It's been said ... Growing Old Ain't for Wimps!

The end of another year is quickly approaching and in a recent email, I was reminded of this truth. I thought I would share the wisdom with you ~ Enjoy!

Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional. For this eternal truth I've got a little bit of wisdom to share with some of my young (and young at heart!) friends. Pay attention! They may help you live longer ;)

1. Forget the health food. You need all the preservatives you can get!

2. When you fall down, think about what else you can do while you're down there. (A reminder - don't waste the space you're in, do something with what you've got where you are!)
3. You're getting old when you get the same sensation from a rocking chair that you once got from a roller coaster. (No matter which stage of life you are in - let go and enjoy the ride!)
4. It's frustrating when you know all the answers, but nobody bothers to ask you the questions. (Share the wisdom anyway, you never know who might be listening!)
5. Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician. (So enjoy that afternoon nap, it can help you keep up a youthful appearance!)
6. Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone.
7. Raising teenagers is like nailing Jell-O to a tree. (And don't forget what it was like to be 16!)
8. Wrinkles don't hurt. (Though it's important to have a twinkle in your wrinkle!) ;)
9. Families are like fudge . . . mostly sweet, but better with a few nuts. ('nuff said.)
10.Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
11.Sapere Aude. (Dare to be wise.)
12.Laughing is good exercise. (It's like jogging on the inside.)
13.Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many.
14.Don't worry about avoiding temptation - as you grow older, it starts avoiding you!

Finally - At my age, in dog years, I'm dead! (The bright side is - I'm not a dog!)

The River

A group of people are standing at a river bank and suddenly hear the cries of a baby.

Shocked, they see an infant floating–drowning–in the water. One person immediately dives in to rescue the child. But as this is going on, yet another baby comes floating down the river, and then another! People continue to jump in to save the babies and then see that one person has started to run away from the group still on shore.

Accusingly they shout, “Where are you going?”

The response: “I’m going upstream to stop whoever’s throwing babies into the river!”

Where are you in this story? Standing on the riverbank? Jumping in to save the drowning babies? Or running upstream to stop the person throwing the babies into the river?

We are all in one place or another and we can all make a difference when we work together!

An Irrepressible Woman Preacher

Gertrude Pettibon’s favorite hymn was “The Church’s One Foundation Is Jesus Christ Her Lord.” This she lived by and this she preached.

In 1933 Kansas farmers, once supplying the world with wheat, were, because of drought, dust storms and the Great Depression, unable to feed their own people. The United Brethren Church in Republic, Kansas, was on the verge of closing. The pastor had quit to work on the Public Works Administration, a government relief program. The official board refused to accept a woman preacher.

Gertrude McNeill Pettibon, certain of her calling to the ministry, refused to accept the board’s decision and moved with her children into a back room of the church. Her first Sunday she preached and announced a full week’s schedule to a cold and almost empty church. The days and weeks that followed she chugged her ’28 Chevrolet over dusty country roads, more often than not, driving on prayer and the fumes from an empty gas tank.

She stopped at every house inviting folks to church, and the bone-weary farmers came. Soon the board saw something special in this woman’s zeal for God and love for people, and moved her into the parsonage.

Gertrude Pettibon pastored the Republic church ten years, 1933 to 1943, and was ordained in 1936. These were years of great financial problems. Pastor and laity sacrificed together to pay conference quotas, and the pastor’s small salary was supplemented by whatever produce was available.

Four young men of the congregation answered the call to Christian ministry and went on to be ordained.

The church became a stronghold of the community, and remains so today. Most of the town’s six hundred people are gone, businesses have moved, the school is closed and its roof has fallen in. But the UB church (now United Methodist), stands like a beacon on a corner near the center of town. Its brown brick exterior is in good repair, its doors open, its sanctuary warm and welcoming, while a young woman preacher affirms, “The Church’s One Foundation Is Jesus Christ Her Lord.”

In 1943 Gertrude married Clarence Millen, her lay delegate to annual conference and long-time friend, and preached at the Methodist Church in Byron, Nebraska. Eventually they moved to the Otterbein Home at Lebanon, Ohio, as house-parents to teenage boys. Leukemia cut her life short at age fifty. But today her life still shines through many whom she brought to Christ.

(adapted from the Telescope-Messenger, United Theological Seminary, Dayton, Winter, 1998) Found on GBGM-UMC.

It seems to me …

It seems to me that …

1. Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.
2. Time is nature’s way of preventing everything from happening at once.

3. The school should always have as its aim that the young man leave it as a harmonious personality, not as a specialist. This in my opinion is true in a certain sense even for technical schools… The development of general ability for independent thinking and judgment should always be placed foremost, not the acquisition of special knowledge. – Albert Einstein
4. Tobacco is a nauseating plant consumed by only two creatures: a large green worm and man. The worm doesn’t know any better.
5. Tolerance gets a lot of credit that belongs to apathy.
6. Truth is often violated by falsehood, but can be equally outraged by silence.
7. Maybe we were better off when charity was a virtue instead of a deduction.
8. We need education in the obvious more than investigation of the obscure. - Oliver Wendel Holmes II
9. Do it now! Today will be yesterday tomorrow.
10.Smooth seas do not make good sailors.
11.Part-time faith, like a part-time job, cannot fully support you.
12.Were it not for the doers, the critics would soon be out of business.
13.It is especially hard to work for money you’ve already spent for something you didn’t need.
14.The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies — probably because they are generally the same people. – G.K. Chesterton, 1910
15.It’s extremely difficult to sell anyone a product you’ve never used — or a religion you’ve never lived.

Preach It Oyster Man!

“The early Methodist meetings were often led by lay preachers with very limited education. On one occasion, such a preacher took as his text Luke 19:21, “Lord, I feared thee, because thou art an austere man.” Not knowing the word “austere,” he thought that the text spoke of “an oyster man.” He spoke about the work of those who retrieve oysters from the sea-bed. The diver plunges

down from the surface, cut off from his natural environment, into bone-chilling water. He gropes in the dark, cutting his hands on the sharp edges of the shells. Now he has the oyster, and kicks back up to the surface, up to the warmth and light and air, clutching in his torn and bleeding hands the object of his search. So Christ descended from the glory of heaven into the squalor of earth, into sinful human society, in order to retrieve humans and bring them back up with Him to the glory of heaven, His torn and bleeding hands a sign of the value He has placed on the object of His quest. Twelve men were converted that evening. Afterwards, someone complained to Wesley about the inappropriateness of allowing preachers who were too ignorant to know the meaning of the texts they were preaching on. Wesley, simply said, “Never mind, the Lord got a dozen oysters tonight.”

(From Albert C. Outler, John Wesley’s Sermons: An Introduction, p 79)

Poll: How do we discern that individuals are truly called by God and without personal motives?

Poll: How do we discern that individuals are truly called by God and without personal motives?

Fletcher and the Three Hebrews

JOHN WILLIAM FLETCHER, native of Nyon, Switzerland (1729), and graduate of the University of Geneva, was prevented by an accident from becoming a soldier of the Portuguese Army in Brazil.

As he was about to start, a serving-maid spilled a kettle of boiling water on him, incapacitating him for some time. Later, under Methodist influence, he entered into a Christian experience and became one of Wesley’s preachers. Still later he was appointed vicar of the Church of England at Madeley, a notoriously wicked community.

On Sunday mornings he went about at five o clock, ringing a bell to rouse people in time for service. His church soon was crowded, to the disgust of a group of evildoers who determined to stop him. They arranged a “bull-baiting” near his preaching place and planned to pull him off his horse when he arrived. But, called to a child’s funeral, he was providentially a little late for the service; and, while the conspirators were in a drinking booth, the bull broke loose, charged the tent and scattered them so effectually that he preached in peace.

A butcher forbade his wife attending Fletcher’s church threatening to cut her throat if she went. When she started to go, he exclaimed, “Are you going to Fletcher s church?” “I am,” she replied. “Then, I shall not cut your throat as I intended, he declared, “`but I will heat the oven and throw you into it, when you come home!” Fletcher preached that morning on the first Scripture lesson of the day-the three Hebrews, saved in the flames of Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace. The message so heartened the distracted woman that, on returning, she courageously faced her husband and conquered his evil spirit until he was convicted of sin.

This article was taken from the book entitled “One Hundred and One Methodist Stories” by Carl F. Price and published by the Methodist Book Concern.

The Bigot’s Creed

Believe as I believe — no more,
no less;
That I am right, and no one else,
confess;
Feel as I feel, think only as
I think;
Eat what I eat, and drink but what
I drink;
Look as I look, do always as I do;
And, only then, I’ll fellowship
with you.

That I am right, and always right,
I know,
Because MY OWN CONVICTIONS tell
me so;
And to be right is simply this:
to be
Entirely and in all respects
like me.
To deviate a jot, or to begin
To question, doubt, or hesitate,
is sin.

Let sink the drowning man, if he’ll
not swim
Upon the plank that I throw out
to him;
Let starve the famishing, if he’ll
not eat
My KIND and QUANTITY of bread
and meat;
Let freeze the naked, too, if
he’ll not be
Supplied with garments such as made
for me.

‘Twere better that the sick should
die than live,
Unless they take the medicine
I give;
‘Twere better sinners perish than
refuse
To be conformed to my peculiar
views;
‘Twere better that the world stood
still than move
In ANY way that I DO NOT APPROVE.

(Author Unknown)

Holy Man

Word spread across the countryside about the wise Holy Man who lived in a small house atop the mountain. A man from the village decided to make the long and difficult journey to visit him. When he arrived at the house, he saw an old servant inside who greeting him at the door. “I would like to see the wise Holy Man,” he said to the servant. The servant smiled and led him inside. As they walked through the house, the man from the village looked eagerly around the house, anticipating his encounter with the Holy Man. Before he knew it, he had been led to the back door and escorted outside. He stopped and turned to the servant, “But I want to see the Holy Man!”

“You already have,” said the old man. “Everyone you may meet in life, even if they appear plain and insignificant… see each of them as a wise Holy Man. If you do this, then whatever problem you brought here today will be solved.”

What is the message of this story for you?

• “Anticipation of something may be greater than the thing itself. Anticipation of looks is always a mistake.”
• “You can’t judge a book by its cover.”
• “We see ourselves in everyone we meet.”
• “The man in the story got lost looking for a deep solution to his problem, when all along the answer was right on the surface.”

What do YOU see?

“A wise man learns more from a fool than the fool from the wise man.”

Rapture thoughts

“If I ever reach heaven I expect to find three wonders there: first, to meet some I had not thought to see there; second, to miss some I had expected to see there; and third, the greatest wonder of all, to find myself there.”

ATTITUDE

Attitude is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than what people do or say. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill.

The remarkable thing is, we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.

We cannot change our past. We can not change the fact that people act in a certain way. We can not change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.

from Strengthening Your Grip
by Charles Swindoll

Wanted: The Perfect Congregation

Is this a description of your congregation?

The perfect congregation pays the pastor 50 % more than the average salary of its members (and its members are all wealthy) and provides free of charge a new car every year. The parsonage has a Jacuzzi and provides large HD flat screen TVs in every room and the church pays for unlimited cable as a gift to the pastor. No one in the perfect congregation ever has an emergency later than 9 PM or earlier than 8 AM. No one in the perfect congregation ever quarrels with anyone else. The perfect congregation has a catered pastor appreciation dinner every year with caviar, filet mignon and lobster on the menu.

Maybe this description is closer to your perfect congregation:

The perfect congregation is 10 years old, with the fervent energy of a new organization, and it has 250 years of history in this town. Its members speak out on every timely and sensitive issue, and never disagree with each other. Its office is open from 8 in the morning to 10 at night, and its budget for administrative staff is $5,000 a year. This church has the highest possible moral ideals, and no one ever fails to live up to them, because that would make them hypocrites. It changes with the times and always does things the good old way. Its ministers are always available for meetings, (For more info on how to be the perfect congregation, follow this link)

Thinking:10 Commandments or 10,000?

The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:2-17 NKJV)
1 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My Commandments.
3 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
4 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
5 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
6 “You shall not murder.
7 “You shall not commit adultery.
8 “You shall not steal.
9 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

For most people these are the standards to which we are called to live and conduct ourselves. For some, these constitute a set of rules that must be obeyed in order to earn the right to enter heaven. Others have found ways to make them “socially relevant”.

What do you think of this one?

GOD TEXTS THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

BY Jamie Quatro

1. no1 b4 me. srsly.
2. dnt wrshp pix/idols
3. no omg’s
4. no wrk on w/end (sat 4 now; sun l8r)
5. pos ok – ur m&d r cool
6. dnt kill ppl
7. :-X only w/ m8
8. dnt steal
9. dnt lie re: bf
10. dnt ogle ur bf’s m8. or ox. or dnkey. myob.

M, pls rite on tabs & giv 2 ppl.
ttyl, JHWH.
ps. wwjd?

And then we have:

The Ten Commandments Southern Style
1. Just one God
2. Put nothin’ before God
3. Watch yer mouth
4. Git yourself to Sunday meetin’
5. Honor yer Ma & Pa
6. No killin’
7. No foolin’ around with another fellow’s
For more click here

North Georgia Emmaus & Chrysalis Community

The North Georgia Chrysalis community needs your help!

We need sponsors for youth. Youth must be 15 (by September 2011) to 24 years old and have finished their freshman year in high school.

We also need servants to serve on the boy’s flight. If you have been on Chrysalis or Emmaus, you are eligible to serve. Please email the lay directors (see below) or team selection: Kelly Meador (keketwin (a)yahoo.com) or Rob Simon (robsimon111(a)gmail.com).

June 02-05, 2011

Thursday-Sunday
Chrysalis #69/YAC #46 (all female)
Lay Director: Denise Hotze
watapaching(a) gmail.com

June 09-12, 2011
Thursday-Sunday
Chrysalis #70/YAC #47 (all male)
Lay Director: Michael Creighton
mzrtsinbad (a)gmail.com

Blessings ,
Board Rep for North Georgia Chrysalis

Ministry - Gonna Be The Death of Me!

I love being a pastor! I love doing ministry with people who are hurt, broken, lost, confused, people who are just like me. I love being with people that want to worship God. I love the feeling that maybe I am making a difference in the world. I also love the knowledge that God has called me - called me - to stand in the gap and show his love to people. But I have been through so much conflict, stress and criticism that I am exhausted! I'm ready for some extended sabbath time, but worry if I step away, am I going to want to return?

These kind of things go running through my head and then I read an article with some statistics that scare me to death. When you look at them, makes you wonder why anyone would want to follow this calling on their life. Personally, I can't imagine doing anything else!

Where do you think you fit in these numbers?

- 80% of pastors say they have insufficient time with spouse and that ministry has a negative effect on their family.
- 40% report a serious conflict with a parishioner once a month.
- 33% say that being in ministry is an outright hazard to their family.
- 75% report they’ve had a significant stress-related crisis at least once in their ministry.
- 58% of pastors indicate that their spouse needs to work either part time or full time to supplement the family income.
- 56% of pastors’ wives say they have no close friends.
- Pastors who work fewer than 50 hrs per week are 35% more likely to be terminated.
- 40% of pastors considered leaving the pastorate in the past three months.
- Fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or contention in their churches.
- Fifty percent of pastors’ marriages will end in divorce.
- Eighty percent of pastors and eighty-four percent of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged in their role as pastors.
- Fifty percent of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living.
- Eighty percent of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years.
- Seventy percent of pastors constantly fight depression.
- Almost forty percent polled said they have had an extra-marital affair since beginning their ministry.
- Seventy percent said the only time they spend studying the Word is when they are preparing their sermons. [compiled by Darrin Patrick]

It's My Party!

This is the follow-up post from "Who Am I?"

It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to
Cry if I want to, cry if I want to .......... You would cry too if it happened to you

Everybody remembers these lyrics to the song sung by Lesley Gore from 1965. The song depicts the humiliation of a teenage girl at her birthday party when her boyfriend (Johnny) disappears only to arrive on the scene a short time later with Judy, another girl, who is "wearing his ring" which seems to imply Judy has now replaced the birthday girl as Johnny's love interest.

The chorus, "It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to... You would cry too if it happened to you," became a part of American pop cultural language as a phrase that was used to describe being utterly humiliated and miserable during an experience that should be a joyful circumstance.

Well, during the past 24 hours I have surely experienced the feelings of humiliation, dejection, rejection, disappointment, and so much more. My pity party is over (for now!) but I still want presents!

So, here's my thought. (You ever wonder what kind of gift you can give someone who is so totally down on themselves that would cheer them up? I've got the perfect thing!) I need some -Encouragement - this

(To read the rest of this post, go to: Barefootpreachr.org)

Who Am I?

That is a question that I am asking right now. And I simply don't know what the answer is, or will be.

I feel like I have disappointed my daughter - she wanted to make vacation plans with us and now our finances won't allow us to do this. I feel like I have added a burden to my hubby - he now has to carry the full financial support of our family. I feel as if I have let down the people of the church I serve - not being able to inspire and motivate and lead them into fully being the church. I know much of this is silly, but ... it's how I feel at the moment.

I feel as if I have disappointed God more than anything else - did I not love His people enough? did I not have the right attitude? did I try to do things in my will and not his?

These are questions I will wrestle with for awhile. And until I find the answers I am just going to rest in the assurance that HE knows my name and I am HIS.

Who am I?
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt.
Who am I?
That the bright and morning star,
Would choose to light the way,
For my ever wandering heart.

Bridge:
Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.

Chorus:
I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.

Who am I?
That the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again.
Who am I?
That the voice that calmed the sea,
Would call out through the rain,
And calm the storm in me.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.

I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.

I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.
I am yours.

Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear
Cause I am yours..
I am yours..

(Lyrics by Casting Crowns)

Yes, Lord ... I am YOURS

The Bigamist Amongst Us

There was a rich merchant who had 4 wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to delicacies. He took great care of her and gave her nothing but the best.

He also loved the 3rd wife very much. He's very proud of her and always wanted to show off her to his friends. However, the merchant is always in great fear that she might run away with some other men.

He too, loved his 2nd wife. She is a very considerate person, always patient and in fact is the merchant's confidante. Whenever the merchant faced some problems, he always turned to his 2nd wife and she would always help him out and tide him through difficult times.

Now, the merchant's 1st wife is a very loyal partner and has made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking care of the household. However, the merchant did not love the first wife and although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her.

One day, the merchant fell ill. Before long, he knew that he was going to die soon. He thought of his luxurious life and told himself, "Now I have 4 wives with me. But when I die, I'll be alone. How lonely I'll be!"

Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I loved you most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No way!" replied the 4th wife and she walked away without another word.


Prayer Beads
The answer cut like a sharp knife right into the merchant's heart. The sad merchant then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you so much for all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No!" replied the 3rd wife. "Life is so good over here! I'm going to remarry when you die!" The merchant's heart sank and turned cold.

He then asked the 2nd wife, "I always turned to you for help and you've always helped me out. Now I need your help again. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?" "I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!" replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only send you to your grave." The answer came like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was devastated.

Then a voice called out: "I'll leave with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go." The merchant looked up and there was his first wife. She was so skinny, almost like she suffered from malnutrition. Greatly grieved, the merchant said, "I should have taken much better care of you while I could have!”

Actually, we all have 4 wives in our lives:

a. The 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it'll leave us when we die.
b. Our 3rd wife? Our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, they all go to others.
c. The 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how close they had been there for us when we're alive, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.
d. The 1st wife is in fact our soul, often neglected in our pursuit of material, wealth and sensual pleasure.
Guess what? It is actually the only thing that follows us wherever we go. Perhaps it's a good idea to cultivate and strengthen it now rather than to wait until we're on our deathbed to lament.

Matthew 6:24-34

24“No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

25“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?27And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?28And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?31Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34“So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

40 Days in the Gospels

Every year people create “resolutions” for themselves. Whether it is losing weight or exercising more or eating better or making time for family, each of these resolutions is thought to help us become healthier. One of the more common resolutions is to read through the entire Bible in the year. It sounds like a daunting pledge, but it’s one of the most gratifying things you can do to deepen your appreciation of the Word of God. It’s also easier than you might think!

If you want to get started in smaller bites, why not try reading through the Four Gospels during Lent? Simply go to the right column of my blog and click on the "subscribe" button. By subscribing you will receive email with each days Bible scripture reading broken down into short, manageable daily readings, taking you through the entire text of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John in the 40 days plus Sundays. You can also find these posted here on the blog each day.

Continue in Prayer

"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

Please continue in prayer for our friend and add me to your prayers ~ for strength and wisdom and discernment in the direction God desires me to go.

This is an example of scripture praying:

EPHESIANS 3:13-19
13 I ask that _____ does not lose heart,
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 that You would grant _____, according to the riches of Your glory, to be strengthened with might through Your Spirit in the inner man,
17 that Christ may dwell in _____'s heart through faith; that _____, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height --
19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that _____ may be filled with all the fullness of God

Prayer Needed

We (hubby & I) have a very sweet special friend who we have just learned has Lou Gehrig's disease. This guy has had a tough life but has always shared with us his faith in Christ and his love for all of God's people since the moment we met him. He is facing family issues, job loss (and loss of medical insurance!) and this debilitating disease with his usual upbeat confidence of the Lord's provision. Please join us in prayer - for healing, restoration of relationships, financial provision, and whatever may come here on earth, may God be glorified.

And for our friend: May you be comforted by our mighty God and may you have His peace.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God.” ~ 2 Corinthians 1: 3-4

Faith or Fiction?

John Powell a professor at Loyola University in Chicago writes about a student in his Theology of Faith class named Tommy:

Some twelve years ago, I stood watching my university students file into the classroom for our first session in the Theology of Faith. That was the first day I first saw Tommy. My eyes and my mind both blinked. He was combing his long flaxen hair, which hung six inches below his shoulders.

It was the first time I had ever seen a boy with hair that long. I guess it was just coming into fashion then. I know in my mind that it isn’t what’s on your head but what’s in it that counts; but on that day I was unprepared and my emotions flipped.

I immediately filed Tommy under “S” for strange … very strange. Tommy turned out to be the “atheist in residence” in my Theology of Faith course. He constantly objected to, smirked at, or whined about the possibility of an unconditionally loving Father-God. We lived with each other in relative peace for one semester, although I admit he was for me at times a serious pain in the back pew. (Do you know anyone like this?)

When he came up at the end of the course to turn in his final exam, he asked in a slightly cynical tone: “Do you think I’ll ever find God?”

I decided instantly on a little shock therapy. “No!” I said very emphatically.

“Oh,” he responded, “I thought that was the product you were pushing.”

I let him get five steps from the classroom door and then called out: “Tommy! I don’t think you’ll ever find him, but I am absolutely certain that He will find you!” He shrugged a little and left my class and my life.

I felt slightly disappointed at the thought that he had missed my clever line: “He will find you!” At least I thought it was clever. Later I heard that Tommy had graduated and I was duly grateful.

Then a sad report, I heard that Tommy had terminal cancer. Before I could search him out, he came to see me. When he walked into my office, his body was very badly wasted, and the long hair had all fallen out as a result of chemotherapy. But his eyes were bright and his voice was firm, for the first time, I believe. “Tommy, I’ve thought about you so often. I hear you are sick!” I blurted out.

“Oh, yes, very sick. I have cancer in both lungs. It’s a matter of weeks.”

“Can you talk about it, Tom?”

“Sure, what would you like to know?”

“What’s it like to be only twenty-four and dying?”

“Well, it could be worse.”

“Like what?”

“Well, like being fifty and having no values or ideals, like being fifty and thinking that booze, seducing women, and making money are the real ‘biggies’ in life.”

I began to look through my mental file cabinet under “S” where I had filed Tommy as strange. (It seems as though everybody I try to reject by classification God sends back into my life to educate me.)

But what I really came to see you about,” Tom said, ” is something you said to me on the last day of class.” (He remembered!) He continued, “I asked you if you thought I would ever find God and you said, ‘No!’ which surprised me. Then you said, ‘But he will find you.’ I thought about that a lot, even though my search for God was hardly intense at that time. (My “clever” line. He thought about that a lot!) But when the doctors removed a lump from my groin and told me that it was malignant, then I got serious about locating God. And when the malignancy spread into my vital organs, I really began banging bloody fists against the bronze doors of heaven.

But God did not come out. In fact, nothing happened. Did you ever try anything for a long time with great effort and with no success? You get psychologically glutted, fed up with trying. And then you quit.

Well, one day I woke up, and instead of throwing a few more futile appeals over that high brick wall to a God who may be or may not be there, I just quit. I decided that I didn’t really care … about God, about an afterlife, or anything like that. “I decided to spend what time I had left doing something more profitable. I thought about you and your class and I remembered something else you had said: ‘The essential sadness is to go through life without loving. But it would be almost equally sad to go through life and leave this world without ever telling those you loved that you had loved them.’ “So I began with the hardest one: my Dad. He was reading the newspaper when I approached him.”

“Dad”. . .

“Yes, what?” he asked without lowering the newspaper.

“Dad, I would like to talk with you.”

“Well, talk.”

“I mean. .. It’s really important.”

The newspaper came down three slow inches. “What is it?”

“Dad, I love you. I just wanted you to know that.” Tom smiled at me and said with obvious satisfaction, as though he felt a warm and secret joy flowing inside of him: “The newspaper fluttered to the floor. Then my father did two things I could never remember him ever doing before. He cried and he hugged me.

And we talked all night, even though he had to go to work the next morning. It felt so good to be close to my father, to see his tears, to feel his hug, to hear him say that he loved me. “It was easier with my mother and little brother. They cried with me, too, and we hugged each other, and started saying real nice things to each other. We shared the things we had been keeping secret for so many years. I was only sorry about one thing: that I had waited so long. Here I was just beginning to open up to all the people I had actually been close to.

“Then, one day I turned around and God was there. He didn’t come to me when I pleaded with him. I guess I was like an animal trainer holding out a hoop, ‘C’mon, jump through.’ ‘C’mon, I’ll give you three days .. .three weeks.’ Apparently God does things in his own way and at his own hour. But the important thing is that he was there. He found me.

You were right. He found me even after I stopped looking for him.”

“Tommy,” I practically gasped, “I think you are saying something very important and much more universal than you realize. To me, at least, you are saying that the surest way to find God is not to make him a private possession, a problem solver, or an instant consolation in time of need, but rather by opening to love. You know, the Apostle John said that. He said God is love, and anyone who lives in love is living with God and God is living in him.’ Tom, could I ask you a favor? You know, when I had you in class you were a real pain. But (laughing) you can make it all up to me now. Would you come into my present Theology of Faith course and tell them what you have just told me? If I told them the same thing it wouldn’t be half as effective as if you were to tell them.”

“Oooh . . . I was ready for you, but I don’t know if I’m ready for your class.”

“Tom, think about it. If and when you are ready, give me a call.” In a few days Tommy called, said he was ready for the class, that he wanted to do that for God and for me. So we scheduled a date. However, he never made it.

He had another appointment, far more important than the one with me and my class. Of course, his life was not really ended by his death, only changed.

He made the great step from faith into vision. He found a life far more beautiful than the eye of man has ever seen or the ear of man has ever heard or the mind of man has ever imagined.

Before he died, we talked one last time. “I’m not going to make it to your class,” he said.

“I know, Tom.”

“Will you tell them for me? Will you . . . tell the whole world for me?”

“I will, Tom. I’ll tell them. I’ll do my best.”

So, to all of you who have been kind enough to hear this simple statement about love, thank you for listening. And to you, Tommy, somewhere in the sunlit, verdant hills of heaven: “I told them, Tommy . … …as best I could.”

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” ~ 1 John 4:7

Keep on Kickin’ On!

I’m not a big fan of slimy things. This includes lizards of any kind ~ just ask my kids how fast I can run if one of those show up while I’m cleaning in the garage (or maybe the aversion to the garage cleaning came first?). I put frogs, snails, worms, snakes and a whole bunch of other creatures into that category of “slimy” things.

Truthfully though, I have no idea if they are slimy at all! I’m just going by the way they look and the fact they are in a class of animal species that has freaked me out since 9th grade Biology and we had to dissect a frog. Turned out, that frog may have been dead, but he was going to get the last laugh. After donning all sorts of protective gear and practically bribing a lab partner to do the actual slicing, when the first cut was made that frog let loose of his bodily fluid in a stream meant to soak a heavy-duty cello sponge! And guess who was standing in the middle of that stream.

Oh well. Those days are gone and can’t be relived (except in my own little mind) so maybe there is something I can learn from the little fellas. In fact, I kinda like the attitude of one in this parable.

There were two frogs that had become bored with life in the River Torrens, so they decided to go on an adventure to a neighboring dairy farm.

There they found a bucket of lovely cream, and decided it would be a wonderful experience to wallow in it. They hopped in. The first licked his lips with delight, and the two swam around with momentary joy. But cream is much thicker than water, and soon the frogs tired. It was time to get out and return to the Torrens.

The first frog kicked and kicked and kicked, but the cream was thick, and he couldn’t get out the bucket. Soon he gave up, licked his lips, and drowned in the bucket of cream.

The second frog was far more determined. He kicked and kicked and kicked and kicked some more. Eventually the cream turned to butter, and he jumped out of the bucket and returned to the River Torrens.

Attitude does make a difference to the outcomes of our lives. So, don’t give up on life ~ keep on kickin’ on!

Find more at: barefootpreachr.org

Masterpiece

I like to write, that’s probably one of the main reasons I started a blog. Why I like to write is what makes me continue this blog. You see, it’s not about who reads. It’s not about what someone else thinks about what I write. It’s not about popularity, or fame, or fortune, or … name something else. For me it is about exploring who I am. I mean, when I have passed through this world, have a left it a better place than when I arrived? Have I grown my spirit? Am I striving to be better today than I was yesterday? Am I becoming the masterpiece that my Master has seen? That is why I write, so I can please Him.

A master calligrapher was writing some characters onto a piece of paper. One of his especially perceptive students was watching him. When the calligrapher was finished, he asked for the student’s opinion – who immediately told him that it wasn’t any good. The master tried again, but the student criticized the work again. Over and over, the calligrapher carefully redrew the same characters, and each time the student rejected it. Finally, when the student had turned his attention away to something else and wasn’t watching, the master seized the opportunity to quickly dash off the characters. “There! How’s that?,” he asked the student. The student turned to look. “THAT…. is a masterpiece!” he exclaimed.

Find more at: barefootpreachr.org

The Rose That Grows Within

A certain man planted a rose and watered it faithfully and before it blossomed, he examined it.

He saw the bud that would soon blossom, but noticed thorns upon the stem and he thought, “How can any beautiful flower come from a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns? Saddened by this thought, he neglected to water the rose, and just before it was ready to bloom… it died.

So it is with many people. Within every soul there is a rose. The God-like qualities planted in us at birth, grow amid the thorns of our faults. Many of us look at ourselves and see only the thorns, the defects.

We despair, thinking that nothing good can possibly come from us. We neglect to water the good within us, and eventually it dies. We never realize our potential.

Some people do not see the rose within themselves; someone else must show it to them. One of the greatest gifts a person can possess is to be able to reach past the thorns of another, and find the rose within them.

This is one of the characteristic of love… to look at a person, know their true faults and accepting that person into your life… all the while recognizing the nobility in their soul. Help others to realize they can overcome their faults. If we show them the “rose” within themselves, they will conquer their thorns. Only then will they blossom many times over.

The Future of a Small Church

“Dozens of times I get asked, “How big is your church?” My response is: “Under 50.” And each time I’m left standing immediately alone, not given the opportunity to rejoice over the incredible effectiveness of a small church in a rural community, turned inside out for Jesus.” ~ MIKE BRUBAKER, PASTOR

Myrtle Point’s Closing
Twila Veysey’s complete statement given at the 2007 Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference.

“Bishop Hoshibata and members of the annual conference:

Hard-working settlers started the Myrtle Point United Methodist Church in 1891 in much the same way most early country churches began in the Northwest. I could spend my allotted three minutes telling you about the church’s history, but what I really want to share with you is about the future.

As the demographics of our small community have changed, our members have become elderly. This year average attendance has been about 14. We have had no secretary or custodian, no nursery or choir for many years. We have no Sunday-school teachers. No children under the age of 15. No UMW. No youth group. No missions. In places the plaster is falling off the walls. Half of the lights in the sanctuary haven’t been on since November, but we couldn’t afford an electrician.

Last year a pastor in Alabama was called by God to retire early, pack up his family, and move to the Oregon Coast. I think his retirement lasted about three months. Through connection with the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference, the Rev. Ken Autry found himself appointed to Myrtle Point in September. The last thing our struggling church thought it needed was a conservative Southern preacher, and I’m ashamed to say that Rev. Autry and his family received a cool welcome. But God doesn’t make mistakes, and in time we realized what a blessing Rev. Autry was.

We began to have what he called “Futuring Meetings,” and we came to the conclusion that we really had only two choices–either the conference would close the church or we could close it ourselves. We chose the latter.

Together, we worked through our grief and then decided our final worship service in our beautiful sanctuary would be on Easter Sunday–a day of joy and resurrection. Joy for what had been and resurrection for a new ministry. Because now, our plan is to fully embrace the Bishop’s Initiative to Eliminate Hunger.

Since Easter we have been meeting weekly for dinner, fellowship, Bible study, and worship in the basement of the church. We are moving our church membership to Pioneer UMC in Coquille, and a Myrtle Point Hunger Ministry has been formed. Unencumbered by a church building and operating expenses, we are embarking on a new ministry to address poverty in our community. Myrtle Point has high unemployment and a high poverty rate, with many school children enrolled in the free lunch program. We will provide a free hot meal one evening a week, open to all. We envision an outreach center, which could provide referrals or assistance in locating housing, clothing, job training, medical care, and/or transportation.

As the details are worked out, we of the Myrtle Point United Methodist Church have closed its doors. but the church is not a building and the legacy that we leave for our community is one of hope for the future.”

More here: gbgm-umc

Free Ministry Resources

Check out the resources found on my website: Barefootpreachr.org

Here you will find links to free devotionals, surveys, handouts, financial guides, leadership resources, church job descriptions, church policy tools and much, much more.

Please check back again shortly, more will be added in the next 24 hours.

Do you know of a resource that you think would help others in ministry? Be sure to tell me!

And let me know what you would like to see here – audio? videos? children’s? teen sources?

Just remember – it’s all available for free!

Justice Events - Updates

The Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition/Atlanta is hosting its quarterly Pot Luck & Forum, Monday, February 7, at Atlanta Friends Meeting House. The Potluck begins at 6:30 p.m. Please bring a dish to share! Discussion at 7:30 with Q & A. A panel of well-informed speakers who know the issues: State Senator Nan Orrock, House Minority Leader, Rep. Stacey Abrams, Linda Lowe, consumer health care advocate, Adelina Nicholls, Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights. R.s.v.p. to Kevin Moran, Organizer at GPJC-SC@yahoogroups.com. Atlanta Friends Meeting House is located at 701 West Howard Avenue, Decatur.

American Friends Service Committee Fourth Annual King Peace Program with music reading and more. Rev. Dr. Bernard Lafayette, Jr. will be the keynote speaker addressing “MLK Jr., and the Friends,” Tuesday, February 8, 6-9 p.m., The King Center/Freedom Hall, 449 Auburn Avenue, NE, Atlanta 30312. For directions and parking info see [Directions] For additional information 404-819-7863 or alovelace@afsc.org. This event is presented in partnership with The King Center, Amnesty International USA- Southern Region, Metro Atlanta DSA Performing Artists for Nuclear Disarmament, Open Door Community, Atlanta Friends Meeting, Atlanta Grandmothers For Peace, Atlanta International Action Center, Nuclear Watch South, WonderRoot, Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition/Atlanta, Human Rights Atlanta, Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless, and the Friends School of Atlanta.

Dr. Joseph E. Lowery returns to the pulpit of Cascade United Methodist Church on Sunday, February 13. The former Cascade Senior Pastor (1986 -1992) and Civil Rights legend will deliver the sermon for the 11 a.m. worship service. Reverend Lowery will also introduce his first book, Singing the Lord’s Song in a Strange Land. (This book is available as a free Kindle ebook) For more information please visit www.cascadeumc.org

Finding Purpose

"A great writer once said, that a great book requires a great theme. So does a great life. An endless stream of books are meaningless and will not last as great literature, because they do not have a great theme.

So it is with people. All too much in human history is wasted and meaningless because there is no great theme, no great purpose in life.

Men and women have a deep hunger in life for meaning and purpose, but so often they are afraid to let go of a self-centered ego. To have a great theme in life involves taking a risk of moving beyond the narrow limitations of myself and discovering our true self where Jesus is at the center: nurturing, healing and empowering us to be men and women for others. Here is our great theme, our meaning and purpose." ~ Harry Huxhold

Have you found your purpose in life or are you still looking? Does your life have meaning? These are the questions we each struggle with throughout our lives without regard for age or financial wealth, talents or social position.

What a glorious day it is when we can find our center and finally live a life of meaning and purpose!

The Difference Between Men and Women

Let’s say a guy named Fred is attracted to a woman named Martha. He asks her out to a movie; she accepts; they have a pretty good time. A few nights later he asks her out to dinner, and again they enjoy themselves. They continue to see each other regularly, and after a while neither one of them is seeing anybody else.

And then, one evening when they’re driving home, a thought occurs to Martha, and, without really thinking, she says it aloud: “Do you realize that, as of tonight, we’ve been seeing each other for exactly six months?”

And then, there is silence in the car.

To Martha, it seems like a very loud silence. She thinks to herself: I wonder if it bothers him that I said that. Maybe he’s been feeling confined by our relationship; maybe he thinks I’m trying to push him into some kind of obligation that he doesn’t want, or isn’t sure of.

And Fred is thinking: Gosh. Six months.

And Martha is thinking: But, hey, I’m not so sure I want this kind of relationship either. Sometimes I wish I had a little more space, so I’d have time to think about whether I really want us to keep going the way we are, moving steadily towards, I mean, where are we going? Are we just going to keep seeing each other at this level of intimacy? Are we heading toward marriage? Toward children? Toward a lifetime together? Am I ready for that level of commitment? Do I really even know this person?

And Fred is thinking: …so that means it was…let’s see…February when we started going out, which was right after I had the car at the dealer’s, which means…lemme check the odometer…Whoa! I am way overdue for an oil change here.

And Martha is thinking: He’s upset. I can see it on his face. Maybe I’m reading this completely wrong. Maybe he wants more from our relationship, more intimacy, more commitment; maybe he has sensed – even before I sensed it – that I was feeling some reservations. Yes, I bet that’s it. That’s why he’s so reluctant to say anything about his own feelings. He’s afraid of being rejected.

And Fred is thinking: And I’m gonna have them look at the transmission again. I don’t care what those morons say, it’s still not shifting right. And they better not try to blame it on the cold weather this
time. What cold weather? It’s 87 degrees out, and this thing is shifting like a garbage truck, and I paid those incompetent thieves $600.

And Martha is thinking: He’s angry. And I don’t blame him. I’d be angry, too. I feel so guilty, putting him through this, but I can’t help the way I feel. I’m just not sure.

And Fred is thinking: They’ll probably say it’s only a 90-day warranty…scumballs.

And Martha is thinking: Maybe I’m just too idealistic, waiting for a knight to come riding up on his white horse, when I’m sitting right next to a perfectly good person, a person I enjoy being with, a person I truly do care about, a person who seems to truly care about me. A person who is in pain because of my self-centered, schoolgirl romantic fantasy.

And Fred is thinking: Warranty? They want a warranty? I’ll give them a warranty. I’ll take their warranty and stick it right up their…

“Fred,” Martha says aloud.

“What?” says Fred, startled.

“Please don’t torture yourself like this,” she says, her eyes beginning to brim with tears. “Maybe I should never have…oh dear, I feel so…”(She breaks down, sobbing.)


Find the 5 differences!

“What?” says Fred.

Cont'd @barefootpreachr.org

2011 Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Lobby Day

It’s time to register for the 2011 Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Lobby Day at the Georgia Capitol with Street GRACE, A Future Not A Past, and Wellspring Living on February 1 from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Get ready to make a real difference in the lives of exploited children in our state. Thank your legislator with written notes, make your voice heard, and join together in an awareness-raising show of support for children victimized by CSEC. Registration is free and easy; simply go to streetgrace.org.

Simple Enough?

Candler School of Theology cordially invites you to attend two lectures about living a life of simplicity. The lectures are free but tickets are required.

Explore the relationship between spiritual and financial well-being by attending “Simple Enough?,” a lecture series sponsored by Emory University’s Candler School of Theology and featuring renowned United Methodist Church pastors and authors The Rev. Adam Hamilton and The Rev. Dr. Paul Escamilla.
Both speakers will address how to live a life of “less” despite being immersed in a culture that entices us with “more.” The lectures take place on February 1 and March 29.

February 1: Adam Hamilton speaks at Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church at 7 p.m. Reverend Hamilton is the founding pastor of the 17,000-member United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, and the author of nine books. He will discuss his book Enough: Discovering Joy through Simplicity and Generosity a popular resource for adult religious education in hundreds of UMC churches. Get Tickets.

Paul Escamilla lectures March 29, 7 p.m., Cannon Chapel. He is pastor of St. John’s United Methodist Church in Austin, Texas, and author of Longing for Enough in a Culture of More (Abingdon Press, 2007), a collection of 25 brief meditations that are used for private and group study. Organized in five topics: The Good Book, The Good Life, the Good Work, The Good Society, and The Good Earth, the essays make the “life of enough” seem a natural next step in the lives of Christians. The book will be the focus of Escamilla’s lecture. Get Tickets.

For more information, go to candler.emory.edu.

My Thoughts Turn to YOU Today

I have spent some time today thinking and surfing the web. During that time, I came across the article below. Please take a moment to read it. Then spend a few minutes thinking about it and what message you can take away from it.

The message for me goes something like this: There is a place for each of us to worship God but how often are we doing that? I mean, do we really step outside of our busy, man-made lives and quietly be still and look for God? Sure, it is possible to see him in the faces of children on a crowded playground or in the voice of an older adult sharing stories from their past, or in a thousand other ways. But … it seems to me that people feel closer – I feel closer – to God when the surroundings are made as a sacred place.

Worship should be sacred and it should be meaningful and it should be set aside for the One. And I think that there are many ways to do worship. I also think it is extremely important to make a place for our souls to rest, find comfort, be renewed, and maybe feel the touch of Our Creator in the very depths.

For me that can be found in the ancient texts of the Bible and in the places where the saints before gathered to restore their souls and offer comfort to each other. Many others find their place in those quiet pews. Many others connect with their faith, their family history, their special remembrances in those places also. Many others are introduced to faith in community in those places. Many others meet God in those places each and every week.

That is what church should do. That is what church could do if we would simply be the church.

Wholly Bible: A View from the Pew
Malls and Amazement
By RAY WADDLE

Sitting in church the other day, I thought about the mall.

No, I was not fantasizing about Pottery Barn and Sbarro. I was thinking about all the big new churches now that aim to look and feel like the mall, and how glad I am that my little church does not.

My church is the old-fashioned kind – stone arches, long pews, wooden altar rails and tall stained glass panels that tell the stories of Jesus.

In the sweepstakes of religious competition, little neighborhood congregations like mine (with their cramped parking lots) struggle against the dazzling new normal – the large churches that forsake steeples and hymnals and dress codes and stained glass and silence. According to surveys, fewer and fewer young people and families now attend churches that were built before World War II.

I have visited some of the new churches. They are serious about ministry. They are reaching people in new ways.

But something ... (continued at: http://barefootpreachr.org/2011/01/11/my-thoughts-turn-to-you-today/)

Simple living not necessarily simple

A UMNS Report
By Barbara Dunlap-Berg* 1:00 P.M. EST Nov. 19, 2010

John Wesley espoused three simple rules: Do no harm, do good and stay in love with God.

Though these rules sound — and are — incredibly simple, actually practicing them is anything but easy.

“I have a hunger for us to return to some of the original values and lifestyles of the early church and the early Methodist movement,” the Rev. Ryan Wieland, 28, said. He serves Ridley Park United Methodist Church in Pennsylvania.

He cited Acts 2:45 (The Message). “They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person’s need was met.”

Recently, United Methodist Communications asked 4,000 United Methodists how they felt about simple living, using the definition: “a lifestyle characterized by consuming only that which is required to sustain life.”

More than 500 people, both laity and clergy, answered the survey.

Living simply “is necessary for the survival of the planet and humankind, physically and spiritually,” the Rev. Nick Keeney, 31, wrote. He serves Dorranceton United Methodist Church in Kingston, Pa.

Another respondent said mission experiences prove eye opening. “I meet in my mission work persons to whom our surplus represents unimagined riches. Such an imbalance bothers me.”

The Rev. Douglas Dean, 64, of Faith United Methodist Church, Oregon, Ohio, agreed. “The ‘simple lifestyle’ is a part of the equation for a ‘balanced life,’” he said.

Different things to different people
For some, living simply offers an opportunity to strengthen one’s spirituality. Others choose this lifestyle to improve their health and alleviate stress, to have more “quality time” with loved ones, to reduce their personal ecological footprint or to save money. Socio-political goals such as conservation, social justice, ethnic diversity and sustainable development motivate some people.

However, talking and actually putting words into practice are two different things.

“In theory, I believe that living simply is what my faith requires, but in fact I don’t make it a priority,” a respondent admitted.

Another commented, “I try to reduce my usage of natural resources and to be more self-sufficient. But I use much more than is really needed to sustain life.”

Several noted that the U.S. infrastructure largely depends on locked-in resource-usage patterns.

“Alternatives to electricity, water, natural-gas usage and garbage recycling are seldom available in ways that have a measurable overall impact,” the Rev. Pat Dunbar, 52, said. She serves Dawsonville (Ga.) United Methodist Church.

“While I may be interested in a simple lifestyle,” she continued, “it is a fight against the very business and government forces we put in place.”

Continued at the following link: http://barefootpreachr.org/2011/01/10/simple-living-not-necessarily-simple-umc-org/

Pay it Forward 2011

Pay it Forward 2011: I promise to send something handmade to the first 5 people who leave a comment. They must in turn post this and send something they made to the first 5 people who comment on their status. The rules are that it must be handmade by you (anything) and it must be sent to your 5 people sometime in 2011

.

This message has been shared among several of my friends on facebook, but I wanted to share it with you – my friends here on my blog. So, here goes. Just remember – you must make an appropriate comment on my BLOG in order to be a part of this project.

Oh – btw – I won’t hold you to the rest of the request – the part that says “They must in turn post this and send something they made to the first 5 people who comment on their status.” That is your choice – I’m just going to take a leap of faith and pay it forward!

Flat Jesus

Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world … that’s the idea behind the Flat Jesus project.

The project was started several years ago at the church I served to help members of the congregation connect with the children who were attending the church. This was a congregation that wanted to welcome new people into their community, wanted to make a space for children, but were only able to connect with the way things had always been done. The facility had not been updated in many years, maybe 20?, and the furnishings had fallen into disrepair. But … the congregation wanted to make a difference in the lives of the children that were attending, and those who would come in the future.

So, a plan was born. The walls were given a fresh coat of paint. Murals were painted on the walls also. Cabinets were given a good cleaning and safety measures were taken. Old pieces of furniture that were broken or no longer safe were removed. New toys, games, crafts and age-appropriate activities were brought in, and the children were made to feel welcome. In 8 months the children’s ministry grew 260%!

This project was the next phase, if you will. It is geared to teach the children tolerance and acceptance of children from all walks of life and all cultural backgrounds. By involving the older adults in the project it is hoped that they will also accept people of all walks of life, all cultural backgrounds and all ages. It is sometimes difficult to welcome a crying baby in the sanctuary when you find it hard to hear. Or to make room for a family that doesn’t fit your model of what a family looks like. I am proud to have been a part of that small church with the big hearts. They showed me what it means when I remember the words …

Jesus loves me! This I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to Him belong,
They are weak but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.

Thank you church for teaching me how much Jesus really loves even me!

*For more information, or to participate in the Flat Jesus project, please go to: http://barefootpreachr.org/flat-jesus-project/