Tuesday, March 25, 2025

bad things happen part 2

Yesterday's post reminded me of this story.

This is an old story, told in many versions, in many books about life and it's difficulties.

The story is about a little boy walking along the bank of a river. He sees a crocodile who is trapped in a net. The crocodile says, "Would you have pity on me and release me? I may look ugly, but it isn't my fault, you know. I was made this way. But whatever my external appearance, I have a mother's heart. I came this morning in search of food for my young ones and got caught in this trap!"

So the boy says, "Ah, if I were to help you out of that trap, you'd grab me and kill me."

The crocodile asks, "Do you think I would do that to my benefactor and liberator?"

So the boy is persuaded to take the net off and the crocodile grabs him.

As he is being forced between the jaws of the crocodile, he says, "So this is what I get for my good actions." And the crocodile says, "Well, don't take it personally, son, this is the way the world is, this is the law of life."

The boy disputes this, so the crocodile says, "Do you want to ask someone if it isn't so?"

The boy sees a bird sitting on a branch and says, "Bird, is what the crocodile says right?" The bird says, "The crocodile is right. Look at me. I was coming home one day with food for my fledglings. Imagine my horror to see a snake crawling up the tree, making straight for my nest. I was totally helpless. It kept devouring my young ones, one after the other. I kept screaming and shouting, but it was useless. The crocodile is right, this is the law of life, this is the way the world is."

"See," says the crocodile. But the boy says, "Let me ask someone else." So the crocodile says, "Well, all right, go ahead."

There was an old donkey passing by on the bank of the river. "Donkey," says the boy, "this is what the crocodile says. Is the crocodile right?"

The donkey says, "The crocodile is quite right. Look at me. I've worked and slaved for my master all my life and he barely gave me enough to eat. Now that I'm old and useless, he has turned me loose, and here I am wandering in the jungle, waiting for some wild beast to pounce on me and put an end to my life. The crocodile is right, this is the law of life, this is the way the world is."

"See," says the crocodile. "Let's go!"

The boy says, "Give me one more chance, one last chance. Let me ask one other being. Remember how good I was to you?" So the crocodile says, "All right, your last chance."

The boy sees a rabbit passing by, and he says, "Rabbit, is the crocodile right?"

The rabbit sits on his haunches and says to the crocodile, "Did you say that to that boy? The crocodile says, "Yes, I did." "Wait a minute," says the rabbit. "We've got to discuss this." "Yes," says the crocodile. But the rabbit says, "How can we discuss it when you've got that boy in your mouth? Release him; he's got to take part in the discussion, too." The crocodile says, "You're a clever one, you are. The moment I release him, he'll run away." The rabbit says, "I thought you had more sense than that. If he attempted to run away, one slash of your tail would kill him."

"Fair enough," says the crocodile, and he released the boy. The moment the boy is released, the rabbit says, "Run!" And the boy runs and escapes. Then the rabbit says to the boy, "Don't you enjoy crocodile flesh? Wouldn't the people in your village like a good meal? You didn't really release that crocodile; most of his body is still caught in that net. Why don't you go to the village and bring everybody and have a banquet."

That's exactly what the boy does. He goes to the village and calls all the men folk. They come with their axes and staves and spears and kill the crocodile. The boy's dog comes, too, and when the dog sees the rabbit, he gives chase, catches hold of the rabbit, and throttles him. The boy comes on the scene too late, and as he watches the rabbit die, he says, "The crocodile was right, this is the way the world is, this is the law of life."


There is no explanation you can give that would explain away all the sufferings and evil and torture and destruction and hunger in the world! You'll never explain it. You can try gamely with your formulas, religious and otherwise, but you'll never explain it. Because life is a mystery, which means your thinking mind cannot make sense out of it.

We want to resist a story like this because we prefer certainty over ambiguity. We want a God that makes sense instead of a God that we have to trust. We want a God that we can control instead of a God that is in control. We want circumstances to go our way. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don't. It is the way of the world. Trust God anyway.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.


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I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson. There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure

Monday, March 24, 2025

Murder

A murder took place in our front yard a couple of nights ago.  These are the before pictures:



I won't show you the after pictures.  But let's just say that you cannot lose that many feathers and that much plumage and still be amongst the living.

It's kind of sad, because we get used to the ducks being in the front yard.  My neighbor actually feeds them in his garage.  Well, he feeds one less than he used to.

Bobcat?  Coyote?  Fox?  We don't know. But if you come to visit, don't let your ducks or your small pets out of your sight.

The way of the world can be very brutal.  Sometimes bad things happen.  That is just how it is.  And yet with all of the struggle....

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

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I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson. There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure

Sunday, March 23, 2025

just this one scripture

Tomorrow I am speaking at the Ft. Pierce First United Methodist Church.  I guess if you are reading this on Sunday, then it is today.

The scripture for the day is from Mt 5.  If you are offering your gift at the altar and remember that you have something against your brother...  

well... stop... leave the altar.  First go and make amends with your brother.  Then go offer your gift.

What if this was the only scripture passage that we had???  What would the Christian faith look like???  Go make amends before you act out in religious ways...

That is some pretty important stuff.

For far too long, we have allowed the larger church, the denominations to shape the flavor of our faith.  It is time that we start looking at the amazing scriptures that we have and allowing them to speak into our daily lives.

What if the only passage of scripture that we have instructs us to work it out with our brothers and sisters before we act out in religious ways?  Fix it with your brother before you declare doctrine???

Love comes first.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

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I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson. There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure

Saturday, March 22, 2025

first world problem

First world, second world, third world. We are most acquainted with the notion of the "third world." What is the first and second world?

The first world designation refers to the United States and its allies, all highly modern, developed, free countries. The second world used to refer to our opponents in the cold war, the Soviet Union and its allies of communist countries, all trying to catch up to us in some way or another.

The third world was every other country after that. Little places around the globe where there was little development and massive human problems.

So what is a first world problem? A first world problem is anything that annoys us, that the rest of the world would either laugh at or not understand at all. here are some examples:

"I had to wait 15 minutes to get my Starbucks" first world problem [the rest of the world doesn't have Starbucks]

"gas is $3.40 per gallon" first world problem [the rest of the world pays $6/gallon]

"my daughters car has another problem!" first world problem [most daughters around the world, don't have cars]

"my flight was delayed" first world problem "most of the world will never fly on a plane"

"my mom died at 62" [my mom really did by the way] first world problem [the average life span in Mozambique is 42]

My air conditioning is out. first world problem. no explanation needed.

I bought a new TV this week.  A really big one.  I got it hung on the wall and the sound didn't work.  Umm... I have to work with Amazon to get it returned and to order a new one.  First world problem.

God is a global citizen. He stands with every human being, every human being, every human being. Isaiah 66:1 "Heaven is his throne, the earth is his footstool." Do we live as if every person in the world is our brother and sister? Isn't it easy to get caught up in our problems, that really are, in the long run, very trivial by world standards? When I remember this, I get a little bit less worked up when I get a flat tire on my car, or when my new TV doesn't work.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

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I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson. There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure

Friday, March 21, 2025

Patricia's habit

I have a lot of email and blog friends.  Patricia sent this to me the other day...

On the subject of praying, I have discovered a way to focus and give a brief prayer. My employer requires our work computer’s passwords to be 15 characters or more long. I pick a few words out of the Bible or a hymn, add numbers for the chapter and/or verse, and throw in a punctuation mark. When I type the password to begin a new workday, my heart sings!

I love that... what a great idea... imagine that your new password is Ephesians2.10!!!

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

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I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson. There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure

Thursday, March 20, 2025

From my friend Brian

From my morning devotional “Jesus’s instructions on loving one another applies not just to our friends but to us too. It’s tempting but wrongheaded to wield out-of-context lines from Scripture to bolster arguments. Better, in any relationship, is to jointly seek loving, God-honoring, rational accord.” The prayer at the end was “Lord, keep me from using-and thus abusing-Your words out of context to win arguments.” Patty Kirk, author & teacher. Couldn’t have said it better myself. In fact, I couldn’t have said it as well.


Comments from Jeff... 
It is one thing to  quote scripture in a theological debate.  It is quite another to use it in a discussion involving relationships.  To quote scripture to a spouse or a child to get them to change their behavior... well, I find it manipulative and inappropriate.  It smacks of top down, blaming and shaming in order to get things to go one's way.

Love does not treat people this way.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson. There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

A gift from her Dad

My friend Kathy shared this comic strip with me.  Her dad had given it to her over 30 years ago.  She has held it dearly.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson. There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Thank you

Sunday I mentioned again, again, that our Christianity can be measured by how we treat people in the service industry.

A friend shared this story with me a few years ago...

On my way to work this morning, I stopped by Starbucks for my fix. As always, my mind was on what I needed to do for the day and what I wanted to accomplish. Leaving my car, I encountered a city sanitation worker stabbing trash with a fork and bagging it up. I honestly don't know where my words came from...I usually go on about my business. But this time, I stopped and said..." thank you for your work, I really appreciate what you are doing."  I have no idea why I said that to a perfect stranger. I walked on down the sidewalk. Next, I heard.. "Hey.. come back here"  Turning around, the guy said to me..."Nobody ever said that to me before.. thanks".

Like I said.. I am usually about MY OWN business.  But at that moment, I felt like the day was worth living because maybe I made it better for someone.  But later on, I decided that the incident did much more for me than it did for the trash man.  Maybe I was about ANOTHER business and didn't even know it.  Maybe I had already accomplished what I was supposed to do for the day. Hmmmmm...

Who can you reach for and care about today?

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson.  There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure


Monday, March 17, 2025

St. Patrick's Day

So on St. Patrick's Day, everyone is Irish. I have actually done the Ancestry.com testing and I am about 10% Irish and about 20% Scottish.  Before my beard turned gray, it was red.

My friend Dave will not do Ancestry.com because he does not want his children to be identified via his genetic profile in the chance that they commit a crime.

Back to St. Patrick's Day. Today is the day when I always remember that famous Irishman who invented outdoor tables and chairs. Do you remember his name???




This is a hint...




The name of the Irishman who invented outdoor tables and chairs?    Paddy O Furniture.

And don't forget his brother in law, the bullet proof Irishman...

Rick O'Shay

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

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I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson. There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure

Sunday, March 16, 2025

Last time

Today is my last Sunday to speak at Blue Springs First UMC.  I gave three sermons in January and today is my third and last in March.

I have enjoyed so very much the opportunity to preach.  I thank Pastor Chris Able for the invite, Pastor Colin Brown for the referral and Pastor Aaron Brown for the positive encouragement.

It is interesting to talk with a group of people "for the last time."  What do you say when you want to leave with your best message?

Tomorrows message is...

  1. Wake up to life.
  2. Appreciate what is around you.
  3. Be grateful.
  4. Enjoy/celebrate.

My we all get better at those 4 things.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson.  There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure

Saturday, March 15, 2025

from my friend Bruce


this says it all...  kind of sums up my out look on life...

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I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson. There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure


Friday, March 14, 2025

3.14

My friend Joyce introduced me to Pi day March 14th... 3/14   3.14

So I guess that you can blame what comes next on her...




What do you call a snake that is 3.14159 feet long? A Pi-thon.

Why should you never start talking to pi at a party?

Because it just goes on forever.

What was Sir Isaac Newton’s favorite dessert? Apple pi.

What’s wrong with the equation 'pi r squared?'

Pi are round. Cake are square.

What did the students say about their Euclidean geometry test?

It was easy as pi.

What did pi say when someone asked if it could explain what Pi Day was again?

"I don't want to repeat myself."

Did you know? That 3.14% of sailors are Pi-rates? [my favorite]

What do you get when you divide a jack-o-lantern by its diameter?

Pumpkin pi.

How many bakers does it take to bake a pi? 3.14.

Why shouldn’t you eat too much pi?

You’ll end up with a big circumference.

What do you get when a bunch of sheep stand around in a circle?

Shepherd's pi.

What do you get when you take the sun and divide its circumference by its diameter?

Pi in the sky.

Why did pi fail its driving test? Because it didn’t know when to stop.

Happy Pi Day!!!


It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.


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I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson. There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure


Thursday, March 13, 2025

it can be hard to share the love

When your heart and mind is filled with doubt and guilt there is no room for love there.  When your heart was taught in a repressive upbringing that you are bad and sinful, if that is what you believe in your heart, then it is hard to share the love.

It is only when we come to believe deep down that God loves us, can we really move to love others.  Guilt begets suffering.  Only love begets love.

If you want to be a person that shares love, lose the guilt and the unworthy feelings and come to believe that God loves you.  You will be glad that you did, and so will everyone else that you come into contact with.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.


- - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson. There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

a great find

A pastor friend of mine, Jeff Posegate posted this on Facebook.  Handwritten by his mother, Marion Posegate on the front cover of her copy of her daily devotional book in 2018:  "We are how we treat others.  Nothing more."

I totally love that.  We are how we treat others.  Nothing more.  I am going to steal it and use it.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson. There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

follow up/correction

As a follow up from yesterday's post.  I got a note from a friend who offered a gracious correction or redirect from my post yesterday.

Yesterday I mentioned that one way to get out of the dumps was to think of those who love you.  My friend wrote in to remind me that "while thinking of friends and loved ones may help us get out of the dumps, there is a more important thing in play regarding them."

And that is that they are not there simply to help us feel good.  They are also there as the object of our love.  In fact, it is our purpose to love others.  We do not love others simply so we might feel better, we love others because that is why we are here on this earth.

But, let's agree, when we do love others and show care, it almost always makes us feel better.

"A new commandment I give unto you.  Love one another."  This is our life purpose.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson.  There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure

Monday, March 10, 2025

when you are in the dumps

I was having lunch with a friend last week.  A fantastic human.  We were talking about how easy it is to get "down" when your kids move out and move away.  We talked about how we need to actively work to keep a positive attitude.

I think that there are some basic things that we can do when we are feeling down.

First of all, recognize that you waking up this morning is a blessing.  Not everyone woke up today.  So be thankful for the gift of this day.  Second, to the extent that you can, be thankful that you are in mostly good health.  Health is a blessing that we should not take for granted.  Then think of your friends and the people that love you.  No one loves you, you say?  Well, I love you.  And if you need to talk, call me.  You matter to someone.  Think of those who love you.  Finally, look out at the amazing world that God has given us and be thankful.

When I take stock of the basic blessings that we get every day, it keeps me out of the dumps.  I hope 
that it will do the same for you as well.

1. Thankful for waking up
2. Thankful for health
3. Thankful for friends
4. Thankful for the gift of this amazing world.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson.  There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure

Sunday, March 9, 2025

wrong, continued

I posted on this a few days ago, but I keep thinking about it.  How do we know when we are wrong?  Do we even care?  I think that there are some people that will never admit that they are or were wrong.  Some refuse to even consider the possibility that they might be wrong.

But we are all wrong from time to time.  

I think keeping our mind open and listening to others is very important.  I try to make good decisions based on the information that I have, but I am keenly aware that I may be wrong.

I think that we are usually wrong when we hurt people.  I believe we are wrong when we express our opinions in hateful ways.

Are you, am I, willing to consider that we are wrong from time to time?  A humble heart is a good thing to bring to any discussion.  Communication without kind hearts is usually not helpful.  

Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

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I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson.  There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure

Saturday, March 8, 2025

thoughts on taking a stand

On February 24th, I made a post called "the kingdom comes first."  The post was about the importance in my opinion, of Pastor's keeping their political feelings out of the pulpit.   A friend encouraged me to share in on Facebook, which I did.  

The responses were overwhelmingly positive, but I did have a few folks ask me some questions.  A question that came up a couple of times was this... So when do you think we should take a stand against evil?

It's a great question, because there surely is a time.  Some of my pastor colleagues are chirping now as if Trump is opening gulags and building concentration camps.

50% of you, my readers are Republicans and 50% are Democrats.  I agreed with some of what Clinton did and I disagreed with some.  The same is true of Bush, Obama, Biden and Trump.  I think that it is pretty clear that Trump is going after some things in ways that previous presidents did not.  It is making some people nervous and I personally have mixed feelings about these things.

In my opinion, it is not time for me to get political.  It is not yet time to make a stink.   When the government under any president begins the persecution of Jews or any other minority, believe me, I will stand up.  When dissent begins to be smothered, when the media begins to be controlled, you will hear my voice.  In support of freedom, I will gladly be in the line for a bullet if that is what it comes to.  

But in my opinion, we are a long way from that.  Let's see what happens.  And in the mean time, as the great theologian John Sherley reminds me, let us love one another.  That is why we are here.  Love one another.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson.  There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure

Friday, March 7, 2025

give it some time

There is a story in Acts 5 where the Apostles were peaching in the town square. The Jewish leaders wanted to put them to death, but Gamaliel, a respected man said that they should give it some time.

Acts 5: 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. 35 Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. 37 After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. 38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”

I am going to make a comment on what is going on with the new administration. Like most of you, some of it I like, some of it I don't.  Some of it I want to be upset about.  A friend reminded me of the above story.  

So, I guess I will give it some time and wait and see. If it is a good thing, it will come to light. If it is a bad thing, well that will be evident as well.

Sometimes it is ok to withhold judgment until we see the end result.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson.  There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure

Thursday, March 6, 2025

I heard it for the first time

Luke 6: 32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

A week ago Sunday, Pastor Tim read this passage. I have, and you have, heard it 100 times. But this time, I heard something that I had not heard before. I mean, I heard it in the past, but it did not register. Sunday, it registered.

Do you see it in verse 35?  He is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.  WHAT???  I love it.  Kind to even the wicked.  

He doesn't just love the good ones.  His economy is not based on reward and punishment.  He even loves those who are bad, wicked people.

Now that is some love right there.  Maybe we followers, could learn to love even the wicked.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

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I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson.  There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Cinco de Marcho

Yesterday I was telling a friend that I found it odd that Ash Wednesday was also Cinco de Mayo.  They looked at me.  I didn't get it.  Finally they had to point out that Cinco de Mayo is in May.

OH.  Duh.

I was wrong.  I had to change my blog post for today.  Speaking of wrong, I hurt someone last week.  I didn't mean to, but I was only thinking about myself.  Worse actually, I wasn't thinking at all.  I was just reacting to something that was going on and I never thought about how others might be affected.

I apologized.  I think apologizing is good and important to keep healthy relationships.  But what I really wish is that I would have never made the mistake.  I wish that I would have never delivered the hurt.

I am sorry.  Think harder Jeff.  Well, let's try again tomorrow for tomorrow is another day, and it isn't Cinco de Mayo either.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.


- - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson. There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure

Tuesday, March 4, 2025

Don't miss the parade

Just so you won't be disappointed...

Please take time to watch the parade today. Many people have gone to great lengths to prepare for this special event.  Your boss will let you off work for it.  Just ask them.


What parade you say?

Today is the day when all of the bands from the local high schools line up downtown and march fourth.

[this was my grandmother's joke, passed on to my mother, then to me and now to you.]

Unfortunately, there are those of you that see this coming every year. Some consider it one of my "signature" jokes. A few would be disappointed if it did not show up on schedule.

If you are catching this little joke for the first time, I hope it makes you smile. Or at least grimace. Grimace. Get it???



It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.


- - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson. There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure

Monday, March 3, 2025

going on a trip

A couple of my friends were going on a trip out of the country.  

Stop right there.  Do we realize how fortunate that we are to be able to travel?  To go from state to state and most countries freely?  Do we realize how fortunate we are to be able to afford such trips?  We should be thankful for that, whether it is a trip to Italy or a trip to Panama City.  Travel is a blessing.

Now my friends were worried about what to take and what not to take.  What if they forgot something?  Then one of them realized... there is nothing to worry about.  If we need something, we can borrow it from another traveler, or we could just buy the thing that we forgot.

Now there is something to be thankful for.  Friends that will loan you what you forgot.  Friends to travel with.  And the ability to buy that thing that you forgot.  

My gosh we are so blessed.  

Dear Lord may we all appreciate how blessed we are.  May it make us gracious, kind, humble and generous.  Amen.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

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I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson.  There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure

Sunday, March 2, 2025

too much Paul

It is my opinion that the church has built too much of it's doctrine on Paul and not enough on Jesus.  Paul gives crisp statements that are easy to turn into formulas.  Jesus taught basic principles that challenge us to the core.  There is a huge difference.

From Paul, some denominations created "the four spiritual laws." The church used these words to create a formula by which people can be "saved."   Some of their spiritual laws include...
  • all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
  • the wages of sin is death
  • while we were still sinners, Christ died for us

The problem in my mind with this approach to Christianity is that it has oversimplified the faith and it has elevated belief over a life of following.  It has also made those who follow this type of Christianity into militant, arrogant colonialists instead of people of love.

I wonder what the four spiritual laws according to Jesus might be???
  • do unto others as you would have them do unto you
  • turn the other cheek
  • love one another as I have loved you
  • love your neighbor as yourself

How might the world be different, how might our lives be different, if we lived by Jesus' laws instead of the words of Paul.

If the church can learn to live by the principles of Jesus, people may actually want to return to be a part of the church.

We can't control the church or the theologians, but we can control ourselves.

Love one another.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

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I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson.  There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure

Saturday, March 1, 2025

put the phone away

I texted my friend in the morning about an appointment that we had next week.

I didn’t hear from him all day.  Finally late in the afternoon I called him.  He answered the phone.  I asked him.  "Are you mad at me?"

I was kidding. I knew that he wasn’t mad at me, but I’m thinking "but, you didn’t answer my text."

I asked him, I said,  "I text you this morning. Haven’t heard anything back. Are you mad at me?"
 
He said, "no I’m sorry I haven’t been paying attention to my phone."

STOP!!!  WHAT???  Not paying attention to your phone?

I absolutely love that!  I haven’t been paying attention to my phone. How much more joyful our lives would be if we paid less attention to our phones.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

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I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson.  There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure

Friday, February 28, 2025

very well

I have posted this before, but I feel the need to share it again.  Here is a story from Anthony DeMello that I love.  It is a story that challenges me to release my worries...  It reminds us that those who have hurt us really have no power to do so.  In the face of unfairness, we can still come out whole.

VERY WELL, VERY WELL

A village girl became an unwed mother and, after several beatings, revealed to her parents who the
father was: the Zen Master living on the outskirts of the village.

The town was in an uproar.  The villagers trooped into the Master’s house, and rudely disturbed his meditation,
they denounced him as a hypocrite and told him that he must take the baby.  All the Master said was,
“Very well. Very well. ”

He picked the baby up and made arrangements with the woman next door to look after
it at his expense.

His name, of course, was ruined, and his disciples all abandoned him.

When this had gone on for a year, the girl could bear it no longer and confessed that
she had lied. The real father was the boy next door.

The villagers felt terrible.  They had made a mistake.  The went back to the Master's compound.  They bowed profoundly to the Master to beg his pardon and asked to take the
baby back. And all the Master said as he handed back the child was, “Very well. Very
well. ”

What is going on in your life?
What is going on in my life?
Who is mistreating you?
Very well. Very well.

Nothing can hurt you unless you allow it.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

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I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson.  There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure

Thursday, February 27, 2025

move along to what is important


In the first Star Wars movie, the Empire is looking for Luke Skywalker and his droids [robots.]  In a scene that I have always found interesting, Obi-one-kenobi, Skywalker and the droids roll up to a checkpoint.

Keobi waves his hand and uses "the force" to speak into the minds of the storm troopers.  He says, "these are not the droids that you are looking for."  Kenobi then says, "move along."  The trooper repeats the words and the moment of concern is avoided.

you can watch the 23 second clip here

Sometimes in life, we are focused on the wrong things.  We get stuck on something that is not helpful.  Sometimes we need to be told, this is not what you should be looking for.  Move along.

Don't get stuck.  Move along to what is important.  Move along to what is healthy.  

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

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I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson.  There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Dublin Hospital

I just remembered this story from our trip to Ireland in October.  You may remember that on one day, we had some really still winds blow several of our friends off of their feet.  We took one of our members to the doctor and then to the hospital.

The Dublin hospital was so so very crowded.   Some people had been waiting for 4-5 hours and had not yet been seen.  We were waiting patiently with our injured friend.  You know when you are waiting to see the doctor, it is easy to be impatient.  We had sat for several hours and had not yet been taken back to see the doc.

Suddenly a man comes into the waiting area from outside, pushing a woman in a wheelchair.  She is screaming in pain.  It was shocking.  It was unnerving.  SCREAMING!!!  They took her right back to see the doc.

Even though we had waited for hours, it did not bother us that they took this other human, obviously in deep pain, back before us.

In fact, there was this feeling as well... it could be worse.  It can always be worse.  The next time something isn't going your way, you might, I often do, find comfort in remembering that it could be worse.  It could be much worse.

And when I think about how bad it might be, I realize that today maybe isn't as bad as I was thinking.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

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I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson.  There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure

Tuesday, February 25, 2025

name on the wall

I have never been one who sought attention.  [unless telling jokes is a way of getting attention]  I never wanted to tell people that I was a pastor.  Or when I was the pastor of that big church, I never wanted to tell people that I was the pastor there.

Over the years I have been in churches that had large pictures of their pastors and former pastors on the wall in the foyer.  I always thought that was creepy and odd.

I was never a fan of putting plaques with peoples names on things that they donated.  That is why at Woods Chapel, you will be hard pressed to find any plaques.  I always thought that people should give because they wanted to do so, not because they were going to get recognition.

So, in the back of the sanctuary at Ft. Pierce First United Methodist Church, there is a plaque with the names of every pastor that ever served.  I was the interim there in 2017.  They added my name to the list a year or so ago.

I have to tell you, for as much as I recoil from the attention, it made me feel good.  I am proud to have served and glad to have my name on the wall.  I guess we all enjoy a bit of recognition and appreciation.






Right or wrong, it made me feel happy.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

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I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson.  There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure

Monday, February 24, 2025

The Kingdom comes first

I was active in the United Methodist ministry for 30 years.  During that time, I voted in every national election.  Sometimes the people that I voted for won, and sometimes they lost.  I still had to pastor the church.

Most people had no idea of my political preferences.  Why?  Because the kingdom comes first.  Jesus probably did not like the Romans, but he did not come out against them.  He had a higher calling.  He had to teach everyone about love.  Also, had he come out against the Romans, he would have lost the ability to minister to them.

The kingdom comes first.  I know that you have your political feelings.  Fine.  But do not divide your church over your opinions.  Half of the people in your congregation voted for the other guy.  Do you want to ruin your relationship with 50% of your congregation?  Do you want to drive away half of your people?  Do you want everyone to feel that the church is off mission?

The kingdom comes first.  Love one another.  Republican or Democrat, love them.  Welcome them, care for them all the same.  We are all in this together, unless some well meaning pastors choose to draw lines that Jesus never did.

The kingdom comes first.  It comes before anyone's political feelings.  We are here to love.  May we never forget that.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

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I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson.  There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure