Preacher Woman: A Barefoot Pastor's thoughts

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

2011-11-27T20:22:00.000-05:00

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

2011-08-13T22:00:00.005-04:00

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

2011-08-12T22:09:00.004-04:00

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 …

2011-08-10T22:00:00.001-04:00

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!

2011-08-09T22:46:00.001-04:00

“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?

2011-08-09T18:58:00.000-04:00

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

Fletcher and the Three Hebrews

2011-08-08T22:45:00.001-04:00

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

2011-05-31T08:56:00.001-04:00

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

2011-05-29T19:52:00.001-04:00

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

2011-05-28T17:38:00.001-04:00

“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

2011-05-27T19:36:00.000-04:00

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

2011-05-21T16:39:00.000-04:00

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?

2011-05-20T12:28:00.001-04:00

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

2011-05-20T00:27:00.000-04:00

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!

2011-03-05T17:00:00.018-05:00

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!

2011-03-04T19:50:00.001-05:00

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?

2011-03-03T16:15:00.003-05:00

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

2011-03-02T16:43:00.001-05:00

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

2011-03-02T08:06:00.001-05:00

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

2011-03-01T20:23:00.002-05:00

"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

2011-03-01T19:23:00.001-05:00

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?

2011-02-26T12:35:00.003-05:00

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!

2011-02-24T13:31:00.002-05:00

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

2011-02-22T13:31:00.000-05:00

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

2011-02-16T23:24:00.003-05:00

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

2011-02-06T20:20:00.001-05:00

“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

2011-02-05T08:42:00.001-05:00

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

2011-02-04T21:06:00.000-05:00

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

2011-02-04T20:42:00.000-05:00

"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

2011-01-28T21:47:00.000-05:00

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

2011-01-27T20:27:00.000-05:00

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?

2011-01-27T19:22:00.000-05:00

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

2011-01-18T14:33:00.000-05:00

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

2011-01-17T16:27:00.001-05:00

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

2011-01-16T16:18:00.000-05:00

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

2011-01-14T16:27:00.000-05:00

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/

Christmas is ...

2010-12-21T19:46:00.002-05:00

Christmas is like God, timeless and eternal.
Christmas is not just a season of a day in the year, but a condition of the heart.
Christmas is the message that there is hope for all humanity.

Christmas is love in action ~ giving, sharing, opening ourselves to others ~ loving ourselves and loving others.

Christmas is the celebration of a baby, born in a manger. A baby who lived and grew and loved and taught and gave of himself unselfishly for others and died and lives again. A baby who changed the world that was and changed the world that is and changed the world that will be.

Christmas is so much more than a moment or an hour or a day. It is life and living and death and dying and the event that brought heaven and earth into harmony in a manner that will not be seen again until God only knows. So, let’s celebrate, rejoice, praise God and share the message of a baby born in Bethlehem so many years ago!

Something to Think About - 7

2010-12-21T15:45:00.000-05:00

"Veiled in Flesh" - Devotionals from the Peachtree Road Staff; Advent 2010

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance towards redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory." ~ Ephesians 1:3-14

As fall unfolds, it’s not hard to look around and find the presence of God in many places. To see the vibrant colors emerging on trees and the coolness in the air offers credence that there is a larger presence in our world.

While there are visible signs everywhere, there are also every day blessings we receive from others – you just have to realize them. My family went through some health challenges and continues to, yet I constantly see God in my home. My husband has chronic hip and leg pain and it is difficult for him to walk, sit or stand. He can no longer enjoy the activities he use to such as playing tennis or golf, exercising or doing outdoor activities with our daughter. While this might be discouraging for some, he continues to amaze me with his effervescent attitude. Despite his constant severe discomfort, he wakes up happy, smiling and has an incredible outlook
every day – a true blessing by the grace of God.

As a result of witnessing her father’s pain, my daughter has become more sympathetic, empathetic, caring and thoughtful which will hopefully be a part of her soul for the rest of her life. I truly believe that out of an any adverse situation comes many blessings. Through God’s presence, I am lucky enough to be the recipient of many of these and live my life with two of them.

Robin King

Something to Think About - 6

2010-12-14T11:09:00.001-05:00

"Bigger Than a Stable" - Crosswalk the Devotional - Dec. 8, 2010

By Katherine Britton, Crosswalk.com News & Culture Editor
"In that day you will say: ‘Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.'" - Isaiah 12:4-5

My felt Advent tree gains one velcro ornament each day until Christmas. I love this calendar, because each unique ornament tells a little bit more about the story of redemption from Genesis onward. A grey felt heart stands for the Fall into sin. A beaded crown reminds of the Prince of Peace and Wonderful Counselor foretold in Isaiah. A fuzzy lamb represents John the Baptist's announcement of Christ's purpose.

The calendar is paired with devotional readings for children, which have surprised me in their simplicity and breadth. Like the ornaments, these readings tell a continuing story, in which Christ's life is not the beginning or the end, but the event that makes sense out of both. With this bigger context, an otherwise chaotic history becomes simple enough that a child can understand.

How often do we take time to contemplate the magnitude of this story, which began in the Garden of Eden and won't finish until Christ's second coming?

I think my Christmas cheer is too often confined to the stable. To use a loose analogy, I'm a bit like the dwarves in C. S. Lewis's "The Last Battle," who convince themselves that their dingy stable-prison could not possibly hold the miracle of a whole new Narnia. And so, the dwarves get left behind in their imaginary confinement with nothing to celebrate when everyone else begins to explore the beautiful new world. Like the dwarves, I can put my little Christmas story in a little room, and forget to see the whole miracle of redemption.

Sunday's sermon about Herod's massacre in Bethlehem reminded me why the grander picture is so vital. You'll remember the story - only a short while after the angels announced "peace on earth," Herod's blazing temper led to the mass murder of baby boys in Bethlehem. The arbitrary deaths of these little ones seems so disconnected from what we celebrate, so outside the realm of God's grace. That event - like so many other injustices - seems to overwhelm the baby sleeping peacefully.

We can compartmentalize Christmas so it remains untainted by such events, can't we? But that's just it - as the grey heart on my felt Advent tree me, Christmas has to begin with an understanding of sin. We have to see the world's desperate need for grace before we understand why a baby requires such a hullaballoo, and we have to look back at God's plan to see how a baby can redeem even those situations. Therein lies the astonishing glory of what happened at Christmas, and the beauty of what we proclaim to the world.

As the days go by and my calendar grows fuller with symbolic ornaments, I get more and more excited about Christmas Day. Into this world with so much baggage came a child who remained in it and not of it, who knew what we are and loved us anyway. By God's grace, my understanding of Christmas keeps getting bigger - and with it, my reasons to "let [it] be known to the all the world" what he has done, is doing, and will continue to do!

Intersection of Faith and Life: Christ's incarnate birth makes little sense if we forget why he had to come and what he came to do. As you focus on the manger scene with your family, encourage each other with the bigger story of Genesis to the end of time, knowing that this little baby redeemed every moment in time. May your Christmas be big as your consider the grandeur of redemptive history on both sides of the manger!

http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk%20devo/11641720/

Something to Think About - 6

2010-12-11T10:57:00.000-05:00

Saturday, December 11th, 2010
CELEBRATE A SPIRIT-FILLED HOLIDAY.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God (Luke 2:25–28).
It is hard to hold a baby and not wonder at the enormity of potential in such a small body. Simeon didn’t have to wonder about the baby he held—God had already spoken to him of this baby’s future through the Holy Spirit. Simeon held the “consolation of Israel” and knew the Holy Spirit was upon the baby Jesus.
It is common at this time of year to see Jesus only as the baby in the manger, reserving other thoughts of him for the rest of the year. When Simeon saw the baby, he saw the Savior he had been promised. How did he know? The Holy Spirit told him. Looking back at the passage, Jesus is not the central figure, nor is Simeon. The reason Simeon understood the significance of that moment in the temple was because the Holy Spirit led him to that place and gave him that understanding.
Simeon was righteous and devout. He was righteous because he was “right with God.” His relationship with God was not clouded with on-going sins; his habits and behaviors were in line with God’s will. Simeon was “devout,” which means he had set aside his life for service to God. Victor Raymond Edman, the fourth president of Wheaton College said, “The Spirit-filled life is no mystery revealed to a select few, no goal difficult of attainment. To trust and obey is the substance of the whole matter.” Simeon was Spirit-filled because he was righteous and devout.
Every day, God provides opportunities for his children to be his physical Presence in this world. That is why God gave Christians his Holy Spirit. Look back at Edman’s quote. You can choose to be Spirit-filled, but you must choose to trust and obey. Will you make that choice today? “You will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8). This verse does not use “witness” as a verb. In Acts 1:8 God was describing what a Spirit-filled person becomes. May we be what we were gifted by the Holy Spirit to be. And may we, like Simeon, be “righteous and devout.”

By Janet Denison
The Center for Informed Faith

http://www.godissues.org/pdf/Advent_Devotional_2010.pdf

Something to Think About - 5

2010-12-10T10:54:00.001-05:00

Thus says the Lord, you redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go. If you would hearken to my commandments, your prosperity would be like a river, and your vindication like the waves of the sea; your descendants would be like the sand, and those born of your stock like its grains, their name never cut off or blotted out from my presence. (Isaiah 48:17-19)

Reflection

The use of water as a metaphor of God, or for any good thing, is common in Hebrew Scriptures. Who should know more about the preciousness of water than a desert people like the Israelites?
Isaiah says our prosperity will be like a river. Have we let God’s love flow over us like a river, or are we stingy when we imagine it? Do we imagine God’s love as a trickle or a torrent?

Advent Action

Send a get-well card to someone in the hospital.

Ask St. Lucy to help us not to be blinded our personal goals, but to always seek what the Lord wants us to do.

Prayer

Lord, wash me and I shall be clean, bathe me in Your loving mercy and I shall be truly forgiven.

http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/advent/index.htm

A Letter To Santa From Mom

2010-12-09T22:49:00.000-05:00

Dear Santa,

I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my two children on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor, sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground and figured out how to attach nine patches onto my daughter's girl scout sash with staples and a glue gun.

I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son's red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.

Here are my Christmas wishes:

I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache after a day of chasing kids (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don't flap in the breeze but are strong enough to carry a screaming toddler out of the candy aisle in the grocery store. I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy. If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like a car with fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking daughter doll that says, "Yes, Mommy" to boost my parental confidence, along with one potty-trained toddler, two kids who don't fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools. I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting, ....

more at: http://barefootpreachr.wordpress.com

Something to Think About - 4

2010-12-06T13:12:00.002-05:00

Number 4 in the series entitled "Something to Think About". Hope you are inspired to pause, think, and then take action!

Heart, Soul, and Mind

Love is a simple concept, yet changing it from a noun to a verb has its challenges. Jesus calls us to love the Lord...not just with our hearts, but with our minds and our souls—with everything we have. When we are able to love God like that, we better understand how to love others. God’s love flows freely to us, we reflect it back to God and let it flow through us to others. We can pick through our life’s baggage and come up with many excuses not to love. But of all the laws and instruction God has given us in the Bible, loving God and neighbor is at the top of the list. What can you do today to show love to God…and to someone you talk with today?

Praying the Scriptures: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You must love your neighbor as you love yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39, CEB)

Something to Think About - 3

2010-12-04T11:07:00.000-05:00

Number 3 in the series entitled "Something to Think About". Hope you are inspired to pause, think, and then take action!

God's Children

The Bible is filled with the phrase "God's children." This is fitting in at least two ways. We need God’s guidance on our life journey, as we try not to get hung up on the things of the world. Instead, we seek to reflect the heart of God in all we do and, as a child to a parent, we seek God’s favor and blessing. Children take joy in things we have long taken for granted—a cool glass of lemonade, running through the sprinkler, a beautiful sunset. As we pass through these summer days, take notice of the children. Will you decide to drink in life a little more deeply like them? What joy can you celebrate today as God’s child?

Praying the scriptures: "Some people brought children to Jesus so that he would place his hands on them and pray. But the disciples scolded them. "Allow the children to come to me," Jesus said. "Don't forbid them, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to people like these children." Then he blessed the children. (Matthew 19:14-15, CEB)

Something to Think About - 2

2010-12-02T12:59:00.008-05:00

Number 2 in the series entitled "Something to Think About". Hope you are inspired to pause, think, and then take action!

What is faith?

What is faith? How would you explain it to someone? For such a central and essential part of the Christian life, faith is remarkably difficult to define. Hebrews 11:1-2 says, “Faith is the reality of what we hope for, the proof of what we don’t see. The elders in the past were approved because they showed faith.” That’s the definition, right? Sort of. The real definition of faith in Hebrews continues in 11:3-39, the acts of faith by God’s people. And that in turn is a summary of the Bible. A better question then might be “where do you see and show faith?”

Praying the Scriptures: By faith we understand that the universe has been created by a word from God so that the visible came into existence from the invisible.... By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance. He went out without knowing where he was going. By faith he lived in the land he had been promised as a stranger. He lived in tents along with Isaac and Jacob, who were coheirs of the same promise. He was looking forward to a city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith even Sarah received the ability to have a child, though she herself was barren and past the age for having children, because she believed that the one who promised was faithful. So descendants were born from one man (and he was as good as dead). They were as many as the number of the stars in the sky and as countless as the grains of sand on the seashore. All of these people died in faith without receiving the promises, but they saw the promises from a distance and welcomed them. They confessed that they were strangers and immigrants on earth. People who say this kind of thing make it clear that they are looking for a homeland. If they had been thinking about the country that they had left, they would have had the opportunity to return to it. But at this point in time, they are longing for a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God isn’t ashamed to be called their God—he has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:3, 8-16, CEB)

Something to Think About - 1

2010-12-02T09:53:00.001-05:00

I found several meditations that have made me pause and think. I want to share these with you. The series is entitled "Something to Think About". Hope you are inspired to pause, think, and then take action!

With a Grateful Heart

Read: Deuteronomy 26:1–11

Have you already made your Black Friday shopping list and checked it twice? Besides taking advantage of great deals, the hustle and bustle of getting up before dawn to pursue the best price on the latest gadget just appeals to the competitive spirit in each of us.

There is certainly nothing wrong with a good deal or giving gifts. But nestled on the eve of the most popular shopping event of the year—seemingly forgotten—is the American Thanksgiving holiday.

Thanksgiving. It’s a day set aside to reflect, rejoice, and celebrate the gifts we have already been given. Gifts like family or friends; gifts that are both material and immaterial; gifts that no matter their actual cost are valued deeply by you.

Last year—in a down economy—Americans spent over $41 billion the weekend following Thanksgiving according to the National Retail Federation. For a little perspective, some advocacy groups estimate the worldwide clean water crisis could be eliminated for $10 billion.

This year, perhaps we should all make another list—a Thanksgiving list—and check it as many times as necessary, share it with family, e-mail it to friends, post it on-line, and truly celebrate the many reasons we have to give thanks.

Praying the Scriptures:
Know that the LORD is God—
he made us; we belong to him.
we are his people,
the sheep of his own pasture.
Enter his gates with thanks;
enter his courtyards with praise!
Thank him! Bless his name!
Because the LORD is good,
his loyal love lasts forever;
his faithfulness lasts
generation after generation.
(Psalm 100:3–5 CEB)

2009 spending: http://www.nrf.com/modules.php?name=news&op=viewlive&sp_id=841
Solving water crisis: http://www.adventconspiracy.org/water/

A Friendly Conversation

2010-12-01T15:49:00.001-05:00

Common English Bible Meditations

Praying the scriptures:
“Dear friends, let us love each other, because love is from God, and everyone who loves is born from God and knows God. The person who doesn’t love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8, CEB)

Taking Time
When was the last time you had a meaningful conversation with a friend? This person is someone you trust, someone you confide in, and vice versa. Often these types of conversations wait until some crisis in life hits or, on the flipside, when great news just has to be shared. Consider contacting a friend you haven't seen in awhile and schedule lunch or some fun outing together. This gift of loving each other helps us better understand the gift of God's love for us.

Ask, Seek, Knock

2010-12-01T12:49:00.000-05:00

Common English Bible Meditations
Ask, Seek, Knock

When Jesus gave his "Sermon on the Mount," huge crowds came to listen. They stayed for hours and hours, taking in this once-in-a-lifetime moment. The parables of Jesus are simply profound. Whether a child or a scholar, every person who heard Jesus that day understood what he was saying. There was something for everyone. Amazing truths came from Jesus as effortlessly as a normal conversation. His words remain today. They still hold true. If you ask, search, and knock, what will God reveal to you today?

Praying the scriptures:
Ask, and you’ll receive. Search, and you’ll find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives. And everyone who searches finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door is opened. —Matthew 6:7-8 (CEB)

Name that Christmas Carol!

2010-11-28T22:41:00.000-05:00

1. Listen, the celestial messengers produce harmonious sounds
2. Nocturnal time span of unbroken quietness
3. Exalted heavenly beings to whom harkened
4. An emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good news
given to the terrestrial sphere
5. Embellish the interior passageways
6. Twelve o’clock on a clement night witnessed its arrival
7. Small municipality in Judea southeast of Jerusalem
8. The Christmas preceding all others
9. Tranquility upon the terrestrial sphere
10. Move hitherward the entire assembly of those who are loyal in
their belief

How did you do? Did you guess them all? Check barefootpreachr.wordpress.com for the answers!

Thanksgiving Traditions

2010-11-25T16:43:00.000-05:00

Check out this post with our family recipe for Sweet Potato Casserole!

barefootpreachr.wordpress.com/

Christmas Card Challenge

2010-11-25T14:23:00.000-05:00

Do you enjoy getting Christmas cards? I sure do! Every year I mail out close to 120 cards. These do not go out to the same people every year because some folks have been in our lives for a moment, others for a lifetime.

I do sign every one by hand and try to write a brief personal note inside each one. And yes, it takes up quite a bit of time but I think it is worth every moment I spend doing it!

I also enjoy getting Christmas cards - including the ones with the "Dear Everybody" letters tucked inside of them. It is the one time of year that I spend reconnecting with old friends, remembering friends or family that have passed on, and rejoicing in new friendships.

So, here is my challenge for you - pick 10 or 20 or 50! people that you don't normally send Christmas cards to and sign your name, write a brief note, and share the message of Christmas with them. Then, let us know by posting on the wall how you did ~ how you felt ~ and how folks responded to your efforts.

Better get going - there is no time like the present to pass on some Christmas cheer!
Blessings,
Pat

PS - If you need someone to start with - post a comment and I'll pass mine on to you!

Thanksgiving from a Child's Eye

2010-11-21T13:03:00.000-05:00

Grandma was showing the children a painting of the Pilgrim Family on a Thanksgiving Day card that they had received and she commented, 'The Pilgrim children enjoyed going to church with their mothers and fathers and praying to God.'

Her youngest grandson looked at her doubtfully and asked, 'Then why is their Dad carrying that rifle?'

More from a child's point of view:
“Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving?”

“Becuss it is fun” Aidan
“Because Jesus died on the cross” Aaron
“We are thankful for food and stuff and thankful we survived the winter” Emilee
“It’s the day that Calufonu (California?) was made.” Bella
“I have no idea” Anthony
“It’s God’s birthday” Kylie
“Because it’s going to be Christmas” Hunter

“On the first Thanksgiving, the Pilgrims ate…”

“…fruit” Jessica
“…porrige” Kylie
“…with the indins and ate treky” Stephen
“…fish, ducks, bread and soup and cake or cookies maybe.” Autumn

“If I was a turkey on Thanksgiving I’d…”

“…run for my life and grab a rifle” Lloyd
“…I would color myself purpel” Meg
“…starve myself” Clay
“…run in circles” Hannah
“…peck people” Sonora
“…eat donnuts” Jessica
“…run away to the jungle” Emilee

“This is how my mom cooks our turkey…”

“She has my Grandma do it” Arielle
“She stuffs it & cooks it, as far as I know.” Riley
“She puts it in the oven. Does it for 2 minutes. Then puts it on a barbecue then asks Dad to cook it. Then she goes into the house and takes care of everything else.” Emilee
“…just rite.” Lauren
“She takes the guts out and stuffs it with rice.” Lexi
“She spits on it and takes it to the BBQ. Dad does the rest.” No name
“She buys a pizza.” Hunter

Peace Pilgrim’s Beatitudes

2010-11-20T16:55:00.002-05:00

Blessed are they who give
without expecting even thanks in return,
for they shall be abundantly rewarded.

Blessed are they who translate
every good thing they know into action,
for ever higher truths shall be revealed unto them.

Blessed are they who do God's will
without asking to see results,
for great shall be their recompense.

Blessed are they who love and trust their fellow beings,
for they shall reach the good in people and
receive a loving response.

Blessed are they who have seen reality, for they know
that not the garment of clay but that which activates
the garment of clay is real and indestructible.

Blessed are they who see the change we call death
as a liberation from the limitation of this earth-life,
for they shall rejoice with their loved ones
who make the glorious transition.

Blessed are they who after dedicating their lives
and thereby receiving a blessing, have the courage and faith
to surmount the difficulties of the path ahead,
for they shall receive a second blessing.

Blessed are they who advance toward the spiritual path
without the selfish motive of seeking inner peace,
for they shall find it.

Blessed are they who instead of trying to
batter down the gates of the kingdom of heaven
approach them humbly and lovingly and purified,
for they shall pass right through.

by – mildred norman

I'm Back!

2010-11-18T14:10:00.001-05:00

After taking a much needed sabbatical to rest my heart, mind and soul, I'm back. You may see some changes to my blog if you have been following me in the past, please feel free to tell me what you think. If you are just joining us, please feel free to look over the entries from the past and share your thoughts and comments. Whoever you are - thanks for stopping by and a great big, genuine "Hello!" from me to you.

These past few months have been ... interesting. :) I didn't realize how much emotional "stuff" I was carrying around until I found myself in a place where I could not think past the same day or maybe the next day. But those are stories for another time. For now, I am looking at new beginnings and a hope-filled future. Want to go for a walk with me?

"Believe me, they will listen to you. Then you and the leaders of Israel will go to the king of Egypt and say to him: 'God, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness where we will worship God—our God.'" - Exodus 3:18 (MSG)

Today is a tough one

2010-06-10T22:28:00.000-04:00

I’ve been doing a lot a reading and bunches of remembering. Not always a good combination for me this time of year. In my reading I have tried to find advice on learning to move on through my grief. Or so I thought. It seems that the more I read, the more I realize that what I want to do is actually forget my grief and not remember it. This is not possible I have discovered.

I’ve read accounts of amputees who have phantom pain in their missing limbs. It seems that is one way to describe what I feel. You see, a part of me is missing and I can still feel that part in my movements through the day and through my memories. When I make plans to go out shopping, I instinctively think about where my family members are and when they will be arriving home. Then the pain washes over me as I remember Matthew is not here.

Posted Jun 10, 2006 6:28pm

Yesterday we found out that the judge presiding over Matthew’s SSI claim for disability has made a ruling. We have not been told if it was in Matthew’s favor or not. The attorney believes it is. We should find out in a few more days, but it may take up to 2 weeks for us to be notified.

In the meantime, Kim and Pat went home last night to be with Stephanie and Zachary and to try to get some rest before this next difficult week. Today Zachary and Stephanie came to the hospital to spend some time with Matt. It was hard on all involved and many tears have been shed with the knowledge that many more will be shed as we begin the grief process.

Matthew has had his sedation medication reduced by half again today, but has not been able to wake up. His body is tired and fighting some major infections. If he is able to tolerate the reduction in the sedation again tomorrow, we will do that again. This is to help him be weaned from this med and the ventilation tube. After that, we hope to keep him comfortable with pain management medication until he and God decide it is time for him to go home.

We appreciate your prayers and love for each of us, and thank you for respecting this time we spend together as a family.

Now, let me share a few things with you. Please be kind enough to not offer me trite sayings that disguise themselves as words of comfort. Pray for me. Pray for all of us. But more importantly, if you knew Matthew – even for a day or a single moment – share your memory with me. Tell me about his laughter or his funny remark to you. Tell me about his stubborn refusal to do what you asked of him. Tell me about the blank stare he gave you during a conversation. But don’t pity me and give me words that make you more comfortable in moving on.

I hope you understand that I was blessed beyond measure to have been able to be Matthew’s mom and my heart is missing a piece while he is away from me. My comfort is found in hearing the memories that you have and knowing that he is not forgotten.

And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise
From the inside out, O my soul cries out

My Soul cries out to You
My Soul cries out to You
to You, to You

What’ you thinking’bout?

2010-06-09T21:12:00.000-04:00

ReTHINK CHURCH!

I found this video and just had to share it with you! Really would love to hear what you think about the message and what message you think is being communicated.

The three-and-a-half-minute music video features a rap music soundtrack under more than 150 fast-changing images of The United Methodist Church in mission around the world.

For the Rev. Ben Hanne, now an associate pastor at Calvary United Methodist Church in Wichita, Kan., “Rethink Church” and “the video, in particular, demonstrated the energy to turn our vision outwards, to see our brother and sister in people we wouldn’t ordinarily put in that category.”

Later this month, he will move to a rural two-point charge where the churches have faced numerous challenges in recent years. “The churches want to live,” he says, “but to live in a place like Arkansas City requires them to reach out to the community, not just be in church.”

While the music of the video did not particularly appeal to Dixie Brewster of Milton, Kan., she “liked it for the fact that the kids seemed enthusiastic about what they were doing
and showed the mission of the church.”

While “Rethink Rock” appeals to most youth and young adults, the Rethink Church staff wanted to offer older adults, who are the majority of annual conference members, a different way of looking at things. Loud applause was the answer when, after the video was shown, Kansas Area Bishop Scott Jones asked conference members if they were willing to listen to music that appeals to younger people.

Read the full article at: http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=5765535&ct=8426591

80-yr old Church leader murdered in sanctuary

2010-06-09T21:00:00.000-04:00

Few places were as meaningful to Lillian Wilson as Central United Methodist Church just outside Wynne.

She was baptized and married there. She started teaching Sunday school recently to help out while the church’s longtime teacher recovered from a stroke.

And on Sunday morning, June 6, the 80-year-old retired nurse was in the church to finish assembling disaster relief buckets and health kits for collection at the denomination’s Arkansas Annual (regional) Conference meeting, which started Sunday night.

It was her last act of servanthood. She was found beaten to death in the church sanctuary that afternoon.

Investigators with the sheriff’s office in Cross County, Ark., were still searching June 8 for two suspects in Wilson’s death. Her pastor, the Rev. Dixon Platt, said authorities believe the murder weapon was the cross the church kept on its communion table.

Platt went to check on Wilson when she didn’t show up for worship Sunday at nearby Ellis Chapel United Methodist Church. The congregation of about 20 alternates worship each Sunday between Ellis Chapel and Central Church.

The pastor discovered Wilson’s body about 12:30 p.m. Sunday beneath an overturned pew. Her purse and car were missing.

Wilson died doing what she loved to do, Platt said, and that was serving God.

Oh please don’t tell me he said that! So many folks are going to be upset that this woman died, (btw – she didn’t simply die – she was MURDERED!) and the fact that she died in this way in this place is going to complicate grief for the people within the church she attended, people in our churches, and the people who don’t attend church. It is a delicate and difficult time for this church, but maybe some of us can learn from Ms. Wilson’s death as well as her life.

As pastor’s we tend to want to take the high road and say things like, “She is at rest now” or “She “died doing what she loved to do”". Those comments are not enough for our congregants who are asking the bigger question, “WHY?” I think we need to say things like, we don’t know why people do horrible things to each other, I don’t know why someone did this to Ms. Wilson, I don’t know why – I don’t have the answers. Too often pastors think they must lead people into healing or beyond this tragedy or even past this experience. To each of us, pastors and everyday folks that think the same way, I ask – WHY? Why are we in a hurry to brush aside the tragedy and want to look at only the comfortable aspects of life?

My thinking jumps to the next question, how does a response such as the one stated by Rev. Platt witness to the greater community the love of God for all people in the community? From my slightly slanted perspective I see a closed door attitude, a piousness, an attitude to the unchurched that says, “Well, AT LEAST she lived a life worthy so she will be … (fill in the blank – honored, redeemed, given vengeance … whatever the other feels is needed in their life and hoped for in their death). Possibly a better statement would be, we join the community in grieving her death and the violent manner in which she died and we are available to talk or listen to anyone who has questions. Maybe, possibly.

But I like what Bishop Crutchfield said:

Arkansas Area Bishop Charles Crutchfield asked those gathered for annual conference on June 7 to pray for Wilson and the many in her community who loved her.

“This is a tragic moment for a wonderful woman devoted to the life of the church and building God’s kingdom, a woman who had been the heart and soul of her church,” Crutchfield said in an interview.

“At moments like this, we ask ‘Why? Why?’ And there is no real answer to that question,” he said. “But I do know the question we need to ask is who do we trust in a moment of tragedy, in a moment so inexplicable. I think our answer would be her answer: Trust the Lord through high points and low points, through good times and through the valley of the shadow of death. In the wake of this tragic death, that’s who we all have to trust.” (Italics added)

That’s all we’ve got to offer anyone in a moment of grief, a season of grief. If we believe in God through the good times, if we trust God in the good times, if we have faith in God in the good times, then the way to find ourselves able to survive and live though the tough times is to continue to trust him in those times also.

Keep the faith my friends.

Not on Sunday? How about Saturday school!

2010-06-04T20:22:00.000-04:00

What do you think? Would this idea work in your community? If not, why?

Sarah Falter knew she had to make a change when her pastor mentioned Moses, and her young son had no idea who he was.

“I was feeling really disappointed in myself because my children didn’t know all the Bible stories I was brought up with and I knew at their age,” she said.

What her children needed, Falter decided, was Sunday school. However, her tiny country church in central Missouri did not have space for a children’s class on Sunday mornings.

Her pastor, the Rev. Karen Alden, offered a solution: Move it up a day.

Now, under Falter’s leadership, Rader United Methodist Church holds “Saturday School” from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. once a month, usually in the sanctuary. The school attracts eight or nine youngsters, ranging in age from 4 to the young teens.

Saturday School is the kind of innovation more United Methodist congregations should consider, said retired Bishop Richard B. Wilke, the creator of the Disciple Bible Study program.

“The way you reach people today — children, youth and adults — is in intimate relationships studying the Scriptures,” Wilke said. “Sunday is no longer a holy day. Study life has to take place where people are.”

And that can be any place on any day of the week.
Declining biblical literacy

One thing is certain: Biblical instruction needs to be more widespread, Wilke said.

In recent years, talk show host Jay Leno has made sport of Americans who can name the four Beatles but not the four Gospels, and comic Stephen Colbert has teased members of Congress who want publicly to display the Ten Commandments but cannot name them.

Wilke started the Disciple Bible Study more than 20 years ago because he saw a thirst for more Christian education, especially among adults. The program now has more than 2 million graduates in 10,000 congregations in 30 denominations.

He said most successful groups usually consist of eight to 10 people, and like the early Christians, the groups often meet in people’s homes.

“People thought it would be a fad,” said Wilke, now the bishop-in-residence at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kan. “What people are finding is that the Bible doesn’t have a fade-out time and the small-group format doesn’t have a fade-out time.”
Multi-generational learning

Alden, pastor of Rader United Methodist Church, said Saturday School has been a hit with all ages in her congregation.

The church, with a weekly attendance of about 35, has started attracting young families in recent years. One reason Alden wanted to move religious instruction to Saturday was so she would not disturb the fellowship of older members who gather in the church an hour before worship at 9 a.m. each Sunday morning.

“I think it’s a really important part of their week to have that social time because many live alone,” Alden said.

Now many of those older members volunteer each month to provide lunch after the Bible lessons. The church does not have a kitchen so members bring meals in slow cookers from home.

Ordith Skouby, a retired teacher and one of the volunteers, said she was eager to help.

“The kids seem to enjoy it, and they’re the lifeblood of the church — the church’s future,” she said.

The church held its first Saturday class in December with lessons and activities based around Jesus’ nativity. In March, Falter taught the youngsters how to tell the story of Easter with “resurrection eggs” — plastic eggs containing symbols of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection such as toothpicks for the crown of thorns and a pebble for the rock that was rolled away from the tomb.

Since April, Falter has decided to cover the Bible from the beginning, starting with the story of creation, and moving on to Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel.

Falter said her 6-year-old son, Isaac, and her 8-year-old daughter, Faith, now tell their grandmas about the Bible lessons they have learned. Faith also has been inviting her friends to join the class.

“They haven’t been able to make it yet, but she’s gung ho that her cousin needs to come and her friend down the street needs to come because it’s a lot of fun,” Falter said. “She’s pretty pumped.”

And so is the church.

The most important part about studying Scripture is that it leads people to Christ, Wilke said.

“We study the whole Bible to find the Savior,” he said.

Nightmares and Second Guesses

2010-05-28T01:22:00.001-04:00

“Posted May 27, 2006 6:52pm:

Kim and Stephanie are at the emergency room with Matthew right
now. His heart rate was 147 and his blood pressure was 38/78. The
on-call hematologist thinks this is due to low red cell count so
Matthew may need a blood transfusion tonight.”

I have been reflecting on the decisions we made surrounding Matthew’s illness and the treatment he received. This entry (above) was made the day after he graduated from high school. Our household had company from out-of-state that had come up to celebrate that very special occasion and to spend some time with Matthew now that he was home from the hospital. Kim & I had spent a few hours visiting with another family friend who had also just graduated high school. As I sit here trying to communicate the situation we were in and the feelings that were going through my head, the memories are so vivid that they threaten to overwhelm me.

Questions have run around in my head since that time. Questions such as, “Why did I have Stephanie go with Kim & Matthew instead of me?” Was it my own laziness, or was it that I just didn’t want to deal with the hospital stress again? Did the sense of obligation to be a “good” daughter and to entertain our company color my judgment in taking care of my son? So many questions. And no possible way for me to find the answers.

I feel so much guilt and shame. I want to go back in time and change the way I did things, reevaluate my decisions, and have another chance to be the kind of mom I want to be to my children. I can’t do any of that for Matthew. So now, I just second guess myself.

And that’s where the nightmares start.
(To read more, go to: barefootpreachr.wordpress.com)

2 gospel musicians charged in Ga. church break-ins | ajc.com

2010-05-13T00:07:00.001-04:00

2 gospel musicians charged in Ga. church break-ins | ajc.com

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Whitefield students forgo unusual prom expenses to help teacher, leukemia society | ajc.com

2010-05-12T15:44:00.000-04:00

Whitefield students forgo unusual prom expenses to help teacher, leukemia society | ajc.com

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What’s in YOUR tupperware?

2010-05-11T23:23:00.000-04:00

Lately I have been feeling overwhelmed with all my “to-do” stuff so I decided I needed a break from doing what I’ve been doing and I would do something else. I thought it might be a good idea to clean the pantry and get organized. Looking into the pantry, I figured it might be a half-hour to 45 minute diversion from my crazy routine.

The first step to getting myself organized was to figure out what needed to be thrown away. That was easy. There was nothing that needed to be thrown away since my hubby and college-age son had already perused the pantry and that was why it needed to be organized. This step took me only one minute. It looked like I would have enough time to brew myself a cup of tea when I was through!

Okay, next step. I thought it would be helpful to put all the items I use for baking on one shelf, all the canned goods on another shelf in rows according to to size and dates they would expire, all of the snack foods on another shelf, and so on … and so on. I began pulling these things out of the pantry and making little stacks and piles. Some of the piles were getting a bit larger than others, but two shelves were cleaned off so I could begin putting things away. Fifteen minutes into this step I began to realize that this was not as easy as step one in my plan.

First of all, not all of the baking goods would fit on one shelf. Guess I would have a few “smaller” steps to create that perfect fit. (Now this is where I started to get into real trouble.) In my mind’s eye I had a vision of what my home, pantry and kitchen looked like when my children where very young. Everything in my kitchen was color coded with those wonderful Tupperware Modular Mates, the childrens toys all fit into the largest containers and were stacked perfectly when not in use. Even the bathroom toilet tissue, q-tips, cotton balls and feminine products were in color coded containers and organized. Oh, it was heaven!

It was time to sort the tupperware cabinet and gather my supplies. I dove in. I evaluated my options. I began to sort through the array of pieces and parts. Then I began to try to fit the pieces and parts together with the assortment of items from the pantry. Things were not going the way I had planned. In fact, I felt like I was putting together a giant jigsaw puzzle with no edge pieces and all in black and white. This might take a little longer than I had expected.

Forty-five minutes (yes, I know that was the planned time allotment, but I was on a roll!) into the moving, stacking, sorting, and piecing together of bowls, modular mates, flour, cereal, and bagged pretzels – I conceded defeat of the battle. The pantry has won for the time being while I step back and regroup my defenses.

In the meantime, I had a bit of a mess to clean up. First, the food stuffs since the cats in the household were taking a particular interest in the various bags of chips and boxes of open cereal. I must admit it did not take as long to throw (I mean, place) the food back into the pantry as it did to take it out and sort it in the first place. It was important to get everything balanced correctly though so as to not have anything fall on hubby’s head when he opens the door to rummage for his evening snack tonight. Having created a perfect balance in the pantry, I moved on to my final step in this organization project – returning the tupperware pieces and parts back into the cabinet from whence they came.

Remember the jigsaw puzzle? That was simple compared to this task!

It seems that while I was putting the pantry into perfect balance, those pieces and parts had been multiplying and rearranging themselves. Now that it was time to go back into that cabinet there were twice as much as what had come out! Although it took several minutes, let’s say, 40 minutes give or take 2, I won this battle. Everything went back into the cabinet and life is once again restored to a place of harmony and perfect balance!

Next time I think it’s a good idea to organize the pantry I think it’s the hubby’s turn to do it!

Where is God's perfection?

2010-05-05T01:13:00.000-04:00

Every so often I come across a story that makes me pause and wonder. When I read this one I could not help but wonder if my son ever knew how perfect we thought he was. His disabilities made him more perfect because he accepted and loved everyone he met for who they were in their imperfections. I have to admit, he was one of my hero's and I miss him terribly.

"In Brooklyn, New York, Chush is a school that caters to learning-disabled children. Some children remain in Chush for their entire school career, while others can be main-streamed into conventional schools.

At a Chush fund-raising dinner, the father of a Chush child delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended.

After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he cried out, "Where is the perfection in my son Shaya? Everything God does is done with perfection. But my child cannot understand things as other children do. My child cannot remember facts and figures as other children do. Where is God's perfection?"

The audience was shocked by the question, pained by the father's anguish and stilled by the piercing query. "I believe," the father answered,"that when God brings a child like this into the world, the perfection that He seeks is in the way people react to this child."

He then told the following story about his son Shaya:

One afternoon Shaya and his father walked past a park where some boys Shaya knew were playing baseball. Shaya asked, "Do you think they will let me play?" Shaya's father knew that his son was not at all athletic and that most boys would not want him on their team. But Shaya's father understood that if his son was chosen to play it would give him a comfortable sense of belonging.

Shaya's father approached one of the boys in the field and asked if Shaya could play. The boy looked around for guidance from his team-mates.

Getting none, he took matters into his own hands and said, "We are losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him up to bat in the ninth inning."

Shaya's father was ecstatic as Shaya smiled broadly. Shaya was told to put on a glove and go out to play short center field.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shaya's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shaya's team scored again and now with two outs and the bases loaded with the potential winning run on base, Shaya was scheduled to be up. Would the team actually let Shaya bat at this juncture and give away their chance to win the game?

Surprisingly, Shaya was given the bat. Everyone knew that it was all but impossible because Shaya didn't even know how to hold the bat properly,let alone hit with it. However, as Shaya stepped up to the plate, the pitcher moved a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shaya should at least be able to make contact. The first pitch came in and Shaya swung clumsily and missed. One of Shaya's team-mates came up to Shaya and together they held the bat and faced the pitcher waiting for the next pitch. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly toward Shaya.

As the pitch came in, Shaya and his team-mate swung the bat and together they hit a slow ground ball to the pitcher. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could easily have thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shaya would have been out and that would have ended the game. Instead, the pitcher took the ball and threw it on a high arc to right field, far beyond reach of the first baseman.

Everyone started yelling, "Shaya, run to first. Run to first!" Never in his life had Shaya run to first. He scampered down the baseline wide eyed and startled. By the time he reached first base, the right fielder had the ball. He could have thrown the ball to the second baseman who would tag out Shaya, who was still running. But the right fielder understood what the pitcher's intentions were, so he threw the ball high and far over the third baseman's head.

Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to second." Shaya ran towards second base as the runners ahead of him deliriously circled the bases towards home. As Shaya reached second base, the opposing short stop ran to him, turned him in the direction of third base and shouted, "Run to third." As Shaya rounded third, the boys from both teams ran behind him screaming,"Shaya run home!" Shaya ran home, stepped on home plate and all 18 boys lifted him on their shoulders and made him the hero, as he had just hit a "grand slam" and won the game for his team.

That day," said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, "those 18 boys reached their level of God's perfection."~ Author Unknown"

Matthew - we miss you and we love you - always & forever.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. ~ Romans 12:2-3

I Hope ...

2010-05-04T10:05:00.000-04:00

I hope that I will always be for each person what he or she needs me to be.

I hope that each person's death will diminish me, but that fear of my own will never diminish my joy of life.

I hope that my love for those whom I like will never lessen my love for those whom I do not.

I hope that another person's love for me will never be a measure of my love for him or her.

I hope that everybody will accept me as I am, but that I never will.

I hope that I will always ask for forgiveness from others, but will never need to be asked for my own . . .

I hope that I will always recognize my limitations, but that I will construct none.

I hope that loving will always be my goal, but that love will never be my idol.

I hope that everyone will always have hope.

-Henri Nouwen

We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. ~ 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

These Shoes Were Made For Walking - Sermon

2010-04-18T21:17:00.001-04:00

I’ve been asked to share the full sermon, so here it is in manuscript form. This is not the way it ends up when it is preached on a Sunday morning, but I hope you hear the Word God has for you!

While I was researching the scripture for this sermon I found a fascinating story about an art exhibition titled “Holy Ground”. The actual exhibit consists of shoes & stories of faith from all around the world. As part of the Holy Ground project artist Paul Hobbs collected shoes from persecuted people all around the world. Their owners’ stories are shown alongside the shoes and include a diverse group of people and represent an assortment of backgrounds – everyone from a black Zimbabwean woman writing about colonial oppression; a Pakistani man telling of being enslaved by drugs and an Indian woman speaking of being tricked into and trapped in the sex trade for 15 years. Inspired by this exhibit, other programs have also begun to display someone’s shoes and ask the individual to share their testimony of faith. As I looked at the photos of the different pairs of shoes in the Holy Ground exhibit I reflected on this passage from Luke’s Gospel and the disciples walk to Emmaus.

In this familiar scripture we encounter two of Jesus’ disciples – now we don’t know both of their names, and for whatever reason, it doesn’t seem to be necessary to know both names. Most scholars agree that the named disciple – Cleopas was traveling with his wife, who was also a follower of Jesus and is also mentioned earlier in the scripture. What we do know is that they were leaving Jerusalem and they were getting out of town. We also know that they had left Jerusalem on the very day that the tomb was found empty – what we now know as Easter. Earlier in the scripture we remember that Mary had returned to the disciples and told them that Jesus had risen from the dead. But these two – immediately, the very same day they heard the news, reacted to Jesus crucifixion and burial by leaving Jerusalem, where was their faith – their belief in what Jesus had taught them? Most likely, they were like the majority of Jews of that time, believing that the Old Testament prophesies were pointing to a military or a political messiah – savior.

As they walked along that dry, dusty road it seems that they were reflecting on their shattered hopes and broken dreams. I imagine they were disappointed and disillusioned – they had invested time, energy, and effort in someone who had promised them so much – and then he had fallen to the Roman Empire like nothing more than a common criminal. Can you imagine it – they shared meals together, made plans together, worked alongside each other – and then – it was over. And Jesus didn’t even put up a fight! He just willingly let himself be tortured and crucified. Now he was dead. All hope in him being the messiah was dead also. Now what do we do? Have you ever been in an emotional state where all of your hopes had been destroyed and you didn’t know what tomorrow would bring? Can you imagine how they felt?

In their depressed state of mind they must have been walking kind of slowly, dragging along their feet. After all, they really had no place to go, no longer had a direction for their lives. Well, this is how Jesus found them as he overtook them and began walking alongside them. Travelers along the roads during this time in history were often victims of robbers – remember the parable of the Good Samaritan? I wonder – Did the two disciples notice this stranger walking along the road or coming up behind them? Were they even aware of how far they had traveled or where they were? How often in this day and age are we reminded to be aware of our surroundings and to keep our eyes open for strangers approaching? Do you think the disciples even noticed the stranger and how long he was actually walking with them before the conversation started? Makes me think of the people we walk by and don’t even notice – the homeless, the hungry, the addicted, the hurting… – when we are so wrapped up in our own disappointments.

And he said to them, ‘What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?’ They stood still, looking sad. I can just see this – the disciples had to stop to respond to this stranger. I mean – in their tracks – and looked at this stranger with their mouths open, hands on hips, and say “Where have you been? Don’t you know what happened? Don’t you realize what has happened to us? Wow! Where have you been?

Stop and think for a moment – I bet if I asked you where you were and what happened on 9/11 – you could tell me exactly where you were when you heard the news that America had been attacked. I don’t even need to say the year I am talking about – it is a date and an incident in our countries history that will not be forgotten for generations to come. But what if I asked you where you were on July 4, 1984? - - - I see a look of puzzlement on your faces – trying to remember what that date was? What significance it may have for you. Most of you don’t know exactly where you were or what you were doing. Yet for me – I can tell you to the minute where I was, what I was doing, and why it is so significant. It’s a very personal day for me and several family members, but not everyone was affected in the same way so the date does not have the same significance for all of us as 9/11 does.

This same situation occurred for many people at the time of Christ’s death in the city and surrounding areas of Jerusalem. For his disciples the events were heartbreaking, astounding, and overwhelming. For visitors and others that were in the city at the time, the events leading up to Christ’s death and even his death, held no real significance. So, it was possible that this stranger that began walking with the disciples, had no idea what had happened – I mean, sure, three criminals died on crosses the other day. So? What does that have to do with me?

“What happened?” Jesus asks.

Here it comes – the big moment – the opportunity to bear witness to Christ’s resurrection – to tell a stranger how much God loves us – that he sent his only son to die on a cross for us – and that he rose from the dead so that we may have life – and the disciples respond … “Haven’t you heard about the things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene? He was a man of God, a prophet like Moses and Jeremiah, dynamic in work and word, blessed by both God and all the people. But then, our high priests and leaders betrayed him. They got him sentenced to death, and then they crucified him. You know, we had our hopes – hear that HAD OUR HOPES – that he was the One, the One about to deliver Israel. It’s been three days now since it happened, and we just couldn’t take it anymore, being in that place – the memories, the confusion. And now, if you can believe this, some of our women – leave it to the women – have completely confused us. Early this morning they were at the tomb and they couldn’t find his body. They came back with some out-of-this-world story that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. Some of our friends went off to the tomb to check and found it empty just as the women said, but – they didn’t see Jesus.”

When is the last time that you had an opportunity to share something that has happened to you and done so with such a dreary, sour look on your face that others were confused about whether it was a happy or sad situation? Imagine the look on the strangers face – on Jesus’ face – as two of his own disciples told him what had happened to him – to HIM! No wonder he replied – What a bunch of hard-hearted fools you are! Why can’t you simply believe all that the prophets said? Don’t you see that these things had to happen, that the Messiah had to suffer and only then enter into his glory?”

And then …. Something awesome happened …

He began to teach them as they walked along the road together. Talk about a Bible study! To have the Master of the universe explaining everything that had happened from the beginning of time to the very present moment… wouldn’t you have loved to be walking in their shoes? But this was not the usual scripture stories that they had heard in temple all of their lives, no, these stories were being shared with them by someone who seemed to have actually been there when the world was created, to have really been present when Moses had wandered the desert, and to have actually inspired the prophecies for the messiah that had been written. This talking and walking took awhile. You see, just like us – in order for the Emmaus disciples to recognize the crucified and risen Lord, they first had to understand God’s vision – they had to understand His plan for salvation in the world.

Well, they finally arrived at Hotel Emmaus – where the candles are always lit – and Jesus started to walk away from his traveling companions and to continue on his journey. But, something made Cleopas say – Wait! Stay with us!

It was not uncommon to show hospitality to a stranger during that time by offering shelter, food and drink, but I kind of think that they were starting to recognize how their hearts were feeling as they walked along together and they weren’t ready to let go of that feeling. The feeling of remembrance, of familiarity, the feeling that this stranger may actually understand me!

And as they sat down at the table, the stranger who had become the invited guest, turned things around and became the host – when he picked up the bread, gave thanks, and broke it. And in that moment the disciple’s eyes were opened and they RECOGNIZED HIM! But before they could hold him, or speak another word – he vanished!

I am sure each of us has had moments like this. When we were walking the path of a family member or friend’s serious illness – and later we recall the stranger who prayed with us. Or when we have walked the road of grief – and someone sent us a message of hope. We all have momentary glimpses of Christ in our lives, but what do we do after we have seen him? For the Emmaus disciples’ , they got up – that very hour – and RAN – no more walking – they RAN – back to Jerusalem to tell the others what they had seen. They had seen Jesus and he is alive!

Let me take you back to the story I told you about the art exhibition called Holy Ground and share a few stories from the people whose shoes are on display: first, there’s Rosemarie from Germany who survived Nazi Germany. Her father, a Christian, helped Jews escape until the Nazis forced him to kill himself in 1938. Rosemarie then survived the brutality of the Russians after the war, and then years later, God led her to work in the former Soviet Union to speak about God’s forgiveness. Do you see him? Jesus – he is alive!

Then there is John Musa Puma from Nigeria who rebelled against his family as a teenager—following a native religion instead of the family’s Christianity, stealing, drinking, and even killing. Then through an evangelist meeting, John became a Christian, quit his rebellious life, and responded to the need for an evangelist in the rural parts of Kenya. Now John has planted a church in the neighboring country of Niger in a mainly Muslim area. Do you see him? Jesus – he is alive!

There is also Kanta from India who used to work as a prostitute for 20 years. Now she’s a health worker helping prostitutes protect themselves from HIV/AIDS and other sexually-transmitted diseases. She cares for these prostitutes when most of society treats them harshly, the hospitals not even having the time to care for them. She also has many chances to share God’s love with these women and girls who know very little love in their lives. Do you see him? Jesus – he is alive!

Just like each of these people I have had these types of moments and to share them with you, I brought a few show-and-tell examples. Maybe they will help you remember when you caught a glimpse of Jesus.

These are the shoes of my brother who was murdered fourteen years ago. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I saw Jesus in the faces and the prayers and the simple acts of kindness of the people who walked alongside us in our grief.

These are the shoes my children each wore as we had them Christened when they were infants. Now each of them is walking with Christ in his or her own way.

These are the shoes I got married in. To say that Christ has walked alongside us through the years through the friends and loved ones we have known is an understatement of truth.

And these, these are my baby shoes. How can I doubt his faithfulness on my journey of life with all the blessings that have been given to me?

And these, these are the shoes I’m wearing today as I struggle to continue to walk with Christ by my side.

We each have our own Emmaus – the place where we go to get away form our hurts, our disappointments, our pain. But, when we meet Christ in that place, we have to rest – stop what we are doing – and ask ourselves – do we continue to focus on our hopes, our dreams? or do we get up and RUN to tell others – He is alive! Jesus is alive!
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

These Shoes Were Made For Walking

2010-04-18T20:17:00.000-04:00

Sermon snippet: Have you ever believed in someone and then been disappointed and disillusioned? have you ever invested time, energy, and effort in someone who promised you so much – and then been disappointed? Can you imagine sharing meals together, making plans together, working alongside each other – and then – it’s over.

From Luke 24: 13-35

Teddy Bears and miracles (part 2)

2010-04-06T21:30:00.001-04:00

Do you just love teddy bears? Those cute little button eyes and stitched noses? The little furry ears and puff tail always seem to be an extra handle to carry them along with by children’s hands that are too small to wrap around the full body.

For more years than I can recount I have been in love with these furry friends. Even today my bed is made up with one special bear sitting in the middle – a gift from someone I care deeply for. Scattered throughout the house are an assortment of these furry creatures. They range in size and color and texture and yet, I have never made a point of collecting a single one. They have each simply found their way into my home and into my heart.

Well, these little fur covered, over-stuffed objects of simple affection have been used again to perform another miracle. Since the article (found at the attached website) first went online and through the paper, I have begun receiving phone calls from folks who want to open their hearts and bless someone else with a cuddly stuffed animal.

Isn’t it amazing how easily a miracle happens when we respond with genuine love?

www.ngumc.org

Responding to Easter (Part 1 of 3)

2010-03-21T22:56:00.000-04:00

This is the edited version of my sermon from this morning. May you be blessed and God be glorified.

“I want to share a true story with you about a nine-year-old boy who lived in a rural town in Tennessee. His house was in a poor area of the community. A church had a bus ministry that came knocking on his door one Saturday afternoon. The kid came to answer the door and greeted the bus pastor. The bus pastor asked if his parents were home and the small boy told him that his parents take off every weekend and leave him at home to take care of his little brother.

The bus pastor couldn’t believe what the kid said and asked him to repeat it. The youngster gave the same answer and the bus pastor asked to come in and talk with him. They went into the living room and sat down on an old couch with the foam and springs exposed.

The bus pastor asked the kid, “Where do you go to church?” The young boy surprised the visitor by replying, “I’ve never been to church in my whole life.” The bus pastor thought to himself about the fact that his church was less than three miles from the child’s house. “Are you sure you have never been to church?” He asked again. “I sure haven’t”, came his answer.

Then the bus pastor said, “Well, son, more important than going to church, have you ever heard the greatest love story ever told?” and then he proceeded to share the Gospel with this little nine year old boy. The young lad’s heart began to be tenderized and at the end of the bus pastor’s story the bus pastor asked if the boy wanted to receive this free gift from God. The youngster exclaimed, “You bet! The kid and the bus pastor got on their knees and the lad invited Jesus into his little heart and received the free gift of salvation.

When they both stood up the bus pastor asked if he could pick the kid up for church the next morning. “Sure,” the nine old replied. The bus pastor got to the house early the next morning and found the lights off. He let himself in and snaked his way through the house and found the little boy asleep in his bed. He woke up the little boy and his brother and helped get them dressed. They got on the bus and ate a donut for breakfast on their way to church. Keep in mind that this boy had never been to church before. The church was a real big one. The little kid just sat there, clueless of what was going on.

A few minutes into the service these tall unhappy guys walked down to the front and picked up some wooden plates. One of the men prayed and the kid with utter fascination watched them walk up and down the aisles. He still didn’t know what was going on.

All of a sudden like a bolt of lightning it hit the kid what was taking place. These people must be giving money to Jesus. He then reflected on the free gift of life that he had received just twenty-four hours earlier. He immediately searched his pockets, front and back, and couldn’t find a thing to give Jesus. By this time the offering plate was being passed down his aisle and with a broken heart he just grabbed the plate and held on to it. He finally let go and watched it pass on down the aisle. He turned around to see it passed down the aisle behind him. And then his eyes remained glued on the plate as it was passed back and forth, back and forth all the way to the rear of the sanctuary. Then he had an idea.

This little nine-year-old boy, in front of God and everybody, got up out of his seat. He walked about eight rows back, grabbed the usher by the coat and asked to hold the plate one more time. Then he did the most astounding thing I have ever heard of. He took the plate, sat it on the carpeted church floor and stepped into the center of it. As he stood there, he lifted his little head up and said, “Jesus, I don’t have anything to give you today, but just me. I give you me!”" – Author Unknown

What does Christ expect of us? To do what we can.

In today’s gospel reading, we encounter a similar kind of heart-filled response to God’s gift. It is one of the most beautiful gospel stories, full-to-overflowing with love and meaning. At the center of this story we find Mary and her extravagant gift of anointing Jesus’ feet.

This scripture reading comes right after Jesus raised Mary and Martha’s brother, Lazarus from the dead. Some of the religious leaders in Jerusalem were making plans to arrest Jesus and put him to death. Even with the knowledge that he was about to face his arrest, trial, sentence and death on the cross, Jesus made the trip to Bethany to be with his friends for this special dinner.

Everything changes when Mary enters the room with a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anoints Jesus’ feet, and wipes them with her hair. This was a surprising interruption to the evening. Mary’s action broke the traditions of the time. Women were not supposed to be the centre of attention in the presence of men, nor were women to touch a spiritual leader in public. Added to this response was the detail of Mary’s long hair being worn down. You see, it was customary for women to wear their long locks of hair up. For a woman to wear her hair down in public was a sign that she was not an honorable woman.

It seems that Mary’s act of extravagant giving was an unplanned, natural response of her love and gratitude to Jesus for what he has done for her and her family. Sometimes our hearts are in the right places and we do the right thing out of love, rather than hold back out of fear of what others might think. Like the little boy who stood in the offering plate.

One other point in this story I want to make is found in verse three. John tells us: “The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” John shares with us a symbol of an unselfishness, generous and loving act done purely as a natural response to the love that was given to Mary and her family. We can all be inspired by this detail to go and do likewise, following Mary’s faithful example. Our extravagant, loving acts as faithful followers of Jesus can add sweetness and quality to the lives of others.

I pray that as we move closer to Holy Week, we may each also move closer to the spirit of Mary’s extravagant, loving act of anointing Jesus. May we, like Mary live out our faith ever grateful for what Jesus has done for us on the cross, and act in ways that inspire others, that they too may come closer to Jesus and his all sufficient love for them.

“Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” – John 12: 1-3

Carrots, Eggs & Coffee beans

2010-02-26T13:48:00.000-05:00

No, this is not a new weight loss diet or some strange health fad. Although I do think it is one way of measuring our spiritual health. I collect stories, fables and parables. One day I came across this one and tucked it away for future reference. Maybe I could use it as a lesson for my children or someone else I knew. Today I found it again and recognized it’s lesson for me.

A daughter complained to her father about life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of struggling. It seemed that as soon as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the second he placed eggs, and the last he placed ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word. The daughter sucked her teeth and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. In about twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them a bowl. Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her he asked. “What do you see?” “Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.

He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. She smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. She said, “What’s the point?”

He explained that each of the items had faced the same adversity – boiling water – but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong and hard. But after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

“Which are you?” he asked his daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?”

Most of my life I have naturally been a coffee bean-type person. But lately I have been in some tough spots and have begun to feel rather fragile. As I read this story I realized that I have mixed myself in with the wrong pot! I threw myself into the pot of eggs to try to rescue them, when that didn’t happen, I jumped into the pot with the carrots because my feelings were hurt. Today I realized, I’m a coffee bean, so I’m joining my brothers and sisters and I’m making a change in the world around me!

Come on in – the water’s great!

BlessU

2010-02-22T21:10:00.002-05:00

When is the last time you blessed someone? Probably when you heard someone sneeze! It’s pretty automatic isn’t it? Whether you say “God bless you!” or simply “Bless you!” or even the uncommon “Gesundheit” we all seem to offer up a blessing on someone for something so common and ordinary everyday.

So, let me share with you a simple blessing you can send across in a text message to brighten someone’s day. It’s short enough to fit all the characters and spaces on a phone text, but meaningful enough to pass on.

If you know of others, please share them with all of us! And may UB blessed!

“Lord, may yr blessing B on yr ppl.”

“From the LORD comes deliverance.
May your blessing be on your people.” ~ Psalm 3:8

To God be the Glory ... part 1

2010-02-21T20:20:00.000-05:00

It’s not too often that I find a passage in the Old Testament that just jumps up and grabs me. The problem with only teaching from the New Testament for me is that it doesn’t remind us of God’s history with us in the same way that studying the Old Testament does. So, I decided to look at this particular passage and look at a bit of our history. Maybe you will also see something relevant for your life.

It’s interesting that this is the second time Moses had been up to the mountain to receive the commandments from God. If you remember a little of your Bible history, Moses had already been up on the mountaintop with God and had been given the law that the people were to live by. That first trip took Moses a few days longer than what the people expected and they became impatient. When they didn’t want to wait any longer, they put together their gold, melted it and built a golden calf to worship. As this was going on, God told Moses that the people were creating a false idol to worship and God would now destroy the Israelites. Moses intervened on behalf of the people and changed God’s mind towards the people. But Moses had a bit of a temper himself – when he saw – he already had heard about it – but now he saw the golden calf – when he saw what the people had done he threw the tablets at the foot of the mountain and shattered them! So, Moses has to go up the mountain – again – and bring two more tablets, and spend some more alone time with God.

I know this is a creative description of what might have happened when Moses received the tablets, but let’s remember – he was just another human being! A common guy that had his faults and problems, but one that God chose to use in a very powerful way.

So what happened after Moses came face to face with God. Twice Moses had been in the very presence of God to receive the commandments. In the first account there is no description of his face shining or any other difference noted about Moses. In fact, as I stated a minute ago, he was the same temperamental guy after he came down from the mountain the first time as he was when he was a young man. But the second time he went to the mountain of the Lord, something was different about him. His brother Aaron and all the Israelite's knew this the minute they looked at him because his face shone. Have you ever had something extraordinary happen and found yourself unable to fully comprehend what is going on, so you get stuck on the irrelevant details?

The story is told about a man took his new hunting dog on a trial hunt one day. After a while he managed to shoot a duck and it fell in the lake. The dog walked over the water, picked up the duck, and brought it to his master. The man was stunned. He didn't know what to think. He shot another duck and again, it fell into the lake and again the dog walked over the water and brought it back to his master. Hardly daring to believe his eyes, and not wanting to be thought a total fool, he told no-one about it - but the next day he called his neighbor to come shooting with him. As on the previous day he shot a duck and it fell into the lake. The dog walked over the water and got it. His neighbor didn't say a word. Several more ducks got shot that day - and each time the dog walked over the water to retrieve them - and each time the neighbor said nothing and neither did the owner of the dog. Finally - unable to contain himself any longer the owner asked his neighbor - "do you notice anything strange about my dog??"
Yes - replied the neighbor - rubbing his chin and thinking a bit - come to think of it I do - your dog doesn't know how to swim…"

I think the neighbor missed the point!

Why do we people have such a problem seeing God in the everyday moments of our lives?

"Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant* in his hand, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke with them. Afterwards all the Israelites came near, and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face; but whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would take the veil off, until he came out; and when he came out, and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, the Israelites would see the face of Moses, that the skin of his face was shining; and Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with him." - Exodus 34:29-35

... we all fall down!

2010-02-17T10:26:00.000-05:00

As I have been preparing for tonight’s Ash Wednesday service at the church I recalled this treasured nursery rhyme: Ring around the roses, pockets full of posies, ashes to ashes we all fall down! I remember my children holding hands and reaching out to anyone close enough to catch within their circle as they skipped and sang this song before tumbling to the ground into a laughing, giggling pile of joy. It did not matter what age you were, it seemed you were qualified to play this game. Next to “Hide and go seek” this was my children’s favorite game to play with every member of the family. Through the years I have always been surprised by how much I have learned from my children and this simple little game is another example.
There have been several lessons I learned from playing this game with my children and their friends. I learned that we have a lot more fun when we all play together. I learned that laughing at myself was more enjoyable than laughing at others. I also learned that the ground was just a little further to fall to for some of us and it hurt when I landed!

Isn’t that just like life? It seems the higher, the bigger, and the more important or more favored we think we are, life has a way of bringing us back to the basics. And sometimes it hurts when we land. Sometimes it’s our ego, sometimes it’s our pride, sometimes it’s our dignity, but it all hurts. I also learned that it was harder to get up after falling down for some of us and we need a helping hand or an encouraging word from our friends to help us get back into the game.

Today is Ash Wednesday in the Christian church. It is a time for each of us to participate in the call to repentance and reconciliation with God and with our neighbors. We use ashes as a physical sign of our own mortality and remorse for the things we’ve done that have hurt the people around us. Participation in a service of the Imposition of Ashes can be a powerful experience that allows us to reach for the hand of a friend whether it is for help in picking ourselves up or lifting someone else.

I recently read a comment that said “It's not how we fall but how we get up that matters most. I'm still working on the getting up part.” Can I give you a hand?

Love is ... part 2

2010-02-10T16:32:00.000-05:00

I like Necco wafers. For me there is excitement in the unwrapping of the end of the package and placing that little chalky-flavored bit of candy right in the middle of my tongue. Those little bits of flavor bring back special memories of childhood for me. One of my favorite recurring memories is of my grandfather sitting in his recliner, smoking his pipe and sharing his wafers with the grandkids. The rule was that Pop-pop would open the candy roll and take the first one, then each grandchild would receive one in order of your descending age, but … if you didn’t take the color that came up when it was your turn, you had to wait until it was your turn again during the next round. Sometimes one of the kids would choose to not take the little piece of candy that was offered and would try to get the next one that came up because that was his or her “favorite”. That never worked with my grandfather! He would remind us of the “rule” and how we each took our turn, and we each had a choice to take what we were offered. Then he would go to the next grandchild. There were many times we would take the little wafer when we didn’t care for that particular flavor! As I grew up, I wondered if we took it because we didn’t want to “miss our turn” or because we didn’t want to disappoint Pop-pop.

I learned a lot of life lessons from those rolls of chalky candies. I learned that life is good - even if whatever you are dealing with isn't your favorite part. I learned that when we are given the freedom of choice we must accept the consequences of our actions. I learned that as I grew older, there were more and more people I needed to share with in order to be able to enjoy the piece of life I was offered.

And then there were all the flavors! How could I not learn that life was about all of the flavors and experiences that we encounter? Some of were hard to distinguish between, but others were so rich and colorful that you could not help but want to savor them slowly and enjoy them down to the very ... last ... moment. ahhh...

I don't think my grandfather planned on teaching me or my siblings or my cousins all these lessons from a simple roll of candy. But I think it would please him to know that he taught us how to love life, to love others, and to love the simple things that memories are made from.

Miss you Pop-pop.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." ~ 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8a

Another rainy day ...

2010-02-04T20:49:00.000-05:00

These past few weeks have had an abundance of rain to share with us and frankly, I’m tired of the gray! In south Florida there is a term for all this rain, it’s called “liquid sunshine”. But here in north Georgia, the sun is not sunshiny during the rain. It’s making me tired of the gray.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am grateful for the rain. I am even grateful for the clouds and the cool temperatures. I’m just tired of all of the gray. Do you know what I mean? Have you ever felt the same way?

I have found that in life it is so much simpler when things are black or white, right or wrong, up or down … you get the idea. But when things start to blur, it is harder to make choices. Like when it rains. Do I really need to go out or can it wait until tomorrow? On one hand we need to balance the perceived need and on the other, our own wants. Sometimes it is easier than at other times.

While raising my young children if we ran out of milk or bread or diapers, that was an absolute need that far outweighed my wanting to stay at home where it was warm and dry. Now that I am older and my children do not live at home I can look in the fridge and think to myself, “Tomorrow is soon enough to pick up some milk.” My desire to stay warm and dry has won out against the need for milk. I’ll just change the menu for tonight.

Yet now I find that the choices aren’t as easy as they once were. Now I do not have the external guides that I once had and the choices, the decisions I must make are often more difficult. Now the choices and the issues I wrestle with are often blurred into matters that have the nuances of others lives besides my own. Now, I make decisions and choices on matters that have far-reaching implications. When I go out to the grocery store for my milk or bread I can not help but think – where did the food came from? who produced it? is the packaging recyclable? what of the child who is hungry tonight?

And it is still raining. But I see a touch of sun shining through!

“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” ~ 1 Corinthians 13: 11-12

Love is ... part 1

2010-02-01T19:02:00.000-05:00

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget." --Jessica - age 8

These past few weeks have been bumpy for me. I have had some uncluttering to do in my head and as I've worked to clear my mind I've had to step away from blogging. Pardon the absence. And, I'm glad to be back!

I found the above quote as I looked for something to describe the way God loves us and how we can show that same love to others. There were loads of romanticized quotes on love; cynical quotes on love; judgmental & opinionated quotes & silly quotes on love. But, from the thoughts of a child I saw a purity on the thought of what love truly is.

It seems to me that love is about relationship. Sometimes it is a family relationship, the love between a parent and child - regardless of either ones age. Sometimes we see love in the acts of sacrifice by soldiers and their families - a patriotic love, a love of their country and way of life. Sometimes we see love grown out of a common bond between people who have a shared tragedy in their lives - the death of a child or the devastation of a hurricane. But it seems to me, love is about a relationship that is built between people.

That is why I like what Jessica said about love. Relationships are fragile and easy to hurt, harm or break. So we shouldn't say "I love you" unless we mean it from somewhere in our common bond of life. And if we mean it, we really should say it often so we can strengthen those bonds and build each other up and enrich our relationships.

May you know love ...

Prison Fellowship Conference

2010-01-29T20:29:00.001-05:00

On March 28-31, 2010, Prison Fellowship will host the Georgia Out4Life
Prisoner Reentry Conference at the Embassy Suites Atlanta Airport
Hotel. The conference will be conducted in partnership with the
Georgia Department of Corrections and the State Board of Pardons and
Parole. Leaders and volunteers will convene to address practical
barriers to reintegration, cultivate collaborative relationships, and
begin to develop fitting strategies to reduce recidivism and restore
prisoners to their families and communities.

A combination of plenary talks and concentrated workshops will delve
into such topics as employment for ex-offenders, addiction and
recovery, public safety, family issues, special needs of women
prisoners, and the importance of establishing networks to meet these
and many other needs. Your participation is highly valued.

Some of the featured speakers include Mark Earley (Prison Fellowship
President), Brian Owens (Commissioner, DOC), Garland Hunt (Parole
Board Member), Jay Cory (Atlanta Union Mission), Chaplain Susan Bishop
(Metro State Prison), and Vicki Lopez Lukis (Co-Chair, Florida
Secretary of DOC Reentry Advisory Council).

The Out4Life Conference is for pastors, volunteers, community leaders,
government officials, ministry organizations, employers and anyone
interested in helping inmates successfully transition into our
communities. Participants will be encouraged to extend services to
offenders and help build community reentry coalitions across the
state.

For more information, please visit the website at www.out4life.com

Justice and Mercy Impact Ministries … and another update

2010-01-15T11:25:00.000-05:00

Men Stopping Violence

Men Stopping Violence is seeking faith based institutions that would like to participate in the Because We Have Daughters (BWHD) program. This fun and educational program will be conducted in partnership with researchers from GSU to study the effectiveness of BWHD as a violence prevention program promoting safety for girls and women. If funded, small stipends will be available for the site, as well as to participants. If interested, please contact http://www.menstoppingviolence.org/index.php

A proposal being submitted requires letters of interest no later than January 19, 2010

Justice and Mercy Impact Ministries … another update

2010-01-15T11:00:00.005-05:00

Atlanta Fulton Family Connection Child Abuse and Neglect Council

Atlanta Fulton Family Connection Child Abuse and Neglect Council invites all who work with these issues in nonprofits, ministries, or agencies and other concerned citizens to the January meeting. 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; Wednesday Jan. 20, 2010; Fulton County Juvenile Court; 395 Pryor Street Room 1132; Atlanta, GA 30312. Please R.s.v.p. by sending me a comment so I can forward your information.

Justice and Mercy Impact Ministries updates

2010-01-15T10:23:00.000-05:00

Informational Gathering on Child Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking

January 21 | Avondale Patillo UMC, Decatur

North Georgia Conference
Advocacy Team is hosting a time of discussion, discernment and
decisions for action with metro-area United Methodist churches,
conference leaders, other interested persons and the Interfaith
Children’s Movement. Please join us on Thursday, January 21, 2010 at
10:00 a.m. at Avondale-Pattillo UMC, 3260 Covington Highway, Decatur,
30032. If you plan to attend please R.S.V.P. by commenting here and I will send you additional information.

For more information about ICM check out their website at
www.interfaithchildrenmovement.org

Twenty Truths to Remember

2010-01-14T00:07:00.001-05:00

I am unabashedly borrowing this from an unknown author. If you know who wrote it, please share the name so I can give credit where it is due. If not, just enjoy and read it for the simple value it has for each of us.

Twenty Truths to Remember:

1. Faith is the ability to not panic.
2. If you worry, you didn’t pray. If you pray, don’t worry.
3. As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home every day.
4. Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.
5. When we get tangled up in our problems, be still. God wants us to be still so He can untangle the knot.
6. Do the math. Count your blessings.
7. God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.
8. Dear God: I have a problem. It’s me.
9. Silence is often misinterpreted, but never misquoted.
10. Laugh every day, it’s like inner jogging.
11. The most important things in your home are the people.
12. Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional.
13. There is no key to happiness. The door is always open.
14. A grudge is a heavy thing to carry.
15. He who dies with the most toys is still dead.
16. We do not remember days, but moments. Life moves too fast, so enjoy your precious moments.
17. Nothing is real to you until you experience it, otherwise it’s just hearsay.
18. It’s all right to sit on your pity pot every now and again. Just be sure to flush when you are done.
19. Surviving and living your life successfully requires courage. The goals and dreams you’re seeking require courage and risk-taking. Learn from the turtle — it only makes progress when it sticks out its neck.
20. Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are.
– Author Unknown

Hands …

2010-01-08T23:07:00.000-05:00

I returned yesterday from a conference geared towards childrens pastors and the people who work in our churches with our youngest disciples. I learned a few new methods for communicating the gospel to our children, tweeners and youth. I learned just how dedicated most of these gifted people are. I also learned just how cRAzY they have to be to continue their work for so many years. ;)

During my time away I was also able to spend time in worship and reflection and prayer. As I process and discern those thoughts and begin to understand what God is saying to me, I’ll share more on that later.

For now, let me share a story I found several years ago.

THE HAND

At first it sounded like a thanksgiving story, but the more I reflected on it, the more appropriate it seemed for any time of the year. The way I heard it, the story went like this: Thanksgiving Day was near. The first grade teacher gave her class a fun assignment — to draw a picture of something for which they were thankful. Most of the class might be considered economically disadvantaged, but still many would celebrate the holiday with turkey and other traditional goodies of the season. These, the teacher thought, would be the subjects of most of her student’s art. And they were. But Douglas made a different kind of picture. Douglas was a different kind of boy. He was the teacher’s true child of misery, frail and unhappy.

As other children played at recess, Douglas was likely to stand close by her side. One could only guess at the pain Douglas felt behind those sad eyes. Yes, his picture was different. When asked to draw a picture of something for which he was thankful, he drew a hand. Nothing else. Just an empty hand. His abstract image captured the imagination of his peers. Whose hand could it be? One child guessed it was the hand of a farmer, because farmers raise turkeys. Another suggested a police officer, because the police protect and care for people. Still others guessed it was the hand of God, for God feeds us. And so the discussion went — until the teacher almost forgot the young artist himself.

When the children had gone on to other assignments, she paused at Douglas’ desk, bent down, and asked him whose hand it was. The little boy looked away and murmured, “It’s yours, teacher.” She recalled the times she had taken his hand and walked with him here or there, as she had the other students. How often had she said, “Take my hand, Douglas, we’ll go outside.” Or, “Let me how you how to hold your pencil.” Or, “Let’s do this together.”

Douglas was most thankful for his teacher’s hand. Brushing aside a tear, she went on with her work.

The story speaks of more than thankfulness. It says something about teachers teaching and parents parenting and friends showing friendship, and how much it means to the Douglas’s of the world. They might not always say thanks. But they’ll remember the hand that reaches out.

By Steve Goodier © 2001 (reprinted)

What can I possibly add to this story? How about, “thank you”, to all of the men and women of God who love the little children, the tweeners, the youth and their families. Thank you for being the hand of God to each of us!

“As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.” ~ John 17:18-19

Hear You Want a Resolution!

2010-01-06T21:29:00.000-05:00

You say you want a resolution
Well, you know
We all want to change our world
Talk to me of transformation
Well, you know
We all want to change our world …

I’ve been thinking a lot about what my New Year’s resolution will be this year. Usually, I avoid making resolutions until November so I have a better chance of being successful at keeping them, but this year I have been convicted to make some changes sooner. So, here goes … let me know what you think and help me remain accountable by checking on me to see if I am keeping my resolutions throughout the year!

My Resolutions for 2010:

1. I will give away a piece of me this year by reaching out to people who need a friend or words of encouragement or just a simple hello. Since I have a love of writing and desire to be in relationship with others, I will pursue this resolution by developing the Flat Jesus Project. This project will be designed to help others exchange words of encouragement and network (webpage) with others through the exchange of cards and letters, as well as books and … (and I will seek help from the greater social community to accomplish this.) – I will keep you posted as this is developed.
2. I will be a better steward of what I have and what I need by using what I already possess. Sometimes this will mean giving away what I possess so that others can make better use of it than I would. It also will mean using the knowledge, contacts, intelligence and God-given resources that I have.
3. I will increase my trust in God for my provisions by resisting the urge to add material things to my household. When I see pretty paper for scrapbooking that I just must buy – I will buy a book for a needy child or make a donation to a literacy center or find some way to give back instead of hoarding. This goes for shoes (did I really just say that?!?), clothes, household items and even food!
4. I will spend my time in study of scripture not just for work and supporting others, but so that I may also grow in my personal relationship with God.
5. I will take care of myself and become healthier – my body, mind & spirit. This may be lived out by taking one week this year to just relax and enjoy time with my husband, getting into a fitness routine, or reading a book for pleasure!
6. Finally, I will allow myself to use this YEAR to accomplish these resolutions – not just the first week of January – and if I am not successful one day, I will accept that failure only comes from not trying a second, third, twentieth or even a 364th time!

Okay, so these are my resolutions for transformation, what are yours? How can I improve mine? Would love to hear from you!

Blessings ~

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer 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: 1-2

Hymn Book Angels

2009-12-31T11:13:00.000-05:00

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” ~ Colossians 3:16-17

A friend of mine asked me for these directions a few days ago and as I looked through my files I couldn’t help but remember all of the angels God has placed in my life. I hope you can also think of one or two angels that you have been blessed to entertain on your journey!

Materials needed: Old Hymnal, Styrofoam ball (for head), Gold craft paint (optional), white craft glue, thin wooden dowel approx. 12 inches long (a shish-kabob skewer works well), a 12 inch pipe cleaner (gold or silver), coordinating craft paint

Instructions: Before you start making the hymnbook angel, find a song that you would like to use to cover the angel’s head. Put this aside until later.

Next, begin folding each page, starting in the middle of the hymn book, one by one, from the top corner of the page to the center to make the skirt for the hymnbook angel. continue doing this until you have folded approx. 1/4 of the pages from the back forward, and 1/4 of the pages from the front backward. You should end up with 1/2 of the hymn book folded in the center so it looks as if you have a skirt when the book is open.

After you have finished with the folding, put the book aside and take the page you removed, dip it in warm water, then wrap it around the Styrofoam ball being sure to smooth the folds and overlap the edges. You can insert the dowel into the ball now and stand upright to dry. (This takes approx. 6 – 8 hours)

Go back to the book and stand it up in the shape you would like it to have. Using a thinned out mixture of the white craft glue and water, brush the pages LIGHTLY so they are wet but not soaked through. Set aside to dry.

After everything has dried you can decorate the angel with a light brushing of the craft paint on the paper edges or the spine and book edges. This will give it a gilded effect. When the paint is dry (takes only a few minutes) assemble your angel by placing the dowel into the spine of the hymnal with the head now attached. Finally, attach the pipe cleaner as a halo on top of the head with some additional craft glue or hot glue.

You can also add lace, pearl beads, or other decorations to make your angel unique and give it personality!

May you be blessed to entertain your unique angels this year!

(For picture, go to attached link)

A Blue Christmas

2009-12-28T21:21:00.000-05:00

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” ~ Colossians 3:12-14

After taking a few days off from the ministry work of the Christmas season to simply enjoy the time with my family and this very special time of year, I find myself facing the post-holiday blahs like so many other people do. I am sure that some of these feelings are due to the fact that it’s cold outside and I have the remnants of a wonderful holiday strewn about my house – including the debris of wrapping paper yet to go to the trashman and a fridge full of leftovers! Some of the feelings I am experiencing can also be attributed to the normal “holiday blues” that we all feel after any holiday experience. Yet for some reason, this year feels different.

These past few months have been a definite growing season for me. My faith has been strengthened, tested, challenged and affirmed. I am moving into a deeper understanding of the role God has called me to live out through my service as a pastor. I am also learning to be more accepting of the role God has called me to fill and recognizing my limitations are exactly what He is using to minister in the place I am serving. I think I am also coming to terms with my deep grief over my brother’s murder and my son’s death. This is the part of my spiritual growth that I am most uncomfortable with.

As we let go of those old feelings of grief, despair, hurt, anger, unforgiveness and all the other negative emotions we carry around from our past, we limit our ability to fully live the life of God has in store for each of us. As I have spent more time in study of God’s Word, there has been a growing fullness in my soul and the grief has subsided. Now to be sure, I continue to mourn the absence in this life of Mark and Matthew and my soul aches in an indescribable manner. But, my grief is finding solace and comfort as I move into becoming more of who God wants me to be.

The problem isn’t with the notion of being one of God’s holy, chosen people, BUT in living like one of God’s holy, chosen people! This isn’t an easy issue to resolve -Mark’s death is still with me after more than 13 years – but I believe that I can see the flicker of a life lived fully as one His dearly loved children.

A Baby’s Lullaby

2009-12-25T09:30:00.001-05:00

“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” – Luke 2:6-7

“Hush little baby don't you cry
Daddy's gonna sing you a lullaby
Everything's gonna be all right
The Lord's gonna answer your prayer tonight”

Words that sound so familiar yet are slightly different. Words that bring blessed memories and thoughts of dreams that didn’t come true. Words that have the power to soothe the most broken-hearted and terrify within the same breath.

These lyrics are a new version of a classic children’s lullaby that has been sung to children across the world. I sang the lullaby to my children as I rocked them and comforted them in the middle of the night. I’m sure many of you have also, and many of you will also sing them to your grandchildren. But I find today that they have a new meaning for me.

Can you imagine this lullaby from the perspective of Joseph as he looked in wonder at his newborn son? The questions that must have raced through his mind! What about all of the fears, the doubts, the uncertainties of being privileged to be the daddy to the Son of God? And then the realization that God was being held in his arms. Talk about being awestruck with the miracle of birth, can you imagine?

And what about the young mother, Mary? After having been forced to ride a donkey for what probably felt like years in the condition of pregnancy she was in, now she would give birth in what amounted to a cave surrounded not by doctors, nurses or mid-wives, but by oxen and sheep. Then as her child, her son, was lifted up and wrapped in cloths and placed in her arms, she was able to look in to the eyes of God. What did he see, did he see the unconditional love that a mother feels for her child? Did she see His unconditional love?

As the human infant Jesus took his first breath, did he let out a cry? Did he feel the pain of separation from God the Father that we do? And I can’t help but wonder, if Mary sang him a lullaby to comfort him and reassure him -

“Hush little baby don't you cry
Mommy's gonna sing you a lullaby
Everything's gonna be all right
The Lord's gonna answer your prayer tonight”

During this time, I pray that you feel the love of your heavenly Father and that you are able to experience the awestruck wonder of a baby born in a manger in far-off Bethlehem more than two centuries ago. And maybe you can hear in the quiet stillness of the night the sound of a lullaby being sung to each of us with the voice of Our Heavenly Father.

Merry Christmas …..

~ Rev. Pat

What is Love?

2009-12-24T11:00:00.002-05:00

The Bible Dictionary describes “Love” as “the very nature of God”. Love is oftentimes identified as the greatest of the Christian virtues. However, when googled on the internet, many different descriptions for “love” pops up, everything from a love calculator to love songs. But, what does it really mean?

When I think of Love, lots of things come to my mind, my husband, my son, and my close friends. Christmas usually conjures thoughts of Love as we buy special gifts for those we love. There are also many Bible verses concerning Love. One that particularly stands out is John 3:16. The New International Version says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life”.

Just think… “God gave His One and Only Son.” There truly is no greater love. I guess that I did not really comprehend this until I became a mother of a one and only son. My husband and I prayed for 8 years for a baby. God answered our prayers with the adoption of a precious 6 week old baby boy. I was completely overwhelmed with love for this baby the minute I laid eyes on him and my love for him has grown as each day passes. Prior to motherhood, I thought that I knew about “love”, but there is a much greater expansion to this single simple word when it refers to loving one’s own child. Sacrificing Jesus for Us is evidence of God’s amazingly incredible love for us. God knew when Jesus was born what was planned for Him and, yet God still gave us His Son. The nature of our God is truly a Love that we can just barely comprehend.

Praise be to God.

~ Samantha

Waiting................

2009-12-23T10:00:00.001-05:00

He is a young college student, driving home for a weekend of home cooking. His parents pray for traveling mercies. And wait. Another is deployed so very far from his new beautiful bride. She prays for his safety and a phone call from him. She counts the days, the hours. And she waits. They have watched their first born leave the nest to build her own. They pray for her happiness and a visit. And they wait. She was a young, unmarried virgin, expecting a child. And engaged. Visited by the angel Gabriel, assured, she said, "I am the Lord's servant." And she waits.

At Advent, we prepare and we wait. We celebrate and remember the birth of our King, humbly in a stable. We sing, rejoice and give gifts. We praise our Father in heaven for the indescribable gift. And now, we wait for His return. For our eternity in heaven with Him. For glory forever. We wait.

Serving Him with our gifts given by Him, we too must say, "I am the Lord's servant." Love Him, Serve Him, Praise Him. Wait for Him. He is coming. Alleluia He is Coming ! We wait with joy at His return.

~ Rebecca

1 Corinthians 13, Christmas Version

2009-12-22T10:00:00.000-05:00

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata, but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

Love sets aside decorating to kiss the husband.

Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way.

Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return, but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.

Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but giving the gift of love will endure.

Merry CHRISTmas!
~ Author Unknown

God so loved the world

2009-12-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

John 3:16 says that God so loved the world that He gave... Love is an action word. Love gives without expectation of return. Love gives because love wants the best for the one that is loved. God's love is unconditional. We cannot make God love us more by doing more. We cannot make God love us less by our failures.

The Bible is one love story broken into sixty-six books. The Bible shows us that God is a God of love from Genesis through Revelation. Romans 5:8 tells us that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Unconditional love does not wait for us to be perfect. Love loves regardless. He paid that price because He loves us not because we are worthy. He makes us worthy by His sacrifice.

1 Corinthians 13 tells us of God's agape love. We can rest secure in God's love. We know that God does not keep records of our wrongs. We are thankful that God's love is patient and kind and forgiving.

During this Advent season, we would do well to remember that we are loved. We should remember that God so loved us that He was willing to send Christ to pay our sin debt and if we accept that sacrifice, we no longer owe anything for our sins. Chris paid it all.

As we celebrate the birth of Christ, we can rejoice in the fact that our heavenly Father thinks we are fantastic. We can rejoice in the fact that we bring a warm smile to His face when He thinks of us. We can rejoice in the fact that we are the beloved of the Creator. We can rejoice in the fact that we have eternal life with our Father who will never condemn us. That is something to celebrate!

~ Ronnie

JOY!

2009-12-20T09:35:00.000-05:00

“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel which means ‘God is with us.’” - Matthew 1:23

 Daniel in the lion’s den
 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace

What’s the common denominator? In the midst of difficulty, God was with them. Being God, He could have easily saved them, transported them from their difficulties. Instead He chose to reveal His power through the trials, rather than remove them.

The Bible promises good things to those who seek the Lord, but there’s no guarantee this life will be easy. Trials and difficulties are a part of life.

In April of this year I was diagnosed with a rare but treatable form of cancer. Following my first surgery our water heater exploded and flooded our house. Then my grandmother passed away. I’ve been a Christian for 30 years, and the Lord was with me, but I struggled and cried and sought the Lord. Was this act of seeking and not understanding non-Christian behavior? No! I trusted God and found my joy in the fact He never wastes our present pains and trials.

Life was hard, but I found joy in the day-to-day relationship I had with my God. He never left me and I found that, despite my circumstances, I had joy. James 1:2 says when troubles come our way we should consider it an opportunity for joy.

During my time of great need, I knew God was with me and His nearness gave me joy. We can also rejoice in the fact we have a God who wants to be our intimate friend. He’s not far-removed in heaven on a throne. Jesus was God come to Earth and we can rejoice in the fact there’s no emotion or trial we will ever face that Jesus didn’t experience first-hand.

Joy comes in knowing God will NEVER leave you. He will never turn a deaf ear to your heartfelt prayers. He is interested in every detail of your life. God is with you! Rejoice!

~ Amy

Joyful! Joyful!

2009-12-19T09:19:00.002-05:00

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.” – Psalm 28:7

In my closet I have an amazing number and variety of shoes that I have acquired over the years. Some of them are for use in the yard. Some are very specific for riding the motorcycle. Some are everyday work shoes. But some of them have a very special meaning and place in my heart – these are my party shoes! Whenever I put them on, whenever I look upon them, I am filled with good – even great! – memories and my spirit leaps with joy.

During this time of year, I can’t help but wonder if Mary felt that way when she found out she would be the mother of God? I don’t think so. Although we read in the first chapter of Luke, “And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,” I think her head recognized the difficulties that lay before her. I also believe she was able to find the strength of her faith in the faithfulness of God.

Have you ever been in that place where something seems insurmountable and yet, you are certain that God has determined your place in His greater plan? Several times in my life circumstances have threatened to overwhelm me and given me doubts that have crippled my spirit for a period of time. One of those times came when I was only twenty-two years old and just weeks away from getting married.

My husband-to-be and I had just spent a fun-filled weekend with his family at Disneyworld and were driving home when we fell asleep and crashed into a tree. I woke up with blood and glass in my eyes and my legs crushed under the collapsed dash of the car. As the paramedics worked to get us out of the car they realized that one of my legs was impaled and the ankle of my other leg was definitely broken. After x-rays and several other tests in the hospital I found out I had seven breaks in the right ankle and my left knee would need reconstructive surgery at a later date. (So much for me being able to dance at my own wedding!) The week after the cast came off I had further complications from the accident and spent another few days in the hospital. Finally, we were married and beginning our life together.

Life together for us started out full of the excitement of being newlyweds and the adventure of moving to a new home together. But we also found ourselves dealing with our share of problems, especially when my knee reconstruction surgery was completed only four months later. Plans for romantic dinners and dancing in nice clubs were put on hold as I learned how to walk again. Two years after this ordeal began, my hubby and I realized that the dreams we thought we wanted for our lives had been replaced by a sense of satisfaction in simpler things and new dreams were being born.

What in the world does all of this have to do with party shoes? Well, God shared a sign with me one afternoon shortly before my surgery and it has helped me so many times since then. While I was shopping that particular afternoon I came across a little porcelain figurine of a boy pulling a wagon with a little girl riding atop their belongings piled in the cart. She was holding a Bible and the title of that figurine was “Walking By Faith”. Wow! That piece so captured what had been happening in my life up to that point, and in the days since then.

So, now when I look on those party shoes – or any of my shoes, I can not help but be reminded of a young woman who held on to the faithfulness of her God and joyously surrendered herself to his plans for her life. And I pray that I can also walk with faith in the plans God has for my life, always being thankful for what He has given each of us. My heart can not help but dance for joy!

~ Rev. Pat

Letting Go

2009-12-18T09:30:00.000-05:00

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” – John 14:27

Chaos would be a great way to describe my everyday living over the past few months. Chaos is definitely the “anti-peace.” It’s a little bit like fighting gravity. Have you ever felt like this? Felt like you were living just to get from moment to moment? This may be exactly where God wants us to be …this is where we find Him. Chaos is where He can do amazing things. When we have no control & the only solution comes through Him. It is where Prayer becomes “Help me survive today!” For me…. This is where God forced me to slow down and realize how much He loves me and how the Body of Christ represented that to me. This is when peace came.

Peace is defined as a state of tranquility or quiet, but also as freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions. (Webster.com) Our thoughts are where the enemy tries to get us; where some of the toughest battles are fought, but where God wants to be forefront…to give us tranquility and peace.

“I’m letting go of the life I planned for me and my dreams. I’m losing control of my destiny. It feels like I’m falling and that’s what it’s like to believe, so I’m letting go” ~Battistelli, et al

Lord, Please provide me with Your peace that surpasses understanding today. Guard my mind from chaos and keep me in your perfect peace.

~ Elizabeth

An Event for Everyone

2009-12-17T09:30:00.000-05:00

“There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger." - Luke 2:8-12 (MSG)

I used to love to listen to Paul Harvey, and his "Rest of the Story" radio segments. I just love to think about the story that goes before, behind and after the tales we talk about and remember. The entire Old Testament lies as the before story - several millennia since Abram's name was changed and God promised him a blessing. His descendants knew from all the scriptures that had been written since that God would send a redeemer from their current mediocrity. I like to envision those shepherds setting up their temporary camp at the end of a busy day and after their equivalent of prime-time TV, they settled in and started to rest. Someone was watching the sheep and they would likely take turns during the night.

Have you ever tried to get teenagers to get to sleep in such a situation? If they aren't exhausted there can be a lot of giggling and chattering and the adults are repeating, "go to sleep" for the umpteenth time. Finally there is peace... The gentle sounds of the sheep and maybe the crickets...

SUDDENLY! All the lights are on and trumpets are BLARING!!!

Who wouldn't be shocked and stunned? Even having seen huge blockbuster movies we would all be amazed and speechless. Add to it the pure supernaturalness of God's glory and we are all puddles of humility.

I know they were expecting something, but they had stopped expecting it NOW.

As we run headlong into the "Christmas Season" or worse the "Holiday Season" as defined by the media and marketing gurus... DON'T STOP EXPECTING JESUS TO SHOW UP! I want to go to bed expectantly and hopefully that just as I fall asleep, Christmas will come again into my life. Better yet, into each patient moment and all year long!

Merry Christmas, Christmas people!!!

~ Roger

The Approaching Season

2009-12-16T11:00:00.002-05:00

“And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.” - Luke 2: 9-10 (NKJV)

While standing in line at a local super store the other day, I overheard a lady complaining about another Christmas fast approaching. She went on to lament about how glad she would be when the season was over and how she hated standing in even longer lines and driving in increased traffic. The person she was talking too said that while her children got excited about Christmas, she was not looking forward to the extra company in her home and having to spend “all that extra money.” For just about two seconds I could almost relate to their attitude. I used to think just like they did about Christmas. My family even nicknamed me “The Grinch.” I had the ability to steal just about anyone’s Christmas Joy. Christmas was not a good time for me. But then I thought about how my attitude toward Christmas had changed. When I accepted Christ, God put a love in my heart for Christmas. This is the day we celebrate God’s greatest gift to man. The gift of his only son, Jesus!

Yes, I can relate to how a secular world feels about a holiday that over the years has become commercialized, over advertised, and even political. Retail organizations have started promoting and decorating for the Christmas shopping season way before Halloween. Many local governments will not allow decorations that depict a religious theme on their property. Society has tried to take the birth of Christ out of the very holiday that exists to celebrate that birth. The focus of Christmas has shifted from celebrating Jesus’ birth to lights, trees, gifts, Santa Claus, and more gifts. We all are involved in the secular aspects of Christmas; it’s almost impossible not to be.

So here is my challenge to you (and myself). As the Advent season approaches, commit to focusing on the real reason for the season. Read the Christmas Story found in Luke chapter 2: 1-18. If you have children read it to them. Remember the joy of your salvation and apply it to this awesome time of year. Share your joy and the Christmas Story with someone who needs joy. Your attitude about Christmas is a choice. You can choose to be joyful or not. Choose joy and share it!

Oh yeah, remember the Grinch? I’m still the Grinch in my family. The Grinch finally found the joy of Christmas, and his heart grew 3 times its normal size. That’s me!

~ Rev. Tom

Coming Home

2009-12-15T11:00:00.000-05:00

“So he got up and went to his father.”But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” – Luke 15:20

This morning I heard a song on the radio as I was pulling into my parking space at work. It was about a man that had a message on his home phone that had been there for many years. The message was for his wayward daughter it case she called. It said something to the effect “what ever you have done, I love you, wherever you have been you can come home.” He hadn’t talked to her in many years but the song said she called and heard the message that she needed to hear.

A few minutes after hearing that song I arrived at my desk and the man next to me, who is the part-time pastor of a church, told me about a message he had just listened to from a family who had just lost a 14 year old daughter and were concerned that she was going to hell. He asked me what I thought he could tell them.

I told him about the song that I had just heard and that I think God has that message on his answering machine for all of us all of the time. That’s what Jesus came to tell us with his life and message. The prodigal son story says that clearly.

We were recently talking in Disciple 1 class about what it means to be made in the image of God. To me it means that we can love people the way God does, we don’t do that all the time, but we have the capacity when we are at our best; when we are most in touch with God. That song reflects the capacity to love as God does.

During the holiday season we all think about gathering, coming home, or remembering times when we did. Don’t miss the call of the gospel, the message from God, the reason for the season. We are welcome all the time, no matter what we have done and no matter where we have been. God loves you, and even me.

~ Rev. Dr. Scott

An Angel in a Barn

2009-12-14T11:00:00.000-05:00

“Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” - Hebrews 1:14

Have you ever seen an angel? I have watched one work in a barn! Her name is Joan, nice name for an angel. Our car care ministry has many workers doing many different jobs. This is how the body of Christ operates ideally. Joan's job is feeding the workers and those being served. She brings a casserole from heaven--eggs, cheese, potatoes, bacon--yes, straight from heaven! And we are fed a wonderful breakfast for our tummies. But, her angelic work only begins there. Joan loves on everyone that comes into that dusty old barn/car repair garage. She hugs each one, smiles at each one and truly listens to each and every persons concerns. Her love accomplishes so much more in the waiting area than the mechanics do in the repair area. Folks leave with better brakes or oil changes. But, they take away something much more valuable, they take the love of Jesus Christ given by an angel named Joan.

As we wait, as advent approaches, we too must be the hands and feet of Jesus. Some of the hands get pretty dirty with lots of greasy fingernails. Others, like those of angel Joan Garling, reach out in love and touch the hearts of everyone she meets. Joan is now being an angel back in New York. How blessed are they! How we miss her sweet beautiful smile and spirit. We will see many angels this Christmas season, reminding us of the angels that announced to frightened shepherds of the coming of our Messiah.

But, I will be reminded of the angel in the barn, sweet loving Joan. Her light shines the love of Jesus, Christmas and always. Praise God for His angels among us all!

~ Rebecca

The Peace that Guards my Heart

2009-12-13T11:00:00.000-05:00

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6-7

During Advent, I like to slow down and look back at the year and see where I am spiritually. Are my relationships healthy? Are there any new bad habits? Do my priorities still reflect a Christ-centered life? This is hard if I am being completely honest with myself.

I recently attended a healing service at my church. I was astounded at the number of people who went up to the altar to be anointed and prayed over with hands on them. Some went up two and three times. As I sat in my pew and prayed for those individuals, I realized that I needed to go up, too. For too long I carried a burden that I finally realized I could not ‘fix’. As I prayed at the altar, I left the burden there and immediately felt at peace as I let God take it.

The world has been tough on so many of us this year. If we attempt to deal with it all by ourselves, we quickly are overcome with anxiety, fear or failure. We must remember we are assured that whatever burden we carry, our prayers will be heard, and even when we don’t know what to pray, that the Holy Spirit is pleading for us. (Romans 8:26)

Prayer: Loving Father, thank you for the peace you provide and the promise of eternal life through your Son. May each of us claim the peace in our salvation and respond with shouts of joy and heartfelt worship in our love for Jesus every day. Amen

~ Marty

Let the Peace of Christ Rule

2009-12-12T11:40:00.000-05:00

“And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body, you are all called to live in peace. And always be thankful.” - Colossians 3:15 NLT

The key word in this passage is “rule”. Let Christ’s peace be an empire or referee in your heart. Our heart is the center of conflict because there our feelings and desires clash – our fears and hopes, distrust and trust, jealousy and love. How can we deal with these constant conflicts and live as God wants? Paul tells us that we must decide between conflicting elements by using the rule of peace. Which choice will promote peace in our souls and the Body of Christ?
God’s peace is different than the world’s peace (“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” - John 14:27). True peace is not found in positive thinking, absence of conflict, or good feelings. It comes from knowing that our hope is secure, the victory has been won, and God is in control.

~ Gina

PEACE IN THE STORM

2009-12-11T11:40:00.000-05:00

“For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but my loving kindness will not be removed from you, and my covenant of peace will not be shaken,” says the Lord who has compassion on you.” - Isaiah 54:10

Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered.
The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled. As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd. A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the winner. The man who organized the contest uncovered the last painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace?
A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice. The crowd could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power. A little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil.

I rest beneath the Almighty's shade, My griefs expire, my troubles cease;
Thou, Lord, on whom my soul is stayed, Wilt keep me still in perfect peace. - Charles Wesley

~ Rev. Phill

Passing by Peace

2009-12-10T01:40:00.003-05:00

“Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” – 2 Corinthians 13:11

When I realized I would be writing a devotional thought on peace I quickly looked up the scripture text to refresh myself. That scared me – I have learned that when I pray for growth of the fruit in me – I’m gonna be seeing a lot of fertilizer! Little did I know that would be one of the last quiet moments of my week!

Now, my week started off like most – I had my weekly ministerial breakfast meeting, then went on to an eye doctor appointment. Mid-afternoon saw me dropping off some dry-cleaning and doing a quick stop at the grocery store for dinner before heading up to the college to attend one of my younger son’s concerts. Somewhere in that day I had several phone calls to try to respond to while trying to put the dishes from the night before into the dishwasher, and running another load of laundry. Okay, it’s only 11:00 Monday night; I have plenty of time to write a devotional on peace. Guess I should clean up the “gift” the cat has left behind, and while I’m at it, it will only take a moment to mop the rest of the kitchen floor. Oh my gossshhh, its 10 minutes to 1 and I’ve got to get some sleep! That’s okay, I’ll sit down tomorrow and get it done.

Fast-forward – and I do mean FAST- it’s Wednesday evening and I am sitting still - reading, and God is talking to me. He is teaching me what peace isn’t and what peace is.

What I learned is that peace isn’t the absence of conflict; it isn’t about calm circumstances, healthy children, or being alone with our selves. Real peace is much more. You may know someone who is constantly being pulled in 10 different directions – work, an ill parent, a rebellious teenager, and home responsibilities. And yet – there is a sense of peace about her person. You may know someone facing the shadow of death – and moving through the shadow with a calm, quiet strength.

You see the bumps and bruises and storms of life do not break God’s kind of peace. True peace is like a seed planted inside each of us, waiting to grow under the right conditions. And like all plant life – you can’t make it grow. You can prepare the soil – through the friendships you cultivate and the habits you create. You can feed and water the seed - through prayer and thoughtful use of our time, energy, and resources. But in order for the fruit to grow you must have God living in you – a part of Christ planted in us.

I also learned that when Christ is living in me it is living like Christ with Pat’s skin on. Over time – through the storms and shadows of life – I’ve learned to recognize the Holy Spirit working in me, through me, and making an impact in my life.

When our older son was born with multiple birth defects, I spent a number of years being angry and frustrated – at Matthew, at God, at myself. I would cry and yell at Matt for not doing the things I wanted him to be able to do. I would sit next to Matt’s hospital bed for weeks at a time praying that God would just make him “normal” and heal him. Then one day I surrendered my son and myself to God’s will and realized that Matthew was a part of our family and that every day I had with this child was a gift. I found peace knowing that God is with me always and I was able to move into the peace of the presence of God.

So what have I learned is peace? Peace transcends life. Peace is knowing that in joy and sorrow, confusion, conflict, or suffering Christ abides in me, Christ will never abandon me, and Christ has saved me. Peace is the gift God gave us when he sent His only son as a little baby. Peace is the Spirit of Jesus’ enduring presence in my life. Peace is the promise of God that we will be reunited with Him and with all those who love Him and follow Him.

In this season of busyness, surrender yourself to the peace God offers through a relationship with his son, Jesus – Prince of Peace.

~ Rev. Pat