Saturday, April 11, 2020

Corna-Easter

Day 40 Doxology: Wow!  I don't think I deserve a B+ for my ability to finish strong thru this year's Lenten Discipline, but as usual I've learned a lot along the way.  I guess the greatest teaching moment for myself was that I can never be perfect, and that there is only one who was, and is, perfect and that is Christ...which allows us to come full-circle with the close of Lent and the introduction of the Empty Tomb.

Today's image is brought to you by the Coronavirus...a picture of the island in my kitchen with so many of my family's flavors represented.  A hurtful thought is that J-1 is not with us to share in the caloric multiplication -exponentially!  We miss our girl!  With that thought, how blessed are we, not because we have food but for other reasons usually not understood!

What we've determined through this season of quarantine is that we are a family that love chips!  So, maybe not chips but different flavor of chips.  I guess what I've learned through this year's Lenten Discipline is we are all different, but connected!  And, more than ever, it is our connection that separates us from anything else in the world.  So, I'll include another picture that takes my breath as we continue to celebrate out dependence on each other as we close out another year together...Let the image speak for itself!


Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Holy or Spy Wednesday?

Day 37 Doxology:  To be clear the personable post garner the most clicks, and those post that have a creative image to project even do much better.  In full disclosure, I don't have a creative image for today's doxology.

Today is the heart of Holy Week.  In fact, today is labeled as Holy Wednesday or Spy Wednesday depending on your perspective.  It seems odd that the two polar opposite decryptions of today could incase what today means for the world, or at least you or me.    I guess that is at the heart of today's picture-less doxology.

If you lean toward Holy Wednesday then you are in good company.  Then maybe you remember that Jesus met with the disciples for meal while Mary anointed his head and feet with very expensive oil.  This started a chain-reaction of events that led to Jesus' betrayal.

If Spy Wednesday is your choice then you lean to the attention of the latter part of the story -Judas making plans that would cement the rest of the week in world history.

In either case, Jesus is the main character and the center of our focus!

In thinking about our (my) different perspective, I couldn't help but to think that how we understand issues based on our point of view in addressing them.  For instance, if I identify as liberal..then I look at how this current administration is failing the public that would never had voted him in office to begin with.

If I am republican, then my attention is on how the current administration is never given a fair shake.

Here is what I am certain...Jesus was never a Republican or Democrat, and hatred is not bias!  Howard Thurman called it the "Hounds of Hell" that would not discriminate.  Thurman's meaning is angered prejudism will forever hunt you down and infect all areas of your life.

So, during a time of Church and Christian revival, how can we follow Christ's example of the love for God and neighbor?

Maybe that makes us lean toward Holy Wednesday rather than Spy Wednesday, but really it's up to you!






Tuesday, April 7, 2020

More Than You Could Ever Know!

Day 36 Doxology: Ok, I didn't get the response to yesterday's doxology I was hoping for, but no fear...My thoughts wear simple...the future is often blurred!  The only clarity we have is either our faith or the present, and only in that can we direct our response!  Great job for this that shared!  Now what about today?

Today, God has blessed me time again with many opportunities to stop, drop, and roll in some God goodness!

First, my house is full!  Although, I am missing J-1, she blessed me with a text first thing this morning!  Then the house came alive with all the other J's!   God is good!

Dos, I enjoyed office-fellowship with P.M. and her sister L.P.  Needless to say, they are two lively ladies that love to laugh!  It was amazing to have non-family company, and I was reminded how much I miss people!

Lastly on today's list that I will share, while at the church I got the mail and received a huge surprise.  Serving as a pastor in the UMC, I've had the blessing of increasing my family through itinerancy.  Today was an example of the love and loyalty of that increased circle of friends and family that I've made over the past several years!  God is so very good!

Since worship has been put on pause, you can imagine how great a strain it has been financially on the Church that is solely dependent on contributions each Sunday.  So, great effort is taken to be even more frugal with expendiatures.  In the mail today was a great example of love and how much love trumps anything else in the world...A financial gift in the middle of a blurred future!

I have marked out the name because I don't want to embarrass this family that I love so much, but you've got to know...you are Christ to me yet again!  I love you more than you could ever know!

Monday, April 6, 2020

Your Thoughts?

Day 35 Doxology: Wow!  What a day of many blessings while I had the amazing opportunity to experience God's blessings for myself.  In fact, while I was going through today's doxology moments I had a thought...what if I heard from you regarding your thoughts about the image that demanded my attention.  We are connected, and after all we've been doing this for 35 days now!

Here is an image that I would love to offer for review and reflection as to how God might be speaking to you for a doxology reflection!  I may, or may not, offer my synopsis tomorrow!

All I ask is that you be sincere, but creative!  Listen to how God is speaking to you then share with us...God is always speaking, but do we hear?

A bit of background is this: I was installing a clothesline outside underneath the tin roof on the back of the parsonage.  This image is just one end.  Each end of the clothesline is a coupling so one can tighten the line as needed.  Hmm, what is God saying?

A bit of info, but what are your thoughts?





Saturday, April 4, 2020

My Last Day

Day 34 Doxology: What a beautiful day doing everything we could do like we wouldn't have another day to do what it is we do...Confused?

Shannon and I have a admit-able sickness.  Sometimes we just throw in the towel and go get a Milo's.  For me it's the food.  For Shannon it's the regular cheeseburger, extra onions and both mine and her lemon pie.

It made me think about what would we order for our last meal and how would we spend it.  Today, it felt like life would end at 5pm...So, Milo's was in order.  Like two teenagers we went through the drive-thru and ate our lunch in the sun on the tailgate. Two young kids in love admitting that 5:01pm was coming.

Which makes me think...today's doxology was not the food but enjoying my last day with Jonesy, and almost matching shirts it appears.

Friday, April 3, 2020

My Lord, My Family, and My Friends!

Day 33 Doxology:  What a day of "Praise" this has been.  All the phone calls and text messages about the crosses, and there are more to hammer in tomorrow.  However, "This is the day that the Lord has made.  So let us rejoice and be glad of it!"

Yesterday's doxology were the crosses that Shannon and J-2 assembled, and then today's doxology is the sharing of those crosses!  A bit of a back story, we snuck out last night late (9pm) like two little kids to put crosses up in our neighbor's yard.  You'd thought we were rolling their yard the way we snuck around, cutting out the lights, and speeding away so that we wouldn't get caught.

Then today we received the first fruits of our labor...pictures with children near this year's Easter crosses. What a joy!  That is amazing in and of itself, but the greatest blessing was part-two of a previous doxology (See Day 9).

Words can't express the joy that I received when a successful friendship was solidified after hours of work and prayer.  Who knew that Rags loved Ro's Grill Jack Jack Burgers as much as I do, and what a treat it must have been over the countless number of Jack's sausage and biscuit.  Some things of great worth take time!  Because of the crosses, and because of my new friend Rags and even stuck at home this might be the best Easter ever!  "Praise God from whom all blessings flow..."

How can you make it your best Easter under these circumstances?  This year could be our best year ever because we stand to realize what truly is important!  For me it's my Lord, my family, and my friends -old and new!!  Now, what about you?

Thursday, April 2, 2020

Yes Lord!

Day 32 Doxology:  It's crazy! I missed yesterday...I simply ran out of day, but today I think I got something that will make you pause and say, Yes Lord!

I've been working on my daughter and Son-n-law's bathroom and each evening I try to finish the list of to do's to stay on track before Gov. Ivey shuts down the state.  While I was doing yesterday's "to do" list Shannon and J-2 where putting together crosses for our church families!

With my "A-Type" personality I inspected each cross and found a list of things that made me shiver, but...when I realized how they were a perfect symbol of the love they have for a church family they couldn't hug or even be in company of during the oddest of times they made me pause and think!

I thought how this imperfect object was used to right the world.  The cross used to cause death in the harshest of ways created a path for me to be made whole.  With the new conditions we are facing for Palm Sunday and Easter, my wife and daughters passion for each of you is overwhelming.   My hope is that it becomes contagious!

You just don't know...You might wake up one day and have a cross outside your door...and not from the Joneses!