternal peace declare, victory, victory, Let us sing it here below, in the face of every foe, victory, victory. We will sing it on that shore, when this fleeting life is o’er, victory, victory; sing it here, ye ransomed throng, start the everlasting song: victory, victory.”

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 8/29/25 Joel Griffith 8/29/25

Feeding kids.

“And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.” 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15

God willing, Trinity HOPE will have feeding programs in over 260 schools in the coming year. It takes countless hours of work in Haiti and here in North American to get a school feeding program up and running. It is not as easy as wiring funds to Haiti so they can go purchase beans, rice, oil, tomato paste, two pots and some charcoal and voila, you have a feeding program. Filling bowls in the kitchen at Gros Morne didn’t just take place; it took quite a while for these bowls to be filled.

If North American volunteers were idle, there would not be a feeding program; the weak would not receive assistance. Our brothers and sisters in Haiti have countless days of work to do in preparation before their school can be considered ‘ready’ for a feeding program. Trinity HOPE doesn’t just ‘give’ bags of beans of rice to a school as that would not be a sustainable program. In the same train of thought, the Christian church in Haiti doesn’t just ‘give’ out Bibles and move on, they teach the Bible as many cannot read. The Christians in Haiti continue to memorize Scripture readings and recite them in Church and give thanks for a Savior named Jesus who has saved them from the vodou priest, death and the devil. Don’t be idle but seek to do good where ever possible. There is a song by the Kingsman titled ‘Saints will rise’ that is a wonderful reminder of what awaits us all when our work on earth is ended.

“When our work on earth is ended and the time has come to go; saints will rise, saints will rise. Headed for that blessed country that is Heaven I am told. Saints will rise, saints will rise. Saints will rise on that hallelujah morning when we hear that trumpet sound. I’m a going up to see King Jesus, saints will rise, saints will rise. Have you made your preparation; are you going to that land? Saints will rise, saints will rise. Jesus gave His life a ransom so that you could join that band. Saint will rise, saints will rise. I’m a going up to see King Jesus, saints will rise, saints will rise.”

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 8/28/25 Joel Griffith 8/28/25

Prayers.

“He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.” 2 Corinthians 1:10-11

On the first Monday of every month, special prayers are offered for children attending schools in Haiti who are being blessed with a Trinity HOPE feeding program. Why is that important? I can personally tell you that back in the day, when I was a missionary living in Haiti, the prayers from members of my home congregation and other supporters were felt throughout my daily activities; it was like being wrapped up in my favorite blanket as a child, safe and secure. The children in the attached photo attend the Lutheran school in Mammou and this scene can be seen throughout Haiti as these children give thanks for the blessings that they have received and also for you. Prayer is so powerful and praying for others is so very important.

Moses prayed that God would not destroy Israel, Abraham prayed for God to spare Sodom and Jesus prayed for His Father to forgive those who were going to kill Him. Prayer expresses our faith and love of our Heavenly Father. When talking with Haitian, friends we typically say to each other that “we are praying for you.” We place our trust in Him who is faithful. Please join me today and again next Monday and offer up a prayer for the school feeding programs in Haiti and for His children around the world.

“My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly trust in Jesus’ Name. When darkness seems to hide His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace. In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil. On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand; all other ground is sinking sand.” Edward Mote 1834

May God be with you,

Jay