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Link To Us Faith Comes By Hearing

REVIEW: Twilight

I had seen commercials for the movie of Twilight, but really had no idea how those few images were woven together or even if they were in the actual book. (Hollywood seems to not always know how to read)
I was pleasantly surprised. Here was a story that I could tell had a romance in it, but I knew that before hand. NOTHING else was 'predictable' to me. I really enjoyed that part.

The story, at times, was a little wordy and I found myself sort of speed reading through some of the longer descriptions in order to get back to some kind of action, but they were few and far between.

I particularly liked the mental image the author gave of how difficult it is to struggle against temptation. Edward finds himself tempted and does everything (at least at first) he can to keeep himself safe from yielding to that temptation. He can't just deliberately put himself in temptation's way. That's a lot like us in the real world. Alcoholics shouldn't go to bars... not even for a coke or to play a game of pool. Vampires shouldn't expose themselves to the blood typing experiment in science class. A young man shouldn't alone with my daughter (ok... I digress).

Ultimately, I don't care much for the vampire genre, but this author has woven a backstory so complete and so 'logical' that I enjoyed this book.

REVIEW: A Journey In Time: 1811-1986

I have been away from the blog for QUITE a while! It's not that I didn't have anything to say, but I have been doing A LOT of reading and I learned how to play at some games on facebook. And I finally dropped ALL facebook games so I could have time to go on with my life. SO... my newest venture is to start writing reviews of select books as I go along.

My first review is actually just because I was on Amazon.com trying to find the sequel to a local history book from the Potter County area of Pennsylvania where I grew up. I never did find the second book, but I found they had a listing for the first one, but no description or anything. And since no one has one for sale (at least right now) there was NO info at all! So I wrote a review.

A Review of A Journey In Time:1811-1986
By Dayton D. Mix (Pennsylvania)

This 1988 book was written by Harold F. Baker, a local history buff in North Central Pennsylvania. Following the settlement and descendants of the Sartwell Creek area in Roulette & Pleasant Valley townships in Potter County, PA, not far from the New York-PA border. Baker combined research into written sources and oral genealogical sources to create a fairly complete picture of the land and its people from 1811 through 1986. He also sprinkled old photos and graphics which are well documented and explained. There are several family listings of descendants that are invaluable to genealogists. 474 pages including the 41 page index.

That's it. Just getting my feet wet if you will. An appropriate start for me I suppose since I am a huge Potter County History Buff AND Baker was actually researching my paternal grandmother's family. In fact, Baker starts with the first settlers on Potter County, the family of Benjamin Burt. I didn't know it at the time I first got this book as a gift from my grandmother, but I guess Benjamin Burt would be my great-great-great-great-great-great-grandpa.

I LOVE local histories. I'm reading one now of the Sabula & Hickory areas of Clearfield county where my wife served as a pastor for a year. If you ever run across a local history, save it and share it with the local history society or genealogy group. Sometimes there are only a few copies left and when elderly relatives die, many families don't recognize the treasure they are about to throw away. OK... commercial is done!

From the Pastor's Wife... May 2009

My wife, Gay, penned this month's newsletter article for our church...


It’s Mother’s Day time again. This time last year, I was doing everything I could think of to honor and care for my mother in law, who was dying with small cell lung cancer. Cooking mostly, since that’s one thing I can do well when I am stressed, and she sure did like my soups.

I can remember a time in our marriage when I was afraid to have a relationship with her. We were so different! She liked to smoke; I did not. She liked to drink coffee and talk; I preferred to be alone and play my piano. But we did eventually find common ground. Things like a mutual love for auctions, antiques, and the restoration of furniture, the shared love of Dayton, Michele, Sarah, and Josh. And I came to have deep respect for her ability to paint and to wallpaper. She could turn any home into a world of well matched colors and designs. Although she could not see it in herself, my mother in law had a lot of artistic talent and style.

In that first year, I realized that although I did not have need of another mother, I wanted to have a good relationship with this woman who gave birth to my husband. And in order to do that, I had to learn to respect her ways of looking at life, and seek to understand her perspective when it differed from mine. I learned to drink coffee and to talk! And at times, I simply listened as she shared her sometimes very strong feelings about life and family.

I cannot say that these stages of growth came easily. But I found my role model and inspiration from the book of Ruth. Ruth was the daughter in law of Naomi, a sad woman whose husband and two sons had died while living in a foreign land. Naomi had turned bitter with grief. But Ruth showed to her the meaning of love and friendship as she left her own mother and homeland to travel back to Israel with Naomi, and worked in the fields to provide for her.

It’s never easy walking through the paths of grief and poverty for ourselves, let alone with another. Ruth didn’t have to do it. Her covenant of marriage to Naomi’s son had ended with his death. God blessed Ruth’s choice in the end of the story by providing another husband for her through Naomi’s kinsman Boaz. And through this union came a son, Obed, who was the father of Jesse, who was the father of King David, who was the forefather of Jesus.

As I have traveled through 17 years of our marriage , I have had the awesome privilege of seeing her grow into a beautiful Christlike mother who prayed for her children and grandchildren, faithfully attended her church, and enjoyed having deep theological discussions with her son. Though her body grew more frail through cancer, her spirit and zest for life got stronger with every passing day.

Thanks, mom, for teaching me how to sit, talk, listen, live, die, and hope in Christ for the life to come.

--Gay--

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During our first year of marriage, I found a picture with a poem, and purchased it for her, hoping that she would feel honored:

You are the other mother
I received the day I wed your son;
and I just want to thank you,
Mom, for the loving things you’ve done.
You’ve given me a gracious
man with whom to share my life;
you are his lovely mother, I am his lucky wife.
You used to pat his little head
and now I hold his hand; You raised in love
a little boy, and then gave me a man.

Are We April Fools?

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
—Psalm 14:1/53:1

There’s a funny story that circulates around the internet about an atheist who is in court claiming discrimination since there are holidays for religious observances, but none for those who aren’t believers. The judge is reported to say that atheists in fact DO have a holiday: April Fool’s Day! The judge’s rationale is this verse from the Psalms.
It’s a cute story, even though I doubt it’s true.

As usual, April starts with this holiday celebrating foolishness and fun. But this year, within the first two weeks, we also have Easter. Holidays for non-believers AND believers alike!
But this idea of the fool has captured my attention. Nobody (that I know of) likes being called a fool. And yet, to the extent that we are still unbelievers… ones who doubt God… then we ARE fools.

Most of us involved with this church family would claim to be believer in God… in fact, we regularly use the Apostle’s Creed to reaffirm our beliefs. “I believe in God the Father… in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord… in the Holy Spirit...” We believe.
But if we are really honest with ourselves, there are many moments when we’re not sure WHAT to believe. There are so many different opinions on what it means to be a Christian, what you’re allowed to do or say, even what you can wear if you’re going to be a member of this group of Christians or that other group down the street. Many people look at the very same Bible we read and get an entirely different meaning than we do. What are we to do?

Ultimately I find myself in those moments remembering the father of a sick child asking Jesus for help and for healing. Jesus asked him “Do you believe?” And that father replied “I do believe… Help my unbelief.”

Isn’t that our situation so often? We DO believe… yet there are so many areas where our faith needs to keep growing and our believing needs help. We, like that father, can honestly say, I believe… Help my unbelief.

It is only the foolish ones that categorically decree that there is nothing in which to believe. And they are known as fools.

Let’s respond to God and his offer of help and healing through Jesus with those words: “I do believe… Help my unbelief!”

MY GRANDSON!!!

I am now a Grandpa!

Coby was born today at 10:57 am.

About 7 and a half pounds and about a foot & a half long. (He actually has 2 feet!)

I feel... weird. (more than usual)

Michele has been a trooper.

CHECK OUT THE PIX!

LENT??? What's that???

I was looking through my scrapbook and found myself challenged anew by this pastor’s letter I wrote in March 2001 when I pastored Trinity UMC in Patton, PA. Even though eight years have passed, I sadly realized that I was back to the same busyness and distractedness as I was way back then. I needed to hear the Lord speak this message to me again… and so I share it pretty much as I did back then, just in case I’m not the only one who might benefit from a reminder…



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“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” —Psalm 51:16-17

This past week we celebrated Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. When I was growing up, and even until about age 28, I couldn’t have even told you what the word ‘Lent’ even meant. I knew that my Roman Catholic co-workers couldn’t eat meat on Fridays during Lent, but that was about all I understood. Nineteen years as a United Methodist have taught me a bit more. You see, it’s not just a Catholic observance and it really has nothing to do with meat. It’s about repentance. It’s about the heart of a believer in Jesus Christ.

Ash Wednesday and Lent are about the turning away from sin… for sin separates us from God. Sin, even the “littlest sins,” are an offense against God. In Lent, we are asked by the church to intentionally take time out from our normal year-round hustle and bustle to check how we are doing in this area of sin. Is there sin in our lives keeping us separated from God?

This is strictly an observance for those of us who go to church. For WE are the ones who are most likely to be lulled into laxness because we feel “good” simply because we go to church. And the enemy of our souls hopes that we feel so righteous because of our church attendance that we won’t pay attention to the Spirit of God that tries to point out our sins.

For me, my separation from God isn’t from huge newspaper headliner kinds of sin, but rather by my getting distracted… You see, I get busy. Busy with good things. Busy with work (and my work is God’s work, right?) Busy with family. Busy with checking email. Busy with following a particular TV program (or two or three). Busy trying to keep my cars running, the garbage taken care of, the basement cleaned out…

And although every single one of those busy moments is an ‘OK’ event, there are so many of them that it tends to crowd out God. Even with the job I have, busyness can threaten my relationship with Jesus Christ because I have no time for Him. And then I find the first commandment saying that I’m supposed to be putting God first, or else I’m SINNING!

That’s why Lent has times of sacrifice. Not because God wants the sacrifice or gets some thrill from watching us do without or suffer. Giving up chocolate or meat doesn’t give God some kind of ecstatic joy. But rather, WE need to offer up something., to give up something, in order to free ourselves from all the distractions that would threaten our time with our Lord, our God, our Christ.

Is the Lord trying to catch your attention? Is He asking you to give up something in order to free your time or your attention to seek Him more? What will need to happen in your life to free you up to turn your heart completely over to Him? From what will you need to repent before you start?

I realize that Lent has already started, but it’s not too late to refocus on your relationship with your God. As we journey through this season of Lent together, let’s be watching for the sins and distractions that would keep us separated from Christ. And let’s be ready to give up ANYTHING that would keep us too busy to spend time with Him and give him our full attention.

What i WISH I heard doctors say...

In case anyone has any doubt, the following is all intended to be humourous and the answers are not endorsed by any doctors I know of...
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Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! .... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.

Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!

Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets. AND... For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION: Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

Our Core Value Is...

“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” —Jesus, John 13:35 (NLT)

During this month, the culture around us will focus on “love” with images of hearts and cupids, and gifts of flowers and candy. Interestingly, that’s the very word image that Jesus used when he described the way that the world around us would be able to identify true followers of Jesus… they would know us by our love.

Now that doesn’t mean we have to send Valentines to each other or buy chocolate for the preacher (although you are welcome to do those things!) But it does mean that if we are going to try to win the world, we must win them by the way we show them the love of Jesus. And if we want the world to notice the love we have, they need to be able to see examples of our love when they look at us… even in the way we treat the other people around us who are sometimes a little less loveable. You know who I’m talking about… There’s the great-aunt or cousin that thinks she is the world’s greatest expert on everything and you find yourself trying to find an excuse out of that family reunion just to avoid her. Or perhaps it’s the guy who thinks he has a personal mission from God Almighty to tell everyone in the church how their jobs and ministries ought to be run… or maybe someone from work who’s more annoying than productive. Sometimes it’s just plain hard to love someone!

These are the ones the non-Christians around us are watching... to see how we interact with them. Is the love of Jesus evident in those annoying, stressful, strained relationship moments? Because if the love of Christ is big enough to make a difference in those situations, with those people, then maybe He could help in their lives as well.

Our annual conference has tried to boil down HOW we, as a group of churches and as a group of Christians, can “get the job done” and it came down to one basic statement: “Our core value is love.”

With every heart decoration or candy you see this month, with every valentine you send or receive this month, and with every relationship you encounter this month, let the love of Jesus be at the very core of what you do, what you say, and who you are… because they’ll know us by our love.

What I Learned In Junior High

When I was a kid in junior high, I joined the library club. I liked being around all those thousands of books. I didn't really read them all, but I would peruse their pages when I had a free moment.

Our librarian, Miss Beverley Volkar, made working in the library fun. She taught us how to catalog and shelve books, how to properly care for them, and the importance of having access to important resources.

I had a chance to connect with Miss Volkar (now Ms. Stotera) again a few years ago. That time of remembering and reconnecting helped me realize that there were at least two core values I learned back then that have helped me become the person I am today (some three decades later).

FIRST, remembering those early years and the library reminded me of what it meant to be a steward. Miss Volkar may have been the librarian and had thousands of books and resources in her care, but they weren't hers. She had complete power and authority over what books to purchase, where to keep them, how to arrange them, and what books to discard, but she didn't own them. She simply was a steward who cared for someone else's property. In the Bible, we are told how we are given the ability to work and earn money, but that it ALL belongs to God. We have the power and authority over what we purchase with that money, how to care for those purchases and that money, where to keep the resources we purchase and the money that remains, how to arrange them, and even what to discard. But like Miss Volkar, we are simply stewards who are entrusted to care for someone else's property... in this case, God's property... HIS money and HIS property. The only things that are really ours, are the ones we brought with us from the womb and take with us to the tomb. Everything else is on loan from Him, whether we like to admit it or not.

SECONDLY, I remembered how Miss Volkar did more than run an efficient library. She made the library a safe place to come and talk (quietly, of course). We could ask her just about anything, and she would talk with us and help us find our answers. And it was there in the library, every morning before school, our little group of Christians would get together to pray and to have a devotional time before heading off to homeroom. Later on, when I was facing intense personal crisis, at times even considering suicide, she was the friend who was willing to listen.

Miss Volkar was a MENTOR to me. She listened without judgment, she prayed with me and for me, she trusted me, she believed in me... when I was so swallowed up by depression that I was pretty convinced that no one else in the whole world did. (Years later, I would learn how much my parents, grandparents, my church, and others were also 'there for me' but as a freshman in high school I still had teenage-blinders on and just couldn't see it.) We all need someone like Miss Volkar... especially our youth and young adults. And it can't just be our parents.

Has God put you into a situation where you can be a mentor to someone? Maybe they're no longer a teen, but you can "take them under your wing" anyways. Even now, three decades later, I still have mentors I look to when facing trying times... not necessarily to fix my problems, but to hear me, care for me, to pray with and for me.

Stewardship & mentoring. Good reminders from my childhood that I need as I walk the Christian walk of faith as an adult… and as I face a new year.