I'll Fly Away

While attending a worship service this past Sunday, one of the songs that was sung was "I'll Fly Away". The song was a melodic Baptist standard and was sung acapella as is the tradition in the church we attended. The song was perhaps a bit more poignant this time than in the past. The opening verse of the song says, "Some glad morning when this life is over, I'll fly away..." it made me think of something that had been on my mind for the past few days. One of our neighbors had passed away a few days ago. His wife once told me of the appearance of a red bird when she had lost loved ones in her family. The morning after her husband's passing while standing of the porch with my grandson, a red bird began to sing from an overhead wire. His song made us take notice of his nearby perch and his vibrant red color. We knew the bird was a male by his crimson plummage. My thoughts went immediately to the red bird's timely appearance in my neighbor's story. Since my brother-in-law was having serious heart surgery, it gave me pause to consider the story. I thought to myself, that's her story not mine, nothing to worry about as the surgery had been successful. My grandson and I went inside to answer the phone that was ringing. The call was from a friend telling me about the neighbor's passing the night before at 10:30pm.
I was initially taken aback by the news and had to wait until the news had sunk in to react. The story of the appearance of red birds seemed to have borne out the events of the previous night. For indeed, this "glad morning" my neighbor had "flown away". Leaving this earthly plain as a red bird has a certain appeal as we see our soul set free. Free to soar. Free to fly.
The red bird's song was a familiar one to me. His call to "Purdy, Purdy, Purdy" had been the subject of a discussion that I had with my youngest granddaughter who had come for a visit the previous summer. I had told her upon her return home that she needed to come back as this bird was "driving me crazy" calling her. We had laughed about the bird's song when she was here. "There he goes again," I would say, "calling you". "Hear him saying, 'Pretty, Pretty, Pretty', to you." "Walk out there, so he can see you!"
My neighbor may have been calling to his wife on his "glad morning" after the many weary days of 90+ years. Reminding her of her story with a loud and crystal-clear song, "Purdy, Purdy, Purdy" ( I use southern dialect as I know he is a Southern red bird.)
Perhaps "one glad morning" you, too, will "fly away to a home on God's celestrial shore". After many "weary days", you will fly to a "land where joy shall never end". As you contemplate your soul taking flight, be grateful for the promises of God. Love God. Love one another. Prepare to "fly away" some "glad morning"!

Memorial for the Prince of Peace

Isn't it amazing that over a billion people watched the worldwide coverage of Michael Jackson's memorial. The media attention was incredible from the day of his death until the memorial at the Staple Center and now seems to be never-ending. You could run but not hide from the story as it unfolded. This person made his life the center of media attention and ultimately paid the price for his fame. It is truly sad that he commanded the same attention (if not more) in his death than he did in his life. His life was fraught with evils and temptations that seemed virtually insurmountable. It is our fascination with his life that seems to diminish us all. The King of Pop is dead! In considering the "circus" we have witnessed thus far it begets thoughts of what a "media circus" would have looked like upon the event of Jesus' death...
"We have breaking news from Jerusalem... The self-proclaimed King of the Jews is dead!" Jesus of Nazareth has been crucified on Golgotha! We have reporters on the scene to bring you the breaking news! We go now to Golgotha where our own reporter, Marcellus, comes to you from the foot of the cross where Jesus died just minutes ago.
Yes, Marcus, I am standing at the foot of the cross of Jesus of Nazareth, son of the carpenter, Joseph and his wife, Mary. On a placard over his head is an inscription that reads, THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. On his right and left are two thieves that were crucified at the same time as Jesus. Witnesses say that Jesus cried out, "IT IS FINISHED", just a few minutes ago. One Roman centurion was said to have exclaimed, "Surely, he was the Son of God!" Marcus, the weather seems to have taken a turn for the worse here, I'll send it back to you.
We have a reporter at the Temple where minutes ago the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. What can you tell us, Absalom? Well, Marcus, witnesses here say that the earth shook, the sky darkened, and this beautiful curtain was torn asunder!
Let's go to palace of the Roman governor, Pilate, for reaction to the news of events surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus. Marcus, numerous attempts have been made to get reaction from Pilate, he simply has no comment. Thank you, Aurelius, keep us posted if there is a Roman reaction to Jesus' death.
Absalom has the high priest, Caiaphas, in the Temple. Well, yes, Marcus, this is Caiaphas, the high priest, one of Jesus' accusers in his trial before Pilate. What is your reaction to the events of the day, Caiaphas? "It's shameful trickery, the curtains were old and the wind simply caused them to tear. We have posted guards to insure no more of this blasphemer's prophecy comes to fruition." Marcus, as you have heard the religious leaders want no more talk of Jesus and miracles, back to you.
Marcellus has found one of Jesus followers in the crowd near the cross. Marcellus, what does this man say? Marcus, I just questioned this man known as Simon Peter and he flatly denies that he knew Jesus. There are others who seem sympathetic to Jesus' cause, I'll try to get some of them to speak to me.
That's the breaking news on Jesus' death for now, stay tuned for our coverage of Jesus' life and the events that led up to his death. Coverage of "Memorial for the Prince of Peace" will continue after this short break...
As coverage of this story continues throughout time we hope that you are tuned into the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
Can you imagine a "media circus" befitting the Son of God? Can you imagine the relative importance of His story in your life? Have a grateful heart for Jesus Christ, our Saviour. Love God. Love one another.

I'll Be There

As the news of Michael Jackson's death inundates us all, we have occasion to hear an early song from his career that propelled the Jackson Five and Michael to stardom. It's the words that have special meaning in a larger sense. They seem to be a double entendre in their scope. "You and I must make a pact, we must bring salvation back, Where there is love, I'll be there", now, was this a hymn that Barry Gordy, Willie Hutch, Hal Davis and Bob West had in mind as they composed this song or was it a simple love song? Is not God's word... a simple love song? "I'll reach out my hand to you, I'll have faith in all you do... Just call my name and I'll be there" seems to cut to the chase in terms of God's message to us all. So what does a love song have to do with God's message to mankind. Just the simple phrase, "I'll be there", speaks to the very essence of religion. The existence of God, who will be there for all time, available, "Just call my Name, I'll be there!!"
The song goes on to say, "Let me fill your heart with joy and laughter, Togetherness, well that's all I'm after, Whenever you need me, I'll be there. I'll be there to protect you, with an unselfish love that respects you. Just call my name and I'll be there.", reminding us all of the promises God has made to us. He is there for us. God is Love. God is saying through the words of this song, heard by millions, "You and I must make a pact, we must bring salvation back".
Perhaps we all could us a little joy and laughter in this uncertain times. Perhaps we should call upon God. God will indeed be there with "a love that's strong, I'll be your strength, I'll keep holding on..." The Four Tops had a similar message in their hit, "Reach Out I'll Be There"... "Now if you feel you can't go on because all of your hope is gone and your life is filled with much confusion until happiness is just an illusion and your world around is crumpling down,darlin', reach out..." God is speaking, are you listening?
So as you pause to reflect on the life of Michael Jackson, no matter how bizarre it became, remember the innocence of a young boy who reminded us that all we have to do is call God's name and He'll be there. Have a grateful heart, full of joy and laughter. Love God. Love one another.

A Full Plate

Do you remember the last family reunion that you attended? Was there food to comfort everyone? Some of Mom's apple pie? Some of Aunt Alice's delicious butter cake with chocolate frosting? Grandma's egg noodles? It was an opportunity to fill your plate with a mound of memories and goodness. It also happens at the buffet restaurant, the church supper, the company picnic, any place that we can help ourselves! We are woefully inept at self-control. There's seems to be a need to fill our plates with all the stuff we shouldn't eat or with "a little bit of everything" so as not to offend the creators of each dish. We do not heed Mom's warning not to put more on our plate than we can eat . We no longer worry about the starving children of the world who somehow benefited by our "cleaning our plate". Mom's attempted to chide us into trying new things and to make us grateful for what we have by saying, "Try it, you'll like it" or "you oughta be glad you have something to eat, there are many who don't". The temptations are too great, our self-control is flagging. We fill our plates beyond their capacity. Then we attempt to eat it all!

Life has become that same full plate for many of us. The plate is not usually filled with precious memories and goodness. Instead our plate is full of financial woes, health concerns, relationship issues and the welfare of those around us. Actually our plates are so full there is no possible way we could ever "clean" them. We are so full of trying things we don't like and then being stuck with them that we don't know how to cope. We make valiant attempts to stuff it all in but the plate's so full it overflows and ends up all over the place. Spilled all over us, on those around us, and on unsuspecting souls we come near everyday. What a mess!

The plate seems to have a flexible capacity that can hold endless mounds of stuff. We make attempts to "clean" a small place on our plate for "something good" just to be frustrated by someone slinging a pile of something that we don't like and don't want in the space we "cleaned". We long to be among the "empty platers" of the world. We would gladly starve to have a "clean plate". On the contrary, we usually carry our full plate everywhere we go. We can make no time to digest it's contents instead we are too busy, filling our plates or letting someone fill our plates for us becomes our normality. There are people around us who are like the impertinent server in a cafeteria line who slings a spoonful of something on our plate and says, "Keep Moving!". We have no intention of eating it but it takes up a valuable space on our plate. This is what seems to keep our plate full, a world of impertinent servers.

Do you remember a time when you were grateful for having a full plate? Do you ever wish for a full plate? Or has your plate become so full you an no longer carry it? Has the weight become so heavy that you stoop from it's fullness? Are you constantly looking for someone to help share your load? Look up! Help has always been there for you! All you need to do is reach out and accept it. In Matthew 11:28-29, Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and overburdened, and I will give you rest! Put on my yoke and learn from me. For I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Let God scrape that stuff off your plate! Have a grateful and forgiving heart! Be gentle and humble. Love God! Love one another!

A Most Unforgivable Sin

They're all talking about the "most expensive divorce in Hollywood history". First of all, divorce is not news in Hollywood, second, divorce is not news anywhere. We are a society of expendables and planned obsolescence. In California, there's an uproar about the legality of same sex marriage, why? Our society seems to have misplaced the value and solemnity of marriage. There was a startling statistic about the rate of divorce in our country, slightly over 50% of marriage end in divorce. Nothing startling anymore about that statistic, marriage is a casualty of a "throw-away" lifestyle. More often than not infidelity is the reason for divorce. Usually, the media has a scorned woman involved. Somebody figured out that news about women extracting vengeance on men "sells papers". It is an age-old problem... Hell has no fury like a woman scorned. That adapted phrase came from a play, "The Mourning Bride" by William Congreave, written in the 1690's. The line from the play, "Heav'n has no Rage, like Love to Hatred turn'd, Nor Hell a Fury, like a Woman scorn'd.", speaks to the reason for the fury as love lost. The examples of this fury are many. In Genesis 39, Joseph is a servant of Potiphar, Pharaoh's captain of the guard. Potiphar's wife entreated Joseph with sexual temptation and his refusal got him jail time. Judges 16 tells us Samson found himself powerless at Deiliah's hand after he lied to her. As a result of casting dispersions on Herodias, wife of Herod, John the Baptist lost his head (Matthew 14:1-9). Modern examples come easily to mind as the salacious news of the day pervades our media. Carrie Underwood's song "Before He Cheats" is a chart topper. Perhaps huge divorce settlements have supplanted the inner desires of the scorned to do physical harm to the scorner. Are men held blameless, simply suffering from ravages of women gone wild? Is this the remedy for a most unforgivable sin?
This rage is perhaps understandable but in context is it justifiable? As relationships go there is an unspeakable scorn that occurs daily in our lives. Men and women scorn equally. God loves us all with such intensity that He has given His Son so that we may live eternally. Jesus brings a resolution to the dilemma of mankind. Yet, for most of us, we scorn God's Love almost everyday. We fail to live up to the least of His expectations. Our responsibility to God is relatively simple. Love God with all your heart. Love one another. Be grateful for the blessings bestowed on us. God steps up amidst our scorn and offers forgiveness. How small we are in comparison... Our vengeance makes us smaller. Consider the wrath of God and His forgiveness when you think with fury about extracting remedies for the scorn of your love. Have a grateful, forgiving heart. Love God. Love one another.

Gentleness

Gentleness is a quality we often associate with loved ones. We directly associate a gentle nature with grandmothers and grandfathers of a "kinder and gentler" era. Will you be a gentle and kind hearted elder within your family? Can we survive in this hard world by being gentle and kind hearted? There are many who teach management skills that insist there is no place for gentleness and kindness when dealing with subordinates. Does this attitude transcend the workplace into our family lives? Do we treat our children with gentleness and kindheartedness? Do we treat our spouses with gentleness and kindheartedness? Have the stresses of our lives muddled the work and home environments? Lots of questions, not so many answers that affirm an effort toward kindness and gentleness. Our demands for excellence and submission seem to preclude gentleness and kindheartedness.
Paul, in his letters to churches, exhorts them to be kind and gentle to one another. In his letter to the Colossians, Paul says in 3:10, "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.". And in his letter to the Corinthians, in chapter 13 he explains the qualities of love, he tells God's people that love is patient, kind, not easily angered and that love never fails. It is these reminders that we need every day.
What a delicate balance we have made for ourselves! We harden ourselves to insure that this cruel world does not squash us and by so doing we lose sight of the importance of kindness and gentleness that is essential to demonstrate our love for one another. Paul stays on message to the Ephesians in Chapter 4, "Be completely humble and gentle, bearing one another in love". And to the Galatians 5:22, he says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.".
Do you suppose that the kindly and gentle elders of yesterday had a widely different perspective than we do today? Is that perspective of our own making as it was for Paul's correspondents? Are we simply reacting to the way others treat us and lack the courage to put ourselves "out there" by being kind and gentle. Given that an animal beaten with a stick seemingly has two choices, cower and flee or attack viciously; given that same choice, how do we react? Most of us envision ourselves battle hardened and ready to attack. This is the choice that most often results in two prominent casualties, kindness and gentleness. Will you be remembered for your kindness? Will your gentle spirit exude the love that brings us all together?
Remember to forgive, be grateful, love God, love one another and be kind and gentle.

Sticks Like Glue

While attempting to remove the residue of an "incredibly strong" glue from my fingers, my thoughts ran to a lack of preparation of the gluing project. Taking time to prepare would have been prudent and carefully reading the instructions would have been excellent preparation. The "incredibly strong" glue had stuck to my fingers in what appeared to be a semi-permanent film that made the tips of my fingers sticky and frankly somewhat annoying. Presumably this "incredibly strong" glue tackles the "toughest jobs on earth" so this thin layer of glue would be a constant reminder of my gluing project for a day or so.
Contemplating the now slick surface of the tips of my fingers was the inspiration for a thought process far from the just completed gluing of a broken chair. The worrisome residue from the glue made me think of the way hurtful remarks seem to "stick" to a person's psyche. Hoping that those remarks will eventually slough off is often an unrealistic dream. Depending on where in one's soul those remarks happened to stick, they may become semi-permanent reminders. Peeling away the residue of the glue began to be an obsession and the rough feel of partially removed glue urged a continued effort to scratch it off, leaving a "raw" feeling to the fingertip. Still the urge persists and the mind wanders to inventive ways to remove it. Thoughts of hot,soapy water, sharp objects and chemical solvents began to emerge. Maybe alcohol would do it... Funny how the mind offers all kinds of solutions to the little annoyances of life to avoid an eventual all-encompassing malady. Our society is all about good feelings and self images, there's no place for blemishes or insensitivity. We desperately seek ways to get the "residue" of hurtful remarks and damaged psyche, of less than perfect self-image out of our lives. For example, chewing unthinkingly on one fingertip while typing with the other is definitely hampering this process of blogging. So it goes with life, something "glues" itself to us and we spend our lives trying to remove the annoying reminder from our consciousness. What are we to do with these "sticky" situations? How do we make ourselves impervious to the "glue" that sticks these annoyances to us? Why won't they simply slough off?
A forgiving heart becomes the solvent for these "sticky" annoyances. In Luke 6:27, Jesus said, "But I say to all of you who will listen to me: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who treat you badly." Jesus implores us to simply listen to him. Forgiveness is essential to your own forgiveness for we all know our capabilities to dish out all the same things we condemn. We can spew the "sticky" remarks that become annoyances for others. We must redouble our efforts to avoid making the miseries we experience. Read the the Bible, our "instruction manual". Prepare your heart for life's sticky stuff. Have a grateful heart, love God, and make a special effort to love one another.

Breaking News

Have you noticed that we are assaulted with the most negative news during the first few minutes of our local news and all in the name of "breaking news". Human tragedy has become breaking news and the more salacious the crime the more coverage allotted.Crimes against our neighbors captures our attention and we are drug into an emotional tie with the victims. The more tears and wails of anguish that the videographer captures, the more we are drawn into the story. The public seems to salivate over the woes of others, as murder and mayhem grabs our attention. We no longer treat this news as tragic; our conversation seems complacent as we ridiculously discuss motives and abhorrence with impunity. Tragedy no longer leaves us aghast as we stare into the lives of victims. The conceptual, "You Are There" approach to the news is a bit over the top! Headline news drones on and on... on and on... exploring every cruelty of the story as we sit fixated on coverage of a white SUV traveling the streets of Los Angeles or the remnants of the space shuttle falling from the sky or the smoke and debris of twin skyscrapers and their occupants as they tumble to the ground, lest we ever forget... How many pieces of ourselves can we give up before imagination and reality become so blurred we cannot differentiate? What emotional price must we pay before we say,"ENOUGH!"?
Perhaps for some of us the change to digital television is blessing in disguise. If you have not subscribed to the madness of cable/satellite and you don't own a digital TV, you may have been blessed by the upcoming national conversion. Perhaps your blessing comes in the form of a red alert on your screen soon to be followed by a "snowy" bliss. Perhaps now is your chance to stop this vicious cycle of negativism that invades your life. Perhaps you will turn off your "snowy" picture and turn to a far more beautiful media with positive news. Perhaps God's world will become your consciousness and good news will abound. Perhaps you will pick up your Bible and find this good news:

Psalm 91
Safe in the Lord

1 Those who go to God Most High for safety
will be protected by the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, "You are my place of safety and protection.
You are my God and I trust you."

3 God will save you from hidden traps
and from deadly diseases.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you can hide.
His truth will be your shield and protection.
5 You will not fear any danger by night
or an arrow during the day.
6 You will not be afraid of diseases that come in the dark
or sickness that strikes at noon.
7 At your side one thousand people may die,
or even ten thousand right beside you,
but you will not be hurt.
8 You will only watch
and see the wicked punished.

9 The Lord is your protection;
you have made God Most High your place of safety.
10 Nothing bad will happen to you;
no disaster will come to your home.
11 He has put his angels in charge of you
to watch over you wherever you go.
12 They will catch you in their hands
so that you will not hit your foot on a rock.
13 You will walk on lions and cobras;
you will step on strong lions and snakes.

14 The Lord says, "Whoever loves me, I will save.
I will protect those who know me.
15 They will call to me, and I will answer them.
I will be with them in trouble;
I will rescue them and honor them.
16 I will give them a long, full life,
and they will see how I can save."

Perhaps the beauty that surrounds us in "living color" will supplant the artificial representation on a 20" screen. Have a grateful heart, experience the real beauty of our world. Be a part of YOUR life. Love one another. Love God. Make your "breaking news" the good news of God's Love.

Old Life and New Life

Over the past few days I have had the distinct honor of witnessing a new life, my grandson. What a marvel God has given us in new life! It is indeed the greatest wonder of our world. There is a certain perfection in the tiny faces, the tiny fingers, the tiny toes, all fresh and new. We usually find a crowd around the nursery viewing window with a chorus of "He's so cute!" or "She's beautiful and so petite!" or "Look how tiny he is" remarks. We often take for granted the introduction of new life into our world. We see it as the natural progression of love and marriage to reproduce offspring that looks like one of us. It is indeed the preservation of the species but it is a marvelous event that eclipses what we may consider as "way cool" things in our lives. When you first hold that squirming tiny person in your arms you MUST be awestruck. The fresh innocence of a newborn is incredibly emotional. Seeing the ultimate results of love and marriage that we call a baby is a precious gift from God that warms the heart. In the midst of turmoil and tribulation a baby brings new hope and a renewal of the spirit. As that tiny face looks up at you seeking a fulfillment of his needs you see why the adage, "it takes a village", has a significance that perhaps you haven't considered. Those little eyes can't focus on who it is providing his needs so you must be prepared to do whatever it takes to satisfy him. When he cries out for sustenance he has little regard from whence it comes. When he is uncomfortable, he has little regard for whose arms hold him just that his expectations of relief are met. The urgency of his needs are accompanied by a tiny voice expressed as a whimper or a bellow but always audible and heart wrenching. We cannot choose to ignore it as he will persist until his needs are met. His facial features can go from angelic to downright mad in an instant. The attitude of "perhaps you didn't hear me" couldn't be plainer. Now comes the delicate balance that precludes all knowledge, what exactly is his need, it becomes a perplexing dilemma for new parents. Thousand of clean diapers and half empty bottles are thrown out. No matter how adept we are at satisfying the needs of those in the workplace or society at large, we are reduced to ineptitude by the cry of a baby. Suddenly our relative self importance becomes secondary to the needs of the baby. That cry for help becomes primary and all important. Suddenly the person who can handle anything becomes putty in a baby's hands. A tiny voice, a pitiful cry, your world has changed, a new purpose for your life is mirrored in that tiny face.

At the same time we were witnessing new life we were simultaneously addressing the needs of an old life. An elderly parent recovering from surgery that left her a bit helpless had needs that must be met as well. The old life has many years of communication so that the helplessness is not so pronounced in terms of defining the need but it is often just as urgent. It is usually not punctuated with loud crying but the look of responsibility and the air of need is certainly not diminished. There is a sharp focus on the face that seemingly MUST address the need and there is usually no mistake to whom the need is addressed. Food and creature comforts are much the same in the old life as it is in the new life but with a defined preference. Fortunately, with reasonableness, the urgency can be abated for a short time. The urgency of the needs of the new life isn't negotiable. Interestingly, there seems to be pacifiers for both and to date neither new nor old has refused.

We wish to see the first smile in the new life and wish to see a smile again in the old life. The new life has a peaceful countenance when satisfied, the face of the old life has a face of discontent that has become somewhat permanent. Take time to notice old faces, where has their joy gone? At the same time make an effort to observe as many new faces as you can. There is a joy for you in this observation in case you have forgotten. New faces make old faces smile. Be grateful for old faces and new faces. Find joy in them both. Know that God has provided this joy for you and have a grateful heart. Love old and new faces. Most of all, Love God.

The Cross in My Pocket- A Children's Sermon

Some of us are given a rare privilege in life of presenting a Children's Sermon during the worship service. This experience is seldom eclipsed and becomes etched in one's memory. Lots of folks who don't have the first hand experience enjoy those short vignettes as they watch the faces and hear the remarks from the smallest in our congregations. Inspirations for these short lessons come from a myriad of places and often are predicated on the availablity of some tangible reminder of the lesson. "The Cross in My Pocket" provides inspiration for this lesson. Perhaps you have seen the small 2-inch Crosses inscribed with the words "Jesus Christ is Lord" or "God Loves You" and with an accompanying poem that reads;

THE CROSS IN MY POCKET

I carry a Cross in my pocket
A simple reminder to me
Of the fact that I am a Christian
No matter where I may be

The little Cross is not magic
Nor is it a good luck charm
It isn't meant to protect me
From every physical harm

It's not for identification
For all the world to see
It simply is an understanding
Between my Savior and me

When I put my hand in my pocket
To bring out a coin or key
The Cross is there to remind me
Of the price He paid for me

It reminds me too, to be thankful
For my blessings day by day
And to strive to serve Him better
In all I do and say

Its also a daily reminder
Of the peace and comfort I share
With all who know my Master
And give themselves to His care

So I carry a Cross in my pocket
Reminding me, no none but me
That Jesus Christ is Lord of my life
If only I'll let Him be...

by Mrs Verna Mae Thomas, from McGehee, Arkansas

There are probably millions of Crosses in pockets all around the world and the verse by itself is an inspired message, beyond the obvious, other factors make the small Cross a viable tool to teach the meaning of the Cross and its importance to the religions of the world. There's also a simplicity in the Cross that we often overlook that relates directly to children and condenses the lesson to a viable Children's Sermon.

Reach into your pocket and pull out the small Cross. "Have you ever seen one of these?"; Who can tell me what this is?...; Look around, do you see any more Crosses in the Santuary?... Sure, there are many Crosses around the church. See, there's a big one on the wall, here's one on the altar, one on top of the flag pole, there's one outside on the steeple. Now, take a look at the Cross, "What letter of the alphabet does it bring to mind?... That's right, "T". To me it's a reminder to "trust" in God. Trust that God will tell you what's right and wrong. Trust that God is always with you. Trust that God will protect you and comfort you in times of trouble.

Is there another letter that you notice on the Cross?... What about "L"?... Yes, there's lots of "L's" on a Cross. Actually if you turn it anyway you will see an "L" (Use the cross to demonstrate) . The "L" is the best reminder of all! The "L" is visible in so many ways on the Cross to remind you that God Loves You! The Cross is surrounded by Love! Today I'm going to give each of you a Cross to carry in your pocket to remind you that God Loves You and that He gave us Jesus! Let's pray together and thank God for His Love and for His Son, Jesus.

Have a grateful heart and love God as He loves you!!

Jots and Tittles

As the new President restated his oath of office, a thought occurred to me, it is about our need to dot our "i"s and cross our "t"s to insure that we would concur with the strictest letter of the law in order not to suffer repercussions. In light of all the many things that are wrong in our world, we choose to concern ourselves with the tiniest of details for fear of retribution. We must look very foolish to the world. We seek to make magnanimous gestures to improve our image so as to convince the world that our way is the right way. We tell the world it should live to our standards and practices because it is the right thing to do. We take action to erase what could be misconceived to be selfish in our intent. We allow our actions to dictate the very substance of the global picture we present and if we object to those actions, WE condemn them for the world to see. Our media seems to concentrate on the negative aspects of life and government in the name of full and transparent disclosure. Are we so naive as to think that the world is not looking? We see our weaknesses as "breaking news", we delight in the fact that someone has broken the law. We splash the headlines with evil, corruption, degradation, and murder; then we seek to change the world to our way. We spend billions of dollars and effort attempting to change the hearts and minds of the world population to see that our relative wealth is achievable within the bounds of "our way". The woes of our economy are portrayed as disastrous and akin to the Depression of the 30's. There are more than a few people who would gladly trade our Depression of the 30's for their reality of today. Yet we wring our hands at the failure of our banking systems as the world starves. We are hopelessly "wrapped around the axle". We are bogged down by our very effort to save the world. We are focused on what's wrong to the extent that we can't do what's right.

Sadly, it is a trickle down effect to the individual. We align ourselves directly with the media and the bad news of the day. My observations are that we face such negativity in our world that we actually cry when a common act of kindness occurs. Doesn't it seem strange that we have become so calloused that we cry out for a little kindness. Jesus faced much of the same frustration as He preached the Sermon on the Mount. He found a people so wrapped around the particulars of the Law (Torah) that they failed to see the true basis of Scriptures. He found it necessary to point out to them the good things around them. The insistence on the complete compliance with the Law had made the people calloused to the soft side of life. He blessed the meek, the poor, the peaceful, gentle, the hungry, the poor spirited and sorrowful people to show them it was OK to be everyday people with everyday problems. He turned to the interpreters of the Law and said they were wrong in their strict interpretation. He began to write the love of God and their fellow man on their hearts and minds not only in a book of Laws. He describes them as the salt of the earth and the light of the world so they could see their worthiness for the love of God. In Matthew 5: 17-20, Jesus explains, "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled" The authorities were afraid this new religion was going to usurp their authority and make the people see them in an unfavorable light. Jesus was telling the people of His intent not to sweep away that established religion but to fulfill its prophecies. Jesus wants the commandments of Love written in the hearts and minds of all men. Love God and love one another is the simple truths that we must live everyday moment of everyday. Have a grateful heart filled with love.

Negatives

As we watched the weather tonight we were astonished by the number of negative temperature readings we saw. The forecast is not much better, perhaps worse, lots more negatives as we are assaulted by an Arctic blast of cold. As we watch the news each night we see negative reaction of the stock market to negative news of the day. Negative news? Do we have negative news? The job market is teeming with people who are a part of the negative jobs figures we have experienced. Job cuts lead the negative news of the day. We are bombarded by negative news associated with persons of high office, persons seeking high office, and the current President's negative approval rating. Negative statistics concerning our real estate markets, foreclosures, and the economy. There's the huge negative reports of the looming recession or depression that must be softened to allay the fears that fuel negative responses to the banking and securities markets. There's negative news about the mismanagement of banks, the mismanagement of companies, the mismanagement of investment funds, the mismanagement of wars, the mismanagement of $750b in bailout money, our mismanagement of our health that somehow has caused the mismanagement of our health care system and the news of mismanagement goes on resulting in more and more negative news. There is negative news about the heroes of victimization, the Israelis, the people of God, as they seek retribution for the endangerment of its citizens by Hamas or whoever they're currently fighting. We have mismanaged our environment resulting in a negative look at the future of our Earth. There seems to be more than enough of us to blame for all these negatives. In the scheme of things there seems to be an inordinate amount of negative news of late. No wonder we are depressed and fearful, we're all weighed down by the negatives of the world. A precious few fleeting moments of positive news is squeezed in between the negative news stories.

There is a piece of positive news that can't be denied, God so loved the world He gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in Him should not be lost, but should have eternal life. That news should bring a smile to your face. Even with all the negatives we face we must be grateful that those pale in comparison to the knowledge that eternal life awaits us who simply believe. Trust in God. Love God. Love one another. Have a grateful heart!

Laughter is the best medicine

The simplicity and innocence of childhood is best exhibited in a child's laughter. Here's a short video of how giggling is very special in children. This is a YouTube video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P6UU6m3cqk, to copy and paste. As you can see giggling is contagious and makes us feel good. Nothing complicated and certainly not limited. Just a word or an action seems to be sufficient to tickle the giggle mechanism. Perhaps it's a response to the attention that we shower on babies. Funny faces, noises, or hand movements begin a repetitive action of giggles that go on and on. Is it a learned behavior? Does the baby realize that happiness is derived from their giggles? Does the baby equate enhanced attention to his giggles? Attention getting behavior seems to transcend age, whatever it takes to get a little attention becomes an essential part of our being. Laughter or giggling actually reverses its role as we age, the laughter we get will manifest itself in attention getting behavior. For example, comedians or class clowns search for ways to make people laugh. Why? Is it an unselfish act to bring joy and happiness or does it satisfy an inner longing for the same attention we sought as a child?

As we grow older that lack of attention seems to rob us of our sense of humor, steals our laughter and smiles. A pat on the back that is not forthcoming makes us unhappy and we know happiness is a prerequisite to smiles and laughter. When mom can no longer provide those delectable dishes that she is famous for and the compliments wane, the smiles and laughter also wane. What was a joy becomes a task. Tasks don't lend themselves to smiles and laughter. Laughs aren't so easy to come by and frowns supplant smiles. Sadness overcomes joy and health becomes poor. It almost seems characteristic of the elderly, an inability to smile or laugh easily. An old proverb says, what soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul. In Chapter 15 of Genesis, God made Abraham laugh at age 99 when He told him that his wife, Sarah, age 90, would have a child. Of course, it came to pass as did Abraham's lineage.

As we "lol" at jokes sent on the Internet we wonder why that conveyance of communication has become so popular. No small talk, no howyadoin?, just a joke in hopes that you would "lol". We are truly in need of smiles and laughs. So keep them coming, smiles and laughter, make it a point to do it everyday. Display your love for one another by making someone laugh or at least smile. Be grateful that you still have the ability and the desire. Laughter IS the best medicine!

In Good Hands

Recently as we were walking in the gym, I noticed a younger fellow running ahead of us, as he passed a casual "Good Morning" was exchanged. As we made a round I noticed that his cap that laid next to his jacket said "Life Flight". Guess he was somehow associated with the organization that transports emergency patients and transplant organs. He finished his run and stood putting on his jacket and cap as we came by again. Coming by he said something, an earphone kept me from hearing clearly so I said, "Pardon?" and he replied "I'm leaving this in your hands", my reply was, "I'll do my best to keep it up". As I walked on I thought about my reply and what perhaps could have been a better response. A couple of thoughts came to mind, one was "I'm on it" and the other was "You've left it in good hands". The latter response probably was as a result of the Allstate commercials that inundated the airways during the Sugar Bowl and the BCS National Championship. As I walked I began to think about the concept of being insured by Allstate and being "in good hands". Of course, the idea was supplanted by a better look at being "in good hands" as I thought of the simplicity of Christianity and the immensity of God's Love, the thought of paying a company to be "in good hands" took on a new light. Indeed it is nice to have your car insured against the possibility of accidents or your house insured for fire or damage but what about your spirituality? Being in the good hands of God seems to be far more important. By simply trusting in God we put our lives in Good Hands. He will see us through all of the trials and tribulations that we face. When in God's Good Hands we should be worry-free and without the stresses of life.

In Luke 12:22, Jesus tell his disciples, "This is why I tell you not to worry about food to keep you alive or clothes to cover your body. Life is more than food, the body more than clothes. Think of the ravens; they neither sow or reap; they have no storehouse or barn; yet God feeds them. You are worth far more than the birds! Can anxious thought add a day to your life? If, then, you cannot do even a very little thing, why worry about the rest? Jesus tells us how God keeps us in good hands. All that is ask of us is that we believe, that we have faith, that we love and trust God. We should have grateful hearts as we think of being in God's good hands!