ways we can care

 Last week I asked for ideas from you about ways that we can care for others.  Ideas on how we can serve.  I have to tell you, reading what you all are doing was so inspirational to me.

I am sorry that I could not use all of them in yesterday's sermon, but below is the entire list.  I hope that something that someone is doing will inspire you to kindness in the name of the Lord.

Here is what you all sent in... Its a beautiful day in God's world...

I did fix soup and cookies and had Glenn drop off on Mike and Kathys porch today and texted them and told them the food was there because I knew they weren’t up to company.

I keep track of the date of the death of loved ones of my friends and family and on that date each year I acknowledge that their loved one passed on that day.

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Sometimes a simple phone call to a friend or family member can me their day.

I have received lots of cards of encouragement that have meant a lot to me during my cancer treatment.

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Ever morning when I awaken I say a brief prayer asking God to give me the strength and courage to try to joyful and positive with everyone with whom I come in contact. It is difficult to be of service to others if you don’t have a positive attitude. I pray that I can pass a joyful attitude to others, remembering that it doesn’t take any talent to be grump!

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Blessing bags with water/fruit juice, packaged sandwich crackers, fruit snacks, piece of chocolate and an alcohol prep wipe (can add other items like socks, Band-Aids, etc). Ready in car to hand out to persons asking for money on street corners.

Joy surprises by paying for car behind you when in fast food or coffee drive thru.

Ask a low income apartment complex manager if there is someone close to eviction and pay one month rent for them.

Take a reheat meal to a widow, new mom, person who is sick or quarantine.

Hold the door for others.

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Hi Jeff, hope you’re doing well. I’m hanging in there. Looking for help for reference to helping people. When I was working with the Elks Lodge. We helped a lot of the underprivileged at holiday time. It was very rewarding just seeing people so grateful for the groceries that we brought them for the holidays. We also gave kids bicycles that we had refurbished from parts of old ones that were donated. The kids were very grateful for those too. One little guy was just so grateful just to get a gallon of milk. We also worked a lot with the vets. Helping them with the necessities of Getting things they needed for an apartment. Hope this helps.

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We don't think we are able to do a lot right now but we help at WCC Raytown now with meals that we prepare there and hand out to drive thru. (Word that however you want)

Also we buy for the food pantry and other areas that the church needs food for.

We only donated money towards the school supplies as we don't shop.

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take rolls of quarters to the laundromat.

give a larger than 20% tip to the server.

Take a box of candy to your bank tellers.

Buy a house for a family in Nicaragua.

take food to the homeless

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Covid has put a huge crimp in visiting people in hospitals and nursing homes, but some things I loved doing for/with these folks was just carving out a little time to be with them: listening to their stories and things they are concerned about, reading to them, writing out cards for them to send, sometimes feeding them, if necessary, brushing their hair, applying hand lotion or lip balm, etc., showing interest with grace and compassion.

We may not be able to serve others in this way at the moment, but other things we can do right now as we’re out and about is to smile at people. I have heard it lamented that wearing our masks makes it impossible for others to see our smile, but I beg to differ. Look into their eyes....people smile with their whole expression! Smile. Share a greeting. Be a light in someone’s day.

Hope this was helpful. Love you.

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Work in a food pantry or donate extra items to it. Work in or donate to an organization like Hillcrest.

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I prepare sack lunches and keep them in my care for people standing on street corners.

We cook a meal and serve it monthly at the shelter Kc’s women shelter. Doing this regularly has allowed us to build a relationship with the staff and women. This had also opened up many other opportunities to serve these women.

I try to look out for any neighbors that are going through difficulty.

I help my niece who has emotional problems. I have learned not to try to change her but to do this with no expectations. I clean her apartment and help with finances

I am a cancer survivor and am an active participant in the cancer connection. I deliver care bags to members that are in treatment

I try to send notes of encouragement to anyone I feel needs a boast

I try to be open to the nudges I get from the Holy Spirit and try to act on them

I try to be a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend.

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1) Make or send cards to your local hospital staff as a means of encouragement and thanking them for their service. As Covid -19 cases rise in Florida and nationwide, medical personnel feel discouraged and frustrated.

2) Send cards or donate baked goods to your local police station or fire station. These folks risk their lives for us every day and I think they need our encouragement and appreciation.

3) Next time you are shopping whether it’s at the grocery store, gift shop or department store, thank your clerk or cashier and say their name. It means so much to these essential workers to hear a kind word as the public has been increasingly ugly and combative. I also tell them to stay safe- their health and well being is important to me.

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Mow their yard

Shovel their walk

Rake their leaves

Offer them a ride

Offer to drive them to a scary dr appt if they are alone and stay with them

Leave a bag of groceries at their door

Anonymously leave cash for rent when you know they are struggling

Spend an evening with someone who is lonely (after COVID)

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I grew up, Jeff, in a family that chose not to mix freely with others. As a consequence I had few friends growing up, and to this day I am at ease with that. But I am concious of many others like me, and in many settings at church, where I am known and elsewhere I make a point of offering a greeting or other brief gesture of friendship.

...and in so many cases it is returned.

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I’ve been picking up leftover Panera bread and pastries on Monday night’s for years and bringing the pastries to the Tuesday morning men’s Mpact meeting (which temporarily has been suspended because of Covid), and then delivering the bread to Salvation Army or mainly Hillcrest housing in Ind. or Lee’s Summit.

For the past month, I decided that our own WCC Food Pantry could also benefit from it, so I’m splitting up the bread and pastries delivery to both now. Shirley Early is also bringing a lot of the bagels over to Grace Place.

My wife and I also spend a lot of time working on the Landscape team at church. Plus other projects at church that I help out from time to time (helping Jay move big rocks this morning from south islands to the other locations prior to islands be rocked this week).

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I work at the Hillcrest office one afternoon a week answering calls and helping the residents and case managers. I used to volunteer at Harvesters and weigh the food the agencies picked up. I think a great way to serve is doing things like what you do and making sandwiches and delivering them to the homeless, or doing meals on wheels or taking food to people who are sick, grieving, etc. It's super hard to make a time commitment, but sometimes that's more important than spending money. I always admire people who do Habitat as an example.

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Actually listen. A lot of people don’t feel heard and understood. People have a tendency to think about what they are going to say next instead of actually listening and watching nonverbal clues.

One way to serve is to actually and actively listen. A lot of people don't feel heard or understood. People have a tendency to think about what they are going to say next instead of paying attention to the person they are talking “with”. Whether it is a stranger or a family member.

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When you see someone in a restaurant with a Veteran cap (WW II, Viet Nam, etc.) … secretly buy their meal and have the server tell them “thank you for your service”.

Put a little tip next to your pillow on your last day at a hotel (for the cleaning crew)

Homeless people need food … yes … they also need candles. Save your candles (skinny, fat, big, little, half-burned jars, etc.) for them.

Give someone something special to you … just because they need it more than you do. Last winter, I was feeding the homeless in KC. I had on my favorite Chiefs stocking cap that was so so warm. A homeless man asked, “How would I get a stocking cap like that one?” I said, “Oh we have stocking caps on the Uplift truck.” He said, “I mean one just like the one you’re wearing.” You probably know the rest of that story!!

Hand out full size Halloween candy … the trick or treaters LOVE it.

After your grandkids are in bed and almost asleep, run back into their room and tell them, “Get up, get up … we’re going out for ice cream.”

When you can and feel safe, stop and smile and have a conversation with a homeless person. Look into their eyes. I try to remember … there is no one whose eyes I look into that God does not love.

My friend goes to garage sales and buys sleeping bags and boots to give to homeless. He just might stop on the side of the road and say, “Do you need a pair of boots.” So cool!!

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- providing a school lunch for students in Haiti

- sponsoring the education of a student in Haiti where fewer than 50% graduate from 6th grade

- sitting in the hospital emergency waiting room with person awaiting results of a friend/relative

- calling anybody who is sitting/working at home during Covid

- listening - yielding to understanding - yet not necessarily agreeing

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I think about Gloria, who is going through Chemo treatments for lymphoma, but has still been helping a friend with dementia--taking him to dr appointments, checking in on him almost every day, moving him from his condo to a care facility, making dinner for him a couple of times a week.

I think of Judy--who has for the past 6 years been sending a short prayer or scripture passage via text/email every morning to maybe 30+ people.

I think of Joanne who cares for animals and the environment and is usually the first to volunteer to roll up her sleeves and work on their behalf. Working to protect the nest of burrowing owls, for example.

I think of Cheryl, who every day calls or texts at least one person who is in need of companionship, support, or encouragement.

I think of a group of ladies who alternate weekly delivering a homemade meal to a woman who is bed ridden (and has been for 5 years) and under the care of her husband.

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Jeff, not very creative but some things that gave us lots of reasons to smile—-random acts of kindness. Clearing someone’s driveway of snow, raking or mulching someone’s leaves, bring food to a neighbor for no reason, pay for someone’s meal behind you at a fast food restaurant(really like to do this for first responders)

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I have doubled my tips to servers and to my hair dresser. I gave 20% before the pandemic, now I give at least 30%, and most of the time 40% because they lost so much business these last months, and they depend on tips.

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Buy several fleece blankets at Walmart (2.50-5.00) to keep in your car. And when we start to have cool nights, give them to a homeless person.

Sponsor a student in Nicaragua for $30.00/month.

Buy Christmas presents for a foster child, this is what we give to our adult kids at Christmas. We sponsor 3 children every year. I put pictures of the gifts in a special card to each couple. ( My three married children.)

Walk dogs at an animal shelter.

Volunteer at your local elementary school. They need volunteers with many different skill levels. Work in the library, read to the young ones, help with a craft, help with office work, spruce up the outside play area.

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When cleaning out your closet, don’t take your clothes to Goodwill or the such. Take them to a local women’s shelter or homeless shelter for their use. Or even purchase new for either shelter.

Give your TIME to a food pantry unboxing food coming in or box up/take to their car food going out.

Mow a neighbors yard. (I’d say shovel snow off neighbors sidewalk/driveway but I don’t think it’s applicable where you live. LOL)

Offer to watch a friends/neighbors children a couple of hours for the parent(s) to have a date.

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By being aware of our surroundings and those who need help and it can be as simple as reaching a higher shelf at the grocery store for someone.

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During this quarantine I have been leaving a ziplock bag of treats/bottled water for my trash collectors. I leave one on top of both my trash bin and my recycle bin. They have occasionally left me thank you notes which made my day!

If you get any more good service ideas, send those out in another blog!

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We have an elderly neighbor and friend who lives down the road from us. She lost her beloved husband 5 years ago. Lina is such a gifted artist, but when Val died, she put down her paintbrushes and lost interest in her artwork.

This summer I asked an artist from church for an art assignment because I missed her art challenges to the church: painting a verse from the Lord’s Prayer or from the 23rd Psalm. I’m not an artist nor have had any training, but I felt the Lord’s presence whenever I took on Martha’s projects. Martha very kindly sent me a simple assignment: find an object, draw it, but when drawing I wasn’t allowed to lift my pencil from the paper. My drawing had to be a single line.

I felt the Lord nudging me to call Lina, so I went outside and picked up a maple leaf and an oak leaf. I called Lina and asked her if she wanted to do Martha’s art assignment with me. She hesitated but then said yes and invited me to her home. When we walked into her studio, she told me she hadn’t been in her studio since Val died. We hugged each other and reminisced about Val and what a special, wonderful husband and friend he was.

We sat side-by-side at her drawing desk, and I brought out the leaves. Lina chose the maple leaf. I gave her Martha’s assignment and the instruction about not being allowed to lift our pencils from the paper. Lina guffawed loudly! Her eyes lit up! She had never heard of such a thing! We laughed and began to draw the leaves. We worked and talked nonstop for over 2 hours on the complexity of this “simple” project. Then Lina enthusiastically got out her colored pencils and wanted us to color our leaves and finish them “properly!” Lina was so radiant! A spark had been reignited within her! Her eyes shone and a smile covered her face.

After that first project, Lina and I have drawn and painted together many times. She instructs me in paints, drawing techniques, and we have wonderful discussions, or sometimes no discussions; we simply paint and enjoy the fellowship. Lina is back in her studio and creating beautiful works of art. She calls me an inspiration, but we all know God is the inspiration. All we have to do is listen and follow His lead.

One other thing: Give everything away! Your time. Your money. Your prayers. Your love. Even yourself. It’s such a blessing to freely and lovingly GIVE.

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Hope all is well with you. Like you, I am rather handy and most of my friends and neighbors over the years have learned this fact. I often get solicited to help and almost always jump at the chance to do so, even if it means putting myself behind on my own projects, etc. I take a lot of pride in helping others and this is something that I enjoy. It truly makes me feel better inside to help others fix things or solve problems.

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We are able to do more with our time than treasures therefore we send cards to those who are needing a lift that might be experiencing cancer (Cancer Connection) or other things.

During COVID, one of the best ways to serve is to reach out and call or Zoom others you haven't talked to in a long while. I have an Aunt problem. LOL.

My problem is I have 5 Aunts and I haven't reached out like I should, so this week, I reached out to all of them to let them know I love them! :) They are precious to me.

I schedule coffee dates with my Mom and Dad via Zoom or friends that I've missed connecting with over the years. It's soul lifting for us all.

God's Bucket Brigade is a new charity in KC that delivers 5 gallon bucket of needed items to gender specific people. Ladies get lady items. Men get men items. Kids receive the things kids need.

All I have to give is time right now, but I'm finding people need that as much as anything else. It sure does my heart good to connect.

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I plant trees at the church

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I missed two haircuts when barbers and hairdressers were prevented from working. When I was able to get a haircut, I gave the woman who cuts my hair a payment that amounted to three haircuts and tips - one for the current work, and two for those that I missed. It wasn't really generous on my part, because I would have paid for them anyway. But she appreciated it.

Maybe Thanksgiving and Christmas would be a good time to pay barbers and hairdressers for income they missed earlier this year.

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Call shut-ins, sick people, anyone needing encouragement.

Send paper notes, cards to the above.

Donate cash or food to local food banks.

Acknowledge beggars on street corners; have prepared bags of toiletries or food and water to give at street corners. Don't judge them - that's God's job.

Give them a blanket in cold weather.

Donate necessary items thru your chuch.

Say "God bless you." Some of them really mean it when they say it.

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What about doing something for someone without looking for acknowledgment.

 

 

Please help me with my sermon

I am preaching this Sunday on service. How we can serve others. Why we serve others. I am asking you to send me any specific ideas that you have about how to serve others. If you love people, I know that you are finding ways to serve...

Ways that we might serve...

• take rolls of quarters to the laundromat.
• give a larger than 20% tip to the server.
• Take a box of candy to your bank tellers.
• Buy a house for a family in Nicaragua.
• take food to the homeless

I need help. I would like to give the congregation specific things that they can do to help others. I won't use your name, but please tell me how you show your love for others.

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

I am sorry

Healthy people say that they are sorry.
As I look over my life I see that I have many things to apologize for.

I am sorry for hurting you.
I am sorry for not being there for you.
I am sorry for leaving you in a bad spot.
I am sorry for all of the times that I was thinking about me - me - me.

Please forgive me.

I hope that from time to time, you apologize. It is something that all of us need to do.

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

 Some people will be happy with the outcome of this presidential election, others will be disappointed. I heard some disappointing news the other day that really took my spirits down.

Proverbs13:12 tells us
    "Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
    but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."

When we want something to go a certain way and it doesn't, it can really hurt.  That is why our mothers cautioned us not to get our hopes up.  But it is hard to not get your hopes up, especially when you have a lot invested in whatever is going on.

When things don't go your way, don't grouse.  Well, ok, allow yourself to grouse and complain to a trusted friend for an hour, then pick yourself up and move on.

If the election goes your way, good for you.  If it doesn't, just remember that in our life times we have had presidents from both parties.  America has continued, and our lives have gone on.

No matter how a thing goes, just remember to see the good.  There are happy times to come, and there are still people that love you.

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

 I was talking to a friend the other day about death.  About losing friends and loved ones.  It really stinks when those we love die.  It is so final.  It is such an insult.  There is nothing that we can do about it.

But, if I die first, I don't want you to be sad.  As soon as possible, I want your mourning to turn to a savoring.  Remembering the good, the fun, the joy.  Ohhh we lived!!!

But if you die first, I want you to know something that I have learned from the death of my father... it is possible for a person's grief to turn to a savoring.  I missed my dad and I hurt for the loss of him for years.  Now I miss my dad and I am thankful for him.  I love him still, I savor the good.

If you are aching from the loss of a loved one, may God soon turn your grief into an appreciation, a savoring.

And let us all remember that we will be together again!

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

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one short

 Yesterday we were doing our Monday sandwich deliveries to the homeless and marginalized.  At the last stop we were one sandwich short.  We told the people we would make more and come back.  But as we were driving away, the homeless friends were dividing what they had with the person that got nothing.

It was a beautiful thing to watch.  Maybe if we all shared, we would never be one short.

What do you have that you can share today?

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

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hacked

 I have been hacked.  If you get an email from me asking for help or financial help, please do not send any money.  I am fine.  I don't know how this happens.

Anyway, love and blessings to you all.  Send no money please.

All is well.

saving or loving

 I used to think it was my job to get people saved.  Believe this and you are in.  Boom - notch in my gun.  Believe this and you are good, you are like me.

I used to think it was my job to help people get saved.  I don't think that anymore.

Today I believe in something that I think is much more healthy and much more powerful.  Today I believe that it is my job to love you.

If I am trying to save you, you are an object, a project, and you are in danger of my bad theology and manipulation.

If I am loving you, well, that is the good stuff.  If I set out to love people, God is in the middle of that, because God is love.  If I am loving you, then the Holy Spirit is right in the middle of that and eventually he will reach you.

I think the world would be a better place if we stopped making people our projects and just loved them.  The Pharisees were always trying to convert people.  Jesus just loved them.

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

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The power of love

 There is a condition that babies and young children can get that is called "failure to thrive."  Some have suggested that in addition to poor nutrition, this condition is associated with babies who are not held, who are not loved.

And I think about all of the people out there in this world who wish to be loved.  There are so many hearts that are just yearning for someone to love them.

Next subject.......... And so I want to tell you that my daughter Allison is a great mother.  She spends a lot of time with baby Izzy and loves on her.  Babies should know that they are loved.

Adults should know that they are loved.

Remember, you have the power to bring a smile to someone's face.  You have the power to help someone feel like a million dollars.

A kind word, a caring hug, a little time spent, or a simple smile can be what it takes to help someone to thrive.

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

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I see you

 I see you.

I don't mean that I am watching you.  I don't mean that I am waiting for you to do something wrong.  I am not saying "ok, you have my attention."

I am saying that I see you.
I value you.
I get you.
I want you to be happy.
You matter.
I see you.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.  And see people...  People want to be seen, to be known, to be valued.
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everybody always

 At church we have been watching the Bob Goff video series in staff meeting.  The title of the series is "Everybody Always."

The idea is that we are to love everyone, always.  No more dividing of people between good and bad.  No more KU vs MU.  No more Gators vs Seminoles.  Jesus loves them all.  No more Republicans vs Democrats.  No more those who are in vs those who are out.

We are called to love everyone, always.

And that makes for a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

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a little joy

Yesterday I was looking through a Christmas book.  A book of stories, tales and carols.  Suddenly I was in the spirit of Christmas.  I was no longer hearing the political ads, I was no longer worried about covid, I was at the manger.  My heart was singing.  I thought of so many Christmases past.  So much good.  So much joy.  I played some music.

I found the joy.

If you are burdened in your heart right now, get out something Christmas.  Listen to a song.  I have attached one of my favorites here.

click here to listen

May you find some joy this day, For it is afterall, a beautiful day in God's world.

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Manipulation

I have been watching The Vow on HBO about the NXIVM cult.  The amount of manipulation in this organization makes your head shake.  

I have witnessed a good deal of manipulation from Pastors and churches in my life.  The church that I grew up in insisted that they were the right denomination.  Believe like them if you want to be right.  Only members could take communion.  Don't ask questions.  God does it all, and we tell you what God is like and what God thinks.  There is no room for divergent opinions.

In my teen years I attended a church that "cast demons out of people" or whatever that was about.  I witnessed people being "slain in the Spirit" where the Pastor would push on your forehead and you would fall over on the floor.

Today I would like to say this.... God needs no manipulation to do his work.  You should never feel pressured to do anything.  A church asking is fine, but you should always have the freedom to not do whatever they are asking.  Your questions should be welcomed.  Your different views should be ok.  You should not have to check your brain at the door.

In healthy spirituality, your journey is yours.  Read, think, talk things over.  Find a place that fits you.  Flee from pressure, flee from coercion, and flee manipulation in any form.  And if you find yourself with people or pastors that act like they have no problems or are better than other people, run the other way as quickly as you can.

God does not need human pressure.  His Spirit works by love and grace.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.
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My friend Kathy sent me this

 

kneeling in prayer

Yesterday I was struck with a need to pray.  I thought of some of the things in my life and some of the things in the lives of others that I know.  I started to cry.  I thought of the pandemic.  I thought of the person who came up to me after church on Sunday with tears in their eyes.

I went to the sanctuary to pray.  I was going to kneel down at the rail and talk it all out with God.  But that did not work out as there was a meeting going on in the sanctuary and I wanted to pray in private.

I will go back though and have my time.

And I thought about this one thing that the pandemic cannot take from us.  That is the ability to go to our church and find a place to kneel and pray.  I don't know about you but it seems to work better for me when I am actually in the sanctuary at the rail.

If you are a pastor, remind your folks that they can come during the week and pray.  If you are a member, I hope you will take advantage of the opportunity to sneak into your church and find your place at the communion rail.

Prayer is good for the soul.

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

the meaning of life

 I was listening to a radio show the other day and they were talking about the meaning of life.

What is the meaning of life?  Please, someone tell me, I have been searching for my entire life.  We all at one time or another, ask that question.  Why are we here, what is the meaning of life?

The radio personality that they were interviewing said something that I thought was profound.  They said the point is not "what is the meaning of life, but what is the meaning in life."

In other words, don't worry about what the big meaning is, look every day for the meaning in life.  What am I doing today?  How can I find the meaning in it?  How can I find the meaning in this day?

What can I do to make a difference?  What can I do to deliver joy?  Maybe if we find the meaning in each day of life, we will find the meaning of life.

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

food for thought

 I wish more Christians would consider more fully the message of this comic.

Provided by my friend Linda.

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

The destructive power of self doubt

 I don't know about you, but my life has been one giant fight with self doubt.

Most of us lose the fight.  Most of us shrink back from our potential because we are afraid.  But there have been those times in my life, and I am sure in yours as well, when you stepped up to the plate, fought through your fears and got the bat on the ball.

Fears will come.  They bring choices to us.  Will we shrink back or will we step into the gap?  The side of the road is littered with people that gave up.  But then there are those who refuse to let their self doubt get the best of them.  These are those who stoop to help the broken.  These are those who hug those who are sad.  These are those who sit with the grieving.  

And this is you.  You are doing that.  You can be doing that.  Never let your worries get in the way of doing good in the name of the Lord.  Never let your self doubt stop you from fulfilling your potential.  There are tons of people out there waiting to be loved.  They need you.  And they need me.

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

Welcome to Marwen

Welcome to Marwen is a 2018 film starring Steve Carell.  I had been wanting to watch it because I like war movies and it appeared to have some WW2 flavor in the previews.

Well, what I finally watched on Sunday night was not a war movie.  I don't know exactly how to explain what the movie is about.  Steve Carell has some tragic things happen to him and he spends the rest of the movie trying to come to grips with his wounds.  By the way, it is a true story.

Have you ever had tragic things happen to you and then spend years trying to come to grips with them???

At one point he realizes that what happened to him, what was done to him, was not his fault.  When he said that, I stopped the movie and cried.  What happened to him was not his fault...  And I thought about so many things that happened to me as a child.

Sure, much of my adult issues were, or are my own fault, but when I was a child, I was a child.  The wounds that were inflicted upon me were not my fault.

At one point Steve Carell tells the court, "the people that hurt me, they are gone.  They are gone for good.  They cannot hurt me anymore.  But I am still here.  And I have my friends. And I will be ok."

May all of you who were hurt as children know that you cannot be hurt by them anymore.  They are gone.  They are gone for good.  But we, we are still here.  And we have our friends, and we have those that love us, and we can still work with tools and play catch.  We can still help the needy and do what we were sent to this earth to do.  We can still love one another.

At some point in this life we have to overcome what happened to us as children.  It was not our fault.  They are gone, gone for good, and we, we live on.

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

Are we not over this kind of stuff yet?

 I received an email the other day from someone that I do not know.  They were insisting that if you are not baptized by immersion, then you are going to hell.  Are we not over this kind of stuff yet?

Jesus isn't keeping track of who is baptized and who is not.  He does not care what you believe about the second coming, baptism, or the bible.  

Jesus cares about us learning to love.  Love God, love others.  That is all there is.  All the law and the prophets hang on this.  Everything hangs on this.  Every doctrine, every opinion, every everything is measured by the practice of love.

No love, then we are a noise.  No love, then we are a clashing cymbal.  No love and we are missing it.  May we all spend more time, much more time working on being loving and less time, much less time worrying about doctrine.

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

Good News

 

I am so tired of bad news.  I am so tired of ABC, CBS, NBC and all the rest.  Shootings.  Murders.  Abuse of power.  Terrorists.  Bad Politicians.  Protests.  Looting.  Covid 19.  Is there only bad news?  Are our brains only to be filled with angst?

How about some good news.  It is all around us if we look.  

A new baby was born.  Friends got to have dinner together.  Someone loves someone.  Dick fed homeless people.  Someone was generous.  People were grateful.  Friends came over to visit.  Many people are not sick.  There is water at the sink.  The water is clean.  There is a roof over my head.  I have love in my heart.  Some people love me.  I get to go to the dentist.  I can see.  I can hear.  I own a car.  It starts and runs.  A woman saved her husband from a shark attack.  

I love you.

There is lots of good news in this world if we just focus on it.  It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Will we Christians ever learn?

I have featured this sign before in this blog.

Today we have the message, "Come as you are... you can change inside."  I have so many thoughts about this.  It reminds me of a story my dear friend Ken W told me about his former church.  They had a slogan that said, "first we catch them, then we clean them."  [as if people were fish.]

Here is the message... we accept you as you are, briefly.  Soon after you enter, we will begin to shape you and mold you and guilt you so that you sound and look like us, like we think Christians should look.

So let's be clear, I do believe that our faith should effect our behavior, it should change us.  It should make us more loving and gracious.  But that is up to God.  That is between you and God.  We should never try to make other people straighten out.  We are not the Holy Spirit.  We are here to love people.  If God wants someone to change, God can work on them.

Here is my real problem... do you think that this message on this sign makes people want to come to church there?  No.  Absolutely not.  In fact, anyone who does not go to church will be further repulsed by this message.  They won't want to go to any church.

End of tirade.

Now let's see the good.  You and I don't have to judge people as needing to change.  We can work to love them and understand them and welcome them.  That is what Jesus did.

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

The Rancher's Orange

 This story is not original to me.  I read it some years ago and have looked unsuccessfully for the source.  I have recreated it here to the best of my ability.

The wild west was pretty wild.  It was tough times in many ways.  Life expectancy was lower and farming life was very difficult.

The year was 1880.  A rancher in Montana lost his wife to pneumonia.  The pain the family felt was immense.  The death of the mother left the rancher to care for a 12 year old daughter and a 10 year old son.  Winter came early and the small family lived a meager lifestyle.  

With Christmas coming, the rancher wanted to do something nice for his children.  He wanted to do something that would help his children feel loved.  He wanted to bring a good moment to dispel some of the pain of the prior year.

So, on Christmas Eve he rode to town and was able to procure an orange from the grocer.  They were rare and expensive, but the rancher loved his children very much.  On Christmas morning, the children woke up and went to their chores as they would any other day.  There was no tree nor stockings.  No expectations.  The children knew that times were tough.

When they came back in the house, their Dad had breakfast ready.  When they finished their eggs and bread, the rancher asked if they had seen their present.

Present?  what present?  The children hopped up from their chairs and took a look around.  

There it was, on the mantle.  A single orange.  Their mouths hung open in amazement.  Their eyes were filled with joy.  Dad, this is for us?  "Yes," the rancher replied.  "Merry Christmas!"

The rancher was so moved by his children's response that he began to cry.  He slipped into the bedroom to let the tears fall.  Then hollering came from the kitchen,  "Dad come out."

He wiped the tears from his eyes and stepped out.  There to his surprise were his children, sitting at the table with the orange.

Then the unexpected.  The orange was cut, not for two children but cut into thirds.  The rancher began to cry again.   The gift that he had given to them, had turned out to be a gift to him too.

Dark times were made bright by the sacrificial gift of an orange.  Hearts were warmed as the orange was prepared not for two, but sliced for three.  The father was never so proud of his children.  It was a Christmas to remember.  Love, generosity and hope are beautiful things.

the tangerines

 Our Monday morning sandwich delivery to the marginalized now includes tangerines thanks to a lovely couple from church.  Let me tell you, if you thought a sandwich was welcomed, if you thought chips were welcomed, you should see the eyes pop when the tangerines come out.

We take so much for granted.  We have so much.  These folks sit down with their sandwich, their chips and their tangerine and the tangerine is the first thing opened.  The joy that the cool and fruity taste brings is something that they appreciate so much.

We have so much that we forget the value of many things.  We have forgotten to be amazed.  Oh that we would wake up and see the good.

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

The orange

When I was a kid we always got an orange in the toe of our Christmas stocking.  I never really appreciated the orange, but over the years I have learned the significance of this gift.

During the Great Depression, oranges were scarce, everything was scarce.  Kids did not get bags of candy like we did growing up in the 60's.  Without fanfare or explanation, my mother [a depression era child] would put an orange in the toe of our stockings year after year.  I know she was hoping that some day we would understand the significance.

As her parents went to great length to give this scarce treat to them on Christmas day, she was reminding us that there are precious things in life to be savored.  It has taken me years to understand the value of that orange.

This year, my kids are going to get an orange in their stockings.  I know that one day they will understand.

May we all find ways to give from the heart, scarce and precious things that will be a blessing to others.

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

another tipping story

A reader shared this in confidence. I love it when I see others experiencing the joy of living a generous life.

Not to “let the left hand know what the right hand is doing” but...
I, too, tip very generously at times. Beyond this though, there are times I am led to look around a restaurant.  The Spirit will take me back time and again to a certain table. It may be a family, it may be a couple...once it was a group of very young teenagers counting every penny they had to experience eating out without mom and dad around.
I pay for their meals. I do it anonymously, for I do not want the credit. It is all His. The glory, the praise, and the money in my pocket to give, it is all His.

Love you brother. Keep telling your stories, to prompt us to tell ours.
Generosity in money, friendship, and love...it’s a circle. As is life.


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

inclusion vs exclusion

Richard Rohr's devotion on Sunday was very good. He talked about the inclusive nature of Jesus.

He said that the cross is a sign of solidarity, not judgment. That we should look at the cross as something that brings people together, something that shows the great love of God. And as people are brought together in Jesus, we are reminded how "to imitate Jesus, the good Jewish man who saw and called forth the divine in Gentiles like the Syro-Phoenician woman and the Roman centurions who followed him; in Jewish tax collectors who collaborated with the Empire; in zealots who opposed the Empire; in sinners of all stripes; in eunuchs, pagan astrologers, and all those “outside the law.” Jesus had no trouble whatsoever with otherness."

"If we are ready to reclaim the true meaning of “catholic,” which is “universal,” we must concentrate on including—as Jesus clearly did—instead of excluding—which he never did. The only thing Jesus excluded was exclusion itself."

Some Christians exclude others in the name of Jesus. That is odd when Jesus included everyone. I hope that you can feel the holiness of including and welcoming people.  Something to think about.

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

watch for this sign that the pandemic is ending

 

I love tools.  I love Harbor Freight Tools.  Harbor Freight has provided 20% off coupons for years.  They come in the mail, you can tear them out of magazines, they come in the valpack, and many other places.  In the past it has not been uncommon for me to have a stack of these coupons in a pile based on expiration dates.  

Lately I have noticed that the coupons have dried up.  Why?  During the pandemic, people are spending time and money fixing up their homes.  Harbor Freight does not need to give coupons right now because business is booming.

So the other day I had to pay full price for the items that I bought because I have run out of coupons.  And it occurs to me... as the pandemic ends and things get back to normal, I think that we will see Harbor Freight tools coupons in the mail again.

Here is to the coupons coming back!

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

The tip

 Last week I had breakfast with a friend.  I picked up the bill of $13.  She left the tip, a cash tip.  I went to the cashier to pay with a credit card.  I wanted to leave a tip too, but for some reason no tips were allowed on credit cards.  So I finished at the cashier and walked back in to hand our server $3.  She had just picked up my friend's tip of $5.  

The server was so pleased!  $13 bill, $8 tip.  I was so pleased to see her joy.

This reminded me of a story.  [I know that this is not exactly right but you will get the idea.] I have a friend who eats once per month with 5 girl friends. They pick a restaurant and each of them pays for their own meal. They also have $20 each for the tip. So, once a month, a server at some random restaurant gets a $120 tip! I have heard many stories about how this has brought the servers to tears.

I love stories of generosity.  I think it is great when we can bless others.

I share this story with you because it is likely that there is money in my pocket and your pocket that might be better used to bless someone else.

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

Thank you

On Saturday my Pastor Tim Willcox was ordained.

There are many memorable moments in life.  Graduations.  Births.  Grandchildren.  If you are a Methodist Minister, the day that you are ordained is a big one for sure. 

Bishop W.T. Handy Jr.

It was round about June 7, 1991 when I was ordained.  We were in the Linn Memorial Chapel on the grounds of Central Methodist College.  The ordination class was called up one by one.  My parents were there.  My wife was there.  I made my way to the front and knelt down.  Two men, my mentors, David VanGiesen and Jim Bryan put their hands upon my shoulders.  Bishop W.T. Handy laid his hands upon my head and said, "take thou the authority to preach the word."  I am brought to tears as I write this.

Thirty years have gone by since that day.  Sure I had a few negative people and a few negative experiences along the way, but the overwhelming majority of it has been wonderful. 

I want to thank you all, The members of:
Cache UMC
Indiahoma UMC
St. John's UMC
Lebanon First UMC
Princeton UMC
Mercer UMC
Woods Chapel UMC
Cape Coral UMC
and finally
Ft. Pierce First UMC

Thank you all so much for the journey, for the love, for the friendship!!!  It has been awesome.

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

sermon audio from 9-6-2020

I had the pleasure to fill in for a friend while I was visiting in KC last Sunday.
Here is the sermon audio if you are inclined to listen.
The assigned topic was "the yeast of the Pharisees"

click here to listen

If Jesus came for a visit

I was thinking what would happen if Jesus came to visit America today.

The blue lives matter group would gather around him.
The black lives matter group would gather around him.
The all lives matter group would gather.
Trump supporters would be there.
Those against trump would be there.
Random protesters would be there.

Pretty soon everyone would be shouting at each other.
Threats would be made against each other.

But amid the noise and the din, from time to time various people would look over at Jesus and notice that he wasn't saying anything.

Little by little, more people noticed that although Jesus was there, he wasn't saying anything.  The noise began to die down.  Finally there was silence.

Jesus stepped forward.
[he has a way of speaking to us when we stop talking.]

One by one, he looks deeply into the eyes of each person there.   Every person on every side and he said to each of them over and over and over...

Love one another.
Love one another.
Love one another.
Love one another.
Love one another.
Love one another.
Love one another.
Love one another.
Love one another.
Love one another.
Love one another.
Love one another.
Love one another.
Love one another.

Everyone went home that day with a new reminder of what was important in life.  They took seriously his words and began treating each other differently.

It could happen.
It starts with you and it starts with me.

sandwiches

Yesterday was sandwich delivery day.  Every Monday morning my friend Dick and I make and deliver about 20 sandwiches to homeless men and women in Ft. Pierce.  Dick is really the boss and I am a tag along.

Originally the sandwiches were two slices of bread and a piece of cheese.  My wife loved that we were doing this, so she kicked in for baloney.  My daughter Jennifer and  her fiance David got wind of this and wanted  to help.  So thanks to them, we are now delivering baloney and cheese sandwiches with a bag of chips.

Yesterday after handing a man a sandwich, he said thank you.  I said God bless you.  Then as I started to walk away I heard him begin to pray, "dear Jesus I thank you for the gift of this food."

It brought me to tears.

This is such a simple thing, but it is so rewarding.  May we all find ways, many ways that we can see the needy and reach out.

That is why we are here, to care for one another.

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

Baby Izzy

On Friday, Grandpa "Pooh" got to hold baby Isabella "Izzy."

It's a very beautiful day in God's world.

friendship

A friend is someone who knows the song of your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.

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

The Book of Revelation

Is Covid-19 a sign of the end of time? Are we in the last days? I have heard several fundamental folks say that we are. One suggested that you won't be able to buy or sell unless you get the vaccine.

In response to these silly speculations, I want to provide a video of a presentation that I did on Revelation in 2014.

If you like it, feel free to pass it along. It is Revelation and Baptism from the view of one Methodist. Your fundamentalist friends won't care for it.

click the link below to watch or cut and paste it into your browser.

click here to watch


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTvlF5X07P4&fbclid=IwAR1d1J-M2Xo2yBLwb_RqGs2WNWk3uCU483Tm2U_0MGXJo7eTnApqOQP2-gc

the uncut grass

A man offered to pay a sum of money to his 12 year old daughter if she mowed the lawn. The girl went at the task with great zest and by the evening the whole lawn had been beautifully mowed – well, everything except a large uncut patch of grass in one corner.

When the man said he couldn’t pay the sum agreed upon because the whole lawn hadn’t been mowed, the girl said she was ready to fore go the money, but would not cut the grass in the patch.

Curious to find out why, he checked the uncut patch. There, right in the center of the patch, sat a large toad. The girl had been too tender-hearted to run over it with the lawn-mower

Where there is love, there is disorder.
Perfect order would make the world a graveyard.

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

sermon audio and video

This sermon is about caring for others

here is a link to the audio
https://clyp.it/n0ovgth5

here is a link to the worship service video

https://www.facebook.com/fumcoffortpierce/videos/321847865537312

you may have to cut and paste the link into your browser

your thing

 I am preaching today at Fort Pierce First UMC.  Last week someone asked me what I was preaching on.  I told them that I was assigned the topic of caring for others.

They said, "Oh perfect, that is your thing."

I did not say anything at the time, but as I reflected on the conversation, I thought, No, it's not my thing, it's not one of the Christian things, it is THE thing.

Take caring for others out of Christianity and nothing is left but dogma and theology.

Caring for others is all of our thing.  It is the only thing.

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

Grandparent advice

Having announced the birth of our first grandchild, I received many well wishes and advice from all of you. Thank you for the kind words.

One really interesting thought was sent in my by friend Di. She suggests that we can learn a great deal about God's love for us by having a grandchild.  For example...

1. We think about her all the time, as God thinks of us all the time.

2. Even though we know that she is not always thinking about us, we think about her and love her just the same.

3. We do not measure our love for her according to her attention given to us. We just love her all the time.

4. When we do hear from her, we are absolutely thrilled.

A small picture of God's love for us. It is always there, whether we see it and acknowledge it, and return it or not.

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

Be Gooood

In the 1982 film E.T. the Extraterrestrial, the alien, E.T. at one point says to Elliott, "be good."

I never took that he meant being good vs being bad. I always took that as the alien telling him to be "ok."

Be OK.  Feel good about yourself. Live your best life. Be free of guilt. Be happy. Be free. Be good.

Beeeee Gooood.  Be ok.

That is good advice for all of us.

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

Welcome my new Grand baby!

Please join me in welcoming to this world, Isabella Avery Lascon. My daughter Allison went into labor on Sunday night August 9th at 11pm. Izzy was born on Tuesday August 11th at 3am.

Mother and Baby are fine!

This is our first grandchild. Cathy and I have been talking for months about what we want to be called.
Grandma? Granny? Grandpa? Grandfather Sir?
Cathy has landed on CeCe. I have decided that I want to be called Pooh.
Yes, you know that I am a big pooh.

Anyway, celebrate with us and be happy!

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

old addage

Here is an old addage from my friend Grace L....

"It's what you learn after you're sure you know it all that really counts."

or another way to say it... When you finally wake up and realize that you don't know it all, your mind is finally open and you can learn some things.

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

Kool-aid

Too many Christians drink the Kool-aid.

Just as 909 followers of Jim Jones drank the Kool-aid and died in Guyana in 1978, far too many Christians just swallow whatever their church leaders tell them.  I don't think that bad theology sends people to hell, but I do believe that unhealthy theology can provide a person with a life filled with guilt, fear, and constant worry about if they have it "just right."

As a Christian, you don't have to check your brain at the door.

When you go to a party or an event, you often have the opportunity to check your coat at the door.  In some old West saloons, you had to check your guns at the door.

Check it at the door... leave your stuff behind and enter the next thing without it.

It doesn't have to be that way with your brain.  As a Christian, you are not required to leave your brain outside of the church service or the Bible study.  In fact, I think that it is insulting to God when we just swallow everything that is told to us without thinking things through.

If you don't have to check your brain at the door, then it is ok for you to have questions.  It is ok for you to disagree with your pastors and teachers. 

Many times you can eliminate false teachings simply by thinking about what is being taught in relation to common sense.
"God will make you wealthy."  Really?  is that what Christianity is about?
"God will save you from pain."  Really? 
"If you mix these scriptures together, you can find the magic formula."  Really?  Is Christianity a secret formula?

I think that God has given us a brain and he expects us to use it.
You are entitled to your beliefs.
Don't be afraid to resist unhealthy teaching.

• Free yourself from ideas that instill fear.
• Free yourself from teaching that judges others.
• Free yourself from having to know everything.

Instead, grab the grace, grab the love, grab the joy.  You will be glad that you did.

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

Many more will be in

When I was a kid, I was taught that only our group was in.  Only our denomination was going to heaven.

Thank God, over the years I have rejected that teaching.

Who is in? Who gets to go to heaven? I have heard people say that the Jews are out. Yet Jesus refers to several of the Patriarchs as being in heaven. Mt. 8:11.

I have heard people say that this group is out because they don't believe the Bible correctly. That group is out because they did not get baptized correctly.

I have come to believe that God is probably much more gracious than we humans are. That however many people I think are getting in, there will probably be more. We will all likely be surprised by the presence in heaven of a certain person, and surely there will be those who are surprised to see us there as well.

The three kings from the East were not Jews or Christians, yet they play a pivotal role in the birth narrative.  Did God do that on purpose?

In Luke 13:29 Jesus says People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. This must have been a fantastically challenging statement to people who did not travel much. I have been North to Canada. I have been South to Mexico. I have been to Russia and Nicaragua. I have been exposed to various cultures and beliefs that are much different than ours. You don't have to believe it the way that I do. People who are not like us are going to be in. 

In Isaiah 2, the prophet says that in the last days, all nations will stream to the mountain of the Lord.  Not just the Methodists, not just the Christians, but all nations.  In his later days, Billy Graham spoke about the "wideness in God's mercy."  

The embrace of God is much wider than any of us ever thought.

I have become quite comfortable with telling people that I am not in charge of who gets in. Neither are they and neither are you. God decides who is going to get in and who is not. Let's let God be God and lets just enjoy the journey of being human along the road of this life.

What we believe matters

I recently read an article entitled, "What we believe matters."

While I agree that what we believe matters, I think that we need to be honest enough to admit that we don't know near as much as we think we do.  I can take a scripture and argue one point, and you can argue the other.  We just don't know as much as we once thought.

What color is Jesus skin?
Does Jesus have skin?
Where is heaven?
Is it really our job to point out who is good and who is not?
Is there really just one way to baptize a person?
Is it our job to make others believe what we believe?

I think that we know much less than we think we do.

Someone once said, it is not what you believe that counts, but what you believe enough to do.

The greatest commandment is not about believing, it is about loving.  Love God, love others.  If we focus on that, we know within the deepest parts of our souls, that we are living God's life.

Believe, sure.  But love, for sure.  Love first.  May our focus be on loving God and loving others.  We cannot lose that trajectory in life.  Loving isn't just the first thing, it is the only thing.

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

More on the Book of Revelation

Here are some questions about our understanding of the book of Revelation

Is it possible that a person could be taught something [about the book of revelation], but then realize later in life that what they learned was a misrepresentation?

[yes of course.]

Is it possible that if one generation of people is told that blue is yellow, and they tell their kids the same, that eventually the society will forget that blue is really blue, even defending the position that blue is yellow?
[yes, it happens all the time.]

Is it possible that the loudest voice is not always the correct voice?
[yes.]

Have you as a Christian, ever considered other Christian life paradigms? In other words, what do Christians in Ethiopia believe? Is it the same as what we believe?
[Most of us don't, but we should.  Not every Christian believes what you do.]

Who was Revelation written to? What was going on in their world? Does an understanding of the original setting impact my understanding of the book for today?
[Revelation was written to 7 churches.  They were historical churches of the early New Testament times.  The church was being persecuted by the Romans.] [To read a book without understanding the intent of the author is like us finding a letter from George to Martha Washington and asking what it means to us.]

The Bible contains many types of literature- History, wisdom, apocalyptic and letters among the list. Are all passages of Scripture to be read and understood in the same way?
[no]

Are there parts of parables that are just part of the story? For example in the parable of the house on the rock and the house on the sand, is it fair to ask- where is the house? Who is the owner?

What is apocalyptic literature? What is the general point of its writing- the normal nuances of this genre of literature?
[Apocalyptic writing usually insists on the demise of the present evil age and a promise of a victorious future with God.  It is written about the writer's age, not ours.]

What is dispensationalism? Where did it come from? How long has it been around as a doctrine? Does this cause you to think differently about some of the associated doctrines?
[Dispensationalism has given rise to many false teachings in the church, including the notion of a rapture.  Nothing like this was not taught prior to 1850] 

Do the overarching themes of Scripture teach that we will be saved from difficulty, or does it teach that God is with us through the difficulty?
[We are sometimes saved, but not always saved and the point of faith is not that we should be saved from difficulty.]

Is solid doctrine built on a patch work quilt of chosen Scriptures, or on the overarching themes of Scripture?
[main themes of course.]

Americans are fixated with knowledge. Is the point of the Christian life to know everything or to walk with God?
[walk with God]

How many Bible teachers have been wrong about their interpretation of the scriptures regarding the end of time?
[all of them, but some of them made lots of money selling books.]

Where might all of these questions point us regarding our understanding of the book of Revelation and the Christian life? What is the purpose of the Christian life?

[The purpose of the Christian life is to love God and to love others.  We may find difficulty in this life, but in the end, God is victorious.]

We live in God's world, and it is a beautiful, fear free day in God's world.

Faith over Fear

Most of this came from a long time friend...

I used to be fearful of EVERYTHING. At one point in life, panic disorder overtook my mind and I couldn't work, drive, go to the grocery, a restaurant etc... It almost ruined my marriage for the first five years. When we were supposed to be young and carefree, I was knotted in a ball and afraid of the world.

Then slowly my mind began to change. I began to learn that God was a God of grace.

Today, I am free from anxiety. The peace that comes from the freedom of anxiety, worry, and fear is the greatest feeling I've ever encountered. Peace that comes from GRACE! Grace that I learned over the last 20 years.

Now, when I'm met with uncertainty like today (need full time work, need to pay off bills, need the world to heal from racial challenges and COVID), I breathe deep knowing that God is love and grace.

When I feared God, I feared life. When I came to realize that God loved me, I began to love life.

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

learning about love

What have I learned about love?  Not enough.  Although I have tried to be a good person, I feel like I am a latecomer to living a life of love.  I wish I had been better about loving my children and teaching them about love.

Love. We say the word over and over. I love tacos. I love cars. I love you. How can that all be true? What is love really?

Let me begin like this.........I expect that people in relationships do things for each other. But when we begin to demand things from others, we may be leaving the realm of love. When I am so broken that I am not whole unless you do such and such, then I have a problem. Friends should not have to buy us dinner or loan us money to remain our friends.

If I want something from you, its not love. That is not to say that people should not be there for each other in a relationship, but if it is constantly about what I am going to get from you, something is wrong with that.

We are so selfish, so self absorbed. If you catch yourself being nice to someone so that they will do something for you, well, then you are busted. That’s not love.

Love means that I care about you whether you give me anything or not. It means that I value you and enjoy you and you don’t have to do anything for me. It means that I seek your highest good. I do everything I can to help you and support you, period. My treatment of you is not conditioned on your treatment of me.

Now sometimes we need to practice tough love with teenagers. Sometimes abusive spouses need correction and direction. What I am saying here does not apply to these situations.

All of us know people who have the ability to help us, or to do something for us. I love hanging around with them and just enjoying them. They are not used to it. They are used to being used.

If I am your friend, I don’t need for you to buy me a pizza. In fact, I don’t want you to go out of your way for me. On the contrary, I want to help you. I want to do something or say something that will make your day go better.

If I need something from you to be happy, then I am not whole. I need to stop, sit down and remember that God loves me and I am ok. I am ok even if you don’t do such and such for me. When I am ok, then I enter the relationship whole. I don’t depend on you to solve my problems. The love that I offer you is pure and clean. It has no conditions attached.

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

the end of time

A friend told me about a large church in Kansas City where the sermon last Sunday was about the mark of the beast, the end of time and Covid.  Somehow Covid is so bad that some Christians feel that this must be the end.

I shudder.  I cannot believe what some people are teaching out there.  In the name of God!

First of all, the Book of Revelation is not about today or tomorrow, it is about the time in which it was written.  It is about the Romans and what they did to the early Christians.

Secondly, this is not the end of time just because we have a pandemic.  People get scared and make it about them. All heartfelt sympathies to those whose loved ones have passed from COVID. Please remember that the bubonic plague killed 30-50% of the entire medieval population.

We are wasting our time when we talk of Revelation and the end of time.
Religion should never be about scaring people.
Religion should not turn people's minds toward speculative thinking about the end of time.

True religion, real spirituality is about loving God and loving others.    There are people out there that are waiting for our love and care.  Let's go do it.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.
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Wisdom from C.S. Lewis

I thank my friend Pat for sharing this with me...

C. S. Lewis. It was written in 1948 after the dawn of the atomic age.

In one way we think a great deal too much of the atomic bomb. “How are we to live in an atomic age?” I am tempted to reply: “Why, as you would have lived in the sixteenth century when the plague visited London almost every year, or as you would have lived in a Viking age when raiders from Scandinavia might land and cut your throat any night; or indeed, as you are already living in an age of cancer, an age of syphilis, an age of paralysis, an age of air raids, an age of railway accidents, an age of motor accidents.”

In other words, do not let us begin by exaggerating the novelty of our situation. Believe me, dear sir or madam, you and all whom you love were already sentenced to death before the atomic bomb was invented: and quite a high percentage of us were going to die in unpleasant ways. We had, indeed, one very great advantage over our ancestors—anesthetics; but we have that still. It is perfectly ridiculous to go about whimpering and drawing long faces because the scientists have added one more chance of painful and premature death to a world which already bristled with such chances and in which death itself was not a chance at all, but a certainty.

This is the first point to be made: and the first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together. If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.

— “On Living in an Atomic Age” (1948) 

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

Kip

Kip is a cool name.
Kip is also a new reader.

I met Kip over the phone.  I needed a part for my truck and Kip was the salesman.  I could tell that there was something special about him over the phone.  He talked about what a gift today was.  That of course struck a cord with me.

When I went to pick up the part, I met Kip.  I was so pleasantly surprised that he was younger than I expected.  How exciting to see a young person that is aware, that is appreciative, and that sees the good.

We talked about how when you are good to others, they almost always treat you well.  The lover creates the love.

Here's to Kip.  Here's to all of us seeing the good, being the good and sharing the good. 

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

reward

When I graduated from high school I got a card from a friend.
On the cover it said, "For your graduation I was going to give you cash."
On the inside it said, "But wisdom is it's own reward."

I think that the card was meant to be funny, and it was, but the phrase "wisdom is it's own reward" has always stuck with me.

There are a number of things in life that are their own reward.  But I often think that kindness is it's own reward.  Doing something good, gracious or kind for someone is enough.  Just the act fills us up.  I don't need the server to say thank you for a large tip.  I don't need my neighbor to say thanks for me hauling off their trash.

Sometimes we may wish people were more appreciative, but really, kindness is it's own reward.
We were created for the purpose of treating each other with kindness.  That's why it feels so good.

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

Fish hook

I thought of this story and I just have to share it.

I am 6 years old.  My family is getting ready to go for a Sunday drive in our 1950 Green Packard.  On the way out of the house, we go through the garage.  I notice in the corner of the garage, a fish hook on a leader.  It was over in the corner on the floor.

This is sick, but I was just a kid.  We did not fish, so it has been in the corner of the garage for a few years, left by the previous owner.  For some reason, I notice it that day.

I pick it up and we get in the car.  Dad is driving, mom is in the passenger seat up front.  I am in the back seat with my sisters.  I am sitting right behind my dad.

I decide, for reasons that only a 6 year old would understand, to put the fish hook into my mouth.  Pretty soon, it is stuck between my teeth.

I say, "Dad, I have a fish hook stuck in my mouth."

Now this statement must seem like gibberish to him.  Where would I get a fish hook?  Why would it be in my mouth?

Dad and I  begin to argue.
I have a fish hook stuck in my teeth.
You do not.
Yes I do.
Mother, what is he talking about?

My mom turns around and to her horror she sees the leader sticking out of my mouth.
She tells Dad to pull the car over.

Carefully, Mom removes the fish hook laparoscopically.

My parents have gone from disbelief, to horror, to determination, and now relief.
And so the scolding starts.

What is wrong with you?
I don't know.
Where did you get that?
I found it on the garage floor.
What!!!
What in God's name made you put that in your mouth?
I dunno.

And that's the way it was on one Sunday afternoon in 1965.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.
[and don't put any fish hooks in your mouth]

Paul Glinn died

Oh my.  Oh my.
Paul Glinn died.

Paul treated me like a son.  He treated me like a Pastor.  He called me Pastor.
Paul Glinn was a prince of a man.

Paul built a church building with his own hands.
Paul built a congregation with his own heart.

Paul loved people.
Paul loved me.

I did not know that he was ill.
The news came to me like a shock.

I don't wan't Paul to be gone.
I want to have an appointment with Paul tomorrow to sit and talk about the church and the Raytown Campus.
I don't want him to be gone.
Tears. Tears. Tears.

Somehow, the soul of this great man, reached into my soul.
I am not ready for him to be gone.

He lived a long and full life.
He will be missed.

What do you want?

Someone asked me the other day what I wanted out of life.
After thinking about it, I have come to this...

I want to wake up every morning and say, "Thank you."
and I want to help everyone else wake up in the morning and say "Thank you" too.

If I can get that done, I will have no regrets.

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

I am alone

I am alone.
No.  that is wrong.  I feel alone.
I am not alone.  I only feel as if I am alone.
There is a huge difference between feeling alone and being alone.

Many people in Ft. Pierce, many people in KC, and probably some others in other places love me.
Yet sometimes I feel alone.

We need to remind ourselves that we are not alone.
We need to remember that many people love us.

Heck, if you needed me, and I could get there, I would hug you.
I don't want anyone to feel alone.

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

On judging others

Oh my!!!
They are the wrong color.  They are the wrong political party!  They have pink hair!  They speak a brogue that I don't care for.  They are Irish.   They are Welsh.  They are not like me.

I judge them to be less than.  I shame them.  I send them away.  I don't want them.

And God doesn't care.  God doesn't care.  God doesn't care if I like them or not.  God doesn't care if I understand them or not.  God doesn't care if I have an affinity with them.

God only wants me to love them.  God wants me to see them as he sees me.  God looks past my faults.  God looks past my darkness.  God reaches for my soul.

So we should look past the darkness of others.  We should look past the strangeness of others.  We should see them as people and only look for their souls.

And hear me, the ones that this is the hardest for you to do for... this is exactly who you should do it for.  The ones that you want to throw away are exactly the ones that God wants to embrace.  And if he wants to embrace them, how can we do otherwise???

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

It was not Thanksgiving

So I was watching a movie the other night and this family was having dinner.  The Grandma said, let's all say something that we are thankful for.

One of the kids said, "It's not Thanksgiving."

The Grandma just kept on with it...
sometimes, you have to just keep on going with a good thing.  
Around the table they went.
One of the kids, referring to his Grandpa said, "I am glad, I am thankful for someone that understands me."

Wow.  Stop the presses.
Me too!!!
I am glad for someone that understands me.

May we all have someone, maybe two or three friends, that understand us.

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

Sermon audio and video from Sunday

The sermon Sunday was about thinking on the good things.
I thank Pastor Tim Willcox for asking me to preach once per month.

Here is the audio
https://clyp.it/i21j5wz5

Here is the video - sermon starts at 24:00 minutes in
https://www.facebook.com/fumcoffortpierce/videos/742079976605445 

Have a great day!

What did you do in the war Dad?

My Dad was 14 when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.  Like most of the country, he wanted revenge.  He could not wait until he was old enough to fight.

His brother Phil was an artillery brigade commander with Patton's army in France, so Dad had something to live up to.  His brother was a bit of a local war hero.

Dad wanted to get into the war.  He wanted to be a pilot.  He wanted to kill the enemy.  His entire life, he referred to the opposing forces with words that we would find racist today.

The war was ending when Dad was finally old enough.
He worked in Washington DC in a photo lab, producing some of the first photocopies of the atomic bombs and their effects.
He worked in a camp that helped the returning soldiers disembark for a return to "their normal life."

Forever he was haunted by the fact that he had not made a difference.  He had not defeated the enemy.  He was in his own mind, a lesser than.

I guess we have all felt like "lesser than" at one time or another.  And the fact is, depending on what we are comparing, we all may be in one way or another, lesser than.

But then I think about my friends.  My friends that love me.  To them I am not lesser than, I am good.  All good.  To them I am hug-gable.

I think about my sisters and my children.  I am not lesser than to them, I am lovable.

And I think about the God that I have come to know over the years.  To Him, to God, I am the prodigal son waiting for a hug.  I am the thief on the cross accepting forgiveness.  I am the woman at the well, being told about the living water.

We are all much more than we thought we were.
We are all much more valuable than we thought we were.

Wake up to the day when you are just loved and accepted.  Nothing to do.  Nothing to prove.
You are loved.  You are in.  Nothing more to say.

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

drowning

You do not drown because you fall into the lake.
You drown because you stay submerged in the lake.

What is your problem?  What is mine?
There is no fault in having a problem... but if we stay submerged in them, they will overtake us.

Find a way out.  Don't give up.  Never give up.  There is no shame in having a problem, just don't let it overtake you.

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

thoughts on prayer

Prayer is not about us getting what we want.  We must stop thinking of God as Santa Clause.  We also need to get over the idea that if enough Facebook friends pray for a thing, then God is obligated to do it.  Prayer is not about getting what we want.

Prayer is instead about eradicating selfishness.  It is about us allowing God to find the depths of our heart and soul so that we can change.  Prayer is about changing us.  True prayer gets us off of our high horse and helps us to see the other side.  The other side of politics, the other side of religion, the other side of everything.  True prayer teaches us a sense of compassion for all people.  But this can only happen when selfishness is diminished.

Dear God, how can I get myself out of the way so that I can have a heart of compassion for all?  How can I get myself out of the way so that I can be your hands and feet?

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

Great birthday card

Cudos to my middle daughter Jennifer who sent me a lovely birthday card.  The inside was blank so you have to write your own message and verse.  This one made me cry.  It is very rewarding when you feel like your efforts as a parent and as a person are valued.

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

If you remember, I am writing each week for story worth, a company that at the end of a year will take my weekly writings and make them into a book.  The is like a book of memoirs, a book about your life.

Each week I get a question to answer. Last week the question was, what was your favorite childhood story?

The only children's story that I remember being read to us was the story of Bad Mousie, by Martha Dudley. I made some copies and laminated them a few years ago so that my children could know the story. Looking back on that decision, I am thinking about finding the copies and throwing them away. No children should be told the story of mousie and I certainly do not want my grandchildren to have it read to them.

In the story, Donica [a young girl] lives with her mother and a black mouse, Mousie. Mousie is bad because he has not been taught to be good. He tracks mud on the carpets. He throws her socks into the bathtub. Donica's mother throws Mousie out of the house. That night he snuck back in through a crack in the wall. But he was still bad. He spilled powder all over the floor. He tangled Donica's hair. He tipped over juice and lots of milk. The mommie gets mad again. She puts him in a shoe box and tries to drown him in her wash basin, but the wet box comes apart and he escapes. But he was still bad. He pulled the books off the shelves. He took Mommie's lipstick and wrote on the wall. Mommie is beside herself. She tied him with string to the fence in the backyard, hoping that the owl would eat him. He nibbles through the strings and sneaks back into the house. Donica is glad to see him. But, Mousie was still bad!!! He dumped the buttons out of the button box and he painted the floor with shoe polish. Mommie is gonna fix the mouse this time. She ties him onto an umbrella and lets the wind blow him away. Mousie lands on a cloud and is lonely. He wonders if he could possibly learn to be good. Eventually the cloud dissipates and Mousie falls to the earth and lands in a mud puddle. He makes his way back to Donica's house but before he goes in, he wipes his feet. Mousie asks Donica to teach him to be good, which she does. Mommie helps Mousie learn to be good too and the book ends with them all dancing round and round.

One funny note about this story, while my sister has the original book from our childhood, I bought a couple online. One of them has a stamp in it indicating that it was from the library of First Baptist Church in Belton, MO.

This book is a pretty good indicator of the atmosphere that we were raised in. Be bad, and you are out. Be good, or else.  Note that on the cover, mousie is sitting in the corner with a tear running down his face.

Not my favorite story from childhood, but the only one that I remember being read to us. May we raise our children with grace, kindness and love. May we not feed them to owls.

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

This is the only thing:  Love God and love others.
Nothing more needs to be said.

Love God, love others.

Put it on a T-shirt.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.
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33,000

G.K. Chesterton was a famous English writer and an orator.  He lived from 1874-1936

For many years he was an Anglican [an English Episcopalian] later in life, he converted to Catholicism.  His reason for doing this was because all of the protestants left the Catholic church, claiming to have the truth.  Today there are 33,000 protestant denominations all claiming to have the truth.

He was tired of the bickering.  He said he was going home to the mother church.

I am not writing this to encourage you to go to the Catholic Church [though there would be nothing wrong with you doing so] I am writing this to make the point that all of our protestant churches act like they have the truth.  Yet there are 33,000 different versions of the truth.

You have a right to question what your church teaches.  You have a right to question what your pastor says. 

Four blind men are leading an elephant.  One has the trunk, one has the tail, one has an ear and one has the leg.  Later they are asked what an elephant is like.  The one who had the trunk says that an elephant is like the arm of a strong man.  The one that has the tail says that an elephant is like a snake.  The one who has the ear says that an elephant is like a piece of leather and the one who has the leg says that an elephant is like the trunk of a tree.

None of us has all of the truth.  Most of us, myself included, have much less of the truth than we would like to believe.  It is ok to have questions.  It is ok to ask questions.

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

A friend asked me a question... how can I believe that God had to kill Jesus to make himself happy? 

I think that there are many things that we have believed because it is what we were taught as a child.  We drank the kool-aid and have never had the guts to question what we were taught.

My friend and I got to talking about lots of random things that we may or may not believe. 

A flood that covered the entire world?
Every species of animal on an ark?  What about termites?
God's apparent need for blood.
Jonah and the whale.

You may or may not believe those or other things from the bible.  But I have decided something for myself.

1.  Question are allowed.  Questions and doubts must be allowed.  God would not make us drink the kool-aid.  As a Christian, you don't have to check your brain at the door.

2.  Believing everything that we were taught as children is not mandatory.

3.  How we follow, in my opinion, is more important that how we believe.

At the Pearly Gates the question will not be... Did you believe the nature of Jesus just right?  or Did you believe the second coming just right?  Or any number of ridiculous things that religious people get stuck on.

At the Pearly Gates I think the questions will be about how we followed.  Not was I a believer in Jesus, but was I a follower of Jesus.  Did I show kindness.  Did I strive to love others.  Did I evaluate my thoughts and actions based on how Jesus lived?

Following well is more important than believing just right.

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

I spent an hour the other night trying to help someone understand the importance of treating others with kindness.  Although it is hard to believe, I made no progress.  Some people just don't get it.  They still think that life is all about them.

Now having said that, I must celebrate a story of kindness from my court reporter friend.

She wrote...
Thank you for sharing the story about feeding a one-armed homeless man a sandwich and preparing it for him in a communion-like manner.

This has reframed how I now perform my work duties. I used to serve stressed-out litigants cold water to drink and tissues if they needed a good cry before hearings. Now we are masked, so no drinking and no blowing noses! It is sometimes hard to understand masked people talking, so I am making sure my voice is courteous and warm when I ask them to please repeat their answer. When the proceedings are over and everybody is packing up, I thank them for helping me make a good courtroom record and we visit a little bit. I’m serving a respect sandwich to those who need uplifting as best I can.

A respect sandwich.  I love it.  Kindness is good for those we are kind to, and it is good for us to.  Kindness makes the soul glad.

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

Loneliness is a terrible thing.

Sometimes I get lonely.  I'll bet that you do too, but I hope not.

Sometimes I miss my Kansas City friends.  Sometimes I miss being young.  Sometimes I miss my children.  Sometimes I miss my parents.  Sometimes I miss my sisters.  Lately I miss seeing my church friends.  And I really miss hugging everyone.

Isolation may be good for containing a virus, but it can be pretty tough on our sense of well being.

Chin up!  All is well!  One day soon we will all be back together, and the joy will be fantastic.

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

A few weeks ago I posted about making a sandwich for a one armed man.  My friend Donna sent this in...

Beautiful..... I can relate to your feeling that this was a holy experience. When I volunteered at Research Hospital many years ago, I was occasionally asked to feed patients who were unable to manage feeding themselves. I loved doing it, and it always humbled me. One elderly lady looked at me with such love in her eyes. She was unable to speak, but she tenderly reached up and patted my cheeks with her hands. No words, just love and heartfelt appreciation. Beautiful. Sacred. Never to be forgotten moments in an otherwise ordinary day.....

Her story reminded me of how the eyes are or can be the window to the soul.  Just take a little time and look into the eyes of another person.  When we really do, we can read them.  If you look into someone's eyes long enough, you can see what ever is there... fear, worry, joy or love.  It is uncanny how this works.

It is not that we have a soul, we are a soul.  Here's to looking for the soul in others.

May we all live more soulful lives.

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

Jesus rarely asked to be worshiped.  He asked repeatedly to be followed.

Many Christians prefer to worship and praise God, than to follow.  You can sing, feel warm things in your heart, tell God how great he is, and then go back to your life.  It is a one hour on Sunday morning faith.

To be a follower is something different.  It is a path that consumes your every day, your every waking moment.  It is not satisfied with warm thoughts towards God, followers insist on warm thoughts towards everyone.  Those that choose the path of follower are always asking themselves how they can love more.

It is easier to worship than to follow.  But it is much more fun, much more fulfilling to follow Jesus' life of love.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.
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Again, it all boils down to love and only love

From my friend Pat...

Did you ever read anything by the prophet Amos? He was the first prophet to emphasize social justice and compassion. He wrote in an era shortly before Israel, the northern kingdom of Jews, was destroyed by the Assyrians: punishment for their refusal to listen to Amos’s message.

Prior Jewish religious emphasis was on privilege to be in a relationship with Yahweh. Amos taught that it was a responsibility. The Jewish covenant with God meant all Jews had to be treated well, not just some. Not surprisingly, most Jews declined to follow Amos, opting instead for a ritual, a routine praise of God. Ritual is a less demanding form of religious observance than integrating the message into your daily existence. The religion of compassion is still followed only by a minority; most religious people are content with decorous worship of their weekly service.

“What God wants is love, not sacrifice. Love may require sacrifice, but the goal is love, not deprivation.“

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

My sisters and I watch this milestone. 

My mother died two days before her 63rd birthday. 
My sister Julie passed that age two years ago.
If I am alive on Friday, July 3rd at 8am, I will have outlived my mother.
My younger sister Amy has three years to wait.

I can't tell you how odd it seems that Mom died this young.  I don't feel old.  I feel badly for her.  She had such a short time here on this earth and barely got to see her grandchildren.

I savor every day, and hopefully I will enjoy many more after Friday July 3rd.

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