fickleness

Ahh the fickleness of feelings.  Fickle is an old fashioned word.  It is defined as being characterized by erratic changeableness, or instability, especially with regard to affections or attachments; capricious.  Now I want to look up capricious as well but I will leave that for another day.

Feelings are fickle.  They come and go.  You must have something, then you get it, and you no longer want it.  We throw something away and then we want it back.  Emotions have a great ebb and flow.

Emotions need to be managed.  We are not our feelings and we should not act solely on the feeling of the moment.  Each of us has jumped out in response to some thing and then wished later we had not said that, had not done that, had not pushed the send button.

God is great.  Our emotions tell us that.  Our brain tells us that.  When the wonder of thanksgiving is over, may we look past good feelings that may have come and gone.  May we remember that there is always something to be thankful for, whether we feel it or not.

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

interesting story....

Jeff

I just had to share this with you --- I have been an active advocate for children for almost 25 years and just recently resigned my volunteer position as Vice President of the PTA.  I was just standing in my kitchen telling my husband about a family I talked to yesterday who is homeless. The daughter was at school  -- Junior High age.  She was sitting in the hallway waiting for her mother to pick her up.  The principal walked up and said, "Oh look at the homeless girl."  Multiple people heard. I have been praying about how I wanted to tackle this issue without making things worse for the girl, but have to be her advocate.  So... as I am telling my husband this story my phone beeps letting me know I have a email.  The email is your blog .... well you know what your blog says ..... God at work if you ask me!  Now  using your words  -- you can decide if that is a good story or not -- but it is a true story.

L

On Nov 21, 2013 7:12 AM, "Can you hear the birds sing?" <jeffb@woodschapelchurch.org> wrote:

Can you hear the birds sing?

---

your voice Posted: 21 Nov 2013 02:30 AM PST You have a voice.  Will you hear me?  Will you listen to my words?  Stop discounting yourself.  You have a voice that needs to be heard.  You know what to do.  You know what to say.  Intrinsically inside of yourself, you know that you can lead.  Do it.  Stand up.  Get your licks in for Jesus. If you don't lead, who might do it?  The ranks of leadership are sometimes filled by those who fall into the position because no one else would do it.  Don't let that happen.  You are a leader. You have a voice. This is your time.  This is your moment.  You are needed. It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

things to say

Happy Thanksgiving.  Today is the day. 

It is a happy day for me today because all of the kids will be home.  :-)

Thanksgiving is a day when most people think of family.  And often, family that are no longer with us.  There is a bit of melancholy to this, but I want to use that feeling to make a point. 

Today you will have a chance to say some very important things to members of your family.  Some of them may not be at thanksgiving next year.  Take the opportunity that you have to say some of the most important words of living:

• I am sorry.
• I forgive you.
• I love you.
• Thank you.
• Good bye.
• I love you. [its in the list twice on purpose.]

Happy thanksgiving!

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

head, heart, soul

Christians begin with head knowledge.  A simple belief, an acquiescing to the claims of the gospel.    A list of beliefs in one's head that one agrees to.  You are now a believer.  John Wesley called this the faith of a servant.

Stage two for Christians we like to call heart knowledge.  A sense that we are loved, that Jesus died for us.  This is something that we can feel.  It has moved from our heads to our hearts.  There is more joy and more compassion in this stage.  Fear is replaced with trust.  John Wesley called this the faith of a son.

Some people gain heart knowledge and then poo poo the time that they had only head knowledge.  Wesley looked back on the earlier stage of his life and did not discount his early experience.  One was simply faith as a servant and the latter the faith of a son.  Don't ever discount your early experience of Christ.  We never arrive, we should always be growing.

Mystic and contemplative Christians have talked about another kind of relationship with God.  An intimacy, a union, a joining, a being lost in the soul of God.  A falling into the mystery.  Two souls intertwined in ways that defy explanation.  Almost as if a person's soul has brushed up against the divine.  Moses' face glowing from being in the presence.  Elijah sensing God walk by.  Jesus hearing the voice of his Father.  The transfiguration.

I can talk about head knowledge and I can talk about heart knowledge.  Soul knowing is hard to explain.  But I think it is something that we can continue to pursue.  It's being at home with God.  Complete trust.  Union with God.  An amazing topic indeed.

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

New rules

I believe that I read this in one of Peter Rollins' books. 

We know the story of Jesus asking the people to turn the other cheek and go the second mile.  It was a law in Roman times that a soldier could ask you to carry his pack for a mile.  Jesus said, "go the second mile."

So the story is told of a disagreement between two groups of Christians.  One group insisted that Jesus meant that you should always be helpful, always kind, always going out of your way for others.  The other group insisted that they only had to turn the cheek once and that they only had to carry the pack for two miles.

Based on Jesus teaching, the second group has advocated for Jesus based rules that ultimately make our lives about ourselves again.  The law has returned.

Be careful of "spiritual" rules that protect your ability to be selfish.  The true rules of Christ throw us head long into giving our selves away for the sake of others.  "I was hungry and you fed me," is not just something for the holiday season.  The life of Christ beckons us to follow every single day.

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

back problem resolved

I have had back problems for years.  I have taken celebrex, done exercises and complained.  Well, I may have found the culprit.  Some years ago my wife upgraded cars to a 2004 Nissan Maxima.  At that time I inherited her 2005 Civic.  We can't get rid of the Civic, even though it has 133,000 miles on it, because it is the most dependable car we have ever owned.  It has a long life ahead of it.

A few weeks ago I drove 240 miles one day and another 260 the next.  My back was killing me.  I got to wondering if it had anything to do with the seat in the Civic.  The car is a great car, but the seat is pretty basic.  It has no lumbar support.

Coincidentally I was at a friends house after one of these long drives and my back was sore.  They had an extra lumbar pillow.  That did not quite do it, so I took a book off of the passenger seat and added it to the support.

Perfect design!  My back is healed.

Here is the funny thing.  The book that I used was from a class that I was in with 28 pastors.  Everyone hated the book.  It was so technical and so theologically painful.  Now, it is put to good use everyday and I have been pain free for weeks.

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

Thankful

This week holds the holiday called Thanksgiving.  A day of giving thanks.  This is the week of thanksgiving.  An entire week where we are thankful.  This is the month of thanksgiving.  An entire month when we are thankful.

Is that enough?  Is that the point?  Does the rest of the year belong to us?  Did we do our bit for God by saying thank you, and then take the rest of our life back for ourselves?

How about a year of thanksgiving?  How about a life of thanksgiving?  How about we start this life philosophy today?

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

I thought of this story the other day

A father asked his 12 year old daughter to mow the back yard.  She did a pretty good job it seemed.  She finished and put the mower away. 

The dad figured that all was well since the daughter was watching TV and texting on her phone.  He looked outside at the back yard and noticed that there was a small section that was left un-mowed.

The dad had been having a bad week and this was just the last straw.  He started in on his daughter about the small area that she had left un-mowed.  The daughter tried to explain, but the dad was so angry that he did not give her a chance to speak.

[this is not a good place to be as a parent]

The dad went to the garage, got the mower out and headed for the back yard.  He started the mower and began working on the section of long grass.  When he got close to the middle, he stopped.  He let go of the handle and the mower died.  There, right in the center of the un-mowed section was a box turtle.  The turtle was camped out, taking it easy in the back yard.

The dad started to cry.  He felt ashamed.  He went inside and found the daughter.  She had been watching through the window.  She was crying too.  The dad apologized.

The moral of this story?  There are several.

Sometimes you have to break the rules to keep from hurting people.
Don't be so sure of yourself.
Think before you speak.
Maybe someone that you will be dealing with today has run across a turtle.

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

on being patient

It is difficult to be patient.  We want this thing to go our way.  We have an idea about how the thing ought to go.

Sometimes things are not in our control. Sometimes we have to be patient.  Patience is one of the fruits of the spirit.

Here is something that I think I know:  When  a thing is right, it will work out that way, when a thing is not right, it usually won't. 

Sometimes what I want to happen is not the right thing.  We all have to make peace with things that are beyond our control.  In a few weeks, it will all probably pass along in the river of forgetfulness.

Patience, its a virtue.

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

your voice

You have a voice.  Will you hear me?  Will you listen to my words?  Stop discounting yourself.  You have a voice that needs to be heard.  You know what to do.  You know what to say.  Intrinsically inside of yourself, you know that you can lead.  Do it.  Stand up.  Get your licks in for Jesus.

If you don't lead, who might do it?  The ranks of leadership are sometimes filled by those who fall into the position because no one else would do it.  Don't let that happen.  You are a leader. You have a voice.

This is your time.  This is your moment.  You are needed.

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

a person to be sought

Last week I went looking for someone.  Someone who is solid, dependable and true.  I called them and asked if they had time to meet.  I hoped that they did.  And, not surprising to me, they met me.

In this life, you will meet great people.  People that get it.  People that you can count on.  People that will drop everything and come up to the church office to sit with you.  You have know them for years and you know that they have your back.

Keep an eye out for exceptional people. They are all around you and they will join you in the great effort of the Kingdom of God.  Look for them.  Call to them.  Invest in them.  Enjoy them.  They are all around you, more of them than you might think.

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

what drives a person?

Some people are driven by hatred.  By what they are against.  By what they are mad about.  They spend their lives reacting to things that they don't like.  It is easier to be against something than for something.

I think that most of us have been there at one time or another.

But there is a better way.  What if we live our lives, focusing on what is good instead of what is bad?  What if we spend our lives celebrating what is right instead of focusing on what is wrong? 

Gosh it just seems to me that life will be more joyful and peaceful if we can see the good and give thanks for it. 

It's just a simple choice, a turn of the mind, a change of the brain direction.  A chance to focus on what is positive, to focus on grace.  Lets keep working on this.

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

skunk

The other day I was driving down 291 and I was changing lanes.  65 mph and I am moving over into the slow lane because my exit is coming up.  I notice in the road, right in between the lanes, is a dead skunk.  Flat, smashed, squished, skunk.  Flat as a pancake.  He looked much like the one in this picture.

Well, I am not worried about this.  I don't even try to avoid him.  After all, I am going 65 mph and how stinky can he be as flat as he is?

I did not even feel him as the truck rolled right over him.  But let me tell you what, there was plenty of stink left in that flat skunk.  My truck smelled like a skunk for the rest of the day. 

Lesson learned.

There are some things in life that are just stinky.  Dangerous things that need to be avoided.  See them for what they are and avoid them.  A skunk is a skunk is a skunk.

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

visitors

There are going to be visitors at church today.
Will you find them?
Will you be able to recognize them?
Will we even slow down enough to notice?

Do you remember your first time at Woods Chapel or at your church?
Today is someone else's first time.

Look for them.
smile at them.
Talk to them.
Welcome them.
That is what Jesus would do.

"I was a stranger and you took me in."

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

lame

Guys like sports.  They all secretly want to be professional athletes.  Well, that did not work for me, and it does not work for most people.  I played softball as long as I could, and then, I resorted to bowling.  Does that sound lame?

Some would say so.  Well, I just want to keep active.  Last night I bowled my all time high game...
228.

That is very exciting.  Good friends, a good time and a good memory.  The problem of course with a high score is that only a higher one will beat it. There is always a little bit of pressure around the corner.

Life is good.  Let's keep at it.  No matter how seemingly simple or lame the endeavor, lets keep at it.  All of us still have a high score within us.

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

that one chord

I taught myself how to play the guitar when I was in seminary.  I bought a chord book and learned the basics.  Now I say that "I taught myself to play" - real guitar players would dispute this.  In fact many that heard me play today would wonder if I taught myself how to play.

I used to play in church.  I used to sing too.  Anytime the special music did not show up in the old days, I would pick a hymn from the hymn book and the pianist would play and I would fill in.

Over the years I stopped doing this.  We have so many good singers, so many good guitar players. 

You know, that is probably wrong.  I would advise all of you to keep playing and keep singing.  Even if you have one chord that never sounds quite right.  We have to keep playing.

I should take my own advice.  Maybe coming to you soon at WCC- an old guy trying to play the guitar and sing.

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

somebody told me

I thought of an old song the other day.  I knew it and sang it as a youth. 

When I was a young pastor I was invited to speak at a revival on an Indian reservation.  Almost sounds like I am making this up, but I am not.  They asked me to speak on the topic of "prayers, presence, gifts and service."  I guess they figured that the Indians needed more of that.

A few older ladies came up to the revival arbor and listened.  Most of the people sat off from the arbor.  They sat at picnic tables and on the porches of their cabins, listening over the loudspeakers and drinking cheap wine.  Sounds like I am making this up, but I am not.

At the end of my sermon, I decided to sing a song for them.  [Lord only knows why] The song has this one guitar chord that is difficult for me to play.  I struggled through the song.  I am sure my guitar playing sounded like fingernails on a chalkboard to them.

The song was "somebody told me."  For some reason, I thought of that song this morning.  I still can't play that one chord.  Here are the words:

Somebody told me of the joy they'd had.
Somebody told me that in sorrow you could be glad.
Somebody told me, they were blind but now they see.
I didn't think it could be til it happened to me.

Now let me tell you of the joy I've had.
Now let me tell you that in sorrow you can be glad.
Now let me tell you, I was blind but now I see.
I didn't think it could be til it happened to me.

No, I didn't think it could be til it happened to me.

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

thankful

When I was a child we would sit at the thanksgiving table and my dad would ask us a question.  Each in turn around the table was invited to answer this: "what are three things that you are thankful for?"

It was very uncomfortable because I was not yet accustomed to the gift of gratitude.  We would circle the table and awkwardly mention that we were thankful for our brothers and sisters, which of course, was not true.

But, thank God, today I am much more thankful.  Thankful for 100 things.  For 1,000 things.

Here are my three things for today.
1.  for my wife and children
2.  for my friends
3.  for a loving church family

What are you thankful for?  I would like to know if you have three things that you are thankful for.

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

welcome

I will never forget the welcome extended to me by this church.  I hope that you have felt welcome at WCC.

Sunday I am going to be speaking on the power of "welcome."  Would you mind sharing your story with me about your experience at WCC?  Were you welcomed?  Were you not?

Hopefully you certainly feel welcome now.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, and you are graciously welcomed into this day, be sure to see the good.

your comfort zone

Your comfort zone.  You have one, I have one.  We would prefer to live within our comfort zone.  However, usually the needs of others lie outside of our comfort zone.  We have to change our schedule, our plans and our temperament to meet the needs of others.  We have to make ourselves uncomfortable to do much of what God would ask us to do.

It's like the Holy Spirit lives just beyond the edge of our comfort zone.  Do you want to be used by God?  Do you want to make a difference for Him?  Then prepare to be asked to leave your comfort zone.  Are you willing?

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

is something bothering you?

Is something bothering you?  I know a few people who have really bad things going on, things that would bother anyone.  But most of the rest of us are bothered by things that are really not that critical.

How many minutes, how many days in a life time do we spend bothered by things that a short time later, we have forgotten? 

Don't sweat the small stuff.  Life is short.  Life is good.

Don't waste a moment worrying, when you could have used that moment celebrating.  Don't waste a moment sad over something that is not that important.  Jesus asked us not to worry. 

Let's see the good.  It is all around us.  It will remain when that which bothers you falls away.

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

your appointment

This is probably more for my pastor friends, but here goes.......

I am speaking to some pastors today about pastoral care issues.  One of the things that I have watched over the years is what happens when pastors are protective of "their" turf.  Yes, it is "their" church.  They are in charge.  It is "their" pulpit.  The Bishop assigned them to that church.

You are going to get requests to have some other pastor perform the wedding.  The family will want someone else to do the funeral.  It may hurt your feelings.  You have the power to tell them "no."  But just because you can, does not mean that you should.

I have watched many pastors shoot themselves in the foot by insisting that the floor was theirs, the pulpit was theirs, the attention was theirs.  You cannot insist that people love you.  It just does not work.

Once upon a time, a teenager was killed in a car wreck in a particular town.  The Methodist pastor was brand new.  The family asked if the new pastor would allow the old pastor to come do the funeral.  That new pastor said, "no."  The family move the funeral out of the Methodist church to the school.  Someone else did it and after it was over, 5 families left the Methodist church.  That pastor was only there one year.  It was a one moment disaster for that pastor.  One bad decision ruined that appointment.

Bottom line, it is not my pulpit, not my church, not my ministry.  It all belongs to Jesus.  I need to be willing to share.  It is healthy to share.  Share the moment, share the love, share it all.  It is the best way.  It is the only way.

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

comments

Several have asked about why their comments on the blog have not been posted.

Some of you get the blog via email and your comments come to me in an email form.  When this happens, the comment is between you and me and there is no way for me to post it easily.  Writing a daily post is enough of a chore without having to cut your comments from an email and paste them into the comments section.  Just know if you are replying to an email form of the blog, that will be between us.

When comments are posted on the blog site, they can be easily posted, but they do sit there until I read them and moderate them.  I almost always post all of these.  Unless you ask me not to do so.  It may take several days for me to read them, but I will get around to posting them. 

I hope that helps.

And by the way, it is a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

sermon from the movie "the tree of life"

I watched the movie The Tree of Life again last night.  A show that really makes me think.  There is a church scene towards the end, and a preacher delivers this sermon.  I wanted to share it with you.

Job imagined he might build his nest on high – that the integrity of his behavior would protect him against misfortune. And his friends thought, mistakenly, that the Lord could only have punished him because secretly he’d done something wrong. But, no, misfortune befalls the good as well. We can’t protect ourselves against it. We can’t protect our children. We can’t say to ourselves, even if I’m not happy, I’m going to make sure they are.  

We vanish as a cloud. We wither as the autumn grass, and like a tree are rooted up.
Is there some fraud in the scheme of the universe? Is there nothing which is deathless? Nothing which does not pass away?
We cannot stay where we are. We must journey forth.
We must find that which is greater than fortune or fate. Nothing can bring us peace but that.

Is the body of the wise man, or the just, exempt from any pain? From any disquietude, from the deformity that might blight its beauty, from the weakness that might destroy its health?
Do you trust in God?
Job, too, was close to the Lord. Are your friends and children your security? There is no hiding place in all the world where trouble may not find you. No on knows when sorrow might visit his house, any more than Job did.

The very moment everything was taken away from Job, he knew it was the Lord who’d taken it away. He turned from the passing shows of time. He sought that which is eternal. Does he alone see God’s hand who sees that He gives, or does not also the one see God’s hand who sees that He takes away? Does he alone see God who sees God turn His face towards him? Does not also he see God who sees God turn his back?

May you find God, even in the difficult moments of life because it is a beautiful day in God's world, even if we face trying times.

I'm over that

There is an odd sensation that I am experiencing.

I find a thing and it becomes my favorite.  My favorite meal, my favorite song, my favorite something.  I can't imagine that my feelings for this thing will ever change.  I just love it and savor it over and over.  A roast beef sandwich at
Subway.  The song "Into the Mystic."

Then one day, the feeling changes.  It still is a great song or a great movie, but it has fallen from the top of my charts.  What was once something that I could not live without has now slipped.  I am just over it.

Odd human sensation.  I guess its ok to feel this way.  but it sure is cool to have a movie or a song or a meal that you just love........am I the only one that this happens to?  Mmm that sandwich still looks good.

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

ouch

Well I am going to be honest and this is a difficult topic.

I was very happy to be out of town for the weekend.  It was great to have a few days away.  [See yesterday's post.]

Then I came back to hear that several people came to church, entered the sanctuary and then left when they found out Jeff was not preaching.  Walked in the door, entered the sanctuary, then left to go home.  Didn't even stay. 

What?  I can't believe it?  Woods Chapel people did this?

This breaks my heart.  Imagine how the other person would feel that was preaching that day.  We have excellent substitutes.  And when did church become about listening to Jeff.  If this place is no bigger than who the pastor is that is preaching, we have a good deal left to learn.

Let's start over.  A church is more than it's pastor.  When you join, you join the family, not the pastor.  When you join, you agree to support it all.  You join it, warts and all.

Friends, I need everyone to be there for everyone.  We must all be in this together.  Everyone matters.  Every member of the body matters.  Please do not walk again.  Ever.  Every time you sit down in God's house there is a blessing in store, regardless of who is praying, singing or preaching.

This is the house of God, and we are all his children.  I love you all.  Thanks for listening.

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

happy anniversary

Friday it was Cathy and my wedding anniversary.  We had the fortunate opportunity to be on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach.  We sat outside and ate sushi at Sushi-Siam at the Lincoln Road outdoor shopping area.

A great gal, a warm evening, great food, outdoors, on November 1st.  It was great!  Thanks for allowing us to get away.

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

the eyes

Someone once said, "the eyes are the window to the soul."

When you see a person, what do you see?  They are tall, short, thin, bald, brown, white, old or young.  Is that really them?   Are those really the things that make us us? 

I recently met about 30 new friends all at once at a training.  For the most part, they were a very welcoming, very loving group of people.  They would look you in the eye and you could feel the love.  So the eyes are the window of the soul.

It is odd, but sometimes its like you can look right into a person just by looking into their eyes.  You can sense the goodness coming out of them.  Is that weird?  I don't think so, because I am not the first one to notice this.

We are not our skin color or our age.  We are all living souls.  God bless us.  The next time you see someone, really look into them.  See the good.  Send them your love.  Share a warm moment with a friend.  Life is good and to love others is a really blessing.

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

grateful

So here we are in the month of being thankful.  I love to dedicate the month of November to the cause of giving thanks. 

I have a friend who has posted something every day that she is thankful for.  Every day this year.  Let's find something to be thankful for every day this month.  If we get in the habit, it can become a life style.  A life style of giving thanks.  It does not get any better than that.

I may not post everything I am thankful for, but I am going to think about it every day. 

Yesterday was All Saints Day.  Today I am thankful for my friends and loved ones who lived the life, fought the good fight and have laid hold of eternal life.  So many of them have been a great blessing to me.  I give thanks for their lives, their example, and the memories that I have of them.

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

2 hurts

I have had two of you on my mind the last couple of weeks.  Both of you sent me emails about a hurt that you have experienced recently. 

How I wish I could scoop you up in my arms and make it all ok.  I am so sorry for what has happened.  One circumstance I know, the other person's I don't.  But I feel for both of you.

I know what it is to hurt and I have had many days when I wish someone would come and fix my life.  I want you to know that I love you.  Let's keep at it.  Together we can get there.  You are not alone.

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

Halloween

If you missed this story at church on Sunday I have to tell it again.

I was 14 and my mom dressed me up as a mummy for a Halloween party.  This is the picture and I still remember her taking it!

There were several hundred kids at the party at the local Christian church
.  I won a prize for the best costume and I danced to the long version of In-a-godda-da-vida all 17 minutes of it!

For the many times that I have questioned my childhood and discussed it's dysfunction, this was one memory that was a very good one.

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

Tomorrow is Halloween

Tomorrow is Halloween. 

My mom had a big devil.  She was always worried about him and always resisting him.  People that believe in a big devil often spend lots of time talking about him.  They are wasting time that could be directed toward our loving heavenly Father. For more on this topic see:
  http://www.jeffbrinkman.com/TH_ChristianTheol.html

Anyway, all of this went out the window on Halloween.  My mom loved Halloween!  She would put on scary music, turn the lights down and wait for the kids.  She had a sign with a witch on it that she put on the front door every year that read, "Welcome kiddies, put all your goodies in the box below.  Go quietly and no one will get hurt."

I just want to weigh in on Halloween.  It is not the devil's day.  The devil does not get a day.  he is a created being.  he is not the opposite of God.  he can't be everywhere at the same time any more than Gabriel or Michael, the other archangels.  I am not even capitalizing the word he when I refer to him at the beginning of a sentence.

We should spend our days loving God, not fighting the devil.

Halloween is a great day for kids.  Love them.  Dress them up.  Feed them candy.  It makes for great memories.

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

Three wonderful ladies

 

I am thinking about my wife and daughters and how much I love them.  I love my son too.  But I am thinking about my girls today.  All three of them.  This song comes to my mind- a friend of mine got married not too long ago and came down the isle to this.  I loved it.  Here are the words:

 

Her eyes, her eyes make the stars look like they're not shining. 

Her hair, her hair, falls perfectly without her trying.

She's so beautiful, and I tell her everyday.

I know, I know when I compliment her, she won't believe me.

And it's so sad to think that she doesn't see what I see.

But everyday when she asks me if she looks ok, I say:

 

When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change,

cause you're amazing, just the way you are.

And when you smile,

the whole world stops and stares for a while

cause you're amazing, just the way you are.

 

I love these girls so much.
Here is the youtube link if you want to hear the entire song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjhCEhWiKXk

 

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

life

Sometimes life brings you a cruel dose of reality.  Sometimes it is my own doing, sometimes it is beyond my control.  It is important when such moments come to you that you don't focus on who is to blame.  If I must take some responsibility for what happened, then that is fine, but that is different that placing blame.

When times are tough, it is not constructive to kick yourself or others.  What is needed is hard work and prayer for a better day.  At the end of every moment of despair, God is still there.  He understands.  He has faced some difficult things too.  We are not alone in our struggles.

The level of a person's mental health is directly related to their ability to see the good even in difficult times.

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

late bloomers

I am pretty excited by the late blooming iris that is declaring God's glory in my back yard right now.  What a surprise!  What a beauty. 

Now the mums are always in bloom this time of year, but they are beautiful too.

Late bloomers.  Things that may disappoint you in the spring, but bring their joy and beauty later in the year. 

I think a lot of people are like that.  You know they have potential, but they aren't showing it.  Other flowers are going to town, but these folks are just not doing it.  Then one day it happens.  They finish college late, they become a great spouse late, they rise to the occasion, they hit the home run in the late innings.

I am sure I have disappointed God many times in my life.  I am sure that in the minds of many, I was a late bloomer.  [some are still waiting for me to bloom] I made many mistakes in my early days.  But let today be a new day.  Rise to the moment, let your goodness come



out.  Recover from the past.  Become all that God has called you to be.  It is never too late.

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

on attending church

Being a pastor, I think attending church is a pretty good thing.  Does that surprise you?  I think that we find comraderie, learning and joy by attending church that we would likely miss without it.  There is always the move of the Holy Spirit that just sneaks in some times at church that we might otherwise miss.  Are regarding missions, we can accomplish so much more together!

Recently some friends from church visit

ed Ireland and made the decision to attend worship on Sunday morning even though it was their vacation.  Here is the account of that experience:

We were fortunate enough to win a trip to Ireland.  While the whole idea was golf, some sights were taken in as well.  One Sunday morning, two weeks ago, I dropped the guys off at the golf course.  My lady friend had a relative to visit, so I went to church!  I am sending some pictures of the place.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself!  The service had a total of 30 people, (infant included) and I can tell you it was wonderful!  The organist couldn’t make it that day so we all sang the Hymns the best we could.  The hymns were different than here, ones I’d never heard of, but that’s ok, it’s all in the message.

  The place I visited was    Ardara Methodist Church, officiated by Rev. John Purdy ( the one service at noon)  Rev. Purdy also has earlier church service in another small town called Dunkineely. At high noon the Reverend and the members all arrived.  Not early to make coffee…  just in time to hear the Good Word.  J  They do have a lot going on with the church re: events, youth, etc.  I picked up some pamphlets re: their missions/ministry work. 

   The Reverend wore a collar. Now I’m not that schooled in Methodist history, but being in Ireland he did refer to Wesley some, and it was interesting as the message he spoke that day was one you had spoken of just a couple weeks earlier.  Same idea, just his twist.  It was an enjoyable 1 hr.  So refreshing to sit in a small church, so humble,  I’m planning on sending him a note thanking him for his time.  We visited after church for awhile about the local youth/ missions.  He’s even heard of CRU!  A couple members stayed and visited with me, even offered to have coffee in town but I wasn’t able to. 

    If you’d like to take a peek at some of the pamphlets I picked up let me know. ( I even purchased the Women’s Cook book they were selling.)

I can’t say enough how much that morning was so wonderful.  The sun was shining, the grass was green and I truly felt touched that day by the Lord.

What a great joy she experienced and it all began with a decision to get up and go to God's house.
It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

when you are hurt

I was talking to someone who was recently hurt.

When you are hurt, it hurts.  500 thoughts go through your head.  Justifying yourself, explaining yourself, trying to fix it, even revenge.

It usually takes a person several days to sleep off such pain.  Several nights of rest to go through the cycles of being hurt.  You think you are over a thing, and it can pop back up.  Healing takes time.

Then one day you wake up and things are better.  The grieving process has done its work.  You know who they are, and you know who you are.  You are not going to change being you.  You are a caring person and caring people feel pain pretty intensely.  You can absorb this.  You can move on.  You can focus on who you are instead of living in reaction to something that has happened.

Anyone can see a beautiful day when the sun is shining and all is well.  It takes a special soul to work through their hurt and keep their chin up.

Keep at it.  It will get better.

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

when I retire

Someone wrote and asked me about when I retire.  I hope I live long enough to retire.  If I do, what will my relationship with WCC be like?  This is the question that they were asking.

In the strictest sense of Methodist polity, when you retire, you move on.  You don't go back.  You end your relationship and allow the new pastor to lead.  Some churches have kept retired pastors around.  Sometimes it works well, sometimes it does not.

Is it good for Jeff to preach in retirement somewhere else near here?  Is it possible for Jeff to stay on part time in retirement at Woods Chapel?  All of those are things that would need to be discussed at the time and the decision based on what was best for Woods Chapel.  I am 56 and mandatory retirement is 72, so we probably have a few years to think about this.

I believe I have now responded to the question and offered an answer that is as clear as mud.  So we put our trust in God and keep being who we are.

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

a day in the life

There are many jokes that are made about how a pastor spends their time.  A youngster at our church recently asked their mom, "what is pastor Jeff's other job?"  Surely this pastor thing is only a part time gig.  Hey, he only works one day a week and half a day at that.

Let me give you some insight into the life of most pastors.

Sundays are up early, worried in heart about how the sermon will go.  Meeting people, trying to get this whole worship thing right.  Meeting with someone after church.  Getting home for a late lunch.  A nap.  Yeah!  Then later in the day, any number of things: a meeting on some program, a trip to the hospital, or a get together with someone who wants to talk.

Getting together with someone who wants to talk.  I generally spend 15-20 hours a week with members who want to talk about something.  Breakfasts, lunches, cups of coffee.  Lots of time investing in people.  It is actually the most rewarding part of what most pastors do.

Meetings with leaders and staff takes up lots of time.  I would guess at least 10 hours per week.  Planning, working on, visioning, encouraging.

Reading.  Get some time in for reading.  Find sermon illustrations.  Learn new stories.   Preparing for presentations.  A class to teach, a class to visit.  Someone has happened by the office and wants to talk.  The Christian bookstore.  My boss called and wants to talk to me about something.  Drive to the district office.  Prepare forms for the all church conference.  Someone's marriage is on the rocks, they are on park 2.  Someone needs financial help, they are on park 3.  Review the financials from last month.  Call someone who has been missing from church.

Staff retreat.  Staff meeting.  Worship meeting.  Leadership meeting.  Personnel Team. Team team.  Men's bowling, yeah!  A respite.  Go for a walk to think some things through.  Work through a response to some issue.  Go help at the Hillcrest store.  Go visit with another pastor.

Answer emails  200 of them.  Give projects to other staff.  Design sermon series for the upcoming month.  Encourage someone whose child does not believe.  Prepare a sermon.

What?  yes, prepare a sermon.  Every Sunday, every week, almost anyway.  For a pastor it seems like Sunday comes 3x per week.

Pray.  Listen for the Holy Spirit.  Work on your rough edges.  Hug people.  Meet them for chicken wings.  Yeah!

All in all, there are plenty of things for pastors to do that keep them busy.  And I love this job, this calling, this life.  Thanks for the opportunity!

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

amazing

My friend Marti shared this and I had to pass it on........ sort of a celebration of the gift of the human mind that God has given to us.

Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy,

 

it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a tatol mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

 

 

 

Amzanig huh?

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

you are a bad person

A friend of mine is looking for a church in another town.  They visited one where the general message of the sermon was this: "you are a bad person if....."  If you ever did this, you are a bad person.  If you ever did that, you are a bad person.  If you ever.......... then you are probably going to hell.

Wow.  How crushing.  It is no wonder why people hate the church.  It is no wonder why young people and people of all ages are falling away from church.  Who thinks that they get to tell others who is going to hell?

We cannot forget the message of Grace.  It is not "a" doctrine of the faith, it is "the" doctrine of the faith.  If you take grace out of Christianity, there is nothing left.

Please know that you are loved and cared for by God.  You are precious in His sight.  There is nothing that you can do that would make Him want to throw you away.  God loves us, warts and all.  It's unconditional, and that is what makes it so amazing.

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

Ralph Waldo Emmerson

Emmerson lived from 1803-1882.  He was a noted American essayist, lecturer and poet.  Not necessarily a Christian, yet he provided much wisdom to the world of his day and beyond.  Here is one of his quotes.

"An individual has a healthy personality to the exact degree to which they have the propensity to look for the good in every situation." 

Lets keep working on that.

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

old friends

Sometimes I think of old friends.  I tried to catch up to one last year.  I had a good lead.  He was busy.  That's ok.  I don't normally use the full name of anyone in the blog, but in case they ever google themselves, maybe we can rekindle a friendship.  If you know where any of these people are, tell them that they are thought of fondly by Jeff Brinkman.

Mark Stanton [San Jose, California and Glen Ellyn Illinois]
Mark Flammer [San Jose, Calif]
Robin Dominick [San Jose, Calif]
Dallas Moore [Bethel, Ohio]
Vic Heister [Bixby, Oklahoma]
Tim Marcum [Lebanon, Mo]
Roger Grout [Princeton, Mo]

I have been blessed over the years with many friends.  It is sad when you lose touch.  I hope they are well.  I hope that you are appreciating your friendships.  To have a friend is treasure indeed.

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

repetition

Sometimes I find myself thinking of the same things over and over.  Or watching the same movies.  Or reading the same book.  Sometimes I feel silly just going over the same things.

Then I realize that maybe I need this to learn.  That if I really want to take something in, it might take repetition.  There is also a savoring that can take place when we revisit something.

It is totally ok to like to eat the same meals, to like to watch the same movies, to love the same music, to consider the same passage of scripture over and over.  Relax and enjoy - there are many good things to experience in this life.

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

Princeton and Mercer

Princeton UMC [could not find a pic of Mercer]

I spend three wonderful years as the pastor of two wonderful churches in Northern Missouri, Princeton and Mercer.  Because the Bishop does not want us to disrupt the ministry of the new pastor, we are not supposed to go back to former churches.  Consequently, over the last 19 years I have not been back.  Until a week or so ago.

I was afforded the blessed chance to visit with some of the leaders of Princeton and Mercer.  I drove up there with a couple of staff and their District Superintendent.  So I had permission to be there.  We will be working with the churches together on a program over the next few months.

What an amazing blessing it was to see several members that I have not seen for so many years.  Wonderful people who have loved and served their church and are still doing it.  I was so pleased to see them.  It made my heart feel good.

I am a lucky  man.  A fortunate man.  A blessed man.  I have known so many great people in my life.  It is great to catch up with some of them again. 

If you see an old friend this week, hug their neck.

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

fortunate

I don't know if I have posted about this before, but I am going to write about it again today.  A few weeks ago after church, it was all over.  Six services, choir, communion, meeting new folks, talking to old folks.  It was a big day at WCC.  I was about 12:25 and I walked into the sanctuary.  All the hands were shook and almost everyone was gone for the day.

I walked into the sanctuary where so much good stuff had happened during the day, but now it was completely quiet.  It was like the joy was still hanging around.  I was struck with a feeling of how fortunate I am to be your pastor.

Thanks for the opportunity.  I love you guys.

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

life lesson

I tried to teach this to my kids.  I have talked about it before.  I am going to talk about it til my dying day.

Bad things are going to happen.  You are going to get kicked in the teeth.  A flat tire is in your future.  You are going to fall down and break your wrist.  You are going to get hit by a pitch.  It is coming.  It may or may not be at your house today, but there is always something coming.

We can't control what difficulty may come.  We can't always control the outcome.  But we can always control our response to the difficulty.  Life is a rose garden that holds both roses and thorns.  They go together.

Be mad for a while if you have to, be frustrated for a while if you have to, but then move out.  Take a deep breath and get back in the game.  Brush the dirt off of your clothes and get back in the batter's box.  When you get knocked down, get back up.  There is no other way.  It is the only choice available to those who would be successful in this life.

God is hoping that we will share the joy, even in the midst of difficulty.  Getting up and taking a step in the right direction is always the healthy move.

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

thou shall not kill

Thou shall not kill.  It is one of the top ten.  I believe it.  I hate killing things.  I don't do it.  Usually.  Except for wasps.  For wasps I will make an exception.  I am sorry but it makes me happy to spray them, kill them and then tear their little houses off of our house.

If you have some of these little nasty guys at your house, call me and I will be glad to swing by and take care of the problem.  After I sprayed it, this nest dropped 26 dead wasps on the front porch. :-)

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

God's amazing world

So I am on the deck at our house and I notice this big scary bug on top of one of the deck posts.  To give you some perspective, the posts are 8 x 8 inches.

This is a praying mantis.  Methodist variety I believe.  I would move from one side of him to another and he would turn his scary little head and follow me.  He was too scary.  We had to go back inside.

I hope part of your worship today will acknowledge the fact that God is big, giant, amazing and has a great imagination!

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

spread too thin

the children of Los Pinos, Nicaragua

Someone asked recently about our church being spread too thin.  We did have a discussion about this topic a few years ago regarding international missions.  At the time we were operational in Haiti, Liberia, Jamaica, Mozambique, and Russia.  Maybe other places as well.  There was a sense at the time that we were active in too many places and that some of them held some real challenges as to distance and cost issues.  In response to this, we have not returned to either of our Africa locations.  We still have a sister church in Mozambique, but this has become more of a relationship of emails, letters and funding.  We have no trips planned at the present time.

To make up for these changes and to pull our resources together, we have continued to encourage the Russia Orphanage ministry, the dental work in Jamaica and earthquake relief in Haiti.  We have also introduced the village sponsorship in Nicaragua.  A trip to Nicaragua is in our time zone and the cost is much more reasonable than the Africa trips.  The Los Pinos partnership is also something that any group in the church can be involved with.  It feels to me that we are much more balanced now for our size with operations in Russia, Nicaragua Jamaica and occasionally Haiti.

As to local mission initiatives, we encourage people that have these ideas to build their own teams and  foster their own momentum. In a church this size, there are always going to be many ways that people can be involved. Some of them will be around a long time, others may come and go, and that is ok. Churches need to allow some ministries to live their life and fade into the past. People should always choose the things to be involved in that pull on their heart strings.  That way your work in missions is never forced, but always joyful and fulfilling.

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

the greatest compliment

Now I love all of you readers.  All of you.  I am blessed to have you follow this blog.  Scott C.  Grandma B.  I love you guys.  Marilyn H.  Bobbi Sue.  I love you guys.

But I received the greatest compliment that I have received in a long time when my daughter told me that she was now reading Dad's blog.  Alli I love you and I miss you and you are the best!

Sometimes things happen that just make you happy and you have to share.  I am proud of my kids.

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

trivia

Who is this guy?  If you grew up in Kansas City and you are about my age, you should know.  This is a famous clown who had a TV show.  He had a theme song.  The other day it got stuck in my head.

Who's always smiling never sad it's ________.
Who makes the boys and girls so glad ________.
He's the charming fellow with the big red shiny nose.
Dressed in crazy mixed up clothes from his head down to his toes.

Who has a great big trunk of tricks it's _______.
he'll sing a song or do a dance for you.
When you're sad he'll make you glad.
the very best friend you ever had.
Whizzo the clown that's who.

Now if you remember that song, may it be stuck in your head.  That man is Whizzo the clown.  His real name was Frank Oliver Wiziardi.  He died in 1987, but not after bringing joy to the lives of many children who are now grown up.  Or at least we aren't kids anymore.

One great memory from my childhood.
It's a beautiful day in God's world.  Be sure to see the good.

change your life

Do you wish to change your life?  Are you in a rut?  I was thinking the other day about something that changed my life.  In fact when I talk to people that I know, almost all of their lives have been changed by this:

Go on a mission trip.  Spend your money [or I mean the money that God loaned to you in this life] spend your money and go somewhere and help people in need.  See their hurt.  See their pain.  Witness real hunger, real poverty, and real despair.  Use a week of your vacation if need be, and spend your money to do this.  Invest your time, talents and treasure in God's work.

Many things have changed me in my life, but going on a mission trip began the work of creating compassion in my heart.  Does your life need a change?  Leave your comfort zone and go into mission for the sake of Christ.

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

golf cart rides

So a couple of weeks ago it was Oktoberfest in Lees Summit.  A friend asked me if I could help move some golf carts from the John Knox Village maintenance shop on Pryor into downtown Lees Summit.  They needed them for the weekend event.

I got an image in my head of the old cartoon the "Banana Splits."  They were on Saturday morning, right after the Monkees.  They rode around in golf carts in the beginning of each show.  Gosh does that date me?

So six of us had a golf cart race across town.  Down Pryor to O'Brien, on O'Brien across the tracks to the Downtown Methodist Church and then south to the chamber


building.  I got out to a quick start, but due to a slow cart I came in 4th place.  It was however a wonderful way to spend 30 minutes on a nice cool morning.  Always glad to help the chamber.  Maybe the church could have a golf cart race sometime.  That was fun!

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

our church

Someone asked me recently why I thought our church was worth supporting.  It is a great question.  If you expect people to give their time, talent and treasure to your church, a person needs to be able to answer this

question.  Why is my church worth supporting?

Whether you attend Woods Chapel or another church, I would like to ask you this question, so please answer or post a thought.  Is your church worth supporting?  Why or why not?

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

to think or rest

Sometimes we come to church and we need to find rest.  Sometimes we come and we need to be challenged.  Someone once said that pastors should comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable.  Do you need to rest?  Then take one.  But the moment you are healed, get up and get back in the game.  Challenge takes us to great places for God.

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

quote

From an email that I received recently from a friend........

"Life may not be the party that we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance."

I will offer an edited version......
Life may not be the party that you expected, but you can still choose to get up and dance.
Either way, enough said.

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

did you know?

Did you know that not everyone lives like we do?  Like you do, like I do?  If you are reading this, you have a tablet, computer or cell phone.  Many people do not have these luxuries.  Are you planning a vacation?  Do you have a job that gives you vacation time?  Many people do not have such opportunities to take a break from life. 

Do you have a lake house?  Do your cars start and run?  Can you afford a house cleaner?  Lawn service?  Do you have health insurance?  Can you go to the Royals games?  Chief's games?

There is another economy in our world.   And not just our world, but in Kansas City, in Lees Summit. 

Some people take the bus because they have no car.  Some people will never own, but always rent.  Some people must go to the free health clinic.  Some people work second jobs to throw me a bag of peanuts at the Royal's games.  Some people come to the church to ask for food since they can't go to Price Chopper.

Have you noticed all of the places around town that make title loans?  "Checks cashed today."  For a fee.  For a big fee.  But there are so many of these places.  If we are paying attention, it tells us that there are many people who are living a very different standard of living that most of the rest of us.  They are all around us.

So what to do?

First of all, be aware.  Wake up.  Not everyone lives like we do.
Second, understand that they are God's children too.  Although it may not be the job of government to fix all of those problems, God is very concerned about his children.  All of them.
Finally, our lives as Christians are most fully expressed, not by what we believe, but by what we do.

Every time we step out of suburbia to help another, we have become the hands and feet of Christ.  Maybe with practice, it can become not simply a generous interruption but a new lifestyle.  New life is what Jesus is all about, and that might start in our heart, but it can't end there.  New life, real life, is out there.... with God, with his people, caring for the least of these.

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

Generosity, part 2

I cannot let you off the hook on this one.  Temper these words with yesterday's post, but be careful not to temper them too much.

The heart of the Christian faith is that we learn to spend ourselves for others.  Take up our cross.  Not my will but Thine be done.  This is not optional.  It is not negotiable.  The Christian faith is not something that occasionally interrupts our lives, but is by definition, life changing.  The principles of the faith should dominate our lives, not simply interrupt them.  We don't live our lives and take a break to do something Christian, we are invited to learn to live outside of ourselves.

With that said, why shouldn't we respond to invitations to help?  Why shouldn't we give our time, talent and treasure for the sake of Christ?  No one will die thinking that they should have been less generous, but many in their waning years begin to realize that we have spent much of our lives caring for ourselves.

We are so blessed, and there are so many needs in the world.  How can we hold back our heart toward those in need?  God is looking for people whose hearts are turned towards him and his people.  Please don't ever be annoyed by an ask.  Whether it is a homeless person on the corner, a canned food drive, a blood drive or a pledge drive, every single opportunity like this is an opportunity for us to learn to live as Jesus taught us.   I have never been mad that I gave blood, brought food or made a financial pledge, those actions in fact have been some of the most rewarding. 

Generosity.  For Christians, it is not optional, it is central.  And, it is where we find the joy.

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

Generosity, pt 1

I am going to let you off the hook on this one.  Occasionally I get complaints that the church is always asking for something. 

• bring tooth brushes for dental for kids
• come help clean the hillcrest apartment
• adopt a child from Russia
• volunteer to be on a painting crew
• come to a landscape day
• bring clothes for Nicaragua
• spend a Saturday at a Habitat build
• come sort food at Harvesters

On and on it goes.  I am letting you off the hook.  You don't have to help with any of this that you don't want to.  In fact, we don't want people to feel pressured.  What you do, we want you to do joyfully.  Some ministries will thrive because people feel the call, others will wane and even come to an end because people lose interest.  Ministry should not be forced.

Leaders of ministries have a right to invite you to help.  Your response is up to you.  Church should never burn a person out.  Find the things that you love and jump in with both feet.  Don't worry about the rest of it, no one can do it all.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post.

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

plant a tree

A couple of riddles:

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

When is the second best day to plant a tree?
answer= today.

Important decisions and great investments will savor your life once you actually put them into gear.

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