Depend on Mercy

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> "....THE DYING THIEF OR THE CONDEMNED PRISONER BECOMES A METAPHOR FOR THE HUMAN CONDITION DEPENDENT ON THE MERCY OF GOD FOR LIFE OR DEATH." THESE WORDS ARE PART OF OUR WESLEYAN HERITAGE AND EXPRESSED IN SOME OF OUR HYMNS. THEY REMIND ME OF THE REALTY THAT EVERY PERSON IS NAKED IN HIS/HER GUILT BEFORE GOD. FURTHERMORE THE PRISONS OF ANY COUNTRY ARE A WITNESS TO OUR FAILURE AS A SOCIETY TO FACE UP TO AND REDEEM OUR HOSTILE AND VIOLENT BEHAVIOR OF PERSONS BOTH IN AND OUT OF PRISON. THEREFORE, WE MUST BE BORN AGAIN INTO THE HEART OF PEACE, LOVE, GOODNESS.....AND IT IS A LIFE-LONG PILGRIMAGE.
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Yesterday's Nut that Held it's ground

"TODAY'S MIGHTY OAK IS JUST YESTERDAY'S NUT THAT HELD ITS GROUND." (-Anonymous-)  "....that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord." -(1 Corinthians 7:35)- in any moment of our life pilgrimage we have choices. We can be distracted by the multiple ways of thinking and behaving. Some will lead to dead ends in our relationships. The ideas, principles, values that centered the life of Christ will center our thinking and living too. Some time you may feel like a "nut" but hold your ground and you will be a mighty oak in ways you may not realize.

The truth will set you free

DO WE LISTEN FOR AFFIRMATION OF WHAT WE THINK, TO SUPPORT OUR BIAS, OUR POINT OF VIEW OR DO WE LISTEN TO HEAR THE TRUTH EVEN IF IT TURNS UP SIDE DOWN WHAT WE THINK AND WANT TO HEAR? ACTUALLY WE WANT TO HEAR THE TRUTH BUT ARE GREATLY INFLUENCED BY THE PREVAILING OPINIONS ALL AROUND US. THUS, THE CALL OF CHRIST TO BE HIS DISCIPLES ALLOWS US TO SET OUR MINDS UPON WHAT HE TEACHES AND EXAMINE EVERY THING WE HEAR IN THE LIGHT OF HIS WORDS, THOUGHTS, BEHAVIOR. "IF YOU HOLD TO MY TEACHING, YOU ARE REALLY MY DISCIPLES. THEN YOU WILL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE." (John 8: 32)

BIGGER PICTURE

THE BLESSINGS THAT ARE IN OUR LIVES DO NOT NECESSARILY COME IN PERFECTLY WRAPPED COLORFUL PACKAGES. SOMETIMES THEY COME IN THE BACK PAIN, THE ARTHRITIS, THE WHATEVER IS CAUSING DIFFICULTY. THE POINT IS THAT WHATEVER THE MOMENT BRINGS AS WE DEAL WITH IT IN THE PRESENCE AND GRACE OF HOLY SPIRIT WE ARE ABLE TO GIVE THANKS TO GOD ANYWAY. WE ARE PART OF THE BIGGER PICTURE OF ETERNITY AND THE GOD WHO IS KNOWN AS LOVE.

Humanity

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> "ONLY A HUMANITY WHICH IS STRIVING AFTER ETHICAL ENDS CAN IN FULL MEASURE SHARE IN THE BLESSINGS BROUGHT BY MATERIAL PROGRESS AND BECOME MASTER OF THE DANGERS WHICH ACCOMPANY IT." (The Wisdom of Albert Schweitzer on Ethics) - A person without a sense of right and wrong is as dangerous to the wellbeing other persons as would be the worst plague imaginable. In large measure it might be said that our current economic condition is due to the behavior of persons who did not act out of a healthy sense of ethics. .....and so is it in all areas of life from the most basic to the most complicated.
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Be Still, Quiet, and Know God

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> "IMAGINE YOU GO AND VISIT YOUR PARENTS. YOU SIT AND DON'T SAY ANYTHING AND THEY DON'T SAY ANYTHING. AFTER A WHILE, THERE IS ANXIETY GROWING IN YOU. YOU THINK, WHAT DOES HE/SHE WANT ME TO SAY? WHAT DOES HE/SHE WANT FROM ME? .......BUT YOU CAN ALSO BE THERE IN SUCH A WAY THAT YOU COMMUNICATE, ' I SO ENJOY SITTING WITH YOU QUIETLY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENCE'." I remember how difficult it was for me to visit my dad. He was naturally a quiet man and not given to a lot of talk. I was young and very uncomfortable with silence in the presence of my dad. I would think up stuff to talk about. Now, as I reflect on this I realize it was ok to just be present with each other. I love the words, "Be still, quiet, and know God." our world specializes in noise and sometime on TV is seems the news people try to see how fast they can talk and a person is hard put to understand what they are saying. Anyway, Thank God that I don't always have to fill the quiet space with words, but can just enjoy being together.
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Fwd: thought

 "IMAGINE YOU GO AND VISIT YOUR PARENTS. YOU SIT AND DON'T SAY ANYTHING AND THEY DON'T SAY ANYTHING. AFTER A WHILE, THERE IS ANXIETY GROWING IN YOU. YOU THINK, WHAT DOES HE/SHE WANT ME TO SAY? WHAT DOES HE/SHE WANT FROM ME? .......BUT YOU CAN ALSO BE THERE IN SUCH A WAY THAT YOU COMMUNICATE, ' I SO ENJOY SITTING WITH YOU QUIETLY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENCE'." I remember how difficult it was for me to visit my dad. He was naturally a quiet man and not given to a lot of talk. I was young and very uncomfortable with silence in the presence of my dad. I would think up stuff to talk about. Now, as I reflect on this I realize it was ok to just be present with each other. I love the words, "Be still, quiet, and know God." our world specializes in noise and sometime on TV is seems the news people try to see how fast they can talk and a person is hard put to understand what they are saying. Anyway, Thank God that I don't always have to fill the quiet space with words, but can just enjoy being together.