Connie Thomas

From the New Orleans Times-Picayune

The Rev. Connie Marie Thomas, a minister who used her zeal to help repair buildings and souls that Hurricane Katrina had battered, died Nov. 24 of pneumonia at Touro Infirmary. She was 51. "She had what I would call a pastor's heart," said the Rev. Ramonalynn Bethley, district superintendent for the New Orleans area in the United Methodist Church's Louisiana Conference. "To me, it is a faith that is lived out in actions toward others -- in listening to others, in caring for others and in serving their needs," she said. "Christ can come in a warm meal or a cold glass of water. "Pastor Thomas, a native New Orleanian who had led two churches in the city when the storm struck in August 2005, helped establish Luke's House, a free clinic at Mount Zion United Methodist Church. She was no stranger to storm-related losses. Katrina's winds peeled off the roof of her Uptown home. In another church-related duty, Pastor Thomas was in charge of about 30,000 volunteers who converged on New Orleans after the storm. That job, which she held for two years, included finding housing for these people, feeding them and deploying them.

That is what the newspaper said. This is what I want to say:

Connie Thomas was one of the first people that I met when I went to New Orleans in January of 2006. She visited Woods Chapel Church that next month. She preached to us and told us the story of need in new Orleans. Her words opened the hearts of many to go to New Orleans and work in the mission field there.

She welcomed our groups and was so kind and jovial. Her laughter and smile were contagious.

I had lunch or dinner with her every time I went to New Orleans. We talked about ministry and life. She invited me to say a few words to her congregation one year when I was there on a Sunday. She was one of God's foot soldiers. She was my friend.

Pneumonia. Age 51. Hard to figure. I will miss her. This is still our Father's world.

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

Snow, still

Well, I can barely see the house anymore. I hope that spring comes soon so that we can find my daughters car.

Speaking of cars, I remember when I was in college in Springfield in 1977-78 and 78-79, we had some really bad winters. I remember so much snow and cold weather. None of the college student's cars would start for a month. We tried everything. We jumped them. We put in new batteries. We even pushed my '73 Vega and i popped the clutch. It was so cold that the viscosity of the oil reduced it to sludge. The pistons would not move in their cylinders.

Those winters, I rode my bicycle to work. It was an old beater with knobby tires. I rode it ten blocks in a foot of snow to cover my shifts at the self service gas station where I worked.

I can remember watching the clock at the bank on Glenstone St. It had the time and temperature. I was so excited when one day the temperature got above freezing, because I knew that the snow was going away. Finally.

This snow will go away too. Thank God.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good, if you can see out your door that is.

uh huh. snow pt. 4

I have shovelled the driveway more this winter than in all previous winters at this house combined. My kids do not remember in their lifetime ever seeing this much snow, and this cold of temperatures for so long.

I am going to rename our town Minneapolis or Duluth or Greenbay. Heck, where is our ski resort? With this much snow we should live in Denver.

Let's do a remake of the movie Fargo. We won't even have to go to North Dakota.

I lived in Tulsa for 3 years. It snowed once. It snowed 3 inches overnight and was 70 degrees the next day. Obviously that snow did not last very long. I lived in California for 7 years. It snowed once while I lived there. You could see the snow up in the foothills. Everyone got in their cars and drove up highway 17 toward Santa Cruz. When we got to the summit where the snow was, everyone got out and had a snowball fight. There were tons of people up there enjoying the novelty of snow.

I was accosted at work yesterday. Employees of your church threw snowballs at me and tried to bury my truck. Not nice.

At least we should be able to go skiing. It has been too long since I have been skiing.

Well, certainly all of this snow will help us to appreciate spring. I think that we should have a big party this year when spring arrives. What do you say to that?

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

snow, part 3

It seemed to snow a lot more when I was a kid. Seemed like every year it would snow a ton and we would go sledding on streets packed with snow. We used real sleds too, with metal runners, none of this plastic stuff that the kids use today. We would tie our sleds together. My sister would ride on my back. We would jump our sleds off over retaining walls and then lie to my Dad about how they got broken. We made snow men that were taller than we were. We made forts and had snow ball fights. We would skate down the driveway in our black rubber galoshes. Once I did it backwards, slipped and fell and broke my nose. There was always a ton of snow, but it was never that cold.

Then I grew up, and other than the winters of 77-78 and 78-79, it didn't snow much. Until this year. First blizzard in 20 years. Stuck in the single digits for two weeks. Ugg.

I used to tell my kids about how much snow we got when I was little. Now I can show them. It is pretty, but it is cold. I think I am going to throw a party when spring gets here.

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

snow, again

I loved Sharon's comment from yesterday.....infact sometimes the best things about this blog are the comments.

Sharon said,
So, in the final analysis, you'd have to admit that snow is a good thing because it causes you to want to pray and visit with God. And since snow is cold, which you don't like, you'll have to practice your patience. Turn up the thermostat, wear your warm clothes, enjoy the beauty of the snow and your time with God and wit [patiently] for spring like the rest of us. I'm not sure praying for spring is a good thing. Isn't that like wishing your life away? Wanting to get to the "good part" and not having to deal with the "bad stuff"? Don't get me wrong, I like spring too and I get a little anxious waiting for it, but life is way too short to be wishing for the days between now and then to be gone.

Yesterday around 4:00pm, I was clearing my driveway [again] and when I turned off the snowblower, it seemed so peaceful and serene outside. And then, like it was meant to happen, the bells at church started ringing. God was there--he likes snow.

Thank you Sharon. So well said.
It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

snow, more snow.....

Here are the top five snowiest winters ever recorded in Kansas City:
1) 67.0” in 1911-1912
2) 58.5” in 1959-1960
3) 55.0” in 1961-1962
4) 42.4” in 1925-1926
5) 38.6” in 1898-1899

Average winter snowfall (metro ranges):
Kansas City Intl. (1971-2000): 20.1"
Lee's Summit (1971-2000): 15.6”

Last year’s total snowfall (KCI):13.4”
Last year's total snowfall (Lee's Summit): 10.0"

Lowest seasonal snowfall total: 4.5; (1922-1923)
Highest seasonal snowfall total: 67.0” (1911-1912)

Warmest winter season: 39.0 degrees* 1931-1932
Coldest winter season: 21.5 degrees* 1978-1979
[I remember the winter of 78-79]

Last year’s winter season: 36.0 degrees*
Coldest temperature ever recorded: -23 degrees on Dec. 22 and 23, 1989

Ok, so. I am tired of winter. I am praying for Spring. This reminds me of my worst winter on record. In some strange way, snow makes me want to pray. It makes me want to visit with God about how he is running the world. I think about Florida. I think about how I liked snow when I was younger, but I am not so keen on it now. I think about how you just have to trust God and hang on when you don't like the circumstances.

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

2010

Well today, it is back to work for me. First day of work in 2010. Not that I didn't do any work on Friday and Saturday, but they are not officially work days. 2010. I have been thinking a good deal about what may come up in 2010.

First, let me say that we are not guaranteed any of 2010. Each and every day that God grants us this year, is a true blessing.

Having said that, I have some things to look forward to in 2010. Another one of my children is turning 21. They get so excited about that. My oldest will graduate from college in December. Awesome! Lord I am praying!

Mostly I think about this year and I just have a feeling that there may be some very special things happen at our church in 2010. What are your dreams for God? Has he been talking to you? Are you open to hear his voice? What might he do in you and me in 2010? Just the thought of it is inspiring to me.

"speak Lord, your servants are listening."

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

things that go bump in the night

I am wide awake. Every winter we have these loud cracking, booming noises in the middle of the night. All I can think of what they are is that it is the house settling or expanding and contracting as the extreme cold of outside encounters the dwelling that is heated to 68 degrees.

Does this happen at your house or am I crazy? Don't answer the crazy part.

Anyway, it is kind of fun to be wide awake at 4am, keeping watch over the random noises of the house. It is the quiet time in the morning when no one wants anything and you are left with your own thoughts and the contemplations of the soul.

I was writing to a friend earlier and I used the word "metaphysics." Woo. Look at me. Metaphysics. The science or study of that which goes beyond physics. Who are we? Why are we here.

The older I get, the simpler I find this very complex topic to be. What ever you believe about life, love, the soul, eternity, it all boils down to one thing. We are here to be conduits of God's love. To receive it, and to then dispense it. To collect and distribute. To gather and then disperse. I know when I am receiving it and then giving it away, I am happy. To the core, I am happy. When I am not doing this, life is goofed up.

I meet with people all the time that ask me about the purpose of their lives. I always answer the same. Receive the love of God, and then give it away. Everything else comes after that or is subservient to that.

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

Happy New Year

The Missouri Tigers lost. Well, if given a choice at the beginning of the year between making a bowl game and losing, or not making a bowl game, which would you choose? Congrats to the Tigers.

I talked to someone last night who had a friend throw them away in 2009. Over something that was nothing. Now they are heartbroken over something that should have never have ended a friendship.

2010 is upon us. May the Missouri Tigers win. May your team win too. My wife likes the Jayhawks. May they win too. May the economy grow. May you find friendship and love. May we not bury any of our friends in 2010. May we engage in mission beyond ourselves that makes God happy.

Here we go, if God gives us the breath. 2010 awaits us.

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

have a little faith

Well, I just finished the book, Have a little faith, by Mitch Albom. One of the book clubs is sponsoring a discussion time about the book on Monday, February 1st. Plenty of time for you to get the book, read it, and show up. I will be there to add my two cents.

I am not sure how to tell you what the book is about. It is about a man and his rabbi and his pastor. It is about a man and his faith. It is about the journey of human life. It is very good.

One quote that I liked,
"I walked a mile with Pleasure;
She chatted all the way;
But left me none the wiser
For all she had to say.

I walked a mile with Sorrow,
And ne'er a word said she;
But, oh! The things I learned from her,
When Sorrow walked with me."

I think the book is available in our bookstore at church, if not, I think you can get it about anywhere.

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

more snow

Ugh. It is pretty, but it is a pain. Everyone is tired of shovelling their driveway. Be careful if you go out driving. Stay off the road if you have rear wheel drive. If you do venture out, do everything at half speed. Almost every wreck, no, every wreck in the snow always boils down to someone was going too fast. Front wheel drive cars and 4x4's get around better in the snow, but they do not stop any faster. Slow down.

Take a hat, gloves, blanket, and water bottles with you. Be prepared. You never know what will happen. Maybe you will be safe, but you may have to stop and get out to help someone else.

If you need an 18 year old boy to shovel your drive, call Scott at 719-6963.

Enjoy the snow as you can. It is beautiful. Don't waste the day being mad at the snow. It is one of God's gifts of winter. Nothing lasts forever. Make a snow ball. Throw it at someone.

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

love

I have been thinking about it lately. And that is a good thing. Love is the most important thing that we do. It is the most valuable commodity that we share. At the end of the day, it is the thing that everyone wants. You may have a great car, a big house, a fat wallet, good health, even a long life, but if you are coming up short on love, it all rings a little bit hollow.

Anthony Demello has some very cool things to say about love. One of them is, "the lover creates the love." There are so many things to think about that statement, I am not sure where to begin. My grey matter begins to arc when I ponder those words....the lover creates the love.

As the fat cat jumps into my lap, I am at this moment reminded of a good illustration of this point. When we got the fat one [her real name is Princess Kiki] she hid from me. She hid from everyone. I can remember thinking, why do we feed a cat that will not sit on your lap. Well, I just kept working on that cat, getting in my cat scratchins as she would allow. Over time, she decided that I was ok. Now, this cat waits for me in the morning. I open the bedroom door and there she is. We walk together to the top of the stairs where we both sit down, and I give her the first cat loving of the day. The lover creates the love.

I really believe that we have the chance in this life to become friends with everyone. It's just a matter of how you treat them. The lover creates the love. Eventually they will come to it. Proverbs 16 says, "a wise man makes even his enemies to be at peace with him." The lover creates the love.

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

thoughts from the sermon

There were a few troubling thoughts in the sermon yesterday. Troubling to me.

"Do the gifts that I give to others have any real meaning or am I just fulfilling some sort of an obligation?"

"How many sweaters should one person own?"

"Consumption. Am I an over-consumer? Do I hurt people by how much I consume? Does my level of consumption keep me from giving gifts? Am I even brave enough to ask such questions and truly examine my life?"

"Perfume and jewelry and sweaters are not gifts, they are apologies for gifts. the only true gift is a part of one's self."

I guess it is a good thing when the preacher is still thinking about the sermon on Monday morning.

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

Open for business

Yes. We are open for business. All four services. The coffee is on and the parking lot and the sidewalks are cleared.

I woke up this morning to 2 more inches of snow and a long list of church closings. Keep in mind, there are many that are staying open.

Come as you are. Wear your snow shoes. Messed up hair. No one cares. We are open for business. The presence of God is already there.

Hope to see you.

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

real life

Well, I woke up about twenty minutes ago. I was having an awesome dream. I was in Royals stadium, in the outfield seats. A home run had been hit and I caught the ball. The next batter hit another home run and the ball bounced around and came over by me. I was just diving down, leaning down to get the ball, my hand was on the ball.............and I woke up.

What a happy moment. Two home run balls, back to back. But no, you wake up, and there is a foot of snow in your driveway and it is 12degrees. That is real life. I isn't always like what happens in your dreams.

I got out of bed. Even though I was not in Royals stadium, I got out of bed.

I believe that this is a gift of God. Getting out of bed and putting your game face on, even when, especially when real life is not as good as your dreams. It isn't always easy, but we have to learn to throw back the covers and put our feet on the floor one at a time. Any hope that we have of achieving something this day, begins with one single step in the right direction. Trusting in God's goodness is a big help too.

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

Christmas 2009

Wow. Well there are many things that we will remember and celebrate regarding Christmas 2009. Where do I begin?

Let's start with, I got up at 6:30am. My wife was already up and about. This is the first time in 23 years that I was not the first one awake on Christmas day.

Snow. A lot of snow. So much snow that for the first time in 25 years, we are not going to Cathy's parents for Christmas day.

Snow. I have to get down the shovel. By the way, if you want your driveway shoveled, I have an 18 year old son that is looking for work. 373-1525.

Services last night. Well, we had them. All six of them. Yes attendance was off, but not really that much. Cumulatively on the day, we still had just over 2,000 people in worship. The music was beautiful, the atmosphere was electric. Everyone that made the extra effort to attend will surely remember the Christmas eve of 2009. Regarding the message, one of my kids came up to me afterwards and said with tears, "Dad, I so needed to hear that." Well it doesn't get any better than that.

Today. Watch the news. Listen to Christmas music. Wait for the kids to wake up. [isn't that a switch. When they are little, they are in your room at 5am trying to get you up on Christmas day. Now at age 18, 20 and 22, they may sleep til 11:oo.] What else today. Shovel the sidewalk. Eat the food. Eat some more. Take a nap. Watch the movie, the Christmas story. Give thanks to God for the many many blessings.

I want to take a moment to wish each of you the Merriest of Christmases. The kind of Christmas that will last beyond today and stretch into tomorrow and the rest of the year. You and Jesus, with something really good going on. God's love, pouring into your heart, and a year filled with love pouring into you and out thru you to others.

Merry Christmas!

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

I went to church

Last night I got to go to Church. It is not very often that I just get to go and sit in church. Last night I went to the first ever meeting of the Beacon UMC at the SAC [Sports Activity Complex] in Independence. The owner of the SAC is allowing the new church to meet there for free. What a blessing. The space was decorated so nicely. There was a parking lot attendant, a door man, greeters and ushers. The band was great. There was a giant screen for the powerpoint. Pastor Dave and Donna H did a great job with the message. Holy Communion was served. Over 100 people were in attendance.

I was so happy to be there. So happy for the new church start. So pleased that your new church is off to a good start. So glad to just be able to go to church and worship.

You all are invited to attend Christmas Eve services today at Woods Chapel. Regardless of the weather, our schedule will be as follows: 10am, 4pm, 530pm, 7pm, 830pm and 11pm. Remember, there is always a special feeling when we make the effort to attend church when the weather is bad. God bless you my friends, I wish you a very Merry Christmas.

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

Christmas Eve

A time of love, a time of peace, and for preachers, a time of high pressure. I remember at a previous appointment, it was my first Christmas Eve there. They had never had a Christmas Eve service. They told me, [they were joking, sort of] "if you want to stay here another year, we are going to have a Christmas Eve service at our church."

Christmas Eve is the time that the most visitors visit the church. More so than on Easter, Christmas Eve is the time when people are looking for a church. I remember when I used to deliver all of the mugs, we were still in the old building, I think we had 25 families visit. That was as many as we had at that time in the previous 6 months.

So, if you are a preacher, you know what I am talking about. Lots of expectations. Everybody has their extended family with them, and there is always someone who says, "hey preacher, I am bringing my mother to Christmas Eve service, and it better be good." So if you are a preacher, you need to find some quiet time today and tomorrow before the service. Listen for the voice of the angel. Listen to the Silent Night. In spite of the hurry and scurry, it is still there.

Speaking of pressure, my brother Dave O is leading his first Christmas service at the new church, the Beacon UMC. That service is tonight at 6pm at the SAC in Independence, 17800 Holke Rd. Please come out tonight to support our new church start.

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

I used to go to church

There are tons of people out there with this story.........

I used to go to church. But I quit. The word quit may be a bit strong. I gradually leaned away. I got tired of all of it. There was something at the place that just was not clicking. Too many power struggles. Too much humanity, not enough God. Judgement and rejection at the house of grace. Pretense. Oh, I hated the pretense. It became more painful to go, then to stay home.

I used to go to church. They got away from the spirit. Everyone seemed to be going through the motions. They put God in a box. If you didn't agree just right with the prevailing thought of the day, you were scorned. For having a different opinion. At the place where I expected to find love, I found too many other things.

Well, this year, I am thinking about going back. I think about it every year during the Christmas season. I think about sneaking in and finding a place to sit anonymously. I wonder if it will be different than what I remember. I wonder if the people that I meet will be nice to me. I wonder if the pastor's message will be filled with love and grace or something else.

This year, I think we will try that one church on the hill. You know, the one with the green roof. I have a few friends that go there and I hear that it is a good place. I have been disappointed so many times in the past, I sure hope that we will be welcomed, and that we will find God there.

This is the story of so many. If this is your story, come on in and give the church with the green roof a try. See if God's love is still at work in the world.

If this is not your story, please be aware that there will be hundreds of folks at church on Christmas eve that this is their story. Greet them. Welcome them. Seek out the stranger. Let the warm glow of Christ's love pour out of your face. Be a part of the ministry of reconciliation.

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

jazz band concert

I really enjoyed the concert last night. If you missed it, you probably won't miss it next year. This was an awesome night of celebration.

One of the things that I enjoyed was a statement by one of the emcee's for the evening who said something like this, "you have been to many Christmas programs at other churches, this won't be anything like those." Everyone laughed. I think I know what he meant. Some programs are very traditional and very "spiritual." There are a few others that are full of guilt. The jazz band program was all about joy and celebration.

Let me tell you,
that,
is very spiritual.

Everything does not always have to be heavy to be good. I think Jesus would love a program of joy and celebration. I sure did.

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