If I Could Be a Mockingbird - by Steve Rusk

“Then they said to him, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also”      John 8:19      

                                                                   I was working in the warehouse and the big garage door was opened when a mockingbird flew in.  I tried everything I could to scare the bird out but he would just sit on the rafters and chirp.  I clapped my hands, yelled and even threw a block of wood, and he would just sit there.  It was late Friday afternoon, and I was going home for the weekend. I knew that the bird would be trapped inside for the weekend if he did not get out.  I finally gave up and put the door down.  If I could just be a bird I could show him how to get out.

When I returned on Monday I did not see the bird.  Time passed and a few weeks later as I moved some pallets I found the dead bird.  My thought returned to the idea of becoming a bird, and it occurred to me that is what Jesus did for me.  He became a physical man so that I might know him and the father.

Prayer

Abba Father,

Thank you for coming to earth to know us.  Thank you for the examples of love you show us through your word.  Help us to live a life that brings honor to you and the father.  Amen

Jesus at First Sight - Lisa C. Wesson

When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.  But he (Stephen), being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” Acts 7:54-56

This past week, our family received the sad news of the death of a longtime member of our former church in Anniston, Alabama.  Mrs. Leola, at the age of 95, passed away with her family surrounding her bedside.  Leola had been a steadfast member of the congregation for as many years as I had attended there, and a member there since my husband, Mark, was a little boy.  A native Texan, often known as 'Tex', Leola spent much of her time making sure the poor had plenty of food at the local Community Enabler.  She had been a proud supporter of the local Girl Scouts and as a Troop Leader, she led many a young girl over the years in the adventures of scouting.  Within a few minutes of meeting her, you’d know she was a proud Texan, loved scouting, had not a shy bone in her body…and that she loved Jesus.

Upon hearing of her passing, I was lying awake thinking about her. I looked at out the window to the night sky and said to myself, "I wonder what the first thing was that she saw when she opened her eyes in Heaven."  Immediately, an inaudible but very clear and familiar voice spoke to my heart and said, “Me!!!” I smiled, a bit embarrassed that I had been focused on the appearance of Heaven’s surroundings rather than thinking about the Lord Himself.  I can’t imagine the joy she felt seeing His face and being in His presence!  Can you?

The season of Lent is a time of self-denial for us as we consider the sacrifices made by Christ for our sake which led to His crucifixion and death.  May we, as we reflect on those sacrifices, also look past the day of His death to His resurrection and consider the promise we have…just as Leola had…of seeing Him face to face one day if we receive Him in our hearts.  Can you imagine?  What a day that will be!

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the sacrifices you have made for us that we might one day enter our eternal home and be with you.  Forgive us for focusing on the wrong things sometimes and help us to ever keep our eyes on you, seeking to fulfill the mission you have given us here on Earth.  May our journey here be one that is pleasing to you with the purpose of bringing others to you that they may also join you in your Heavenly Kingdom one day.  In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.

Will They Know You Are Mine? - by Carrie Rester

I was recently at a women’s conference, which our admission ticket was a green bracelet to wear throughout the weekend. On Saturday we had a 2-hour lunch break, so my group proceeded to the closest restaurant. As we were waiting on our food, we couldn’t help hear the women sitting behind us fussing at their waitress, about the food being delayed, and not to their specifications. It was a bit awkward. When their bill appeared they were even more disenchanted and marched to the checkout stand to inform the waitress of their disapproval of the charges. That is when I saw the little green bracelet on her wrist, indicating she was a Christian at this women’s conference.

This behavior caused me to reflect on my own life. How do I react to others when things are not going particularly the way I planned? Are my actions drawing people to Christ or pushing them away. I started to think back on situations when I didn’t respond with much grace. Like the day I was a little snappy with my husband, after we made it home from church.  The day I sighed and tapped my fingers at the clerk that was so slow in checking me out as I wore my cross jewelry indicating I was a Christian.  By these actions and attitudes, I concluded that I was doing just as the lady did at the restaurant with the green bracelet. 

After reflecting on this I had a few questions: The first question was why do I do these things, I don’t want to do them. I am reminded of Paul in Romans 7:14 – 25 paraphrased, I do what I don’t want to do and don’t do what I want to do. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.  For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. He proceeds in referring to us in our sinful nature, which is our old nature. We must understand that there is a battle that is going on within us and that is the battle between our old nature and new nature. 

So the next question, how can I live in my new nature on a regular basis and not respond out of the old nature?

 Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

When we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit moves in and begins to overhaul us from the inside out. Our minds are renewed--refreshed, renovated, --and that in turns transforms us, carrying over into our actions. So the old ways of thinking are changed to reflect the image of Christ. The way we live follows the way we think. The key to this is we must make the choice to follow our new natures.

We might be the only Bible people read, so we want to make sure they are seeing who Christ is by our attitudes and actions. It may be in the grocery store, at work, in the car, at our child’s sporting event or at a restaurant during a Women’s conference. We want to be different, not blending in and reacting the way the world reacts. Because you never know who is watching you…

What Do You Think? - by Soni Buckalew

Read Psalm 139:23-24

See if there be any wicked way in me. – Psalm 139:24a

Bennett pointed to a slender tube on the bathroom counter. “Is that Gold Bond Dark Spot Remover?” “No,” his Honey replied, “That is Gold Bond Neck and Chest Firming Cream.”

Bennett inquired, “What is that for?” Honey begins her lesson on ageing. “When people get older their necks and chests start to wrinkle. The bottle says 97% of those who use this product will have smoother skin in two weeks.”  Honey bends down and reveals her décolletage, “What do you think?” Wide-eyed Bennett replied with all the honesty of a five-year-old. “I think you need the brown spot remover!” 

Ouch! So worried about wrinkles I failed to see dark spots. Isn’t that true in our spiritual lives? Like a laser beam we focus on one portion of our relationship with Christ while another is neglected. What personal wrinkles or spots need removing in your life? Bitterness? Anger? Unforgiveness? Jealousy?

Throughout the Lenten season set aside time for daily introspection. Be honest with yourself. Journal or share your revelations with a trusted friend. Allow God to search your heart and mind to see what attitudes need smoothing out and actions require fading away. With eyes wide open to not only the wrinkles in your life but also the dark spots of your soul, your Maker is waiting to lead you back to the way everlasting.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You formed me and made me. You redeemed me by the blood of your Son Jesus. Show me how to live each day in a way that points others to that glorious truth. In Christ’s name I pray, Amen

Thought for the day: What wicked way is in me?

Prayer Focus: Teaching grandchildren what is important.

Renewal - by Rev. Kelly Pope

“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.”                            Acts 3:19 (NKJV)

I know that many people are in the midst of spring cleaning.  How do you feel about spring cleaning?  Do you love it?  Do you hate it?  I happen to be one that would rather not think about spring cleaning, but I know it’s something that needs to be done.  Besides, spring cleaning gives Sherrell and me some good bonding time as we clean out and put things in order.

And speaking of cleaning out and putting things in order!  The season of Lent give us an opportunity to do just that!  Of course, like spring cleaning, we can choose to leave things as is.  We can choose not to reflect on our lives and where God fits into them.  When we do our spring cleaning, we have to use cleaning supplies to help us renew the looks of things.  Well, I want to suggest some practices that might help us with renewal.  The practices I want to suggest are: prayer, scripture, worship and reflection.

Lent is a time for repentance.  It’s a time for us to deal with issues such as anger, greed, envy, bitterness, unforgiveness or broken relationships.

Let’s use the season of Lent as a time for renewal.  When I take time to draw near to God in reflection and repentance, I always find things for which I need forgiveness and places I need to move in a different direction.

I pray that we will use the season of Lent to discover renewal in our lives and through that renewal, find transformation and abundant life. 

Pride - by Rev. Sheila Cumbest

Read Matthew 25:31-46 https://biblia.com/bible/Matthew25.31-46#

Lent is particularly a season of the Christian year that makes me glad I’m in a church that uses the Christian year.  You might say, “Really?”  I really am glad to have a season that forces me to reflect in depth at what sin have I let take hold of me.  Of all the sins that known as deadly, pride is probably the death trap that we can slip into very easily without realizing it.  How do we know we’ve gotten there?  Whenever our religious life is making us feel that we are good, or above all, better than somebody else then we’ve let Pride enter.  Our real test is can we forget about ourselves?

Matt. 25.37 says,

“then the righteous will answer him…”  Has our self-righteousness blinded us?  The opposite of pride is humility.  The first step toward humility is realizing you are prideful.  Righteousness is only through God’s grace and not of our own doing. 

C.S. Lewis, in The Joyful Christian, said “the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride….Pride leads us to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.”

I don’t know about you, but I can easily think that I have gotten everything right.  I begin to measure everyone else by my standards. 

As you search your heart this Lenten season, ask yourself what sin is it that you struggle with most.  And dwell on the Psalmist’s word in Psalm 143:1-2

… hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications in your faithfulness; answer me in your righteousness.  Do not enter into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you.  

Oh Lord, My Strength and My Redeemer - by Jane Sikora

Read: Psalms 119: 105-112 https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Ps119.105-112

Wayne and I were married twenty-eight years when he got sick. We both had a gastro-intestinal upset in March and I got over it but he continued to have problems.  In the next two months he became jaundice and just didn’t have much energy.  After many tests and procedures we were referred to Oschner hospital in New Orleans for further procedures and hopefully a diagnosis.  In July they determined he had a very small tumor at the junction of his stomach, small intestines and gall bladder. He was scheduled for a Whipple procedure to remove the tumor and reconnect that junction.  The recovery from this was slow.  Then we traveled to MD Anderson for treatment options.  It was cancer and required chemotherapy that could be done in Gulfport.  In September he started his treatments. That day was his best day in months. He was able to eat and called several people on the phone that afternoon. We found out later that many of his co-workers at WLOX had a prayer meeting at the same time as his treatment. Through all of this Wayne continued to read his Bible and strengthen his faith.  Two weeks later he developed a pulmonary embolism and died. 

There is NO DOUBT in my mind that he is in heaven.  He was a much stronger Christian than I and better Methodist than I’ll ever be. GOD,

The church family, our Sunday school class (Scrap Iron) and Christian friends got our family through this crisis. PTL

Dear God, “ Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight.  O LORD, my strength and my redeemer!”

Amen.  Psalms: 19:14

God is Unchanging - by Jason Thornton

Forever, O Lord,
Your Word is settled in heaven.
Your faithfulness endures to all generations.                                                       
                       Psalm 119:89-90
                                                            
God Himself says: “I, the Lord, do not change” (Malachi 3:6)
With God “there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17). “Jesus Christ is the same. The same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8)

He is immutable—unchanging. He is not loving one moment and wrathful the next. His wrath coexists with His love; therefore, the two never contradict, even when by human logic they seem in opposition. Such are the perfections of God that we can never begin to comprehend these things. Above all, we must not set aspects of God's nature against one another, as if there were somehow a discrepancy in God. God is always true to Himself and true to His Word (Romans 3:4; 2 Timothy 2:13). We can trust that His love and justice truly will remain steadfast forever (Psalm 136).

The Lifting of the Holy Hands - by Gwenda Wells

This is the day that the Lord has made,

I will rejoice and be glad in it.

Every morning when I get on my knees and thank God for watching over me while I slept, my heart rejoices thinking, “this is the day that has never been,” I am blessed.  Over thirty-five years ago when I faithfully started studying the Bible (basic instructions before leaving earth), I realized that as I understood what I learned I must live it out to reap the benefit.  When I read Psalms 141:2b “the lifting of my hands is like my evening sacrifice” as incense wafting up to God, I had a new outlook for the reason that I lift my hands in praise to God.

On Tuesdays, I accompany Micquel to Millcreek in Moss Point, MS where several of the clients greet us upon our arrival.  One gentleman, with a speech impairment, can not dress himself or even raise his hands above his chest, waits in his wheel chair until he can greet us hopefully without interruption.  He reminds of the man in John 5:5-7 who had been invalid for thirty-eight years, told Jesus that he has no one to help him get into the pool when the water is stirring.  The gentleman at the center asked me, “Did you go to church on Sunday?”  It always blesses me to share with him and his excitement is overwhelming.

While I am telling him about the sermon and Sunday School, he is always in high praise, lifting his hands as high as he can, bouncing up and down in that wheelchair and smiling as if he can see Jesus.  When I finish, he always says, “you gonna make me shout in here.”  To see this man raising his hands as high as he can and bouncing up and down in the wheelchair is a sight that has to glorify God.

When I share this story with different ones I can just see this man jumping with his hand going up and down, praising God in the highest.  Oh, my God what a sight that You allow me to experience.

God, let us be thankful for our life, whatever the situation, let us realize that You know the ending before You started the beginning.

Psalms 150: 6 – Let everything that has breathe praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord!

Judge Not - by Rev. Elijah Mitchell, Associate Pastor

“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it shall be given unto you: good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over…”   Luke 6:37-38

The writer is saying, we are to act like Jesus in our compassion for others. We are not to condemn anyone. We are not good enough or smart enough to decide someone else eternal destiny. Jesus was not saying that we are never to make evaluations. We are told to know people by their fruit, guard against false prophets, admonish one another, and discipline one another. But that type of judging is to help people, not hurt people.

The point is, we never are to give up on people. We are to reach out to them with love and be willing to forgive them when they do wrong. Unforgiving spirits among Christians are major barriers that keeps the church from making the impact it should in the community and city.

Then, Jesus promised that Christians will be rewarded in proportion to our broadness of our practices.  It is the law of the harvest:

“If we give sparingly we shall reap also sparingly: and if we give bountifully we will receive bountifully”   (2 Corinthians 9:6).

When we plant seeds of generosity, showing the mercy of God and being strengthen by His love, we can be generous and merciful to other people. Every 60 seconds, a child in Africa dies of Malaria. “This preventable and treatable disease transmitted through the bite of a mosquito, claims 655,000 lives each year”.

Lent is a good time to think about our relationship with Jesus and how our relationships affects our love and care for one another.

During this Lenten season, as a church family, let’s pray and support the “Imagine No Malaria” initiative of The United Methodist Church during the 2017 session of the Annual Conference.  The world does not understand the meaning of Luke 6:38. If people did understand, it would change their whole lives.

Prayer: Lord, we seek to know Your Word that we may know Your will, help us not to know Your will without doing it. In Your name, Jesus. Amen!

Favorite Fragrance - by Nancy Lemon

For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;         2 Corinthians 2:15

As I was doing my Bible study this morning, the above scripture was quoted and it brought to mind something that happened many years ago.  My friend came over for coffee and brought over a huge bag of hand-me-downs.  Her girls were just older than mine and she was always so sweet to share! My girls loved it and took great delight in trying on EVERYTHING and having their own fashion show.  That afternoon my youngest daughter came in from kindergarten and said,"When was Miz Moreton here?"  I was really surprised and asked how in the world did she know she had been here? Her response, even more shocking, : I could smell her!  The Moretons were our wonderful friends. We visited in their home, our kids played together, went to Horn Island together so she knew their "fragrance ".

That starting my wheels turning: was my fragrance for Christ as noticeable.  When I meet new people, is it obvious that I am His? Do people know from my words and actions that I am a follower of His? As you go about your day today, be aware of who you are and whose you are and reflect that to others.

Prayer : Lord, make me ever aware that I am yours and want others to see You in me.  Amen

Call Upon Me - Joan Simpson

“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which

you do not know.”                           Jeremiah 33:3

One Sunday a friend of mine came over and we went and shared lunch together.  We came out of the restaurant and she couldn’t find her cell phone.  So we spent time looking in her car and then we went back to the church to see if it was there.  No one had turned a phone in to the church.  Then we really did some praying at my home. My friend felt led to go back to the church and she found her cell phone on the left side of the road.  We both rejoiced in how we had called upon the Lord and how He had answered our prayers.  Great is His faithfulness.

Prayer:  Thank you Lord that we can call upon You and You answer us and show us great and mighty things.  Amen.

I Grew Up in the Church - Walt Brehm

Scripture for today – Luke 15:21-23    ²¹The son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”  ²²But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”  So they began to celebrate.

I grew up in the church, Sunday school, worship service, youth fellowship, the whole bit.  I served as an acolyte in my preteen years and an usher as a teenager.  I even attended the Presbyterian Church across the street from my dormitory for a few weeks after starting college.  And then I drifted away.  Science classes, liberal professors, atheist friends, the war, the draft.  And I stayed away.  I was a good man but I didn’t believe.  I saw the advantages of living a Christian life but it was based on human interaction.  I couldn’t rationalize the doctrine with the science that I knew.  Then the neighbor asked if our daughters could attend church with them.  It seemed like a good idea, we wanted them to have the grounding that we had had.  After a few months we went with them on Sunday and realized that we needed to get our family together within a denomination that matched our values.  That brought us to St Paul but I still didn’t believe even though I sat in the pew.   And then it came to me as a mashup of two hymns.  I was mindlessly singing, “I serve a risen savior” but started to think about the words when we got to the refrain, “You ask me how I know He lives?  He lives within my heart.”  And suddenly I knew that I could do this.  Here is something that I could believe, something I did believe; and how precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed!   I believe God will wait as long as necessary for each of us to return to Him and will welcome us with open arms.

Prayer – Our Father in Heaven how precious is Your holy name.  We ask You today for new eyes to see the truth of Your words and new souls to understand the depth and purity of Your love for us.  Help us to be mirrors of that love.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  AMEN

Thought for today - You don't need to wait for that second chance, because every second is a chance to change your life for the better. - Jeanette Coron

Be Still and Know - by Judy Hearne

For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.  Your eyes saw my unformed body all the days ordained for the me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

                                                                                  Psalm 139:  13-16

Every day I do what I think I’m supposed to do.  Hurry, hurry, hurry – don’t be late!!! Take care of your family and your home, go to work, prepare Sunday School lessons, pray for my family, my church, my friends, others, pray for my children and families in therapy at work, someone needs a pie!  But wait, what about that “quiet time” for me to be still and wait on the Lord, listening for exactly what He wants me to do? Who is He directing me towards?  Where does He want me to go?  My “to do” list is out of order!  I fail and I know I fail; then after so much negativity I even think there is absolutely NO way He wants any part of me.  I fail so many people but it’s my failure to my Lord and Savior that is heartbreaking.  As a “mature” person, I have experienced this too much, wasting so much joy with the Lord! This scripture reminds me how very much He loves me because He created me just as I am.  He wants the first place in my life and heart.  He wants first place in your life and wants you to love him best of all!  He knows our strengths and our weaknesses because He created us and we are “fearfully and wonderfully made!”  (He knows we will have weak moments but He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and will purify us from any unrighteousness.)  All we have to do is just confess our sin and move into our relationship with our Lord. (1John 1:9)  As far as the east is from the west does He forget our sins and remember them no more!  I want each one of us to remember Oh how He loves you and me!

Abba Father,

Thank you for your Word and for loving us so much that you even your sacrificed your Son for us.  My prayer is for your people at St. Paul to understand there is peace even in “the events of life” and to stop wasting precious time. Thank you Lord.  In Jesus Name,  Amen.

Remember, there is no testimony without a test! (not my original thought – unnamed from my prayer journal).

With God - by Tara Knowles

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
                                  -Philippians 4:13

One day while I was sitting in church minding my business, I made a promise to God that I was relinquishing my life to Him and would do whatever He led me to do. He called me on it 10 minutes later and had me volunteer to join St. Paul UMC in an impromptu alter call. And He's been on a roll ever since.

He then proceeded to put it in my heart to reach out to certain people just to say hi or see how they were doing and He started upping the ante when He had me start facing some of my own fears to help benefit others. He has had me face my fear of public speaking to raise money to bring a service dog home to a sweet, autistic boy as well as pushed myself to run a marathon in honor of a beautiful girl battling cancer in...2 things I would have never attempted on my own whim. But God...

God knows what we need when we need it and that is because God knows what personal growth we'll need in order to get us to the next level. He dreams big for us and equips us with his strength to accomplish these big dreams (as well as the small tasks of reaching out and loving one another).

Ever since I let Jesus take the wheel and started just riding shotgun in my life, I have experienced some of the sweetest moments in my life with people and by myself. Being a believer in Christ in this crazy world is sometimes hard or scary because putting yourself out there and being vulnerable in any capacity is not easy. But every time I am faced with a new challenge either brought on by God, my kids, my business, etc. I do not worry, because I just say, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" and then I just put one foot in front of the other and take a step out in faith. God has not left me or let me down ever and I don't see Him starting now. 

Power of the Blood - by Nancy Lemon

for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

           Matthew 26:28

More than a few years ago there was a child in our church who had leukemia and as a church we supported her need for blood. I happen to have O neg so I am a universal donor which makes it compatible to everyone! I had not given blood but a couple of time and was somewhat nervous but felt it was the least I could do. After donating, I thought , "How simple that was and it could be life-giving!!!"

As we approach Good Friday we know it was not simple for Jesus....excruciatingly painful and yet He was willing to shed His blood for us!  AMAZING!

Many of you are too young to be familiar with the old hymn Power in the Blood.  I can remember when I was a teenager ( yes, that was a LONG time ago! ) going to MYF (Methodist Youth Fellowship), then Sunday night services and singing this powerfully encouraging hymn: There is power, power, wonder working power in the blood of the Lamb!  During this Lenten season, let us meditate on the sacrifice made just for us!

Prayer: Lord, we give thanks for the power of Your blood to save us, unworthy though we are! 

Amen

Walk the Talk - by Betty Oates

Read 1 John 3:17-18

“But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?  Little children, let us not love in word or talk, but in deed and in truth.”  (ESV)

St. Paul UMC (East Campus) sits on 16+ acres of land.  Our church building occupies the southeast portion of the property, but in the northwest portion is a large open field.  In 2012, a group of individuals got permission from the trustees to create a garden in this area.  The fields were plowed, huge stones were removed (creating a pile 5’ in diameter and 4’ tall), and artifacts from the past were unearthed (old medicine bottles, ax heads, horseshoes and old tools).  A water system was installed.  Because the soil was very poor, Earthboxes (containers with growing medium and water) were used for the produce.  Over time, the soil has been enriched by the generous donation of wood chips by one of our members.  The purpose of doing all of this was to grow vegetables for the needy.  Yes, in our beautiful coastal town of Ocean Springs, MS, we have a homeless population!  Those of us who had never been involved in gardening learned a lot!  A few seeds, when given soil, water, sunshine and a big dose of God’s love and grace, will grow into beautiful plants and produce vegetables!  The produce that came from the garden (tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, squash, eggplants and okra) was abundant and was donated to our local feeding operations, Samaritan Ministries and The Lord Is My Help.  What a great feeling this was!  St. Paul members have always had a heart for those in need.  The garden area requires a lot of labor to maintain, but the rewards are great!  It is a worthwhile ministry! 1 Corinthians 3:6-7,

“So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow”.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank you for all you have done for us.  Help us have a heart for those less fortunate, and a desire to be a part of making life better for them.  These things we ask in Thy name. Amen.

The Tip - by Dr. John Drake

The “Tip” or Itipini is a shantytown in South Africa in the black Township of Transkei. It is the town dump for the city of Umtata and it was a series of lean-to cardboard and plywood shacks that served as the home for the poorest of the poor of Umtata.  I had traveled nearby to work as a volunteer at the Bedford Hospital in 2005.   Approximately 14 years prior to my arrival Dr. Chris McConnachie and his wife Jenny had moved to the area as medical missionaries in 1991.  He had gone about building and developing a first rate orthopedic center and she established her healthcare facility in the "Tip" to provide care for her patients. These included children and adults, many with the diseases associated with poverty, neglect, and poor life choices; not only every day maladies, but also tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and alcoholism.   Active tuberculosis was rampant when she started her work at Itipini.  Approximate 25% of young adults were also HIV/AIDS positive.

Jenny McConnachie was a special kind of person, probably much like mother Theresa, who also was a caregiver to the poorest of the poor. Nurse Jenny gave wholly of herself for many years to care for others at the city dump of Umtata.  She and her husband unselfishly lived to care for thousands of people over the years at Bedford Hospital and the "Tip". The volunteers, like myself, who worked at both Bedford and Itipini were feted and fed every Wednesday night at her home in Umtata. She prepared a large but simple meal, provided a glass of wine, good conversation and Christian fellowship. Usually 6 to 8 volunteers worked there and most would attend the Wednesday gathering at Jenny’s house.

I worked at the hospital and did not usually travel to Itipini however Chris (also an orthopedic surgeon) encouraged me to go work with his wife before I left. The last day of my volunteer assignment I rode to the town dump and shantytown village of Itipini where Jenny had an excellent system for treating every day injuries, aches and pains, and common communicable disease such as cold and flu for the residents of Itipini.  Major injuries were not usually treated there. She also was the person in charge of procuring and dispensing daily medications in the community for the severe communicable diseases of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.

I had been there less than an hour when Jenny's car approached me with her in the backseat clutching a young thin black man in her arms.  He was a victim of a stabbing in the neck and she was holding pressure on a lacerated artery in his neck. Blood ran down from the compression bandages she was holding on his neck. The patient was in early stages of blood loss induced shock and was embraced in Jenny's arms. I was asked to drive them to the hospital in town.  As I drove to the hospital, I watched in the rearview mirror as this diminutive white female held tightly to the poor young black whose life was maintained by the pressure from Jenny's hands on the lacerated artery.  She held him in her arms, talked to him, comforted him and reassured him.

As Christians we do not speak much of the physical presence of angels or the devil or audible conversation with God or his messenger. As I drove and watched I actually felt then and continue to believe Jenny McConnachie was an angel on earth holding this man.  It was the epitome of Christian love and sacrifice for your fellow man.

Jesus told us “love your neighbor as yourself” and “no greater love has a man than to lay down his life for another”  Our neighbor in Christ often may not look like us or be from our same country or even be of our religion.  Jenny McConnachie did not ask if this man was HIV negative as she held the bloodied compressive dressing or the results of his tuberculosis skin test prior to holding him close and whispering to his face to comfort him; reassuring him she would be with him all the way to the hospital.  Jenny McConnachie was an angel trying to save a fellow human being.

To learn more about Itipini and Umtata (currently called by its original African name of Mthatha) see the Time article at this link:   http://world.time.com/2013/12/13/the-eastern-cape-mandelas-homeland-still-suffers-from-neglect-and-misrule/

The Gift of Rest - by Kim Bos

If God doesn’t build the house,

    the builders only build shacks.

If God doesn’t guard the city,

    the night watchman might as well nap.

It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late,

    and work your worried fingers to the bone.

Don’t you know God enjoys

    giving rest to those he loves?  (Psalm 127:1-2)

When I was a college student, I used to babysit for this family who has three kids. The older two were 7 and 9, but the youngest was a curly haired three year old named Nona. The thing about Nona is that she wants to do everything her older siblings do. Everything. She has what the internet would call “Fear of Missing Out.” Even though they are much bigger than her, faster, and stronger, she wanted to go everywhere they went and do everything they did. And most of the time, it was fine, they were good sports and she loved being with them. 

The real trouble came at nap time.  Nona would be so dedicated to staying with her siblings, who had outgrown naps, that she would struggle to stay awake, insisting, “I no sleep!”  Putting her into her bed would be met with crying, and screams.  But the longer she fights to stay awake, the uglier her attitude gets, the more she fights with the big kids, and the worse time we’re all having.  Until sleep finally wins her over and she drifts off, usually somewhere weird (next to her toy box, on the dog bed, halfway under the couch, etc).

           

It wasn’t until recently that I realized that too often, I am like Nona, and maybe you are too. Too often I am so determined to do it all, to be the perfect spouse, employee, student, daughter, sister, and friend that I work hard and drive myself to always be thinking about what more I could be doing. Whether God’s blessing is on my labor or not, is often left out of the consideration. Instead I am ruled by fear, of letting people down, of missing out, of not doing enough or being enough for the people who love me. And in those moments, as I wear myself thin, and begin to get an ugly attitude to the people around me, it is often that I have forgotten the truth.

I have forgotten that rest is a gift God loves to give us. The same tenderness that we feel when that screaming toddler turns into a sleeping cherub, is the way that God looks at us. Like “I wish you would stop doing this to yourself. This will be better, easier, more tolerable after you sleep.” God wants us to fight courageously for the things that are righteous, and to work hard to build the kingdom of heaven on Earth, but at the same time we are meant to receive the good gift that is rest. Today, find some time, even just a minute, to really rest. 

Take Up the Cross - By Mildred Dickson

"If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him....take up his cross and follow me." Matthew 16:24

Jesus doesn't say "Make a cross" or "Look for a cross."  Each of us has a cross to carry. There is no need to look for another one. The cross we have is hard enough for us!  But are we willing to take it up and accept it as our cross?                                               

Maybe we can't study, maybe we are ill, maybe we suffer from depression or a terrible personal loss, maybe we experience conflict in our families, maybe we are victims of violence or abuse. We didn't choose any of it, but these things are our crosses. We can ignore them, reject them, or hate them.  Or we can take up these crosses and follow Jesus with them.

Father, give us the strength, insight and grace to grasp your love for us as we shoulder our crosses for your glory. Amen

Stingy - by Robin Boswell

           

 THUD. My mom’s vacuum hit a long-forgotten object under my bed - the brownies I baked months earlier and then hid to keep my brothers from eating them. STINGY. She labeled me quite accurately. Those moldy brownies spoke the ugly truth of my greed.

We are all stingy at times. If I don’t want to find the Peanut M&M’s bag empty, I better hide it, right? Look around you and you’ll find that being stingy has become our way of life. The average size of an American home has nearly tripled in the last 50 years in an effort to house all of our stuff. Inside of an average American home, there are about 300,000 items. If we can’t fit all of it inside our homes, we’ll solve that by renting an extra storage unit!

Let’s shift focus a bit and ask ourselves a serious question. Is our stingy nature spilling over onto our spiritual lives? Soak up these statistics:

·      82% of people are at least “somewhat likely” to go to church if invited.

·     Only 2% of Christians actually invite anyone to church in any given year.

·     7 out of 10 unchurched people have never been invited to church in their whole lives.

Yes, it is sad and clear that we are as STINGY with our spiritual lives as I was with the hidden brownies. These statistics make me feel more ashamed of myself now than I felt back when my mom found those forgotten and ruined brownies. Shame is an uncomfortable emotion, but it is sometimes just what we need to prompt us to change our ways.

Jesus spelled out directions for His followers explaining how to spread the news of salvation and His love. This is Jesus saying to us, “I want you to do something for me.” If Jesus is asking, then our answer is always YES. So, what are these directions that Jesus is giving to us? They are found in the book of Matthew:

            Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 The Message (MSG)

The time is always right to share your faith and to invite someone to worship with your church family. The church exists to make disciples of Jesus - to carry out the directions Jesus gave us. Make your mind up to invite someone to worship. Challenge your church friends to invite someone to worship. Ask in person, make a call, send a text, post on social media- do them all. JUST DON’T BE STINGY WHEN IT COMES TO JESUS.