The Bigot’s Creed

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

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

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

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

(Author Unknown)

Holy Man

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

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

What is the message of this story for you?

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

What do YOU see?

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

Ministry - Gonna Be The Death of Me!

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

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

Where do you think you fit in these numbers?

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

It's My Party!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Continue in Prayer

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

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

This is an example of scripture praying:

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

Prayer Needed

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

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

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

The Rose That Grows Within

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Future of a Small Church

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

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

“Bishop Hoshibata and members of the annual conference:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More here: gbgm-umc

Love is ... part 1

"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 ...

Playing my part

Simply wanted to share this with you ...

THE LITTLE GIRL AND THE PIANO

A little girl wanted to become a great pianist, but all she could play on the piano was the simple little tune, "Chopsticks." No matter how hard she tried, that was the best she could do. Her parents decided after some time to arrange for a great maestro to teach her to play properly. Of course, the little girl was delighted.

When the little girl and her parents arrived at the maestro's mansion for the first lesson, they were escorted by the butler into the parlour, where they saw a beautiful concert grand piano. Immediately, the little girl dashed over to the piano and began playing "Chopsticks." Her embarrassed parents started across the room to tell her to stop, but as she played, the maestro entered the room and encouraged the little girl to continue.

The maestro then took a seat on the piano bench next to the little girl, listening to her play. After a moment he began to play along with her, adding chords, runs, and arpeggios. The little girl continued to play "Chopsticks." The parents couldn't believe their ears. They were hearing a beautiful piano duet, played by their daughter and the maestro, and amazingly enough, the central theme of it was still "Chopsticks."

At times you may feel like you're a nobody, that you will never accomplish great things. But think of that little girl. All she could play was "Chopsticks." Nobody wanted to hear "Chopsticks." It was an embarrassment to her parents and annoying to everyone else. Yet the maestro encouraged her to keep on playing.

God knows what you can do. He created you with gifts and talents. Sure, compared to some people's abilities, your gifts and talents may seem like "Chopsticks"-- not very original and not very spectacular. But God says, "Keep on playing--and make some room on the piano bench for Me." God is able to take the little that we are able to do and turn it into something beautiful for Him.

Adapted from Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks by Wayne Rice, © 1994 Youth Specialties, Inc.

Praying you find your gifts and talents for God's glory.

Thinking. Praying.

"Prayer is not conquering God’s reluctance, but taking hold of God’s willingness.” —Phillips Brooks

******************************

Sometimes we approach prayer as if we were trying to wrestle a reluctant God to our way of thinking. Prayer, though, involves much more the process of wrestling with our own reluctance over God’s will and willingness. God has a plan and a will for his Kingdom to come on Earth as it is in Heaven, and prayer is the means of aligning our will to His.

What is God willing to do in and through your life that you have been reluctant toward?

How can you align your will with God’s willingness today?


******************************

"God can pick sense out of a confused prayer." ~Richard Sibbes

Struggling in my confused state of mind to find the words to lift up in prayer. Hear my heart - guide my words Holy Spirit!

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes* with sighs too deep for words. And God,* who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit* intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." ~ Romans 8:26-27

Faith ~ Fruit of the Spirit

I’ve spent a lot of time through the years praying for faithfulness. My faith has been tested, refined and strengthened, confirmed and uplifted in that time. And there are a few key points that I have learned along the way that help me identify faithfulness.

The first is: Faith is trusting God in all things and above all things. The big things as well as the little things that make our daily life what it is. You must first have faith that God created the universe and the world we live on, and then you must have faith that God wants to give you His greatest gifts – even when you are not sure what the gift is. I learned this best when I was first married. You see, my husband and I met on a blind date and knew each other for only six weeks before our wedding. It didn’t occur to me that I may have made a fast decision until we were living in L.A. a few weeks after our wedding – and the only person I knew was him! I was ready to go home to my family and familiar surroundings when I found a porcelain figurine in a Christian bookstore. It is a boy and girl with all of their belongings in a wagon and titled “We walk by faith.” For me it was a symbol that God had ordained our marriage.

The second point is: Faith is a choice. It is a gift we are given by God through the Holy Spirit. It is an exercise of the will to trust and believe in God’s promises. Each day we face choices that test our faith. Do we take that roll of tape home from the office? Should I tell the checkout girl she gave me too much change? Faithfulness is also tested through boring, routine, and humbling tasks. We must be prepared to be nobody, so that others can witness God’s purpose and glory. Sometimes the choice is harder. After the death of my brother, Mark, I came home from the funeral and dealing with the immediate needs of family and I fell into a deep abyss of depression and hate. My only way out was making the choice to trust God and believe in His promises. We are able to choose the eternal over the worldly because God gave us His Son Jesus, who died, was buried and is alive. He kept His promise. But it is our choice. And the choice to accept the gift is action done in obedience.

Third point: Faith is a verb. It is a way of living that can only be lived in action. Hebrews 11 is often referred to as the Biblical record of faith. By faith Abel offered his sacrifice to God. By faith Noah built an ark – he had never even seen rain! By faith the people of Israel walked through the Red Sea. Trusting in God. Believing His promises. Faith works. Faith loves. Faith forgives. Faith perseveres. These examples show some kind of movement in relationship with God. And when you have that relationship with God, faith that is alive becomes an action word. We are each able to grow in the direction God is calling us when we walk in faith and obedience. I have heard God’s call to preach His word to the people he brings me to. How in the world am I going to do this? I am not qualified, but I know that God qualifies those He calls and He has placed his faith in me. How can I fail!?!

Fourth point: Faith is lived out as a reflection of God’s character and grace abiding in us. In 2 Timothy 2:13 Paul writes “if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” When life is beating us and we feel separated from God we are reminded of God’s faithfulness to us. God’s faithfulness is infinite, incomparable, unfailing, everlasting and great. God shows us His faithfulness by keeping His covenant with those who follow Him and surrender to His will. God’s faithfulness is shown to us in the forgiveness of our sins. Isn’t it easy to love others and to be faithful when everyone around you is godly and faithful – and nice? But you can reflect God’s character in you by living out your faith and loving the unlovable. (You know - that cranky, bitter, nasty person in your life – and we all got one of them.)

Faith is trusting God. Faith is a choice. Faith is a verb, is action in relationship. Faith is God abiding in us and through us. God has given us many examples and He included the written directions on how to be faithful. He has also given us the grace and the strength to remain faithful. And through these examples, the written directions, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are able to remain faithful and keep the promises we have made as servants of God.

Keep the faith!

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith* our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible." ~ Hebrews 11:1-3

Busy! Busy! ... Busy?

Found these quotes that describe my life at the moment. Can you relate?

“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” - Socrates ... and ...

“He who is too busy doing good finds no time to be good.” - Rabindranath Tagore

Then I began to think that maybe that wasn't what I was about, but more about how important the work I have been doing is. Then, I came across these quotes.

“If you're a preacher, you talk for a living, so even if you don't make sense, you learn to make nonsense eloquently.” - Andrew Young ...and...

“Preaching is effective as long as the preacher expects something to happen-not because of the sermon, not even because of the preacher, but because of God.” - John E. Hines

Those started me thinking again. I began to ask myself a few questions. I had to ask, aren't I working all these hours so God can say something to the people He has called me to serve? Do I trust Him enough to listen to what he says to me? Is what I am called to do what my life is for? Do I need to find a balance between what I do - my work, and who I am - my life?

“Among the works of man, which human life is rightly employed in perfecting, the first in importance surely is man himself” - John Stuart Mill ...and...

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving." - Albert Einstein

In the midst of all the busy, I found my answers - to life, to purpose, to who I am. Praise God!

"He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.’" ~ Luke 10:27

This is the day ...

Have you ever noticed that every day you seem to encounter someone that has something to say about the weather? Maybe your spouse said to you this morning, "Looks like it's gonna be cold today." Or maybe a co-worker said, "Can you believe how hot it is out there?" Or how about your comment to the grocery store checkout clerk, "I am so tired of all this rain!"

I know that for most of us this is all idle chit-chat, designed to make conversation and connect us with the people and the world around us. But underlying the comments seems to be a hidden agenda. Hidden even from our own minds and hearts. There oftentimes seems to be a sense of discontent with the our present state of being, as if we awakened in the morning and something in our world wasn't ... quite ... right. How difficult we make things out to be when we forget to simply say thank you for THIS day!

We are reminded in scripture that God created the heavens and the earth , night and day, and said, "It is good." We are also reminded in scripture to offer up our prayers and praises unceasingly and in all circumstances. And we are reminded in scripture that God's love and mercies for us are unfailing and new every morning.

So, let's all think about each of our days and remember to thank God for this day which He has made. Rain, sun, cold, warmth - THIS is the day that the Lord has made and I will be glad in it!


"This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it." ~ Psalm 118:24

Me? faith? What you talkin' bout?

Recently I had a conversation with someone who said to me, "I wish I had your faith." I didn't know if I should laugh, cry, or continue to stand there with my mouth open and my jaw hanging to the ground! Me? faith? You have to be kidding? I mean, sure I recognize God in those moments when it really matters. Don't we all? But, do I have the kind of faith that matters, the kind of faith that can lead someone else to a life of fullness and hope? As I read the following piece, I realized that I have enough faith. Enough faith to offer someone else a glimpse of God's peace in the midst of today's concerns. Enough faith to share hope in a future with Christ. Enough faith to recognize that God is using me to light a step on someone else's path.

"Each of us has been given a measure of faith (faith the size of a mustard seed is sufficient), and now is the opportunity for us to commend the faith that is in us. In the words of the prayer attributed to St. Francis (Book of Common Prayer, p. 833), each of us in our small way can be an instrument of God's peace. "Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair hope; where there is darkness light; where there is sadness, joy..."

In effect, Jesus turns the disciples' request around on them. "Increase our faith," they ask, and he points out to them that they have enough already. In spite of their fears, anxieties, they have what is needed, and each of his hearers is encouraged to take their rightful place in the exercise of spiritual authority."

“The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ The Lord replied, ‘If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea”, and it would obey you.” – Luke 17: 5-6

Thinking:10 Commandments or 10,000?

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

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

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 gal
8. No tellin' tales or gossipin'
9. No tellin' tales or gossipin'
10. Don't be hankerin' for yer buddy's stuff

~~~~~~~~~
And then there is the following translation:
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
(Revised Plain English Translation)

Hey Moses! Listen up!! This is God. I have some important stuff to tell you, and I want you to relay it to all of your people:
First of all, I am the best God there is. So don't go looking for a better one. For reasons you wouldn't understand I won't show Myself to you to prove it. I am just telling you.
You better believe what I just said! If you don't, I will persecute you and all your descendants, even your innocent great-grandchildren. You heard what I did to Adam and Eve; so you know what I can do to the innocent, but stupid, people I have created.
Don't try to tell Me what to do or what not to do. That isn't the way it works. The way it works is that I tell you what to do. I'll do what I want to do no matter what you say or pray.
Sunday is My day, and you better not forget it! I would appreciate a little bowing and scraping on Sundays to honor My vanity, but don't do anything to disturb Me.
Well, that's all the really important stuff; but here are a few more things you should know:
Be respectful to your parents. I'm not saying you have to love them, but you better show respect. Later I'll send Someone to talk with you about love and how to treat your children and neighbors and enemies. For now you'll just have to do the best you can.
I don't want you to go around killing people willy-nilly. I've created some enemies that I may need your help to deal with (such as heretics, witches, homosexuals, abortionists, etc.), but I'll give you specific instructions concerning them when the time comes. Meantime, don't kill anyone unless I tell you to. Until then, let Me do it!
Don't fool around with another man's wife. His daughters and sisters and other females are okay as long as they're not married.
Stealing another man's property is also out! If you can grab it first, okay. But once he gets it, it's his. Stealing a woman's property? Let Me think about that some more.
Lying about your neighbor is also out. Other lies, if they serve My purposes, may be okay. But watch it!
Don't sit around leering at another man's wife, and don't go slobbering over anything else he has. I'm not really concerned about your wife making eyes at your neighbor's husband. Since I intend you to be the head of your family, I leave that up to you.
(Yes, this is a facetious parody, so don't get all upset at the posting.)
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I've seen them defined in this manner: "The Ten Commandments refers to a list of moral imperatives or standards from the Judeo-Christian tradition. They were written by God and given to Moses." And in this manner: "as the unattainable standard that does not describe who we are but rather who we should be."

But one of the questions that comes to my mind through all of these descriptions and explanations is, if we (humans) have such a difficult time with these 10, why have we made so many more "rules", "laws", commandments to follow? Although some people will say that these commandments are archaic and no longer relevant, these same people will oftentimes give a whole new set of rules for which others are expected to obey. If society as a whole, without regard to specific religious beliefs, have created a set of laws to help us coexist in harmony with each other, why are so many of us challenged by these relatively simple rules? I for one, think it is worth my time and effort to ask myself these questions and earnestly seek a truthful answer. For in that process I may be able to define who I am, who I want to be, and how I can make a contribution to the community for which I am a part.

How about you? Are you up for the effort?

Stinking Thinking

Tomorrow is trash pick-up day at our house and tonight is the night we spend some time cleaning out the fridge and gathering the scattered wastebaskets from around the house. Sometimes we have old smelly things that have been shoved into the back of a drawer or behind another container. We may have forgotten about that leftover and now it has turned into a smelly, moldy, unrecognizable mess.

Sometimes this also happens to our thoughts and affects our behavior towards ourselves and others. Have you ever found yourself spiraling into negative thoughts about yourself and/or others? Your day started all wrong - your alarm didn't go off at the right time, you were late getting out the door so you got stuck in traffic and were even later to your appointment. Then, while standing in line that woman in front of you kept asking a lot of questions, couldn't she just sit down and figure out the paperwork for herself? Finally you realize that she can't read and you are upset with yourself for acting like a fool so you mentally berate yourself until you are no longer upset with her, but are now upset with yourself. And the spiral of negative thinking has begun.

How do we stop this spiral of negative thinking? Oftentimes we don't even realize how our judgmental thinking is affecting our concept of God and of ourselves. God has given us the strength to live and grow in our relationship with him and has given us the strength to become more than what we are so we may become all of which we have been created to be. I have found that when I remember that we - this includes me! - are created in the image of God, I am able to accept my limitations and weaknesses so that God's strength can overcome my judgmental attitudes. I think this quote by Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh says it quite well - "You are carrying a masterpiece hidden within you, but you are standing in the way. Just move aside, then the masterpiece will be revealed. Everyone is a masterpiece, because God never gives birth to anything less than that. Drop the idea of becoming someone, because you are already a masterpiece. You have only to come to it, to know it, to realize it. God himself has created you; you cannot be improved."

Oops ~ looks like it's time to remove the trash. Don't let trashy thinking litter your mind and ruin your life!

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." ~ Genesis 1:27

No More Ms. Nice

I’ve often wondered if Peter was really asking, “If someone sins against me, seriously, how many times must I forgive? Maybe Peter was thinking –“Okay, other rabbis have taught that three times is enough to forgive, but Jesus, well, he’s always pushing us to do more, to be more, maybe seven times will please him.” Maybe Peter thought this would be showing extreme forgiveness. I mean, after all, how many times could you forgive a person, the same person, for a sin against you, perhaps the same sin? And how great a sin must we forgive? I think that Peter wanted to put a legal limit on forgiveness. He wanted a number where he could finally say, "That’s it! I’ve had it! I’ve done everything I was supposed to do - No more Mr. Nice Guy for me!"

Haven’t we all felt that way at some point? We all carry old baggage where we keep our hurts hidden away. We all have grudges that we lug around, sacks full of hurt and piles of pain that we just can't let go of. We all have that burden which prevents us from fulfilling our God given destiny.

For many years I carried the burden of an unforgiving spirit after the murder of my brother. Those years were filled with pain, hate, rage and fear. God took all of that hurt and pain and gave it meaning. He helped me overcome my unforgiving spirit through prayer and His faithfulness until ten years later when I was able to forgive one of the young men imprisoned for my brother’s murder. God gave meaning to my ordeal by allowing me to bring His message of love to others who are crime victims and those who have been incarcerated for their acts of violence. Now, each day I try to remember the forgiveness I have been given as I think of forgiving others.

“Then Peter came and said to him, ‘Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.” ~ Matthew 18:21-22 (NRSV)

Aiming for perfection

Writing for an upcoming Emmaus talk I found this quote: "You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." ~ Les Brown As I read it, I remembered another reading from Rob Bell in his book "Velvet Elvis". Rob said something like this: the truth of God can be found everywhere.

I recently had a birthday that some would think made me over-the-hill but I have realized that we are only as old as our dreams will allow us to be. God desires to have us sanctified, perfected and made holy. So, let's persevere, keep dreaming, and aim for the perfection God desires for each of us.

Sanctification: definition
# to make holy; specif.,

1. to set apart as holy; consecrate
2. to make free from sin; purify

# to make binding or inviolable by a religious sanction
# to make productive of spiritual blessing
# to make seem morally right or binding

"Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you." 2 Corinthians 13:11

www.lesbrown.com and www.robbell.com

Going back to God

“Every day people are straying away from the church and going back to God.” - Lenny Bruce

Today I had lunch with a friend and then enjoyed some time doing some shopping. As often happens, I ended up in one of those chain-based Christian book stores. As I wandered around the store I found some great bargains - boxes of cards on sale 90% off! Journals and devotionals - only $5! Gifts and knick-knacks for the house, church, or someone else - all on sale! Suddenly I found myself totally bored. And I wasn't sure why.

Maybe it's because I was looking to connect with God in the midst of "church" things. Maybe it's because I realized there was plenty of stuff that was diverting my attention away from God. Maybe it was because I just need to sit and be the person God created me to be. Or maybe, I realized that what I am looking for can not be found anywhere else but in the personal relationship with God and everything else does not measure up to that amazing gift.

Glory, glory to God!


"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments." - Exodus 20:2-6