Sing to the Lord!

 

Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. ~Psalm 96:1

Most of you who have been following my blog know that Danny and I have been invited by our church, now known as Shiloh Community Church since we will soon be leaving the UMC, to sing on the first Sunday of each month.  Once a month?  Who can't handle that?  It's a perfect schedule for us as we are easing back into getting reacquainted with the worship songs we knew by heart so many years ago when Danny still led our praise band at our previous church.

Out of the blue, earlier this month, our intrepid lay leader, Sandy, asks us if we could perform the special music for the following Sunday.  We readily agree, knowing that we have a whole luxurious week to practice and prepare for another selection.  Everything goes according to plan, which is the way we both like it.  After all, we are singing not not just for the congregation, but also to the glory of God.

As we are getting ourselves ready for church this past Sunday, we receive an urgent and unexpected text from Sandy:  Can y'all fill in again this week?  I need two songs if at all possible.  I'm just worn out with everything I've had to do in the pumpkin patch this week, the pastor's not here, and I really need your help!

Two songs?  TWO???

Talk about flying by the seat our pants!  Fortunately, Danny has earmarked several possible songs for future Sundays that he's also practiced  But have I practiced?  The answer is a resounding, "NO!"

Miraculously, Danny and I are left with enough time that morning to rehearse each song once.  For me, that's not enough, but it will have to do or we will be late for church.  That's when I begin praying in earnest:  Please, Lord, let us both get through this today; our singing needs to be to Your honor and glory, not ours.  May we represent You well to our congregation today!

Don't let anyone tell you that God doesn't hear your prayers.  He does!  And sometimes, His answer is immediate as it was for me on Sunday.  Both songs rolled easily from our lips and our harmonies could not have been better, even if we had practiced all week.  Wow!

This undergirds one of my basic beliefs:  If you dedicate the gifts God has given you to His service, all will be well with your soul.

Sing to the Lord a new song of praise today!

Amen!

A Plentiful Harvest

 

He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."  ~Luke 10:2

The biggest fund raiser our church holds is the annual pumpkin patch in October.  Since Shiloh is located on a busy street in our town of Kennesaw, the presence of the pumpkins is readily noticed by all who pass by.  Thank goodness our church laborers were many when the tractor trailer arrives with box upon box of pumpkins!  Unloading and displaying them on the adjacent grounds is no small task.  Danny and I help as much as we can on Sunday after service, but my continuing issues with balance on uneven ground keeps me from being handy with reaching for and lifting pumpkins from the massive boxes, although I was able to cart the empty boxes away and learn how our purchasing procedures work with the customers who will be parading by in the weeks before Halloween.  Needless to say, I will be doing plenty of volunteer work in the weeks to come.

Danny stops by the pumpkin patch this past Monday to snap some photos.  Enjoy!

Hopefully, those who visit us to buy their Halloween pumpkins and decorations won't leave empty-handed.  We don't want to have any leftovers!

And may we always strive to be God's tireless workers to the honor and glory of His name that others may reap the joy of His love and grace.

Amen!

Jerusalem's Peace

 

Pray for Jerusalem's peace!  Prosperity to all you Jerusalem-lovers!  Friendly insiders, get along!  Hostile outsiders, keep your distance! ~Psalm 122:6-9 (MSG)

We awaken this past Saturday to an unexpected and unprecedented shock.  The country of Israel has suffered an attack on their soil by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.  As the news shouts from the television screen, the images are so exceedingly disturbing and heartrending.  I feel like I'm viewing scenes from a horror movie.  But this is no fictional tale.

As the day progresses, questions swirl in my mind.  Where was the Iron Dome?  Why didn't it work?  How did Hamas breech the physical border between Israel and Gaza?  What was the state of intelligence gathering before this heinous event?  Why can't the hostile outsiders learn to keep their distance?

I'm sure all those questions and more will be addressed and answered in the coming weeks.  But for now, I can only watch, listen and grieve for the families who lost loved ones who were either killed or taken as hostages by Hamas.  Just the latter fact will make it all the more difficult to storm Gaza with a barrage of firepower.

War is ugly.  Horrifying.  And in this case, unprovoked.

It is beyond my comprehension that there are people here in America who insist on blaming Israel for this conflict.  When did the Jewish state fire the first shot?  Kill the first Arab?  Declare war against their neighbor?

They didn't.

And now, the United States is not only called upon to engage in some way with this middle-east conflict, but we are also under the obligation to aid our Ukrainian brothers and sisters in their continuing struggle against Russia's power and aggression.

I can't help but conclude that all this chaos is a product of a weak and feckless administration.  No matter what your think, or thought about, President Donald Trump, he governed with the policy of peace through strength, just as President Reagan did in the 1980s.

And it was working.  The middle-east peace treaty enacted through the Abraham accords.  Islamic terrorist leaders taken out, stopped in their steps before creating more havoc and unrest in the region.  And the hope for more peaceful alliances created in that crucial corner of the world in the future.  Think the recent negotiations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

How does God feel when He sees His chosen people under siege?  I'm sure His heart is breaking with the slaughter of innocents.  His heavenly tears falling as He witnesses, once again, man's inhumanity to man on full display.

May we continue to pray for our Jewish brothers and sisters stranded in their war-torn country as they strive to defend their homeland - the Holy Land.  And may God Almighty bless them with triumph and victory over this evil, that Jerusalem may once again know peace.

The peace that passes all understanding.

Amen!

Hanging by a Thread

 

He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap. ~1 Timothy 3:7

Surprised, suspended between heaven and earth

Tossed about by errant breezes wild

Caught in stray strand of spider's web

Held fast by sticky, stubborn thread of silk

Bane of insects, now the trap for leaf

Where to go?  What to do?  Expecting

Help to arrive with God's grace

Save me from the snares of sin, free me

For the mission You have ordained

That my journey here on earth persists

Until I hear Your call:  Come Home!

Amen

Our World in Words

 

You are my friends if you do what I command. ~John 15:14

I am so humbled and honored today to have four of my poems featured by my dear friend, and brother in Christ, J. D. Wininger, who posts weekly at his wonderful blog, Around the Cross-Dubya.  I do hope you all will check it out and subscribe to J. D.'s words of wisdom as an integral part of your Christian walk.

Love and blessings, my friends!

Loaves and Fishes

 

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up.  "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" ~John 6:8-9

One thing I truly like about our new church is that we hold a potluck after service once a month.  It's such a casual and pleasant to get to know the members better so that new friendships can be nurtured and grown.  Being a small congregation, that is delightfully easy to do.

Danny and I take a tuna/pasta salad for our last potluck.  This Sunday, we decide on bringing his homemade pimento cheese sliders.  If you live for any length of time in the South, you quickly discover that pimento cheese is a year-round favorite!  And Danny's take on it is truly out of this world.

When Danny goes to the store to secure ingredients, he is thrilled to find that this imported, non-GMO sharp Irish cheddar is on sale.  He buys two, and grates both 7 oz. packages into a large bowl.

Once grated, Danny adds two 4 oz. jars of pimentos, drained.

Next, he adds mayonnaise.  We use the brand "Chosen," as it is made with 100% avocado oil.

For extra creaminess, Danny adds a generous dollop of whipped cream cheese.  What a difference it makes in the texture!

He mixes all these ingredients together with dashes of pepper and garlic powder.  Now, for the taste test.

Yum!  It's perfect!

The cheese mixture is refrigerated overnight; we prepare the actual sliders, using King's Hawaiian bread rolls, on Sunday morning so the bread won't get soggy.

The toothpicks add a festive touch.

Here is a partial view of the dishes brought by other church members for our monthly feast.  There is something for everyone, and no one leaves the table hungry.

Potlucks always bring to mind the story of the little boy with his loaves and fishes.  What he had was probably portioned just for him.  I wonder how he felt when Andrew asked if he would give his lunch to Jesus?  Did he already believe that Jesus could work miracles?  That He could multiply the meager loaves and fishes to satisfy the appetites of all the hungry people gathered on the hillside?  Or was it a loving look from the Lord that convinced him he was doing the right thing?

When we unselfishly share whatever portions we have, and everyone contributes, there is always more than enough to go around, and then some.  It is our act of sharing with others that abundance is found.  After all, Jesus came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly.

Let's live that lesson out in our daily lives.

Amen!

A Daily Walk with Christ

 

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. ~Micah 6:8

I've been a huge fan of Victor S. E. Moubarak's books since first reading Visions years ago.  That's where I first meet the intrepid and humble character, Father Ignatius, whose day-to-day service to his small Catholic parish, St. Vincent's, takes him on various adventures as he tends to the needs of his flock.  Filled and fueled by compassion, humility and wit, Fr. Ignatius always seems to save the day in some way or another.  And when he can't?  He faithfully relies on the Lord he loves and worships, spreading hope and grace to all he meets.

As you might well imagine, I am thrilled to learn that Victor's latest book, A Daily Walk with Christ, is a collection of brand-new stories featuring the beloved priest.  We also enjoy the company of his devoted, and often gullible, housekeeper, Mrs. Davenport, his friend and fellow priest, Fr. Donald, and his eccentric and wealthy benefactor, Theodore Luxton-Joyce.  I am delighted to be reunited with all of them once again in this new series of stories.

And even if you've never read Fr. Ignatius tales before, you can order this latest title, and within the span of two to three stories, you'll feel like you've known this character for many years.  He is just such a compelling and loveable person, you feel that in him, you've met that best friend you never knew was missing from your life.

Moubarak is a prolific writer, and has a multitude of titles available on Amazon.  I encourage you to read not only his latest book, but others as well.  Simply type the author's name in the Amazon search field, and the world of Fr. Ignatius and his friends will be at your fingertips!

And as an aside, there are few books that I desire reading again after the first go-round.  Moubarak's are the exception!  I can guarantee hat you will want to read these comfortable, and comforting, stories over and over.

Please visit Victor on Amazon, and be sure to visit his blog Time for Reflections.  His books are also featured at his website.

Happy reading as you walk daily with Christ!

Amen!