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.


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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

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