For: Belinda Shale,
Thank you for your comments – but … ???
I went to your site (icarecafe). Yes, I have 2 family members that have fibromyalgia, but your site says both groups for this disease are closed. I guess I do not understand why you contacted me? Am I missing something – or are you?
Grace and Peace
It has been a long spell since I was last here.
Health issues have been the uh- issue!
Here is the quick review. My wife is ill. My daughter is ill. Both have the same disease and it will last the rest of their lives. My other daughter is getting divorced. My computer died. Then, as a final straw, on August 27, my only brother died. Well, maybe that isn’t all. I am having a battle with my employer – reasons to go undiscussed because it is long and involved.
I am looking for some regular posts in the future. I pray all of you come back again and make a few comments.
I began preaching in 1982. I might not remember correctly, but I am quite sure that Mother’s Day and Pentecost have not fallen on the same day within that time period. And lets face it, both are important.
How important is motherhood? The fifth Commandment tells us to honor our father and our mother. That should make motherhood be very important to anyone. What about this fact. After being sentenced to death, then nearly beaten to death, next carrying His execution cross, being nailed to it, and waiting His painful death, Jesus had the welfare of His mother on His mind.
My words cannot give greater testimony that the actions of Jesus in His life and even in His death. My words cannot give greater testimony than what I see from people every day.
I remember so many mothers who received support of Biblical proportions from their families throughout their life. Just this past Wednesday I attended the viewing of my friend, Martha. I remember not only the supportive family at the church that evening; I also remembered this supportive family during her life over the last years I had known her. God bless them all.
Many of our mothers have gone to be with the Lord; God rest their souls. To those who are still here – hold them, love them, cherish and honor them. Build all of the memories possible from your love of them. Then cherish and share those memories as you honor your mother by sharing those memories with others in the years to come.
Be guided by the Holy Spirit in your relationship with your mother. In fact, be guided by the Holy Spirit in your relationships with everyone. After all, it is also Pentecost; our celebration of the arrival of the Holy Spirit; our Spiritual Guide and our Counselor.
Just a few weeks ago the Scripture from Luke’s Gospel talked of the walk Jesus made with two disciples. That walk took place after the resurrection, and was from Jerusalem to the town of Emmaus.
This Sunday the Scripture returns to Luke’s Gospel. It gives Luke’s last recorded words of Jesus talking with his disciples before His ascension into heaven. Luke records just two statements made by Jesus. The first is a look into history and the second is a look into the future.
Lets place the words of Jesus, given for the future, into today’s world with today’s future. Then, this Sunday, we will be able to look into what place we are to have within our own future; and we will be able to look with Jesus.
No! That is not an odd question.
The desire of Jesus is to be a friend to everyone; but not everyone is willing to be a friend with Jesus because not everyone is a Christian. Just because an individual is not Christian, however, does not mean that Jesus would not be, or is not already a friend to them.
The desire of Jesus to be one’s friend is assured through Scripture. A sad fact is that not all individuals will accept, or recognize the friendship of Jesus being offered. I know that in my friends and my own experience, people have refused our offers of friendship. None of us have ever felt good about others refusals of our friendship. This makes me wonder how Jesus must feel as so many people refuse His offer of friendship.
The great thing about Jesus is that His friendship offer continues, even after He has been rebuffed many times. I am certain this is the Sunday He would love to see you in one of His many churches. Come to church this week and learn about His friendship, offered in love.
Salvation; that is what it is all about. The way to salvation. The truth about salvation. The life gained through salvation. With that thought, it may seem odd to non-Christians why this passage is so frequently used at funerals. But a funeral is more than the remembrance of a life well lived; it is also about the promise of life everlasting. John 14:1-14 is the Scripture for April 20. But it will not be a message about a funeral.
It is an old, old story. The original is paraphrased below.
“While walking to Emmaus one day a stranger joined my friend and me for the journey. He talked like a Priest. He sure knew the Scriptures well. Then again? He also talked like a Prophet. He talked about how God’s Anointed One, whom we call the Messiah, is revealed within the writings of the Prophets and in the Psalms of David. It was not until we sat to eat and the stranger broke the bread that my friend and I realized who that stranger really was. ” Do you know who?
Maybe this Sunday, especially if you go to church, you will also learn some more about this stranger! If you come to Bridgeport United Methodist Church (10:00 am) you might even find out about other walks by other persons; even ones which I have been on. I will try and make those stories also seem interesting.
Well, we found a better place and moved this week. It was not an easy thing to do, but now it is done. I cannot wait until I make that last, final, great move. At the same time, I hope that is many years in the future.
Second Easter, or more correctly (I hope), the Second Sunday of Easter. And our nation has so many that object to a single Easter Sunday. What is our nation coming to?
Well, for those who do not know, each Sunday until after the Ascension is a Sunday of Easter. However, I cannot figure out why it is not a Sunday in Easter, or in the Easter Season. But who am I to say?
Easter is a time of appreciation to God and Jesus of Nazareth. It is a time to appreciate God’s plan for our salvation and the courage of Jesus to be, “the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” While I often find myself wishing (and sometimes even praying) that I were as good a man as Jesus, I would not like to have lived the ending of His life!
While Easter lasts through the Ascension, the spirit of Easter (the love, the hope, the promise for life that does not end when the body dies) should live in the lives of Christians all the time. That is not always an easy thing to do in one’s life. However, it certainly is a worthy goal to aim for. Good luck with having an Easter life!
Easter: The greatest of celebrations in the Christian year. Easter is the day we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Lets face it, one’s resurrection on the third day is not the usual end result of a funeral.
Wherever you might be this coming Sunday, take the time to be in Church and celebrate. One’s individual celebration does not have to be exactly like everyone else’s celebration. It does not even have to be some outward display. But it does need to exist within one’s heart, mind and soul.
God loves you and visits you, in your home, all the time. God also enjoys it when you visit Him in one of His many homes.
Go. Enjoy your visit. Worship God. Worship God with those around you or, if necessary, even in spite of those around you. Just go and worship God. I am sure it will make God feel better about you. Even if I am presuming too much with that statement, I am certain it will make you feel better about yourself. And that is Good!
