Some people think that artists of different art forms are highly talented, and that they, themselves, could not possibly create such beautiful works of art. I beg to differ. We are all talented in some way, and God does not pick and choose who receives what gift. It is up to each of us to lovingly accept His gifts and to create more beauty for an already beautiful world. All He asks of us is that we take care of…..
This is the fourth Sunday in Advent, and Christmas is very near. My heart and soul are remembering so many past Christmases. CBS brought back the beautifully captivating story of the Waltons on Christmas Eve story from 1971 in DVD form. I found myself remembering my family Christmases of many years ago and wondered what we, as a nation, have done with Christmas. Is the meaning of Christmas tinsel on the trees, lights hung around the house, how many presents…..
On this third Advent Sunday, I will paraphrase verses from an eighth-century Buddhist teacher, Shantideva, whose philosophies about happiness continue to inspire me to be a better person as I prepare for the birth of our Lord and Savior. When we care for others’ needs before our own, happiness comes from that selfless act. We must never stop trying to make the hardships of others less painful. We must continue to relieve the sorrows of the less fortunate. Those who…..
John the Baptist shouted, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight the paths of the Lord.” This is Advent, and we should be preparing for the coming of the Christ Child. However, when we think of the man shouting, most of us would be a bit afraid of what he looked like. After all, we live in a society where looks matter, bodily odors matter, food that is strange or disgusting to us matters…right? John wore clothing of camel’s…..
Today is the first Sunday of Advent, 2025. It is hard to believe in the light when so much of our world seems to thrive on hatred, violence, anger, vitriol, greed, and lies, but through it all, Emmanuel, “God is with us!” Through His light, peace, love, hope, and grace, we can believe, because He walks beside us through the good and the bad times. As I look out over the newly fallen, fresh snow, pure, white, and without blemish,…..
Around this time of year, my DVD collection receives special attention from me, particularly my Christmas Hallmark collection. I watched “A Dog Named Christmas,” and it brought back memories of my pets: Snuffy, Hector, Michael, Sammy, Sandy, and Jackie. It is said that you can tell what kind of a person you are by how you treat your pets. My pets have always been a special part of my family, and hopefully, I have loved them as I would want…..
There is an adage: “Figure out what is holding you back, let it go, and move on.” Something like this happened to me recently. There was a painting of my father in his ministerial vestments that he gave to my mother on our last Christmas together. My mother died from kidney carcinoma the following May after a one and a half year battle with the disease. I received this painting from my father’s estate twenty years later and very promptly…..
Today is All Saints Day. I am remembering all who have gone before me: Wendell, Charlie, Mike, Mom, Dad, my entire mother’s family, most of my dad’s family, colleagues from where I taught, neighbors from several homes, and friends from three states. I am very grateful that I have one aunt left on my Dad’s side who has taught me so much about his family. They rest from their labors and confessed their Christian faiths to the world. Jesus Christ…..
Sitting in church this morning, I realized that I have been given a truly wonderful gift like my father. He could take difficult passages from the Bible and make them understandable to all types of people. I was privileged to be one of those parishioners, and I will try to demonstrate this talent in paraphrasing of three books from the Bible: Jeremiah 31:31-34, John 8: 31-36, and John 8:12. I may not be as prolific as my father, but I…..
2 Timothy 3: 14-15 tells us to continue to learn and to firmly believe in who taught us about our sacred scriptures and to continue to grow our faith for our salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. All scriptures are inspired by God and are useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. Our efforts to follow the wisdom of the Bible will equip everyone who is a child of God to do good works. Yesterday,…..