May 26, 2013

Feel Good Friday: Happy Mother’s Day

Happy Mother's Day

This Sunday is Mother’s Day and traditionally Mother’s Day is a celebration honoring mothers and motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society.  When my Mom was still alive I used to show my appreciation to her with a card, a gift, a bouquet of flowers, or a restaurant brunch.

When our children were little we tried serving my wife breakfast in bed for the first few years but the burnt toast and over cooked eggs proved to be too much of a love gesture for her.  So we resorted to the ways listed above to show her how much we appreciated her sacrifice and love.

Now I get to see how my grandchildren show their Mommy how much they appreciate her.   You know what I have discovered?  No matter how fancy our toasters become, the smell of burnt toast doesn’t seem to change.

Enjoy Your Mother’s Day :)

The Conundrum

The Conundrum

Worldwide hatred for Christianity continues to exist and I am not sure why.  Christianity is the only religion where the one that is worshiped is the one who made the sacrifice for the believers and not the other way around.  To top it off, He made this sacrifice because of His love for everyone.  Still outright anger is stirred in people when the name of Jesus is mentioned. 

As an example, in Zanzibar, Tanzania a Tanzanian police official says a woman died and 44 people were seriously injured when a bomb exploded in a Roman Catholic Church in northern Tanzania.  The bombing occurred in the Arusha church just before mass.  Eyewitnesses report that the bomb was thrown from a motorcycle into the church.

Jesus addressed this conundrum in John Chapter 18, Verses 17-18 when He said, “This I command you, that you love one another.  If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.”

http://www.rr.com/news/topic/article/rr/55254887/84893882/1_dead_44_injured_in_blast_in_Tanzania_church

Feel Good Friday: 3 Favorite Irish Toasts

An Irish Toast

With St. Patrick’s Day this Sunday and in honor of my Irish heritage on my Mother’s side, I dedicate this blog to my three favorite Irish toasts:

        *  “May those who love us love us.

            And those that don’t love us,

            May God turn their hearts.

            And if He doesn’t turn their hearts,

            May he turn their ankles,

            So we’ll know them by their limping.”

       *  “You’re not as young as you used to be…but…You’re not as old as you’re going to be.”

       *  May your soul already be in heaven an hour before the devil knows your dead.”

Happy St. Patrick’s Day…Enjoy Your Weekend :)

Powerful Pastor Pacifies A Prowler

Powerful Pastor Pacifies A Prowler

Michael Jankowski, a 6 foot -1 inch 250 pound pastor from Long Island, New York must have decided that Matthew 5:38-42 was not applicable one Thursday morning:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.”

Instead, the pastor of the nondenominational congregation must have decided the more appropriate verse (while he grabbed the jacket of the burglar breaking into his church) was to be found in the latter part of Matthew Chapter 5:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

When the pastor realized his church was about to become a burglary statistic, he first called 9-1-1, then he subdued the trespasser, prayed for him, and finished by telling him God loved him. When the Suffolk County police arrived, they arrested the 43-year-old man, who may not have been ready to repent of his sins, but I’m certain was sorry he got caught.  The invader was arraigned Friday in court.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/03/09/new-york-pastor-prays-for-intruder-while-calling-11/

 

The Bible: An Epic Action Mini-Series

The Bible-An Epic Action Mini-Series

With endorsements from Focus on the Family and Pastor Rick Warren, the famous Hollywood producer Mark Burnett and his wife Roma Downey have developed a mini-series that has created quite the buzz.  Burnett is the producer of the popular shows “Survivor”, “Celebrity Apprentice”, “The Voice”, and “Shark Tank”. Downey is famous in her own right for her role in the popular 1990’s television series “Touched By An Angel”.

The former military paratrooper who found fame and fortune in Hollywood by producing reality shows for television was initially overwhelmed when his wife suggested, over four years ago, that they make a television mini-series based on the Bible.  Downey told her husband she wanted to be part of something that would glorify God.

With a $22 million budget, the producers aimed to create an epic action mini-series with computer-generated images that would entertain the viewer, with or without an understanding of the Bible.  Downey said. “We have incredible special effects with Moses parting the Red Sea, Jesus walking on water. We have this amazing international cast.”  Mr. Burnett was quoted in the L.A. Times saying, “It’s a grand narrative, but it tells a pretty simple story about God’s never-ending love for all of us. It’s hopeful. It’s inspirational. Maybe it’ll get people’s hearts to open.”

The series began last night on the History Channel at 8 p.m. It was the first of five two-hour episodes that will air each weekend with the final episode airing on Easter Sunday.   So set the DVR and be prepared to take the journey that not only changed the history of mankind, but the future as well.

http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130303/ENT/130309902/1054/LIVING02

Out-Loving Your Spouse

Love Your Spouse

With Valentine’s day tomorrow, the information below may be the best gift you could give your spouse.  Below is an excerpt from marriage relationship experts Pam and Bill Farrel.  Pam and Bill Farrel have been married for over 30 years and have authored over 35 books including the best selling book Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti:

“While writing our newest devotional book, A Couple’s Journey with God, we had the opportunity to stay on a beautiful farm. Within minutes of meeting John and Barb Schaller, we knew they had an unusual love. Barb found it easy to gush about how blessed and fortunate she found it to be married to John. John found it easy to compliment a wife he was obviously endeared to by the gleam in his eyes. They are our peers in marriage, married about the same amount of time as Bill and I – over three decades! When I asked Barb the secret of their long-lasting love, she said, ‘My husband forgives easily. He is full of grace, mercy and forgiveness.’ When we asked John the same question, his reply was similar: ‘My wife knows how to keep giving love when people are hard to love. She loves unconditionally and tenaciously.’ Notice it is really just two sides of the same coin: he loves without limits and she is limitless in her love.” 

“How does one go about building a legacy of love that passes from generation to generation? Follow John and Barb’s pattern… and simply out-serve one another. Love is an action verb and it is best expressed with a servant’s attitude. What is a servant’s attitude?  Philippians Chapter 2, Verses 3-7 captures it best when it simply says:

‘Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.  In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very naure of a servant…’” 

http://www.thefish959.com/FamilyFeatures/Out-Loving-Your-Spouse

The Benefits of Pilates

The Benefits of Pilates

What areas of the body benefit most from a Pilate’s workout?  Google gathered statistics of the most popular Internet exercises searched in 2012. The list below is the result of those findings and it just so happens that each of the items listed below are also focus areas from a Pilates workout.  Here is Google’s list of the top 10:

  1. Abs
  2. Shoulders
  3. Chest
  4. Lower Back
  5. Triceps
  6. Neck
  7. Biceps
  8. Hamstrings
  9. Calves
  10. Glutes

Then there is an added bonus, Pilates also works the quads.  Basically it works all the major muscles in your body.  Why the sudden interest you may ask?  My wife has been given the opportunity to teach “mat” Pilates at church and so I watch her study each night in preparation for the next morning’s wellness program.   In my 30 year marriage I have found whatever gets my wife’s attention, gets mine as well.  After all, marriage is about love, respect, cleaving, and becoming one flesh.  At least that is what the designer of marriage has to say on the topic in Ephesians 5:25, 5:31, 5:33 / Genesis 2:24.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/01/04/top-10-google-searches-most-popular-exercises/

 

Contemplate, Deliberate, and Meditate: Part 1

“Always live for others, never to seek one’s own advantage.” – Dag Hammarskjold

 “God blesses so that His people will become blessers.  He gives so that we will give.  He loves so we will love.  He forgives so we will forgive.” – Chris Tiegreen

 Actions Speak Louder Than Words

“Branden Whitehead, who was seriously injured by a hit and run driver while walking 15 miles home from his Georgia college classes, may never have to make the journey by foot again thanks to a local woman inspired by his story.

“Whitehead, 20, told MyFoxAtlanta.com that the 15-mile trek to and from West Georgia Technical College typically took him close to 5 hours to complete. Thanks to Vanessa Peebles, the commute will now only take him about 15 minutes.

“Peebles donated her Cadillac after learning about Whitehead’s accident.”

 

 

 

Life Saving Heart Surgery

The brother-in-law of one of Israel’s archenemies received a special permit, from the Israeli government a few months ago, to travel into the Jewish State to receive life-saving heart surgery.  Here is a quote from the article:

“Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh has no problem calling for the destruction of Israel and blaming it for attacks linked to his own party, but when his relative needs life-saving heart surgery, only Israeli doctors will do.”

It is not the blatant hypocrisy that calls my attention to the above quote, but rather the way the Israeli government and doctors chose to be an example of what God intends all of us to do.  Here is what Matthew Chapter 5, Verses 43 – 47 says:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?”

I know I have used St. Francis of Assisi’s quote before, but I can’t help it…he got it right when he said, “Preach the gospel at all times – if necessary use words.” 

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/08/12/hamas-leader-kin-gets-israeli-medical-aid-even-as-terror-group-blasts-jewish/?intcmp=trending

 

How To Stay Married For 7 Decades

Photo By Alex C. Hicks Jr.

This October, my wife and I will be celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary.  We began dating in high school and stayed together for five years before we married.  That means we have been together for 35 years.  Seems pretty amazing …not that we have been together for 35 years, but the fact that someone could put up with me for that length of time. 

Then I read the article listed below about Mattie Belle and J.W. Duncan who would consider the length of time my wife and I have been together as “only the beginning”.   The article says they have been married for 72 years…yikes!  Here is what they say is the secret to their success:

“When asked what has kept them together for more than seven decades, J.W. said it’s a combination of love and faith. ‘If you pray together, you stay together. Our faith has kept us together,’ he said. ‘We believe in the Bible, taking nothing from it and adding nothing to it.’”

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20120727/articles/207271003/1101/duncan_couple_credits_shared_beliefs_for_year_marriage;jsessionid=962A08D7931948BD6F019BDEF4407854.m2?p=1&tc=pg