Raining!

Weather is a great metaphor for life - sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad, and there's nothing much you can do about it but carry an umbrella.

~Terri Guillemets

Read more at Barefootpreachr.org

The River

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

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

Accusingly they shout, “Where are you going?”

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

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

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

It seems to me …

It seems to me that …

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

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

It's My Party!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Who Am I?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Lyrics by Casting Crowns)

Yes, Lord ... I am YOURS

The 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 Difference Between Men and Women

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

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

And then, there is silence in the car.

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

And Fred is thinking: Gosh. Six months.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Fred,” Martha says aloud.

“What?” says Fred, startled.

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


Find the 5 differences!

“What?” says Fred.

Cont'd @barefootpreachr.org

2011 Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Lobby Day

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

Simple Enough?

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

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

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

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

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

Christmas Card Challenge

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!

I'm Back!

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)

Carrots, Eggs & Coffee beans

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!

Love is ... part 2

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 ...

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

Twenty Truths to Remember

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 …

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!

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

A Blue Christmas

“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.

Simply Reflecting ...

Sometimes I come across stories that I've read, heard or shared in the past but are worth repeating. This is one of those.

THE MEANING OF LIFE

A story is told by Robert Fulghum, a Unitarian minister, about a seminar he once attended in Greece. On the last day of the conference, the discussion leader walked over to the bright light of an open window and looked out. Then he asked if there were any questions. Fulghum laughingly asked him what was the meaning of life. Everyone in attendance laughed and stirred to leave. However, the leader held up his hand to ask for silence and then responded "I will answer your question." He took his wallet out of his pocket and removed a small round mirror about the size of a quarter. Then he explained "When I was a small child during World War II, we were very poor and we lived in a remote village. One day on the road, I found the broken pieces of a mirror. A German motorcycle had been wrecked in that place. I tried to find all the pieces and put them together, but it was not possible, so I kept the largest piece. This one. And by scratching it on a stone, I made it round. I began to play with it as a toy and became fascinated by the fact that I could reflect light into dark places where the sun could never shine. It became a game for me to get light into the most inaccessible places that I could find. I kept the little mirror, and as I grew up, I would take it out at idle moments and continue the challenge of the game.

As I became a man, I grew to understand that this was not just a child's game, but a metaphor of what I could do with my life. I came to understand that I am not the light or the source of the light. But light - be it truth or understanding or knowledge - is there, and it will only shine in many dark places if I reflect it. I am a fragment of a mirror whose whole design and shape I do not know. Nevertheless, with what I have, I can reflect light into the dark places of this world - into the dark places of human hearts - and change some things in some people. Perhaps others seeing it happen will do likewise. This is what I am about. This is the meaning of my life." (1)

Do we reflect the light of Christ into the darkness of other people's lives? Will the world be a better place for our having been in it?

From It Was On Fire When I Lay Down On It, by Robert Fulghum. Ivy Books, 988.

Thinking. Praying.

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

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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?


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"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