a friend

 A friend is probably the most valuable thing in all of life.  They listen to us.  They console us.  They laugh with us.  They help us stay on track.  They love us.

In unpacking my office, I found this little picture which has hung in various church offices for 15 years anyway.  Today in hangs in my garage office.

Today, make a friend.  Call a friend.  Love a friend.  Value a friend.

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

trees

I have always loved trees.

When is the best day to plant a tree?  50 years ago.

When is the second best day to plant a tree?  Today.

As I have been unpacking things from my office at church I came upon these two small books that were given to me years ago by a friend.  It is interesting in life what you hold on to and what you release.

I also found a disc with pictures from the fall landscape day in 2010.

Jim and Mary Ann Hillman 
work the North side

Jonnie lining out the crew
[This was prior to the worship center addition]

Brad Gartin working on the west face

Random old man digging a hole
but what a nice truck!

look at the size of the pear trees
along the north entrance!

Charles Hasek, his tractor
and Vicki Graham

Jay Gray, Fred Price and an unidentified
young man are planting benches for the walking
trail - stations of the cross.

What lovely memories of a wonderful time.  It is amazing how our work today can grow and become beautiful over time.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good, and maybe plant a tree!

Ash Wednesday

In zero degree weather, a Woods Chapel
Church pastor applies ashes to a member.

Today is Friday, but two days ago was Ash Wednesday.  Over the past 30 years I stood face to face with somewhere between 5 and 10,000 people on Ash Wednesday.

It is the most humbling day of the year.  I shed many tears on Ash Wednesday.  People coming up in tears.  Me seeing them coming and knowing the grief that they had suffered in the last year.

It is the only day that I wear a robe.  Me myself and other pastors when I had them, stood down in front.  Members would make their way down to the front and I would say to them, "are you willing to repent of your sins and follow the way of the cross."  They would say, Yes.

Then I would put ashes on their forehead and say, "The sign of the cross marks you as a disciple of our lord and savior Jesus Christ."

Ash Wednesday was always a very holy day for me.

Three of my former associate pastors, texted me on Ash Wednesday to talk about how much that day meant to them.  We reminisced.

It is a holy day.

But wait...   Any day can be a holy day for that matter.

Are you willing to repent of your sin and follow the way of the cross?

Then the sign of the cross marks you as a disciple of our lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Come see me

So six weeks ago my sister and her husband moved to Vero Beach.  It has been great to have them here.  And they have escaped the KC winters.

I tell my KC friends that they should move here or retire here.  I love my Ft Pierce friends, but I still miss my KC friends.  There is, by the way a couple of homes for sale in our subdivision.

Anyway, get on a plane and come see me.

As I said, come see me.

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

Superbowl

Seven days has passed since the Super bowl.  It was only super if you are a Tampa Bay fan.  For the rest of us, it was a disaster.  Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes you get hammered.  My team, the Chiefs, got hammered on Sunday.

I have known people along the journey of life whose self esteem was destroyed if their team lost.  I have known people who would complain and be angry if their team lost.

The Chiefs did not play well and they did not deserve to win.  Hats off to Brady and the Bucks.

As much as I love football and baseball, a painful loss like this is a good reminder that life is not about winning and losing games.  They are games, just that.  Life is about kindness and love.  Kindness and love for me, for you, for the Chiefs and for the other team.

God doesn't take sides.

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

I met a homeless man

So I was leaving CVS on US 1 by 17th street in Vero. I saw a guy with a sign asking for help...

I rolled down my window and handed him the smallest bill in my wallet. 

[now that is a discussion for another day. why the smallest??? Is that how we want God to treat us??? Here you are in need and I give you the least that I have???] 

Anyway, I gave him the smallest bill that I had, a $5.  I rolled down my window and handed him the 5. Then I asked him his name. this was his response.

"My name is Donald Pitts my dad was in Vietnam I was in the Iraq war thank you for the donation I live in the woods in a tent behind the CVS."

And like every homeless person that I have met, he was a little mentally off. It broke my heart.

I used to say things like "why don't they get a job???"  But now I have learned that they are almost all mentally challenged, which is why they are where they are in life.

Maybe I will find the camp behind the CVS and take them some breakfast tomorrow.

Or Maybe I will do nothing and just go on with MY LIFE.  Not sure... Stay tuned.

It's a  beautiful, first world day in God's world be sure to give, not see, but be sure to give the good.

The Waves

Sunday morning while the other guys slept, I sat on the balcony listening to the waves.  Of course I live a few miles from the beach, you would think that I would be used to the waves, but I am not.   I rarely take time to listen to them at length.

But they are wonderful.  I have been listening now for an hour.  It is so peaceful and calming!!!  There are things in life that just seem to reach into your soul.  Sitting by a fire, listening to a fountain, listening to the wind blow through the trees and waves on the beach all do it for me.  Soulful things that are good for the soul.

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

Superbowl

 It is Sunday morning and I am in Tampa.  We are staying at a VRBO on the beach.  Yesterday I drove in and stopped to visit Dave and Kristina Owsley.  It was so wonderful to see them.

They shared these Chief's cookies with me.

Then I drove into downtown Tampa and met up with Paul, Alex and Rick.  We hit a couple of watering holes.

Later that night we went to a Chief's watch party.  It was a blast.  

Left to Right- Rick Wagner, Alex McClain and my Dad.
Oh, no, wait, that is me, isn't it.

We don't have tickets to the game, but we are going to another Chief's watch party for the game.

Go Chiefs!!!

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

Pepper Park

Last Friday a few friends from church invited me to lunch at Pepper Park on Hutchison Island.  They wanted to say thank you for my work at the church.  They wanted to love on me.  They want to, as I do, be sure that we stay in touch.

There was a hotdog stand in the park and I was treated to a tasty dog.

They also gave me this white church as a memory.  The presentation made me cry.  Happy tears.  I told them thank you.  I told them that they made me feel loved, appreciated and valued.

In this world where people often feel set aside and unwanted, feeling loved and valued is a beautiful thing.

Who can you value today???

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

Mad

Do you ever get mad?  I was mad the other day.  Mad at a person from my past who hurt me.  I couldn't shake it, which is unusual for me.

Finally after most of the morning had passed, I realized that I wasn't mad at that person... no it was much deeper.  I was mad at every person in my life who made me feel bad, clear back to my mother.  I was mad at the messages that I have been given in my life...

You're not good enough.
God only loves you if you are good.
You are going to hell.
You better believe it like this...
God only loves you if...

What a waste of time it has been in my life to try to overcome the negative messages.  Why were they ever given?  People do and say crazy things in the name of God.  I hope that I am not giving negative messages to people.  I hope that you aren't either.

God loves me.  God loves you.  Sinners that we are, God loves us.

That makes me happy!

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

Purpose

 It is too easy to value one's self based on their job or income.  It is very common that if a job changes or is lost, or when a person retires, they are filled with questions and confusion.  It is easy to feel a loss of self.  

Who am I now?  What is my life about now?  Something seems "wrong."

We must remember that our purpose in life is not our particular job, career or calling.  We must remember that our purpose in life is to love people and be kind to them.  We are here on this earth to spread love and to value people.  It is interesting how we ourselves get a sense of joy and value when we are reaching for people and valuing them.

Pick someone to love on today.  Heck, pick everyone.

911

I did something the other day that I have never done before.  I called 911.  

I was talking to a friend on the phone and driving south on 58th Avenue near the Target store when a wheel came flying over the median and into my lane.  Then I saw two cars run off the road in the north bound lanes by the Italian Garden.  One hit a telephone pole.

I called 911.  The woman asked my emergency.  I told her, then apologized as I was sure they had many calls.  No, she said, I was the first.

The whole thing was so unnerving.  For a couple of hours I was on the verge of tears.  It is odd how such things feel traumatizing.

I prayed for the people in the wreck.  I decided a few years ago, that with so many people rubbernecking to see what was going on, a better response would be to pray for them.

A special place in heaven

bags of chips, Save-a-lot bag. 
Concrete is for a handyman job.

So here is another Monday morning, feeding the homeless story.

Dick and I meet for breakfast at 8am, then I go to the Save-a-lot grocery to get chips and whatever else we need.

On Monday I walk into the Save-a-lot and there is an African American man [evidently an employee] working on a sign on the door.

When I am checking out, I am paying for three big bags of 16 bags of chips.  I also buy a big Save-a lot grocery bag.  The checker is trying to put the chips into the grocery bag.  I explain to her that she does not have to do that.  I just want the bag to put sandwiches, chips and water in as we feed the homeless on Mondays.

The man who was working on the sign at the door is standing near by and over hears this.  He comes up to me and lights up.  He says, "Sir, thank you so much for doing this!  There is a special place in heaven for people like you."

I don't tell you this story so you will pat me on the back.  I tell you this story so that you too can capture some of the joy of doing for others.  [I am sure that you are already doing for others]  Acts of kindness make the recipient happy, they make you happy and they make anyone that hears of them happy.

Happy is good.  Kindness is good.

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

It's not just the food

On Monday when Dick and I were taking sandwiches to the homeless, I realized something.  The sandwich, chips, tangerine and bottle of water do not tell the full story of what is happening.  Yes, the folks are very appreciative of us bringing them food, but there is something else going on that is very important too.  It may actually be the most important aspect of the delivery.

We are telling them that they are valuable.  We are telling them that they matter.  We don't actually say the words of course, but our actions and our kindness to them are letting them know that they are valuable humans.

I believe that in this world, everyone wants to feel that they are valuable.  Everyone wants to know that they matter.  Especially the homeless, who have been devalued by so many for so long.  They need to hear it, they need to feel it.

You matter.  You are valuable.

Who can you express this to today?

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

Carnival

 The county fairgrounds are one mile north of our house.  Last year in March, they were setting up a carnival at the fairgrounds when the pandemic hit.  The carnival never opened.  Kind of sad.

A couple of days ago I went to Lowes in Vero and when I was leaving, I saw something that made me happy.  Now, happy is good, especially during pandemic times.  There is so much bad news, so much fear mongering on the news, any good news is appreciated.  [I just used the word "news" three times in one sentence.  Probably not good writing.]

So I am leaving Lowes and I see something that makes me happy.  In our old Sears parking lot [Our Sears is closed]  in our old Sears parking lot, they are setting up a carnival.

A big smile came upon my face.  Carnivals are happy!  I guess this story also speaks to the fact that they pandemic seems far away from our little Florida town.

Carney vehicles

May the carnival come to your town soon!!!

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

Creation is God's first Bible

I don't know who said it, but it is really true: "creation is God's first Bible." People who lived before the Bible, people that could not read, and really everyone can look at creation and know that there is a God.

The heavens declare the glory of God. Psalm 19:1  

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Romans 1:20

I was reminded of this truth the other day when I looked out the front of the house and there were two Sandhill Cranes in our yard. Beautiful majestic birds.

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

Wow

 So there is this feature on my computer with windows 10 that gives me a new background picture every day.  My favorite pictures have castles or old medevial buildings in them.  Some of the pictures that they show me, I don't like.  I can click like or don't like in the upper right corner.

Something cool happened today.  While I have opened pictures that made me like them, today I opened the computer and when I saw the background picture I went, "wow!!!"  Beautiful, Amazing!!!

Here is the picture that made me say wow!!!

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