Tambourine

Sunday morning I woke up with a smile on my face.  Maybe it was the 9 hours of sleep.  Maybe it was something else, I don't know.  But it was great to wake up happy.

At church that morning I walked past a tambourine that was sitting on a chair.  I thought about the noise that a tambourine makes.  Its a happy sound.

When was the last time that you shook a tambourine?  For me, it's been a long time.  Maybe it is time to pick one up and just celebrate the good.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
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I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Holy Land Trip leaving January 20, 2020 $2998 from New York
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/HL20A-2.pdf

division

A friend asked me to say a few words about division.

Many Methodist leaders are thinking about and talking about division.  Actually we have been two churches for quite some time and have only been pretending to be one.

While different ideas can be good, polarization is usually not good.  Sometimes division is needed.  Sometimes the internal fighting takes up so much time that the organization or the marriage is off mission.

Maybe it is time for division.  Maybe if we separated, each church could get back to loving God and loving people.  And that is after all, why we are here on this earth.

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

I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Holy Land Trip leaving January 20, 2020 $2998 from New York
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/HL20A-2.pdf

Russian Interference

I don't know if this has anything to do with seeing the good, but I have been thinking about it and I wanted to write a bit about the Russian interference in the past election.  In some ways, I am writing about what is reported on the news.  What the news people choose to talk to us about.  The information that we are fed.  Is it news or not?  Is someone fabricating a story for some reason?

For example, whatever we hear on the news tomorrow, I doubt that it will be about Russia annexing Crimea, Russia building a bridge from their mainland to Crimea or the Russian war in the Ukraine.  Why don't we hear about these things?  I don't know.

But we hear over and over about Russian interference in the elections.  In my opinion, this is not news.  This is to be expected.  How many elections have we {the USA} interfered with?  Giving money and support to the candidate that we wanted to win.  Supporting the Contras in Nicaragua.  Installing our own presidential choice in Vietnam.  Toppling Saddam Hussein.  Fighting against one side or the other in Libya, Syria, Panama, Grenada and who knows where else.

Hoping for a leader that is more favorable to your side is nothing new.  We have done it forever.  Heck, if the French had not intervened in our revolution, we might still be a part of England.

Russian interference is not news.  I don't know why we keep hearing about it.  Nations enlist spies and use all sorts of technology to work things to their favor.  That is just how the world works.

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

I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Holy Land Trip leaving January 20, 2020 $2998 from New York
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/HL20A-2.pdf

something happy

A friend suggested that I post something happy.  Evidently I went a few weeks with some posts that were downers.

So here I am writing for the day.  The topic?  Something happy.  Don't worry, be happy.  What do I have to be happy about?

I have lots of friends who love me.  Most of them don't live so close, but I have lots of friends that love me.

I am in relatively good health.  I need to get back on a diet and do some exercise but I am in relatively good health.

I have the joy of being in God's work.  I don't mean church work, I mean God's work.  That is simply loving every person that we meet in a day.  We are all in God's work.

I have a wife and children that love me.

I have a terrible sense of humor that I just love.

I have had many fulfilling moments in this life.

I have much to be happy about.  How about you?

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

I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Holy Land Trip leaving January 20, 2020 $2998 from New York
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/HL20A-2.pdf

Only one God

There is only one God and he/she/it is bigger than the God in your/my/their brain.

Christians call God, God.  Muslims call God, Allah [from the Hebrew Elohim].  Jews call God, Yahweh.  Still just one God.

My daughter Jennifer is called Jennifer, Jenny, Jen, Ben, Benny and Benjaminaopalina.  She is still just one person.

I may not agree with everything that the Jews or Muslims believe about God, but there is still just one God.
For that matter I do not believe everything that Baptists or Assembly of God or even Methodist people believe about God, but there is still one God.

Let's stop excluding others based on our preconceived pictures of God.  God is bigger than our pictures of him.

And there is still only one God.

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

I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Holy Land Trip leaving January 20, 2020 $2998 from New York
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/HL20A-2.pdf

Let's see what comes of it

From my friend Pat...

I saw a blurb about an event in the West Virginia Legislature where some folks were labeling all Muslems terrorists and advocating their eradication. I couldn’t help but think of Gamaliel. You remember him, famous guy in the Book of Acts. No, well, he probably demonstrated more political savvy than most folks in the Bible, save the Good Lord.

Gamaliel was a religious expert who had access to the high counsel. After Pentecost, when the disciples were teaching in Jerusalem, they were arrested, several times, and brought before the religious high counsel. Most of the leaders were really angry as the disciples had repeatedly ignored their instructions to stop preaching and wanted to execute Peter and the gang.

But Gamaliel, deferred a hot headed decision and advised that the leadership withdraw for a private discussion about what should be done. After tempers cooled, he gave the religious leadership a no loose proposition. Leave the disciples alone. If they’re wrong about their claims, history shows that their followers will drift away and their movement will collapse. But if they’re right, you, religious leaders of Jerusalem will be fighting against God's purpose. Who wants to be on the wrong side of that fight? He made it an easy choice.

Better decisions usually come after cool reflection, rather than in the heat of the moment. And maybe, we’re all still in the heat of the moment after 9/11.

If God Chose Islam to reach some people, do you really want to be fighting God?

And if He didn’t, he still made those folks in His image too.
I expect that God will be real interested in how we treat them even if they’re wrong.

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

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- - - - - - - -

I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Holy Land Trip leaving January 20, 2020 $2998 from New York
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/HL20A-2.pdf

choices about pain

My friend Donna sent this in...

Healing power would be a wonderful gift to have. Jesus healed many people, but does He heal everyone? We tend to seek physical healing from our ailments, and one time, years ago (I was about 32 at the time), I decided to trust and pray for physical healing from the rheumatoid arthritis that was causing excruciating pain and rapidly destroying my joint mobility. I stopped taking the medicine that was only marginally helping at the time and only prayed. My experiment only lasted a few weeks and left me both physically and emotionally devastated. Nothing changed for the better and I could no longer tolerate the physical pain.
But....
The Lord did not leave me there to suffer. The joint replacements began at age 35, first both knees, two years later both shoulders and both elbows. Another two years and my left hip was replaced, followed by my right ankle two years after that. Some time later my neck needed fusing to stop nerve damage that was threatening, and after that my right knee needed to be re-replaced. Plus, the medication I had been taking for several years suddenly began to give me painful stomach ulcers, which meant I had to stop that treatment and find another solution.
But....
This period of physical downtime gradually gave me the awareness of the greater healing God longed for me to receive, and the result was life changing. During those years of surgery and therapy and recovery with its medical limitations, I began to see that while I may not have control over RA and the control it was having on my body, I did have the powerful option of choosing how I was going to live my life in spite of it. Someone once said, “pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.” Read that again, slowly. “pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.”  I had lots of downtime to inspect my attitude and used this time for meditating with my Father, receiving His Word, guidance, and strength.
And I was Blessed....
One of my favorite volunteer “jobs” was visiting patients in the hospital who were having joint replacement surgery. It made me feel good to be their supporter and experienced (bionic) encourager. I certainly would never have chosen to go through all that I have, but I feel so blessed because God has used my trials to help others. He could have physically healed me, but He chose me for something more. What a wonderful, merciful, gracious God we have. Does God heal everyone? I tend to believe that He does if/when we allow Him to show us His greater plan. So much in this life is painful and beyond our doing anything about.
But....
God has made sure to give us the powerful option of choice.

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

I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Holy Land Trip leaving January 20, 2020 $2998 from New York
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/HL20A-2.pdf

forgiveness

So I have been listening lately to the Tim Mcgraw song, Live like you were dying.  I have posted about this song before, but I have to come back to it.

The idea is that if we thought we were dying, we might live a little differently.  The line that has struck me lately from the song is this.... "and I gave the forgiveness I'd been denying."

It stops me in my tracks.  Is there someone to whom I have been denying forgiveness?  I think that is terrible, and yet I can think of a few people that I am yet to fully forgive.

In the song, he was facing death, and he gave the forgiveness that he'd been denying.
Let's not wait until we are facing death.
Let's stop denying forgiveness.
Give and it shall be given to you.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - -

I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Holy Land Trip leaving January 20, 2020 $2998 from New York
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/HL20A-2.pdf

There is a resurrection

Pastor George speaking at the
Sunrise Service

Yesterday at the sunrise service, I noticed a woman whose son is very ill and has been in the hospital for a long time.  I noticed a woman who has been a widow for a number of years.  I thought of others that have lost a loved one.

I did not preach yesterday, but during the service I had a thought.

I wanted to stand up and say something to each of them personally, and to each of you personally who have lost a loved one.  To those of you who still think of loved ones and miss them....

I wanted to call out your names.  I wanted to stand up tall and say to all, "there is a resurrection."
THERE IS A RESURRECTION!

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

I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Holy Land Trip leaving January 20, 2020 $2998 from New York
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/HL20A-2.pdf

Happy Easter

Happy Easter Morning...

Easter morning has changed a lot for me over the years.  When I was young it was about waking up to an Easter basket full of candy and such.  We went to church somewhere, every year on Easter.  It was a given.  I remember singing "There is a Green Hill far far away outside the city walls, where our dear Lord was crucified who died to save us all."  That was in St. Louis at Concordia Lutheran Church.  I was a child.

When I became a man I started preaching.  For 30 years I led services during Holy Week and Easter.  I did the best that I could to make those services meaningful.  I had one friend who used to come up on Easter Sunday morning and tell me, "my mom is here, this better be good."  Ha ha I love it.

I will never forget the singing of Lisa Boehm, Jennifer Kohl and Wendy Minshall and others.  The messages of their songs touched my heart.

Now I am getting older.  62 in a few months.  No preaching this year on Easter. 
So tomorrow is Easter, what do I have to say?

First of all, I hope that you wake up to tomorrow.  I hope that I do as well.  Every day that we wake up is a blessing, a miracle.  May you wake up tomorrow and know how much God loves you.  If Easter means anything it means that we are loved by God.  God so loved the world that he sent his son.

Feel the love.

Happy Easter.

wounded healers

Henri Nouwen wrote a book called The Wounded Healer.
Rev. Steve Johnson, father of my friend John had us read this book when he was in charge of the Methodist Summer camps.  I was a young camp director at the time.  Steve was a good mentor to all of us.

The book is about the fact that no one is perfect.  No one has it all together.  No one should ever be put up on a pedestal.  When someone looks too perfect, run away.  When someone acts like they have no faults, run away.  When someone seems perfect, it is fake.

We are all broken.  We are all wounded and that is good.  Who would you best want to seek out in a time of need?  If you are facing divorce, wouldn't you rather talk to someone who has been through it before?  If you are facing cancer, don't you wish to talk with someone who has been down that road themselves?

All of us are broken.  We can still help each other.  We can comfort each other with the comfort that we ourselves have received.  Don't expect your pastors to be perfect.  In fact, help them land in the realm of reality.  We are all wounded.  We can still be healers.  No more pretending... let's just help one another.

Don't be afraid to reach out to those who hurt.  Yes you are not perfect, but you are probably just what someone else needs.

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

I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Holy Land Trip leaving January 20, 2020 $2998 from New York
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/HL20A-2.pdf

Joyful Jeff

A friend mentioned that I have not seemed so joyful lately.
They may be right.
I have some things on my mind.  Loneliness is my unwelcome, sometimes companion.  It has a friend that it brings along named sadness.
For whatever reason, sometimes these characters show up and I have to fight with them.

May you and I always remember that joy is more than a feeling.  Joy is a choice.  Joy is recognizing that you feel sad or lonely, and working hard to see the good in spite of those feelings.

And it is still a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - -

I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Holy Land Trip leaving January 20, 2020 $2998 from New York
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/HL20A-2.pdf

A River Runs Through it

The movie A River Runs Through It came out in 1992.  It was a favorite of my friend Dan Horn [Lions Den Man]

The movie is about a preacher [Tom Skerritt], his wife and two sons.  One son is perfect, the other just seems to find all kinds of trouble.  At the end of the movie, the preacher gives a sermon about trying to help those whom we love.  Here is part of what he says...

 "Each one of us here today will, at one time in our lives... look upon a loved one who is in need and ask the same question. "We are willing to help, Lord... but what, if anything, is needed?" It is true we can seldom help those closest to us. Either we don't know what part of ourselves to give... or more often than not, the part we have to give... is not wanted. And so it is those we live with and should know who elude us... but we can still love them. We can love completely... without complete understanding." 

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - -

I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Holy Land Trip leaving January 20, 2020 $2998 from New York
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/HL20A-2.pdf

disappointment

Someone let me down.  I was angry.  I was hurt.  I stewed in it.  I brooded over it.

Finally a friend reminded me that the real problem was not what the other person did, the real problem is that my expectations are probably too high for them.

There are some people that we simply need to lower our expectations for.  We can't change them, and we sure don't want to carry around the frustrations all the time.

Sometimes it may be best to lower expectations, release ourselves from the anger and free ourselves to love them.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - -

I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Holy Land Trip leaving January 20, 2020 $2998 from New York
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/HL20A-2.pdf

My Sister

From my friend Pat...

When I was 12, in San Antonio, the pop radio stations played a game called “Name it and Claim it”. They’d play a song and the first person to get through to the station switchboard and correctly name the song was awarded a copy of the song. This was a big deal. Records, 45s were $.50 a piece, a lot of money in 1966.

My friends and I would hang out by the phone, with the radio on, having dialed the first 6 numbers of the station telephone number, and having the 7th one pulled back on the rotary phone(look it up if your under 40), just waiting for the clue from the station. But we never won because we could never get through to the switchboard.

Until one day, when the vocal version of Cast Your Fate to the Wind came on(another thing to look up if your under 40). I swiftly let the last number go on the phone and Shazamm! I got through to the station.

Now at that moment, my older sister was standing nearby. She announced that I really didn’t want to win the vocal version of that song, the instrumental one was the only good one, and promptly pressed the disconnect buttons on the phone(if you’re under 40 you’ll have to look that up too). After the first ring at the station, I was disconnected. Gosh I hated her at that minute.

Now my older sister has grown to become almost as perfect as my mom was, and my mom was a role model for Mary, the mother of Jesus. In retrospect, my sister wasn’t much more than a kid herself, maybe a Jr or Sr. in high school. And all kids do goofy, mindless things(sometimes they keep doing them right into adulthood) But I still remember that moment when months of trying to win a record went down the drain to her perfunctory announcement about what I wanted. I’m sure she doesn’t remember this incident in the summer of ’66, but I do.

Small things can stay with us for a long time. Be careful with your words and deeds. Over the years, I have grown to love and really respect my sister. We talk and visit regularly. But I don’t call radio stations when she is nearby anymore.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - -

I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Holy Land Trip leaving January 20, 2020 $2998 from New York
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/HL20A-2.pdf

Sore

 Sore

I helped my friend rebuild a deck.  I worked for most of a week on it.  I am so sore.  I am way too old for this kind of work.

And I am still dirty.  I have showered repeatedly, but I still feel grimy.   Sweat, sawdust, sweat and sawdust with sunburn on top.  It takes a while to get it all scrubbed off.  I am so sore.  Did I say that?

But it feels good to work.  It feels good to accomplish something.  And it feels good to do the work
with a friend.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - -

I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Holy Land Trip leaving January 20, 2020 $2998 from New York
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/HL20A-2.pdf

I'm sorry

I’m sorry

I had to apologize the other day.  I let someone down.  I wasn’t paying attention.  I was only thinking about myself.  I let them down.  I am sorry.  I apologized to them.  I don’t ever want to let anyone down.

Apologizing is a good thing.  There should be more of it in this world, but better yet, next time maybe I will get it right and there will be no reason to apologize. 

Until then, I am sorry.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - -

I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Holy Land Trip leaving January 20, 2020 $2998 from New York
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/HL20A-2.pdf

a quote

My friend Brian sent in a John Pavlovitz quote...

“at the end of our time here, the world will either be more or less kind, more or less compassionate, more or less generous, more or less funny, more or less creative and loving because of your presence in it-and you alone get to choose”.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - -

I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Holy Land Trip leaving January 20, 2020 $2998 from New York
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/HL20A-2.pdf

selfishness

Someone once said, selfishness is not me doing what I want to do, it is me expecting you to do what I want you to do.  Who in this world am I putting expectations on for their behavior?  The only person that we can control in this life is our selves.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - -

I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Holy Land Trip leaving January 20, 2020 $2998 from New York
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/HL20A-2.pdf

approval

Approval

If we are going to hell for bad choices, then every one of us is going there. No one will be in heaven.

Anthony de Mello talks about the drug of approval--  A six year old girl walks into the room in a pink dress and we praise her. She is beautiful. We fill her with acceptance and joy! She feels the high of the drug of approval.   Later she walks in to the same room, wearing a brown dress. We look at her and question her. Where is your pink dress? Brown? Go change. And her heart is crushed because we did not approve of her.

Most of us have lived our lives dancing with an addiction to the drug of approval. Our parents, our pastors and our teachers taught us to be good in order to be loved. Don’t be bad. Don’t miss that grounder. Don’t make decisions that I don’t understand. Live up to my expectations.

IT IS TIME FOR US TO GO TO REHAB.

We don’t need approval, we are approved. We are loved. God loves you. In spite of your brokenness. In spite of your funny looks. In spite of yours bad choices. In spite of you breaking the rules. He loves you and he approves of you.

Stop trying to make everyone else happy. Stop feeling like you are somehow not good enough. Is this how you want your children to feel?

You are loved. You are approved. Don’t pick up the drug again.
It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - -

I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Holy Land Trip leaving January 20, 2020 $2998 from New York
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/HL20A-2.pdf

nothing you can do

Birth Certificate

Last Sunday in church Pastor Tim was talking about how much God loves you. He talked about his children and how much he loved them. He said, there is nothing that they could ever do that would cause him to want to erase his name from their birth certificates.

Isn’t that how you feel about your children? They have made mistakes sure, but would you ever disown them? Would you ever remove your name from their birth certificates?

And so it is with our Father. We make mistakes but we are loved. There is nothing that we could ever do that would cause God to remove his name from our birth certificates.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - -

I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Holy Land Trip leaving January 20, 2020 $2998 from New York
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/HL20A-2.pdf

street preacher

In response to Sunday's post, my friend Pat wrote in...

My wife and I walked home across the Plaza last night from dinner in Westport. There was a fellow with a similar shirt, standing on a small box with a portable megaphone and a bible shouting at the world going by about sinners, and salvation and Jesus. Mostly everyone who had to stop at the light was anxious for the light to change so they could get away from the din. Sort of like being stopped at a light next to a car with loud music going.

Shouting salvation never saved anyone, nor did it draw anyone near. The quiet voices draw our attention. And our actions do the most convincing.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - -

I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Holy Land Trip leaving January 20, 2020 $2998 from New York
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/HL20A-2.pdf

Don't worry

Movies take us on an emotional journey.  The opening scene draws you in.  Then the drama unfolds and there is suspense, intrigue and wonder.  The hero or heroine often finds difficulty.  It is a nervous time.  What will  happen to the hero or heroine?  Usually, the movie resolves itself with the good guys winning.

So I have noticed that many times in the midst of the angst of a movie, I will start to worry about what is going to happen.  Is Rambo going to be able to get out of jail?  Will the kidnapped people be able to escape?  Will Private Ryan be saved?

Even though I have seen some of these movies over and over, during the crescendo, I am commonly nervous and worried.  But recently I am stopping my brain in these moments and reminding myself of the ending, or reminding myself that the good guys are going to win.

Stop yourself when you are worried in a movie and realize that the child is going to be saved and the war will be won.  The plane will land safely and everyone will get off the bus before it blows up.

Same is true now for real life.  We worry when we are in the midst of a trial or struggle.  We have forgotten that the story of our life has already been told.  No matter what happens along the way, we will arrive safely to our heavenly home.  In the midst of the difficulty, concern, or angst, remind yourself that it is all ok in the end.

God is with us, always.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - - -
I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Holy Land Trip leaving January 20, 2020  $2998 from New York

http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/HL20A-2.pdf

Annoying

My friend Joe sent in this comic.  It is funny and it is sad, and it can be very true.

Sometimes we Christians can be so annoying that we drive away the very people that we are trying to win.  People out there don't need to be hounded or disturbed by arrogant Christians.  People out there need normal relevant people to love them.

We need to be ready to share our faith, but we need permission.  We can't just expect to push our way into someone's spiritual life.  Our first move should never be with our mouth, trying to convince someone.  Our first move should always be with our hearts, trying to love someone.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com




- - - - - - - - -
I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Holy Land Trip leaving January 20, 2020  $2998 from New York

http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/HL20A-2.pdf

The Mayor

Jim Shaffer was the Mayor of Wyaconda, Missouri for 30 years from 1971-2002.  Wyaconda had a populations of 227 in 2010.  Wyaconda is an Indian word meaning Great Spirit.  Jim was father to Kim Letner.  Bruce and Kim have always been some of my best friends.  Born on February 13, 1938, he entered his rest on Sunday March 31, 2019.

I got to know "the Mayor" mostly on Christmas Eve.  At midnight when all of the church services were over, we would gather, a bunch of us for a Christmas nightcap at either our house or our neighbor Stu and Marsha's.

It was a long day of church, and by the time that it was over everyone was ready to unwind.    The pressure of Christmas Eve was over.  Now we were just people, enjoying the gifts of life and love.  We would often stay up until 3am, telling stories and jokes and laughing.  Then we would put bicycles together for our children.

The Mayor was funny.  He was ornery.  He drew me in.  My parents were gone, maybe he filled a bit of that role for me.

I loved him.  I still do.

Thank you Jim for your life.  Thanks for who you are and for the children that you raised.  You truly were a great spirit.

Friends, hold your loved one's close.  It won't be Christmas Eve forever.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - - -
I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Holy Land Trip leaving January 20, 2020  $2998 from New York
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/HL20A-2.pdf

Talents

My friend Pat wrote in...

Here’s another take on the parable of the talents. You know the story. One guy gets 10, uses them and makes another 10, and is praised. Another gets 5, uses them to make another 5, and is praised. The last gets 1, doesn’t do much with the little he has and gets punished. The message I usually hear is this... do something with your talents, no matter how meager.(Isn’t it something that “Talents” has a double meaning here?)

I wonder about the guys in this story. Not Mr. Big Man on Campus No. 1(BMOC). He’s fine. I can’t help but identify with guy 2 and guy 3. I mean, think about it from their perspective.They probably both look at each other and think “He’s no different than me”.. So why does BMOC get twice as much as Guy 2 and 10 times as Guy 3? How could they not ask those questions? Hasn’t that been you and me all our lives?

Age hasn’t given me many answers, but I have learned that most “Why” questions never have satisfactory responses. And asking Why in the story of the talents is really distracting, because there is not a good answer. Why is Bill Gates smarter than me? Why is Tom Cruise better looking? Why is the only thing that Patrick Mahomes and I share is a first name? Because it is.

The lesson from the parable of the Talents is not to get distracted by what others have, even if its unfair in your mind. (though justice sometimes requires nothing but attention to disparities that occur, but that’s another article). Don’t compare(which is like saying don’t be human). Ok, don’t give in to comparison.

I didn’t get 10 talents: I’m lucky to have one and I consider that attitude a blessing.

Think about it.

Can you hear the birds sing? What are they telling you about the beauty of God? Sometimes, no words are needed.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - - -
I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Holy Land Trip leaving January 20, 2020  $2998 from New York
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/HL20A-2.pdf

More from Jane Fonda

"I spent my life trying to be perfect. I thought I had to be perfect in order to be loved by people. Somewhere along the line I finally learned that trying to be perfect makes for a toxic life. A person must see, welcome, understand and embrace their shadow. We are all broken. Healthy relationships begin with an honest assessment of who we are. Any pretending is just game playing and it’s not where real people live. Let them see who you are warts and all. You’re lovable. Just the way you are."

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - - -
I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Holy Land Trip leaving January 20, 2020  $2998 from New York
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/HL20A-2.pdf

The snow and ice isn't leaving

My friend Linda saw this somewhere and sent it in...

“if you can’t find joy in the beauty of the snow, you will have less joy in your life, but you will still have the same amount of snow!” 

I must admit I am heartily sick of the snow and ice this year, but that sign gave me a badly needed lesson in perspective. Love from beautiful Kansas City where it is cloudy and 26 degrees this morning!

Linda

Problems are going to come.  Suffering over them is optional.  Joy is there to be found for those who keep life in perspective.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - - -
I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....


Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Holy Land Trip leaving January 20, 2020 $2998 from New York
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/HL20A-2.pdf

a thought on love

I heard this from someone recently.  Probably one of you....

We are called to love people where they are at.  Not where we think they should be at.  Not where someone else thinks that they should be.  If we withheld love from every person who did or thought something that we disagreed with, we would love very few.

We care called to love people where they are at, not where we or others think that they should be.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - - -
I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Holy Land Trip leaving January 20, 2020  $2998 from New York
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/HL20A-2.pdf

Appreciate your friends

From my friend Pat....

We have days where reality smacks us from all sides. Yesterday it was pictures of friends long lost posted on the internet having a good time. Another old friend moved back to Missouri, unbeknownst to me. Still another is critically ill in the hospital, and another’s funeral is set for Saturday…all things that chip away at your peace, and yet,

I had an email from yet another friend who’d lost his wife several years ago but is finally moving on with life(you don’t get over it, you get used to it he says). And a call from a new friend who heard I was in town and wanted to catch up. And a really good nights sleep.

And really I have had all these friends in life, new and old, still close and gone away. They’ve all enriched my life and have been a blessing when we were fortunate to walk along side one another.

Hold your friends close. Be thankful for them, and those who have come and gone. And remember, there are more to come if you open your heart.

Be with one another. You hurt when they hurt. You laugh when they laugh. But most importantly, at the end of the day you did it together. And that is Christ’s message.

Thank you Pat for being my friend.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - - -
I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs

Holy Land Trip leaving January 20, 2020  $2998 from New York
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/HL20A-2.pdf