It's not what they won't do but what we can do...

Yes I know...we get these types of things all the time and often we simply erase them without much thought. As a matter of that is exactly what I was going to do until I decided to give it a quick glance. What really struck me about the message was that it wasn't about talking about what others can't do but rather challenges us to look at what we can do to effect change. I like that...Let me know what you think.

Letter from Jesus about Christmas --

Dear Children,

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season. Maybe you've forgotten that I wasn't actually born during this time of the year and that it was some of your predecessors who decided to celebrate My birthday on what was actually a time of pagan festival. Although I do appreciate being remembered anytime.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santa's and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 - 8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing George complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up. It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary-- especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.

9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember : I LOVE YOU, JESUS

Sharing the joy!

I want to offer a mighty congratulations to Rick M for his success before the Board of Ordained Ministry to become an Elder within the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church. He has worked very hard and is without a doubt called by God to share the Good News of Christ with folks within and beyond the walls of the local church! As I listened to his words I felt a great personal joy within me as well. It was the honor of being invited to share in the moment. It was a great feeling. It got me to thinking about how we share such moments in our lives.

I know there is a difference between boasting and being thankful - one is to point out something we've accomplished to lift ourselves up and the other is to honor God for how God has blessed us. When Rick shared his blessing with me it had the effect of the old "stone in the pond" in that I was able to witness God at work in this world.

Too often I hear boasts by individuals, organizations, and nations that are intended to lift them up or worse yet to put someone down. Not often enough do I hear thanksgiving for what God has done in a person's life that is actually a blessing and benefit to all. What would happen if we changed that? What would happen if we started to share with each other the way that God has blessed our lives?

We've got to be careful because if we put together a list for each day we might soon be competing with others to show that we've been blessed more than they. Do you know what I mean? As I write I also realize that those with whom the person is sharing must also see that the only purpose of the individual is to praise God from whom all blessings flow. It's not exactly what the world often tries to teach us but it is always how God guides us.

48 hours later I still am giving thanks to God that Rick would call and share such a blessing in his life. I've had the opportunity to share the news with others and they also feel blessed to see God at work. In a world that promises great gobs of goodness with chain letters, what if we started sharing our blessings with any and all we met? Don't tell anyone but it's one of the most effective ways for people to get interested in a relationship with God when they see how God is working in the lives of others!

Wow! I didn't anticipate the directions this would take but I guess the blessing that Rick shared with me had even more impact than I thought! Have a great day and remember to share your blessings!

Which Road do you take?

"A professor stood before his class of twenty senior organic biology students about to hand out the final exam."I want to say that it's been a pleasure teaching you this semester. I know you've all worked extremely hard and many of you are off to medical school after summer. So that no one gets their GPA messed up because they might have been celebrating a bit too much this week, anyone who would like to opt out of the final exam today will receive a 'B' for the course."There was much rejoicing in the class as students got up, walked to the front of the class, and took the professor up on his offer. As the last taker left the room, the professor looked out over the handful of remaining students and asked, "Anyone else? This is your last chance." One final student rose up and opted out of the final.The professor closed the door and took attendance of those students remaining. "I'm glad to see you believe in yourself," he said. "You all get 'A's." How many have taken the easy way out?The short road, the easy path, the light load, all lead to lower grades in the school of life."

Fear of the unknown...comfort in the certainty...which road do you take? It's not so much about the final result as it is the experience of getting there. How many times has failure inspired success, built strength, developed determination, and led to an even greater accomplishment. When we follow Christ there are many times when the easy way seems like success. We've got a new person coming to church...our giving is up 4% this year, we sent a team to New Orleans for the first time. Is that what God is challenging us with or are we simply satisfied with what we can see? What if we fail? What if we don't achieve what is visible? Ever think that those failures could open brand new opportunities that could reveal even more powerful examples of God's grace and guidance?

It's not just believing in our selves it's having the faith to trust God that God knows what needs to happen. We are given the Free Will to make choices and we can use it as an excuse not to do something 0r to let go and trust that God is truly present. Part of that trust is realizing that just because things don't go our way doesn't mean that God is not there...it could be that because God is there we are being led to safety and sanctuary. A "B" is a great grade...but...

It's been a week already???

Where did this last week go? I was all excited about getting back to church on November 4th and now it's the 12th and I am wondering where all those days went. Things started out great! I went down to the New England Conference School of Congregational Development "e3" event where I got to spend priceless time with some very good friends. The event was a huge success with over 320 registrants and some very good speakers. I got back home around 5pm on Saturday night and then was up at 5am to get to the church by 6am on the 4th. The worship team told me I only had to short letters to the church based on the 3 points of the Lilly Grant "Remembering the past, celebrating the present, adventuring the future" and then serve Communion, I could certainly handle that.

The two worship services went great (though I think I forgot how to talk on occasion - no comments please!) with Lisa and I serving Communion at both services. Rev. David Svenson, my friend and also District Superintendent attended the second worship service and helped to serve Communion. Immediately after the 2nd service we headed into Fellowship Hall for a wonderful meal prepared by a local caterer. The afternoon was filled with rest and then we headed to a friend's house to watch the Pat's whoop up on the Colts!!!!

At that point things get fuzzy. The first two days were about 14 hours in length and then they shrunk to 8-10 hours. Saturday was supposed to be my day off and I needed 1/2 of it to finish my work. Sunday morning came, I was back in the saddle and it felt good.

What interested me the most was my feeling about having to work on Saturday. Before my leave it would have been a part of my week and I'd take time later, no big deal. However, on Friday night, when I realized I was going to have to work on Saturday I got angry. That's a good thing for me!

Why? Because I have come to truly value my rest time. During the leave I came to enjoy the time I spent with my wife and having time completely away from work. I came to realize that putting down work and picking up the other parts of my life is good overall for my mental and physical health. I believe that when God rested on the 7th day it wasn't because the work was done but because God needed a break. Even though God is God, taking time away from the work of the day, the work of creation, or the work of anything else can give us a clearer perspective on that which is before us.

This past weekend I had the honor of working with a couple of friends as we put new brakes on one of our cars. At one point when things weren't fitting as they should, my friend got up and walked away for a few moments to collect his thoughts. He shortly returned and though things didn't fall immediately into place, he was more relaxed and open to other ideas. (I guess I must confess the rest of the story in that as the two of us got a little frustrated, the other friend came over, figured it, out and had the work done in very short order...We laughed about it, what more could we do? Besides, the third friend proved that sometimes a fresh set of eyes can change the view for everyone!)

It is vital that we take time off from our work. Whether we are ministers or teachers or doctors or home supervisors (is that the new word for those who work 80 hours at home without pay?) or custodians or factory workers, we must take time off. We must also guard it with great importance or it will be taken away from us.

I realize that it wasn't what happened on Friday afternoon that made me have to work on Saturday, because what I accomplished on that day was God's work indeed, but rather the planning for the whole week. We don't need to get so structured that we don't have time for spontaneity, but so we do need to make sure we consider our time of rest and renewal as important as the work we do.

We've only got one shot at this life on earth so it's important that we prioritize what we can acomplish and experience. How can we experience heaven on earth if we don't take time to care for ourselves and to spend time with those whom we love including God, family, and friends.

Oh well, it's Monday morning and I've got meetings until 9pm... But my day off is coming up!

What makes you sing...part 3

And the winner is...We need to challenge and encourage each other to do that which we love not just that which helps us to survive. Below is an article telling about Paul's life before he got the guts to try out for "Britain's Got Talent" show.



Potts enjoys wild ride from penury to opera star
By Michelle NicholsReuters Wednesday, October 24, 2007; 2:34 PM
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Just five months ago, amateur opera singer Paul Potts was mired in debt and selling cell phones in Britain. Now he has a hit album and is due to tour the world.
Potts, a stocky 37-year-old Englishman with crooked teeth, entered and won the "Britain's Got Talent" television show in June in front of more than 13 million viewers and then signed a recording deal reportedly worth $2 million.
His debut album, "One Chance," has topped charts around the world including Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
"I have done more things in the last four months than I would ever have expected to do in my whole lifetime," Potts told Reuters in an interview. "It's mind-boggling."
Now his teeth are fixed, although he vows he won't end up with a "full mouth of veneers," he wears designer suits instead of the $70 suit he donned for his initial audition and he is ready to crack the United States.
"One Chance" was released in America on September 18 and has already sold nearly 70,000 copies. He has appeared on television's "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and filmed an appearance for "The Oprah Winfrey Show" due to be broadcast next month.
"I never believed that I would end up doing this for a living," said Potts. "I wasn't sure whether I really had it because I always felt that to get anywhere in it I would need to have proper formal training and I couldn't afford that."
Potts said he had been singing most of his life and had private lessons "when I could afford them."
He also used hard-earned savings to spend a couple of months training in Italy, where he had the chance to sing for one of opera's greatest tenors, Luciano Pavarotti, who died in September.
CINDERELLA STORY
After his performance, Pavarotti told Potts "not to run out of breath at the end of an important phrase" and then asked him to sing again.
"I was the only one who got to sing twice," said Potts, who used to perform in unpaid amateur operas.
When he returned to Britain, Potts said he sent off some tapes to agents. But nobody even acknowledged receiving them, so he figured he wasn't good enough.
Then he suffered a string of health problems -- a burst appendix, a tumor on his adrenal gland and a broken collarbone when he was knocked off his bike by a car -- that crippled him financially and stopped him from singing altogether.
"We were literally using credits cards to buy food," said Potts, who lives in Port Talbot, in south Wales, with his wife Julie-Ann. He said his success has allowed the couple to pay off nearly $80,000 in debts.
Now he struggles to comprehend why so many people want to see him perform. His appearance in Denmark last month drew tens of thousands of people even though he sang only two songs.
"That's bonkers, that's just crazy ... . Are they mad?" he said.
Next year Potts will tour Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Scandinavia singing songs from "One Chance," which includes "Nessun Dorma," known as Pavarotti's most famous aria.
As well as more traditional opera fare, his album includes some unusual arrangements -- a Spanish rendition of Frank Sinatra's "My Way" and an R.E.M. hit, "Everybody Hurts," translated into Italian and sung in an operatic style.
"At the time I was unconvinced. But I never ever say no to something until I have tried it. In the end it turned out quite well, it's one of my favorites," he said of the R.E.M. song.
As for the next album, which he hopes to start working on next year: "I always used to enjoy doing Queen on karaoke."
"One that would work really well is 'Who Wants to Live Forever,' a classic tune," he said.

What makes you sing...part 2

Here is the second part of the story. The first part tells some of his story and his words are very powerful. During the performance, I find watching the woman judge's face to be very telling. Though there is no mention of God at all and Paul doesn't speak of Christ, the power of the message in these videos is how Paul could have continued to sell phones all his life and not realized the full potential of his gifts had he not gotten a nudge to share the gift that is everything to him when everything else is nothing. It's amazing.

What makes you sing...Part 1

What you are about to see is amazing. I am going to include a couple more videos make sure you look at each of them in order. To me, I hear it saying to trust in God and those whom God sends to us to reveal God's gift in our lives that can be used to bring blessings to the world.
What gifts do you have that God wants you to share? For Paul it was an issue of low self-esteem. How powerful it is when one or many celebrate with us the gifts that God has given to each of us. If it's not singing, what is within you that needs to get out?

What a great day of worship

As part of my leave, whenever possible I like to worship in a local church. Prior to arriving in Lincoln, NH I "googled" for a local church and found some UMC's in Plymouth, Bethlehem, Concord, and a couple of other towns. Upon arriving, as I often do, I looked through some local papers and other information looking for coupons, places to travel, and other activities that might of interest while we rest. Looking through one of the papers I found a listing of local churches and found the Thornton UMC listed. It was a new location for me and I found it to be closer than any of the others. I headed out at 8:15 for a 9 am worship service. Upon arrival I found very few cars and a gentleman outside the door talking with one lady. As I approached the building he extended his hand and greeted me. "We may be small but we've got a big heart" was his comment. There was a smile on his face and he looked happy to see me.

As I headed in the door I was greeted by the pastor, Rev. R. Hanson. I had no idea that he was serving as pastor in this church. We've known each other for years and after greeting each other I met his wife, we talked about the church, and a few other things. I then moved through the small entrance area and entered the wonderful and simple sanctuary that was built in 1866. I immediately felt the warmth physically (they were anticipating a cool fall day) and fellowshiply (a new word) of the people. I took up my place, it looked unclaimed, and waited with the other 15 people in attendance. The service began and Rev. Hanson introduced me and explained that though they were a small church they were indeed filled with the Spirit.

During the worship service we sang many songs, prayed for a variety of folks - local and internationally, and listened to a sermon about "hitting the brick wall". The organist told me after the service that he played all of the wind instruments and loved Jazz. During one of the songs we sang I found myself caught in the emotions of the song just as the author had intended and it was a great feeling. When it was time to leave I felt that I had definitely worshiped and that God had blessed all who were present.

What did I learn from this experience?

1. Publicity, even if only in a free publication is essential. Had they not placed their information in the paper I would not have known they existed and would not have had the honor of worshiping with them. We need to let people know we are out there so that those who are searching will be able to find us.


2. Google maps is a good way to find a location but having signs along the road is also helpful. Again, they had one just when I was beginning to wonder and as a result I got there without getting lost.


3. Many churches have greeters but how many are outside the church holding the door for people to enter. Instead of asking people to come in alone to where we are willing to greet them, how much more open is it to meet them before they have to cross that thresh hold alone?


4. Celebrate your church. When the young man and the pastor acknowledged that they were a smaller church they didn't stop there but rather said with joy that God was definitely in that place. It wasn't just words, it was real. How do we tell people about our churches? About our programs? If we don't have anything to celebrate, why not? What is God calling us to do with what we have been given? God asked Moses what he had in his hand and with that staff Moses led the people to freedom.


5. Worship doesn't have to be perfect but excellence is something that we should always strive for. We may not sound like an amazing choir but if we are singing with our hearts God hears only the beauty and glory of the notes!


6. Smaller churches can't be measured in the same way that larger churches (over 75 in worship). So how do we do that? We need to find out just how to measure the importance of the presence of a worshiping community in a small town and not get caught up in whether or not they can afford to pay for a pastor.


7. If we are willing and open, God not only walks with us but lives in us and through God does amazing things. God certainly blessed this individual on Sunday in a very special place. As was noted, it's not about the size it's about the Spirit.

Again, a very special thank you to the folks of the Thornton UMC for welcoming and sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with me through their words, worship, attitudes, and actions.

Ok...enough talking...it's time to walk the walk. Are you ready to go?

We're in the White Mountains for a week...

Over the past couple of days we've taken a couple of walks through the White Mountains and I thought I'd share a couple of pictures. The first day we went to the Norway Rapids and yesterday it was the Greeley Ponds. We are so blessed by all that God has created!

Enemies....

"I would like for you to pray for those who are currently attempting to do us harm in our business and marriage. This is a hard prayer request but God says we should pray for our enemies." ~A prayer request from Jean, NV~ Although Jesus says it and we've gotten countless thousands of prayer requests, this was the FIRST one that followed the command at "Wings over the mountains of life", an electronic daily devotional.

This morning as I turned on the television I came across Newt Gingrich (Speaker of the US House from 1995-1999) talking about Franklin Roosevelt going on television and inviting the people of the nation to pray with him, which he did for over 9 minutes. Newt noted that FDR asked for prayers for the US men fighting in WWII but he also noted that the enemy was evil. I then went into my daily devotionals which I receive each morning when I open my email and this was there. I felt it was a message that I needed to share.

Here are some questions on this morning...who are our enemies? Who are those we believe are trying to do us harm as individuals, communities, nations, etc? When was the last time we asked God to watch over them, to guide them, to breakdown the walls of evil that may surround them, to heal them, to give us clarity to understand why they are doing such things?

To whom are we being enemies? Who feels threatened by us? When was the last time we asked for forgiveness for feelings that oppress, that hurt, that silence, that frighten those around us? Not just as individuals but also as a church, a community, a nation.

Today may we pray for all people, not just friends for that is easy and not just for ourselves for that can be selfish but for those with whom we are angry or afraid or oppressing and those around us for whom a prayer will be the most positive part of their day or may be just what changes their entire life.