Islanders Shrine Club

Chaplain’s Message

The New Year provides us many opportunities to do new things, improve ourselves, renew our commitments or change our views. It affords us a new baseline for reflection and self-measurement. Many of us make New Year’s resolutions for various things we would like to accomplish. The optimism expressed in our resolutions serves to motivate us to higher levels of achievement – some to be realized and perhaps some not, still giving us positive direction.

Our faith in God can strengthen us as we strive to make improvements in the New Year. One Scriptural excerpt that may be interpreted in this way is from Ephesians 4:22-24, You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. What a great way to channel our thoughts and actions!

Among the best opportunities that we may find are those for helping others. By keeping this in mind as we begin the New Year, we may find such opportunities with our families, friends and coworkers. We never know where these acts of assistance may lead. "Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises." Demosthenes (Greek orator & politician in Athens (384 BC - 322 BC.) As Shriners, every opportunity to help children get the treatment they need can only lead to immeasurable changes in their lives – and ours.