Tamara Lowe's creative summation...

http://www.godvine.com/Tamara-Lowe-Gives-a-Very-Catchy-One-Minute-Sermon-26.html

 

 

Hope Though Hurting

http://www.godvine.com/Hope-for-Heaven-How-One-Man-Got-Through-the-Tragic-Loss-of-his-Young-Daughter-29.html

Hope though Hurting

 

http://www.godvine.com/By-His-Wounds-We-Are-Healed-Music-Video-31.html

http://www.godvine.com/By-His-Wounds-We-Are-Healed-Music-Video-31.html

Awful Cost

Amazing Love

 

Christian Lion - Love & Reunion

http://www.godvine.com/The-Unbelievable-Story-of-Christian-the-Lion-42.html

The main point here? 

"Love knows no limits and true friendships last a lifetime... get back in touch with someone today... you'll be glad you did."

 

Personal Growth

Sir Edmund Hillary, first to summit Everest (1953) said, “It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.” Aldous Huxley believed, “There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving... and that's your own self.”  Harvey McKay underscores, "The greatest room is the room for improvement."

Having climbed Mt. Rainier and Mt. Olympus I’ve learned from both that we do our best when we study the mountain before we ascend. 

Yet I find a bigger challenge is conquering me. How about you? Let’s study ourselves and climb upward.

Beautiful

I invite you to close your eyes and visualize beauty – what comes to mind?

Do you see scenes of nature? The Grand Canyon, the ocean, North Dakota sunsets, flowers, a special lake, snow dusted mountains, rippling streams, clear tropical water with darting life. Do you see people? Beauty queens, newborn babies, grandchildren, ahh–grandchildren.

Now, visualize a sick room. Can you find the beauty? Most might not think so. Beautiful thoughts are jerked short. Yet beauty can be found in the midst of suffering, pain, and tension—the beauty of caring service at the exact point of human need. Beautiful serving hands, listening ears, quiet words of warmth, comfort, and peace in a storm. Caring beauty.

Part of this year’s theme comes from mideastern Mawlana Jalal-al-Din Rumi: “Let the beauty we love be what we do.” Rumi’s verse may be a wistful plea to be able to live our lives doing work that is beautiful to us. Our work is care-giving. Can mundane serving of basic human needs be seen as beautiful? I believe the answer is “Yes.”

Last week I watched as a young mother of three used a syringe to place water in the mouth of her dying daddy. Every motion displayed love, honor, gentleness and deep respect. Behind her actions was a foundation of faith in God that she learned later in life as had her father. Now, deep appreciation resonated between one serving and one served. Her work? Beautiful!

Our work is beautiful:

#1 It is people we serve. The Apostle Paul adopted from his Maker an elevated view of humanity: “For we are God’s workmanship,” (Ephesians 2:10 NIV). Jesus says the hairs of our head are numbered; we are more valuable than many sparrows (Luke 12:7). People are the most valuable component of creation. Nothing serving human necessities needs be viewed as mundane.

#2 In serving people we serve their Maker. Jesus taught simply, “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40b NIV). Have we desire to serve God? Serve people and serve both!

#3 Those who do their work as worship honor their Maker. The Apostle Paul admonishes, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” (Colossians 3:23 NIV). Having an eye for the Maker helps me better serve the "made".

The young mother beautifully served her daddy and honored her Maker in an act of love.

I suggest a prayer in the mirror that may be helpful to all of us,

Lord, help me see the beauty and value in people. Help me love serving them. Help me link serving people with everything else that I do. Help me to do my work as worship to you. Help me be beautiful.

 

Pain: Vain?

I recently shared in the struggle of a person processing their religious beliefs in light of loss. A foundation of faith had been laid. S/he knew the right words to say. Yet, in crisis, s/he was smitten by the challenges brought on by the harsh reality of life in this world. A battle raged in the mind and the repercussions echoed into the spirit.

Multiple centuries ago, Asaph, a Jewish writer, began, “Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggle… always carefree, they increase in wealth… See Psalm 73:1-14 NIV.

Then, he poured out his frustration that trouble has come to him, a good guy, and seems always to bypass the bad guys: “Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure…” My faith hasn’t protected me from trouble. It’s a waste!

Abruptly, Asaph arrested himself. Psalm 73:15 marks a change in his focus. After writing transparently about his feelings, he tapped into another dimension of the picture. He provides us with binocular vision, “If I let myself be overheard talking like this, I would have betrayed this generation of your children. When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.

Asaph concludes with a renewed statement of faith, “As for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.”

Personally, I gain from Asaph’s example. Here was a man whose faith was challenged through difficulty. He was honest enough to say what he felt and chose to write it down. He took a breath and a step back and reflected. He summarized his decision to stick to his faith. He promised to use the experience to enrich others.  Can I do as well?

-      Chaplain Robin