tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82913280035594614982024-03-05T12:37:38.024-08:00Another Side of My LifeDaughterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14732181531247456798noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291328003559461498.post-51078535256340109682014-01-11T13:38:00.000-08:002014-01-11T13:38:06.887-08:00My Name Is Church<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I wrote "My Name Is Church" in 2007. I just read a blog that reminded me of this- the Title is "Are You Breaking Up With Me?" by</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">By Patrick Scriven, Director of Communications and Young People’s Ministries.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here is the link: <a href="http://www.pnwumc.org/news/are-you-breaking-up-with-me/">http://www.pnwumc.org/news/are-you-breaking-up-with-me/</a></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My Name Is Church</span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">by Sandra L Hire </span></span></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">My name is Church.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I’ve been here, in this spot for over one
hundred years. Once, I was young and beautiful. My stained glass windows were
new and the sun streamed through the colored glass and played like jewels over
the people who filled the sanctuary each Sunday.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">When I was created, I was
created for a purpose. The men and women who laid my bricks and painted my
walls had a vision for me. A vision to be handed down from their generation to
the next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was created as a place of
worship. A place of sanctuary. A place to teach the next generation to love God
with their whole heart and soul and voice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">When I was in my early,
childlike years, people came to me eagerly. They wanted the words of the
scriptures. They loved to sing the hymns and they passed this love down to
their children. They taught Sunday school. They filled my pews. They prayed for
their faith to grow.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">In my teens, I caught on
fire. I was ablaze with the flame of the passion of the saints for the Holy
Spirit. My rooms were filled on Sundays. If you were outside and walked by me
on a Wednesday night, my stained glass windows looked like they were glowing
from within. But chances are, you too would have been worshiping in my
sanctuary. The flames of faith burned bright for many years. But eventually,
they slowly started to fade.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my middle ages, I literally caught on fire
and burned. Loving hands and joyful hearts rebuilt me. There was never any talk
of letting me die; I was too important in their eyes. Their whole lives
revolved around me as they continued the conviction stories of their lives and
passed their faith on to their children and grandchildren.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I’m getting old now. Some of
my paint is peeling and my carpets are threadbare. My rooms don’t get as much
use now. The sun still shines through the colored glass of the stained glass
windows. It still shimmers like jewels. But there aren’t as many people to see
the dazzling colors. The talk now is whether to put me back together or let me
die a slow death.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Sometimes I feel like I <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">am</b> dying. I no longer feel the fire
burning in the souls of the people who worship here. I miss that. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Once, squirmy, wiggly<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>young children filled my pews. They spilled
their drinks on my cushions and crushed cheerios under their feet into my carpet.
I yearn for those days! I used to smile at the little ones, knowing someday
they would stand up at the altar, oh so somber and still, while they promised
to love God, take care of me, take care of each other and the world beyond my
doors.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I really didn’t mind the
knocks and nicks and the scrapes and the scratches. I knew those blemishes were
really beauty marks; a history of my use by the people who loved the Lord and
used me to worship Him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I’ve heard the people raise
their voices to God in praise many times. I’ve heard the wonderful word of God.
In worship services, bible studies, Sunday school and other activities; the
scriptures have been acted out, taught, and preached. The music has been played
and the songs sung. And they still are, but there is something missing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I can feel something that
the people don’t seem to be able to feel. It is the great cloud of witnesses.
It is the faith and the love of the people that came before and that have gone
on to be with God. That faith, that love is still here, within these walls.
Those saints have gone on to be with God, but their prayers, their love is
still here.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">When these people come up to
partake in communion, they are communing not just with those who attend our
local church or worship our way: they are communing with the universal church,
all members of the church, not only on earth at present (‘the church militant’)
but those already in heaven (‘the church triumphant’). It is not just a
fellowship between people, but with God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This
fellowship is experienced and expressed in the whole life of the church: in
prayer, preaching, reading the scriptures, sacraments, music, witness and
service.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Sometime between my birth
and now, people lost track of the purpose. The purpose of being a church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The purpose of passing on faith to the next
generation. Or was it that the next generation disappeared and moved to bigger
and better things?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever it was, the
fire isn’t staying strong. The promises are still being made, but there are few
to receive the torch as it is passed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I wish I could figure it
out; I wish I could figure out what happened. How did the faith sharing stop?
What caused the fire to start to die? I wish I had an answer. I wish I could
whisper a solution to the pastor. But churches can’t talk. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Sometimes I do feel a hint
of hope. A few weeks ago the pastor read the word of God and taught<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>about faith. The pastor read from the book of
Luke. The words were bold. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The pastor read:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“The apostles said to the
Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ He replied “If you have faith as small as a mustard
seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, Be uprooted and planted into the sea
and it will obey you.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">As the pastor read those
words, I could feel the warmth of the Holy Spirit slowly seeping into the
church.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">And the Sunday before, the
people sang a song, an old song that reminded this old church of something
forgotten. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Let
us plead for faith alone, faith which by our works is shown; <br />
God it is who justifies, only faith the grace applies.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Active
faith that lives within, conquers hell and death and sin,<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><br />
hallows whom it first made whole, forms the Savior in the soul.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Let
us for this faith contend, sure salvation is the end; <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><br />
heaven already is begun, everlasting life is won. </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Only
let us persevere- till we see our Lord appear, <br />
never from the Rock remove, saved by faith which works by love.<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8291328003559461498#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">[i]</span></b></span></span></span></a></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">There was hope there. Hope
that those singing would hear the words formed by Charles Wesley many years
ago.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Today the pastor is again
talking about faith and talking about passing faith on to the next generation.
But the people don’t see there <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">is</b>
another generation that is to follow them. They think because their children
have moved away, their grandchildren go to another church in another town, they
have no one to pass the torch to. But that’s not so! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I see the children go by me
on their bikes. I hear people outside speaking as they walk by me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Welcome!” I want to say to the children. “We
will clean up the toys and open my Sunday school room doors to you. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Good Morning!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come to church with us!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I long to say that to those
strangers beyond my doors. But a church like me has no voice. It is the voice
of the people, the voice of the descendants of those people who first built me
that must reach out to those beyond my doors.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Listen- can you hear what
the pastor says today? The people are listening. The pastor is talking again
about faith. The faith about which Paul wrote to Timothy. Faith that is
inherited. Faith that came from the mother and grandmother of Timothy. It is
faith that Paul encourages his adopted spiritual son to fan into flame.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The pastor speaks of the
need of this generation, the need of these descendants to pass on that torch of
faith to a new generation. A generation of sons and daughters. A generation
that may be adopted, but to who faith is no less important. A generation who
will not be ashamed to testify of the faith in Jesus Christ. “For,” says the
pastor, “God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and
self-discipline.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I can sense a stirring.
There is a glowing ember of understanding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A spark of interest that could ignite into a fire- not a fire of
destruction, but I feel a sense that a blaze could resume. I can tell by the
thoughts of the people here. I can feel the hope. They can fan this spark into
a flame. And through this flame, my purpose can be revealed to a new
generation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;">
<br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8291328003559461498#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span></span></span></a>
The United Methodist Hymnal ©1989 Hymn # 385 Words by Charles Wesley</div>
</div>
</div>
Daughterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14732181531247456798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291328003559461498.post-31036813346745452862011-07-30T20:17:00.000-07:002011-07-30T20:17:57.610-07:00Between Hospital and Nursing Home<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My father has been in the hospital since Tuesday. What started out as an ER visit on Saturday for stomach pain, turned into a hospitalization on Tuesday for a completely different matter. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bodies age and the cumulative effect of that aging can make things go wrong all at once...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Right now Dad has terrific back pain due to bone spurs in his spine. He is on pain meds and there was tallk of an injection in his spine, but then they found out he has a blood infection. They won't do it while he has an infection of any kind. He also has pneumonia in one lung.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since he has a pig valve in his heart, they are worried his valve might be compromised and he might need a new mechanical valve. A TEE (transesophageal echocardiogram) is scheduled for tomorrow morning. Sunday morning.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mom doesn't know he is in the hospital. She knows he has had bad back pain and has had tests done. She is accepting that at this time. I've told her he can't get to his computer because of the pain. The nursing home staff would like to keep the hospitalization from her if possible.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Dad is not himself. And I'm terribly worried. </span>Daughterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14732181531247456798noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291328003559461498.post-71519930187716833312011-01-14T13:40:00.001-08:002011-01-14T13:41:40.293-08:00A Second Parable on Domestic Violence<p><b><font size="3">A Parable On Domestic Violence 2</font></b> <p><font size="3"> On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” </font> <p><font size="3"> “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” </font> <p><font size="3"> He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” </font> <p><font size="3"> “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” </font> <p><font size="3"> But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” </font> <p><font size="3"> In reply Jesus said: “A woman in town who was known for being friendly loving and kind seemed to change a few months after she met her fiancé. She started wearing long sleeved clothes in the summer and sunglasses indoors. She became nervous and afraid, especially when she was with her fiancé. </font> <p><font size="3">She made lots of phone calls to check in with her fiancé because he “worried” about her. She missed parties and family celebrations because her fiancé had made other plans for them.</font> <p><font size="3">When she was with her fiancé, he told stories about how clumsy she was and of the many stupid things she did.</font> <p><font size="3">Her pastor noticed the changes and thought about saying something, but felt it was up to her to ask for help.</font> <p><font size="3">Her friends at work talked amongst themselves about what they thought was going on, but kept their distance. They didn’t want to appear nosey.</font> <p><font size="3">But a lady ( a stranger) at the grocery store saw the bruises on the woman’s side as she lifted her arms to get something off the top shelf at the grocery store. She went right to her and asked her if everything was alright. She touched the woman’s trembling arm and told her she knew where she could get help. She gave her a card with a phone number on it and she wrote her phone number too. And she told her, when she was ready, she could help her get the help she needed. And she was willing to get her that help that very moment if she was ready. And she drove her to a safe place and called for help.</font> <p><font size="3">“Which of these do you think was a neighbor to the woman?”</font> <p><font size="3"> The expert in the law replied, “The one who wasn’t afraid to say something.” </font> <p><font size="3"> Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” </font> <p><font size="3"><em>by Rev. Sandi Hire</em></font></p> Daughterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14732181531247456798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291328003559461498.post-46789180806468515552011-01-14T13:38:00.001-08:002011-01-14T13:38:50.992-08:00A Parable on Domestic Violence<p><b><font size="3">A Parable for Domestic Violence</font></b> <p><font size="3">On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” </font> <p><font size="3">“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” </font> <p><font size="3">He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” </font> <p><font size="3"> “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” </font> <p><font size="3">But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” </font> <p><font size="3"> In reply Jesus said: “A woman was coming to church every week, many times with bruises on her arms and an occasional black eye almost hidden by makeup. She was quiet and reserved and tentatively smiled when spoken to. She brought her children with her most Sundays but never stayed for any of the activities after the service, she always had to go right home. On the Sundays her husband would come with her, she was even more quiet and withdrawn and kept her eyes focused to the floor.</font> <p><font size="3">One day the woman came into the church even more disheveled than usual. Her hands shook and she winced when she walked to her pew. No one said anything to her, as they didn’t want to get in her business. The pastor shook her hand and looked over her head to say hello to one of the other members and didn’t notice her tears. The head of the woman’s group pointed out to another friend how awful the woman looked that day and wondered if something was wrong- but didn’t say anything to the woman.</font> <p><font size="3">A few days after that a member of the prayer group called the church office to report that a prayer request had been made for this woman who had been severely beaten and was being picked up at home by an ambulance. The outlook wasn’t good.</font> <p><font size="3">The police had arrested her husband and he was in handcuffs on his way to the police station.</font> <p><font size="3">Which of these do you think was a neighbor to the woman?”</font> <p><font size="3">The expert in the law said, “No one. No one had mercy on her.”</font> <p><font size="3">Jesus said, “Go and do better.”</font> <p><font size="3"><em>by Rev. Sandi Hire</em></font></p> Daughterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14732181531247456798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291328003559461498.post-34196176651903697502010-12-02T18:51:00.000-08:002010-12-04T06:53:18.218-08:00Funeral for a 3-Year Old<p><font size="3" face="Arial">I did a funeral for a three year old today. For some reason I have always felt comforted when I see older people in their coffins because they don’t look real. I mean they look dead and its easy for me to grasp that their spirits are no longer in those old bodies; their spirits have moved on.</font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Arial"></font> </p> <p><font size="3" face="Arial">The three year old looked like he was sleeping. I could count his eyelashes. The color in his cheeks looked normal. He was beautiful.<br></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Arial">I wanted to pull the covers up a bit and tuck him in a bit.<br></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Arial">His family couldn’t stop tussling his hair, touching his cheek. And still he didn’t wake up. They cried and wailed and touched him and called his name, but he didn’t wake up. </font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Arial">And they carried him out in his little white coffin- only two men had to carry him. And balloons were tied to the coffin as if they might just carry him right up to heaven.</font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Arial">And we went to the Baby section of the cemetery where all the little graves had dolls and toy trucks and cars and stuffed animals left behind. And we looked at the little open grave.</font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Arial">I read the words and said the prayers. We let go of the balloons we had to send them to heaven so that he and the other kids could play with them.</font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Arial">It was the only time I could make out what his mother was saying between her sobs. Good bye. Good bye.</font></p> Daughterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14732181531247456798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291328003559461498.post-66895115786898139852010-08-13T04:16:00.000-07:002010-08-13T04:21:35.270-07:00Friday Five 8/13/2010<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">SingingOwl writes on the <a href="http://revgalblogpals.blogspot.com/2010/08/dog-days-of-summer-friday-five.html">RevGalBlogPal</a> site:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Here in the snow belt state of Wisconsin we long for the first signs of spring--perhaps a crocus poking up through the snow, or a pussy willow bud popping out even beneath ice. The first appearance of robins, that most cheery little hopper of birds, causes widespread rejoicing. Spring is followed by summer, a time for home-grown tomatoes, watermelon, corn on the cob, all sorts of "fests," back yard "fry outs" (what they call a barbecue here, for some reason) and trips near and far.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>I love summer, and wait anxiously for it every year. So how is it that we have arrived at the hot and humid "Dog Days" of August, and I have not done nearly enough of what I planned to do? I want to pack in as much as I can before snow flies once again. </em></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>How about you? And what is happening for those of you who are in a different hemisphere than I, and it may be cold?</em></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>1. What is the weather like where you live?</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">South of you SingingOwl. Central Illinois has been "celebrating" the dog days of summer all summer long. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3HeEHT8TGS46sLDYD6iVtkaAQhh6x_hwzGrYcHJNrxtumPED7HEZARV14MoeXeBlbpZ-RKRNFR1Ez2ktjAKiMQkkzx-ccS0yXS5TQtnhGUeaHoPu_WislUiysQas_iCwkv3-rthUJ6Ve/s1600/Illinois%2520Counties%2520-%2520About%2520Illinois%2520Central.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3HeEHT8TGS46sLDYD6iVtkaAQhh6x_hwzGrYcHJNrxtumPED7HEZARV14MoeXeBlbpZ-RKRNFR1Ez2ktjAKiMQkkzx-ccS0yXS5TQtnhGUeaHoPu_WislUiysQas_iCwkv3-rthUJ6Ve/s200/Illinois%2520Counties%2520-%2520About%2520Illinois%2520Central.jpg" width="126" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It has been HOT. Normally our A/C is not on this much. But the breaks in the heat have been few. </span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Did get some relief from the heat when visiting your state in June this year. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf_KRUsk4hHIDqxskR9FjKw7lsi9Qb3utBL30BcOL8bl1pvcxVzhb1XwnlppXK2iF373AgVf1fWR2Fjr1Oq_LYJm9D4ays6oslGZMYY9qP_KC85mfa9J3cdxp_lHu24sjlgDxEC-ejiOcA/s1600/map-door-county.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf_KRUsk4hHIDqxskR9FjKw7lsi9Qb3utBL30BcOL8bl1pvcxVzhb1XwnlppXK2iF373AgVf1fWR2Fjr1Oq_LYJm9D4ays6oslGZMYY9qP_KC85mfa9J3cdxp_lHu24sjlgDxEC-ejiOcA/s200/map-door-county.jpg" style="cursor: move;" unselectable="on" width="196" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
Door County Wisc Our Favorite Vacation Spot</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>2. Share one thing you love about this time of year.</em></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The sunshine! The days are pretty even when it is ugly hot.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_NNeTcU6BW2TepiCJ7VAyz3ze7zbBLKWFqaUyF9FEqt441xaMHa-GNQgHWaRcrsriAlqoRqUg5joyTmRnALAaPSr-7MBL0Vd7iDFYF3n2bR7uTj-CplJBoG6lpsqb-tGONv6ARHxwxdo1/s1600/sun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_NNeTcU6BW2TepiCJ7VAyz3ze7zbBLKWFqaUyF9FEqt441xaMHa-GNQgHWaRcrsriAlqoRqUg5joyTmRnALAaPSr-7MBL0Vd7iDFYF3n2bR7uTj-CplJBoG6lpsqb-tGONv6ARHxwxdo1/s200/sun.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>3. Share one thing you do NOT love about this time of year.</em></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>H&H</strong> Heat and Humidity. The fact that even sometimes when you walk out of the house at 5 AM the H&H sucks your breath right out of your lungs...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjftAuSV51eAglZPbm6nDt4cv7Z937c0tgAPZfuI27EAHWbd1CG3lt7jX2HR9IIV-B7pBjgSvT9RA0h5LKpuw-P9uNDCobK8Ywek2mpCcOmYCxH2GlzwmaGG4YgxyiuH2q1xmYxD3aENuqJ/s1600/img_humid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjftAuSV51eAglZPbm6nDt4cv7Z937c0tgAPZfuI27EAHWbd1CG3lt7jX2HR9IIV-B7pBjgSvT9RA0h5LKpuw-P9uNDCobK8Ywek2mpCcOmYCxH2GlzwmaGG4YgxyiuH2q1xmYxD3aENuqJ/s200/img_humid.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>4. How will you spend the remaining days leading up to Autumn?</em></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Preaching, teaching and preparing for Advent! </span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUD456XyDC6ici9rQLEyAMkxaztJ1zjgwycFtmmp1Qm3-DpQuLsHd2xaRxUvnHVo3KOE90VKp-eIjthZGPBE2w9GyoDhCOEgAMqpg7OBU5AYHO5wbsefBci6GRTThl0a3dFCXNGehuDQC/s1600/advent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUD456XyDC6ici9rQLEyAMkxaztJ1zjgwycFtmmp1Qm3-DpQuLsHd2xaRxUvnHVo3KOE90VKp-eIjthZGPBE2w9GyoDhCOEgAMqpg7OBU5AYHO5wbsefBci6GRTThl0a3dFCXNGehuDQC/s200/advent.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And anticipating surgery for my father- so that is rather unsettled.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>5. Share a good summer memory.</em></span><br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Spending my days at the public swimming pool </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ipVumMK6p06vrL1KACvPRpxHPD4CKvhQdnfNCoi4mZrSzQwEEX26lHqi394iKBdP3wAkK-9VWgYc_naXhKPoH1CELS5ijANPlFrFY1s9vidUmLuIafF2t9iiK-5cliKNO9f7eE4lNZ0j/s1600/mtl-pool-0709-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ipVumMK6p06vrL1KACvPRpxHPD4CKvhQdnfNCoi4mZrSzQwEEX26lHqi394iKBdP3wAkK-9VWgYc_naXhKPoH1CELS5ijANPlFrFY1s9vidUmLuIafF2t9iiK-5cliKNO9f7eE4lNZ0j/s200/mtl-pool-0709-large.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and having chocolate ice cream for lunch when my parents were at work...</span></div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ9SwnTNz-hR-Gu4xbyh4_96jUHbakSx7UXMyesbDYRRfgUdHLgUTGYUl-rvFvYY55T1hG5AHj90zFhCs2cMnANdlx1_WGwTTbSoYxjIWWoqjFl7DZTmbRsOBIo_rPxhfW_b_rwJ2FvRI7/s1600/AmazonChocScoopShot-300_000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ9SwnTNz-hR-Gu4xbyh4_96jUHbakSx7UXMyesbDYRRfgUdHLgUTGYUl-rvFvYY55T1hG5AHj90zFhCs2cMnANdlx1_WGwTTbSoYxjIWWoqjFl7DZTmbRsOBIo_rPxhfW_b_rwJ2FvRI7/s200/AmazonChocScoopShot-300_000.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Bonus: What food says SUMMER to you?</em></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJAMhiiSp8I0JgodkIC7TnfVEzPXL7MYFyP4glenoNkoE9Cwj12NIX-NwnEySSU_mw9KYSv2O2QMhgtW1H-pS0XNmsec46CWdiHyUHanlbQmY5bfYnlP6Foxh8Vv95aZKQDvn30cAqNLkY/s1600/corn+on+the+cob+burger+tomatoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJAMhiiSp8I0JgodkIC7TnfVEzPXL7MYFyP4glenoNkoE9Cwj12NIX-NwnEySSU_mw9KYSv2O2QMhgtW1H-pS0XNmsec46CWdiHyUHanlbQmY5bfYnlP6Foxh8Vv95aZKQDvn30cAqNLkY/s200/corn+on+the+cob+burger+tomatoes.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Corn on the Cob and Fresh Tomatoes. The first time you have hamburgers on the grill with fresh, sliced tomatoes and corn on the cob is a preview of heaven! Yum!</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div></div><img height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf_KRUsk4hHIDqxskR9FjKw7lsi9Qb3utBL30BcOL8bl1pvcxVzhb1XwnlppXK2iF373AgVf1fWR2Fjr1Oq_LYJm9D4ays6oslGZMYY9qP_KC85mfa9J3cdxp_lHu24sjlgDxEC-ejiOcA/s200/map-door-county.jpg" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 129px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 795px; visibility: hidden;" width="94" />Daughterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14732181531247456798noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291328003559461498.post-30206427929733375782010-08-08T14:01:00.000-07:002010-08-08T14:03:25.214-07:00Awesome Worship! We need each other to survive!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Awesome worship today! Both services were into it. Could anyone help but feel the Holy Spirit moving?!? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Who is you neighbor?? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;"> We are ALL a part of God's body- we need each other to survive. And Hezekiah Walker can't say it any better...</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<object height="344" style="background-image: url(http://i2.ytimg.com/vi/uMcJL_UDAvw/hqdefault.jpg);" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uMcJL_UDAvw&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uMcJL_UDAvw&hl=en_US&fs=1" width="425" height="344" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object>Daughterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14732181531247456798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291328003559461498.post-74869382211685195072010-07-04T05:34:00.000-07:002010-08-10T07:47:55.865-07:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>My message for July 4th 2010. Visitors in an Alien Land</i></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Happy 4<sup>th</sup>!</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Today we celebrate the 234<sup>th</sup> birthday of a nation. A nation founded on ideas and principles never before conceived of. A nation who’s Declaration of Independence begins with these words: </span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. </span></i><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.</span></i><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">We are a nation that many have felt was blessed by God from the very beginning. A nation that many feel was ordained by God to share the social values and principles of the biblical writers of the New Testament. We are a nation that has indeed been blessed by God with the freedom to worship or not as we choose. We are a nation that has allowed us choices most other nations can only dream about. Those choices, those decisions are ours to make or not as we see fit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when we make choices pleasing to God, our nation flourishes. And when we do not… Just as in our personal lives we feel the result of poor decision making, so in our country, we feel that same result.</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">I find myself conflicted on days like today, because while I love my country, as much I pray, as anyone else, I love my God more. While I would love to be able to say, “My country- right or wrong” I realize that I can truly only say, my God is right and only through God can we do no wrong.</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">The truth is, while we are living here on earth, even while we are living here in the United States of America, we are not citizens of this land. We are not citizens of this place. We are visitors. Our papers and documents are all in order of course. Our birth certificates and passports all say we are American Citizens- at least those of us here today can boast that. But really, we are just visitors- visitors in an alien land. Indeed, we are longing for a better country- a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called our God, for God has prepared a city for us. (Hebrews 11:16)</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">The times in which we live are never easy times. A thousand years ago, times were not easy. 500 years ago, times were not easy. As the years go by, and we have more insight to what is happening elsewhere in the world, our world becomes smaller and our influence in the world increases. At times our sense of hopelessness increases as well. We worry about the things that are happening halfway around the world, or hundreds of miles from our hometowns. Wars and rumors of war throughout the world keep us awake as we watch the scenes on television and know that our neighbors, our children, our friends are in harm’s way. The ecology of our land- actually of the world hangs in the balance as we watch the horror of an oil spill in the Gulf Coast.</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">There are those of us who anger over other immigrants trying to find their way to a better place, the place we live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We worry about the jobs they may take from our citizens and the different culture they bring with them. Sometimes we forget that most of the jobs lost here in the US have been outsourced to other countries due to business bottom lines, not due to strangers trying to find their way in an alien land, like Abraham- looking for the land of Milk and Honey.</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">The Conference suggested that we pray for our country the first Thursday of this month as it was so close to our nation’s birth date. I did so, and I hope you have been praying too. I pray that while we are visiting here in this alien land, that our freedoms remain intact. I pray that our thoughts are not like those who tested Jesus, those who denied ever being slaves. Jesus told them that everyone who sins is a slave to sin. While we live in the country most celebrated for its freedom, it is the sins that we commit that keep freedom from us and from those around us.</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">I am conflicted when I receive many, many forwarded emails each day that share someone else’s thoughts on our country, or thoughts on our God. I barely skim over them anymore as I am weary of people believing that forwarding the thoughts of others makes them a patriot or makes them a better Christian. There is almost a threat included with each of those- If you believe- you will send this on- if you love God, you will send this on- if you love<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>your country- you will send this on…</span><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", "sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">If you love God and you are a believer and trust in salvation through Christ Jesus, send this to all those you love. Those emails enslave the receiver and the forwarder. Those emails take away my freedom and the freedom of those who forward them. My freedom comes from being able to share my heart with another person. My freedom comes from Jesus Christ and if I am truly free- if I truly believe -I will share His story in my life with others, not because someone else tried to guilt me into doing it, as it takes no thought to pass along someone else’s thoughts…and there is no reward or prize in the number of patriotic or religious emails forwarded.</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we keep our eyes on the kingdom that is yet to come, when we keep our eyes on Jesus and realize that it is His truth that sets us free, we realize that this nation where we live now is truly an alien land. We are to be good visitors in this land. Some say when you visit somewhere you should take only memories and leave only footprints. The footprints we leave should lead to the home we long for. The foot prints we leave should lead to heaven’s gate.</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">The footprints we leave should lead others to this table. To lead others to communion with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I invite you to come to this table this morning with a quote from the Statue of Liberty.</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">"Give me your tired, your poor,<br />
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,<br />
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.<br />
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,<br />
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Our golden door is the gateway to heaven- and our lamp is the light of Christ. All are welcome here.</span><br />
</div>Daughterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14732181531247456798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291328003559461498.post-77829346291708215002010-06-27T13:11:00.000-07:002010-06-27T13:12:21.125-07:00First Thursday Prayer and Fasting<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Today my message was about prayer and fasting- mainly concerning our Annual Conference request the we take the first Thursday of each month as a day of fasting and prayer for a "fresh wind of the Holy Spirit to move upon us."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;">I bored myself. I pray the Holy Spirit got the message through to those listening. It didn't seem to be happening from my end through me...</span>Daughterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14732181531247456798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291328003559461498.post-4746245770149285392010-06-25T12:14:00.000-07:002010-06-25T12:14:00.118-07:00Friday Five 6/25/2010<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://revgalblogpals.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: large;">RevGalBlogPals </span></a><span style="font-size: large;">is a favorite place for me to lurk and to read. This week I'm going to attempt to play the </span><a href="http://revgalblogpals.blogspot.com/2010/06/friday-five-hot-fun-in-summertime.html"><span style="font-size: large;">Friday Five</span></a><span style="font-size: large;">.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">From </span><a href="http://revsongbird.typepad.com/songbird_365/"><span style="font-size: large;">Songbird</span></a><span style="font-size: large;">:</span></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>It's possible I may have a bad attitude about the arrival of summer. On the eve of the Solstice I left for a mission trip to a town in Maine bordering Quebec. Beset by a swarm of bloodthirsty black flies, and a "classic allergic reaction" according to the PA at the Urgent Care, I had to return the next morning to a week of Benadryl and ice packs. (If only I had known about Bug Band *before*...)</em></span></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>But I don't want that to ruin summer for the rest of you. So I invite you to share five things you love--or don't--about summer. The tone is up to you!</em></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">I could easily share the five things I liked about summer when I was a kid- but that would be cheating. So here are my five things:</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhksYHC-mtEuFXWSsml9_gP_W0_9r-yejnBEseQnfgstuPHms2ZxX8sH86lwfzpr7X6jEELnhEiyxH8z5PF9Qe0uPhScQvvIg7nPaQgHPOG6sy-7A5p6njRIFe9odb7NuVagAOANGrkVuBa/s1600/lightning-bugs1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ru="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhksYHC-mtEuFXWSsml9_gP_W0_9r-yejnBEseQnfgstuPHms2ZxX8sH86lwfzpr7X6jEELnhEiyxH8z5PF9Qe0uPhScQvvIg7nPaQgHPOG6sy-7A5p6njRIFe9odb7NuVagAOANGrkVuBa/s200/lightning-bugs1.jpg" width="138" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1. I love the long summer days.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">2. I love lightining bugs (especially when I found out they are not found all over the country.)</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. I love Sweet Corn! Especially Illini Super Sweet...</span> </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhldkaFR1neZ3gCCADz0it4Tge4Y5ISgIAH-yi56tFdvoQdZschc3IiDrm06mLdP_r7yB5J44Hx8dBELKl4GhQTaCHcOKHfnHMYIu-C3lVl3gV1kTub4qRpSu5Op3EC4DFclqc1fSD8F_YI/s1600/SweetCorn_Ambrosia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="200" ru="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhldkaFR1neZ3gCCADz0it4Tge4Y5ISgIAH-yi56tFdvoQdZschc3IiDrm06mLdP_r7yB5J44Hx8dBELKl4GhQTaCHcOKHfnHMYIu-C3lVl3gV1kTub4qRpSu5Op3EC4DFclqc1fSD8F_YI/s200/SweetCorn_Ambrosia.jpg" width="152" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;"></span> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;"></span> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;"></span> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;"></span> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;"></span> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;"></span> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></span> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></span> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></span> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_w-tbsCaV0PIEaK3MnSUEnB5dFN6L6X6M2gJpB4zY6doiKMEfX-mvtM3LJUBqIxR2ELuxUrX9fZzqmdB-_QwECLBptt2G7dSFXXd9E1v7uz7X1yvFU9C51Jp4OXl3Bha9-qj1QPLd19A/s1600/peaches.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ru="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_w-tbsCaV0PIEaK3MnSUEnB5dFN6L6X6M2gJpB4zY6doiKMEfX-mvtM3LJUBqIxR2ELuxUrX9fZzqmdB-_QwECLBptt2G7dSFXXd9E1v7uz7X1yvFU9C51Jp4OXl3Bha9-qj1QPLd19A/s200/peaches.jpeg" width="131" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></span> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">4.I love fresh Southern Illinois Peaches...</span> </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_w-tbsCaV0PIEaK3MnSUEnB5dFN6L6X6M2gJpB4zY6doiKMEfX-mvtM3LJUBqIxR2ELuxUrX9fZzqmdB-_QwECLBptt2G7dSFXXd9E1v7uz7X1yvFU9C51Jp4OXl3Bha9-qj1QPLd19A/s1600/peaches.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></span> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></span> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></span> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">5. And I love it when summer turns to fall...</span> </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HNuiB7qbNmleL-yiXoN3B_I1RcxUMHLw_mJgmK2Hf6BVYwnSZ3obSQAslos9T1-9_6V4IZUobsAhs37YFtZySNSPYMPB2qE7RWU0nfQExLnB1ETR38AKrQxo1Ej1T7_i4G-MKTdEC7fo/s1600/Autumn%2520corn%2520field%25203%2520used%2520fall%25202007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" ru="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HNuiB7qbNmleL-yiXoN3B_I1RcxUMHLw_mJgmK2Hf6BVYwnSZ3obSQAslos9T1-9_6V4IZUobsAhs37YFtZySNSPYMPB2qE7RWU0nfQExLnB1ETR38AKrQxo1Ej1T7_i4G-MKTdEC7fo/s200/Autumn%2520corn%2520field%25203%2520used%2520fall%25202007.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; font-size: large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhksYHC-mtEuFXWSsml9_gP_W0_9r-yejnBEseQnfgstuPHms2ZxX8sH86lwfzpr7X6jEELnhEiyxH8z5PF9Qe0uPhScQvvIg7nPaQgHPOG6sy-7A5p6njRIFe9odb7NuVagAOANGrkVuBa/s1600/lightning-bugs1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></a></div>Daughterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14732181531247456798noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291328003559461498.post-80056267684553040102010-06-25T11:38:00.000-07:002010-06-25T11:38:43.940-07:00Another Place to Post- Another Side of My Life<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many times I want to post something not appropriate for my other blog, <a href="http://commandment5.blogspot.com/">Taking Care of Mom and Dad</a>. So I've decided to start a second blog. I don't have time to "blog my life away" but on occasion I would like to comment on my vocation, my calling to ministry. So here it is- for better or for worse- Another Side of My Life.</span>Daughterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14732181531247456798noreply@blogger.com0