seeing the good

In response to my post a few days ago about seeing the good, my friend Mary sent in this picture.  I wonder how many people walked past this tree and paid no attention to this cardinal?  

Life feels better when we stop and see the good.  There are so many things out there to enjoy and appreciate if we but pay attention.  

Today, maybe take a moment.  Slow down, or better yet, stop in your tracks and look to see what you might have been missing.

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

don't change

Love.  True love.  It loves you, just the way that you are.

In far too many relationships, love comes with conditions.

I love you, but.  I will love you when you start this or I will love you when you stop doing that.

Love does not demand conditions of people.  Love does not try to control.  Love just loves.

I love you the way that you are... don't change.  Don't change unless you want to do so.  

No conditions.  I just love you.

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

Helping others

I believe in helping others.  I believe that it is better to help one time too many than one time not enough.  In other words, I would rather help so many, that from time to time I was taken advantage of, instead of withholding help and letting legitimate needs go unmet.

Recently I have become aware of a need at our church.  A young woman was diagnosed with a brain tumor.  She is from a family that works hard.  Fortunately, the tumor was benign and she is expected to be ok.  But there will be bills.

I have chosen to help the family by making a payment on their medical bills.  I asked a good friend if I should ask for others to help through the blog.  They weren't sure if it was a good idea or not.  

So, I don't want to put anyone on the spot.  I will just put it out there this way... if you are interested in learning more about the situation, send me an email at jsbrink57@gmail.com

If you choose to help or not help, that is totally fine.  I love you just the way that you are.  And honestly, there are tons of other needs out there.  This one just spoke to me for some reason.

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

April 1st

Happy April Fools Day.  I have no jokes to share today.  I overdid it a few years ago and I hurt some of my friends.

I don't want to hurt people.

Over the years I have learned that not everyone "gets" or appreciates my sense of humor.  I totally understand that.  Some times I don't know where it all comes from.

Anyway, if you need some humor today, I hope that you find it.  Text me and I will tell you a joke.  But I won't be hurting anyone through a blog post today.

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

3 kinds of churches

To begin with...  Happy Birthday Tyler!!!

Now on to today's post...

My friend Bill Carpenter has always said that there are three kinds of churches:  Growing, Stagnant and Declining.  Each has their own unique set of problems.  

Which set of problems do you want to have at your church?

Well I am so excited for the Fort Pierce First United Methodist Church.  Yesterday we received 12 new members.  That is amazing!  That is huge!

In the 8 years that I have been attending, nothing like this has happened.  Good things are happening all around.  Pastor Tim Barton is doing a fabulous job.  

It is exciting to be a part of a church that is doing a lot of things right.

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

How soon we forget

My eight year old grand niece, the daughter of my niece was here to visit for a week.  Oh my how she loved the sunshine, the palm trees and the beach!!!

She is from Kansas City, so she doesn't get to see those things so much.  

We tend to enjoy the things that seem new to us.  

And this is a bit of an insult to the amazing things that we get used to.  We get used to the beach, to the sunlight and to the palm trees...

We should always see the things around us as amazing.  My niece found her visit to be wonderful and amazing.  May we pay enough attention that we are always grateful for whatever is around us.

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

not my way

That thing did not go my way. I was perturbed. I was upset.

Thank God that we usually feel better after we get some time to process things.  That is why it is almost always better to say nothing when you are having your first reaction to something.

I must remind myself: "Sometimes in life you get what you want and sometimes in life you get what you get."

And I also remind myself of this quote:

This is the true joy in life,

the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one;

the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap…

and being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod

of ailments and grievance,

complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.

George Bernard Shaw

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

It's closer than you think

In order to see the good, sometimes you have to look really hard.  Sometimes you have to look at the microscopic.  Sometimes you have to see what is commonly overlooked.

And sometimes seeing the good is just perched on your front door step.  It is right there if we just open our eyes.

This is what was hanging out on our front porch the other day, mid day...  front porch security.

two sand hill cranes

protected by Brink's sand hill cranes

Right there for the seeing if anyone was looking.  What beauty is hanging out very close to you?

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

feel good about being you

 

So I was watching the Netflix series "Adolescence."  I found it to be very good and also very painful.  Here is a quote from the series... "All kids really need is one thing that makes them feel okay about themselves."

Great.  True.  And let me add to that... All most anyone needs is one thing that helps them to feel good about themselves.

May we do all that we can to help others feel good about themselves.

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

If I want something from you...

Anthony Demello was a Catholic priest who died in 1986 at the age of 56. His ideas challenge me to be a more faithful Christian.

One of the things that he said was, “if I want something from you, it’s not love.” I have been stuck on this idea for years. It runs so contrary to everything we were taught, but it also explains so much.

It explains why selfish “love” only ends up hurting people. I love you because you do something for me. I love you because you fill the aching gap in my heart. I love you because I don’t want to be alone. I love you because you make me feel good. All of this is selfish love.

Do you hear the “me” in all of that? How can love be like that? All centered around me? It isn’t. True love is self-giving. True love invests in others. True love is more interested in your joy that in my own. True love finds its joy in your joy. True love hugs you because you matter, not because I need the hug. True love gives people room to grow. It does not push them too hard. It does not force them into a square hole. True love wants to bless others. It divests itself of it’s stuff for the benefit of others. Those who love are in love with love, not in love with stuff.

Gosh, talking about love is so cool. Why is that? Why is it, that when I write or think about love, I am happy? I am full. Why? Because God is love.

If you find yourself loving people in ways that wants to take from them, try a different approach. See yourself as full, able and caring. Receive the gift of the spirit of love. Then just go and care about others. Anyone, anywhere, anytime.

That’s why we are here. God is love, and we really are the happiest when we are about his business.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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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

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.

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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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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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

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.

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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

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

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.

- - - - - - -

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

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

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

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.

- - - - - - -

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

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

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

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.

- - - - - - -

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

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.

- - - - - - -

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

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.

- - - - - - -

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

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.

- - - - - - -

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

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.

- - - - - - -

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

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.

- - - - - - -

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

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.

- - - - - - -

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

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.

- - - - - - -

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

Lester

Shel Silverstein tells the story of a fellow named Lester who was gifted a wish by a goblin.  With his wish he wished for more wishes.  With those wishes, he wished for more.  Soon, Lester had accumulated more wishes that a person could use in a lifetime.

Finally at the end of his life, he found himself surrounded by wishes but feeling quite empty.  Everyone else had children, jobs, lives, joys, hopes and dreams.  Everyone else had stepped up to the plate of life and accomplished things.

Lester had wishes.

Don't wish your life away.  Get to work on what you can.

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

thank you

So I was cutting down a 4 x 8 sheet of paneling.  Usually I would pop a line on it, but this sheet had lines on it already.  One of the lines was right where I needed to cut.

It is important that this cut is straight and that I follow the line very closely.

I get about two feet into the 8 foot cut and I realize that I am, my eyes are, watching this very small notch travel along the line.  

I had a "thank you" moment.  I thought, God, thank you that I can see this.  Thank you that my eyes can follow this.  Thank you for the gift of sight.

Oh, friends we have so much to be thankful for if we just open our eyes.

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

What did they ever do to me?

What did they ever do to me?  Nothing.  They have never bit me or tried to choke me or swallow me.  I have never touched one.  What have they done to me?  Nothing.

Yet I fear them.  I am so afraid of them that I feel a hatred.  Yet they have done nothing to me.  It doesn't even seem fair.  

What am I talking about?

Snakes.

The other day I worked at a lady's house and she warned me about this big water moccasin [see picture above] that evidently has a habit of sunning along the side of her house.  Well I had to go back and forth from the street to the back of her house at least ten times.  Let me tell you, I was very careful about where I stepped.

But seriously, I do think it odd and unfair that I have a revulsion for something that has never done me wrong.  I expect better of myself than that.  If I treat snakes that unfairly, are their other groups of people that I may have unfair attitudes towards?  I hope not.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.  And watch where you step!!!

- - - - - - -

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

the non anxious leader

I had lunch the other day with two of my favorite humans.  We talked about many things.  I thought back to my days as a pastor.  Later in the day I reflected on our meeting and the importance of effective leadership. 

I don't know who coined the phrase, "the non-anxious presence."  But I love it. There is so much anxiety in the world.  So much anger, so much stress, so many people reacting instead of acting.

What if we could all be "a non-anxious presence."

Your son is injured... the situation needs a non-anxious presence. Your daughter is moving out of state... the situation needs a non-anxious presence. Your mother in law falls down the stairs... the situation needs a non-anxious presence.

Imagine the next time you find yourself in a stressful situation, you are the one that is saying to everyone else, "everything is ok."  Imagine that you are not threatened by the circumstance, but you simply welcome everyone to the table.  Healthy organizations help people be ok.  They are not threatened by questions or new ideas.

Think of the most stressful thing in your life.  Today, when you walk into it, tell everyone that there is a solution.  Tell everyone that we will figure it out.   Tell everyone that being upset won't help.  Tell everyone that it is ok for us to talk about it and to talk it through.  Be the non-anxious presence.

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

what do you do?

I was watching a movie the other day and one of the characters asked the question, "what do you do when the sadness overwhelms you?"

That question struck a chord with me.  Sometimes I feel sadness.  Sad for people that have died.  Sadness for things that didn't turn out as I wished.  Sadness for missing friends.  

There is plenty of sadness out there in the world.  Heck, every time I hear the Sinead O'Connor song "Nothing compares to you" I feel sad.

So, what do you do when you feel sad?  Well the first rule is, do not hurt yourself.  I heard another story a few days ago about a good man who took his own life.  Do not hurt yourself.  It solves nothing.  It only passes your pain on exponentially to those around you.  It doesn't end pain, it magnifies it.

But what do I do when the sadness comes?  I don't give it space in my brain.  I don't give it the time of day.  I get busy.  I listen to music.  Sometimes I let myself cry, but then I get up.  Distract, deflect, and move on.

There is so much good in the life.  There is so much good in this world.  When I think about the good, it always pushes the sadness out.

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

An act of God?

Sunday on the way home from church, I was driving North on US 1 near 34th street.  There are some trees that hang over the road there.  While I was rolling through at 45 mph, a branch fell and hit the Mustang.  It bonked the hood, scraped over the top and left a mark on the rear spoiler.

Now if you are saying, well this is only a 2010 Mustang, nothing to be worried about, you are correct.  Except that it is my only Mustang, and I might be overly attached to it.

I was a bit miffed by the chance branch attack.  Some would say it was an act of God.  You know, random things that happen that we humans like to blame God for.

Well personally, I don't believe that God makes branches fall on certain people's vehicles.  I don't believe that he makes people get cancer.  I don't believe that he causes our pets to get hit by cars.  I  believe that a lot of random things happen in this life, and we are very fortunate to have the Good Lord at hand to lean on when things are tough.

So if something bad has happened to you, don't blame God.  He isn't up there pushing buttons to punish you.  Somethings bad stuff happens.  I am just so very glad that he is there to walk with us through whatever may be bothering us.

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

I've got a feeling

Sometimes we have feelings that we want to dismiss.  Sometimes we explain our feelings away.  Sometimes we don't understand our feelings.  Sometimes we act on them.

And sometimes, for reasons that I cannot explain, we have feelings that are, or seem to be spiritual.  I had such a feeling yesterday in Church.

So it is about 15 minutes before church start time.  I am walking amongst folks, as is my custom, and this thought came into my brain.  It was accompanied by a warm hearted feeling.  I heard and felt the words, "Oh my gosh, I love these people."

It was great!  It was true!  I am so glad to have found the First United Methodist Church in Ft. Pierce.  I love them and they love me as we did at Woods Chapel and Princeton.

It is a good feeling to love and be loved!!!

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

Find a good mechanic

It has always been difficult for me to find an honest mechanic.  Dana Cunningham introduced me to Paul's Auto repair in Raytown.  Paul was great.  Billy's in Vero is great.

I have heard way too many stories of people being told that their car needed work when it did not.  My neighbor was told that he needed new brakes - immediately.  He bought the pads and brought them down to my house.  Bruce Letner taught me how to do brakes, so I replaced my neighbors pads yesterday morning.

Still over 1/4 of an inch of brake pad left!

If you know about brakes, you can see that my neighbor was lied to.  There are lots and lots of miles left on these old pads.

Moral of the story... get a second opinion.  Take someone with you that knows cars.  Keep your receipts so you know when the last time various types of work were performed.

Be careful.  Do not be taken advantage of.  

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

another great quote

I recognize that as I have aged, my views on many things have changed.  I have grown more tolerant and hopefully more loving and kind.  I wish that I would have grown up sooner.

My friend Bruce sent me this quote...

"Looking back over a lifetime, you see that love was the answer to everything."
                                                   Ray Bradbury

I love it.  May we all keep that in mind.

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

Happy Valentines Day

Happy Valentine's Day!!!  You are loved!!!

Now on to today's post.  Last weekend I was in New Orleans for the Super Bowl.  Wow did the Chiefs take a beating.  Well, I guess that it is better to get there and lose than to watch it on TV like many other teams did.  [by the way, I did not actually go to the game.  we just watched it in the french quarter]

Sure, I wish that the Chiefs would have won but's just a football game after all.  Life goes on.  Life is more important.  Love is most important.

Here is a good story from the weekend:  On Monday morning after the game, I rode with my buddy Paul from New Orleans to Ft. Myers Florida.  12 hours in the car together.  We talked and we took turns napping.  And, there were many hours when we were both awake, both there, and no words were exchanged.  Sometimes it is just fantastic to be in the presence of people that we love...  word are not always needed.

I love long rides with friends.

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 

whiners

My friend Tom from Colorado recently sent me this...

We humans have a natural tendency to make life about us.  When things don't go our way, too often we end up complaining that the world won't align itself to make us happy.

There is another way to live, and it is a better way.  When we can get our focus off of ourselves and onto the business of loving others, we find the happiness that eludes us when we are selfish.

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 

transformation

In New Orleans last weekend, there were a number of "street preachers."  It was so annoying.  They were so loud and their messages just felt so hateful.  My fear is that they do more harm than good.  Oh if they would just learn to love people.

Sunday's post from Richard Rohr included the phrase:
"Transformation always results in missional action in the world."

In other words, when we are touched by God and not simply following some system of religious doctrine, when we are truly touched by God, we begin the move away from ourselves and towards a love of others.  We no longer feel the need to change or fix others.  We simply want to love them.

When people find love, they find God.

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