Following in Their Footsteps
advent to epiphany - day 4

Today’s readings: Isaiah 25:6-10a; Matthew 15:29-37

Praise for Judgment and Salvation

O LORD, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them. You turn mighty cities into heaps of ruins. Cities with strong walls are turned to rubble. Beautiful palaces in distant lands disappear and will never be rebuilt. Therefore, strong nations will declare your glory; ruthless nations will revere you.

But to the poor, O LORD, you are a refuge from the storm. To the needy in distress, you are a shelter from the rain and the heat. For the oppressive acts of ruthless people are like a storm beating against a wall, or like the relentless heat of the desert. But you silence the roar of foreign nations. You cool the land with the shade of a cloud. So the boastful songs of ruthless people are stilled.

In Jerusalem, the LORD Almighty will spread a wonderful feast for everyone around the world. It will be a delicious feast of good food, with clear, well-aged wine and choice beef. In that day he will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth. He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign LORD will wipe away all tears. He will remove forever all insults and mockery against his land and people. The LORD has spoken! In that day the people will proclaim, "This is our God. We trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, in whom we trusted. Let us rejoice in the salvation he brings!" For the LORD's good hand will rest on Jerusalem.

Jesus Heals Many People

Jesus returned to the Sea of Galilee and climbed a hill and sat down. A vast crowd brought him the lame, blind, crippled, mute, and many others with physical difficulties, and they laid them before Jesus. And he healed them all. The crowd was amazed! Those who hadn't been able to speak were talking, the crippled were made well, the lame were walking around, and those who had been blind could see again! And they praised the God of Israel.

Jesus Feeds Four Thousand

Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don't want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the road."

The disciples replied, "And where would we get enough food out here in the wilderness for all of them to eat?"

Jesus asked, "How many loaves of bread do you have?" They replied, "Seven, and a few small fish." So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, thanked God for them, broke them into pieces, and gave them to the disciples, who distributed the food to the crowd.

They all ate until they were full, and when the scraps were picked up, there were seven large baskets of food left over!

Jesus’ invitation to Peter and Andrew, to James and John, is one he continually issues to all: Will you follow me? Will you join me in my mission? If we say yes we can count on having our lives turned upside down—and enriched beyond measure. Don’t hoard your unique wealth. Share it with others, in Jesus’ name, through daily acts of kindness.
-- Catholic Update, “Advent Reflections: Longing for Peace”

taken from advent to epiphany: celebrating the Christmas Season

i am not catholic, but i have a friend in texas that made me think about this, and i think it is cool.

this is getting out late, sorry.

second worst pain

recently i posted that i had been awakened by the worst pain i could think of. i was at my parents place when i was unable to get to sleep, not because i was not in my own bed, but due to a toothache. well, i was able to get in to see the dentist the monday we were back in town, and found out that it was probably a molar that had a very deep filling. that tooth was not playing well with others!

the doc gave me a script for some pain meds to help me sleep and an antibiotic to help with any infection that was going on in that there tooth. well, it just wasn't doin' what i wanted, and i tried to call in to see about getting the number for the endodontist, but the dentist apparently was on holiday. when i tried to call him on the monday after turkey day i could not get through.

i drive up to his office and he is sitting there at the receptionist position. i say, "you may not remember me, but ... " i give him my story, and he actually calls the endodontist himself and gets me right in. cool!

i go to the endodontist and wait for about 30 - 45 minutes to get a seat in one of his offices, and then the day goes on from there. about 2 hours later, and 350 bucks lighter in the wallet, i have a numb left side of the face and tooth with no nerves, and no pulp and all that stuff inside the problematic tooth.

now i am able to sleep through the night, and just take the ibuprofen from wally-world, and I CAN DRINK COLD DRINKS NOW WITHOUT SHIELDING MY TOOTH!! WOO HOO!! happy, happy, joy, joy!!

just thought you might like to know. btw, if you check the comments of that post you will read what is the worst pain.

What Have You Seen?
advent to epiphany - day 3

Today’s readings: Isaiah 11:1-10; Luke 10:21-24

A Branch from David's Line

Out of the stump of David's family will grow a shoot—yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. He will delight in obeying the LORD. He will never judge by appearance, false evidence, or hearsay. He will defend the poor and the exploited. He will rule against the wicked and destroy them with the breath of his mouth. He will be clothed with fairness and truth.

In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard and the goat will be at peace. Calves and yearlings will be safe among lions, and a little child will lead them all. The cattle will graze among bears. Cubs and calves will lie down together. And lions will eat grass as the livestock do. Babies will crawl safely among poisonous snakes. Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes and pull it out unharmed. Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain. And as the waters fill the sea, so the earth will be filled with people who know the LORD.

In that day the heir to David's throne will be a banner of salvation to all the world. The nations will rally to him, for the land where he lives will be a glorious place.

Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving

Then Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit and said, "O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding the truth from those who think themselves so wise and clever, and for revealing it to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.

"My Father has given me authority over everything. No one really knows the Son except the Father, and no one really knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

Then when they were alone, he turned to the disciples and said, "How privileged you are to see what you have seen. I tell you, many prophets and kings have longed to see and hear what you have seen and heard, but they could not."

Jesus tells us today to count our blessings: We have seen and heard what kings longed for. The peace of God has come to live among us! We have only to open our hearts to the work of grace in our lives. We have only to turn to our Lord for help.
-- Catholic Update, “Advent Reflections: Longing for Peace”

taken from advent to epiphany: celebrating the Christmas Season

i am not catholic, but i have a friend in texas that made me think about this, and i think it is cool.

this is getting out late, sorry.

Can You See It?
advent to epiphany - day 2

Today’s readings: Isaiah 2:1-5; Matthew 8:5-11

The LORD's Future Reign

This is another vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

In the last days, the Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem will become the most important place on earth. People from all over the world will go there to worship. Many nations will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the Temple of the God of Israel. There he will teach us his ways, so that we may obey him." For in those days the LORD's teaching and his word will go out from Jerusalem.

The LORD will settle international disputes. All the nations will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. All wars will stop, and military training will come to an end. Come, people of Israel, let us walk in the light of the LORD!

Faith of the Roman Officer

When Jesus arrived in Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, "Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and racked with pain."

Jesus said, "I will come and heal him."

Then the officer said, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed! I know, because I am under the authority of my superior officers and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, 'Go,' and they go, or 'Come,' and they come. And if I say to my slaves, 'Do this or that,' they do it."

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd, he said, "I tell you the truth, I haven't seen faith like this in all the land of Israel! And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven.

What a vision today’s readings offer us—a world in which people yearn to walk in the ways of the Lord, in which “one nation shall not raise the sword against another.” Will we ever live to see it? Only if each of us works towards it. Be a harbinger of the Kingdom today by being a peaceful presence wherever you go.
-- Catholic Update, “Advent Reflections: Longing for Peace”

taken from advent to epiphany: celebrating the Christmas Season

i am not catholic, but i have a friend in texas that made me think about this, and i think it is cool.

this is getting out late, sorry.

First Sunday of Advent
Time to Wake Up
advent to epiphany - day 1

Thanksgiving holiday is behind us, signaling the beginning of the holiday season in the world around us. Yet today’s Gospel calls us to enter into a time of watchful waiting, of preparation or keen awareness. Let us resolve to hold off the holidays for a bit, to tune in to the gospel, to prepare our hearts for the mystery of the Incarnation, the coming of the Prince of Peace.

— Catholic Update, “Advent Reflections: Longing for Peace”

taken from advent to epiphany: celebrating the Christmas Season

i am not catholic, but i have a friend in texas that made me think about this, and i think it is cool.

this is getting out more than a week late, sorry.

our option

i just read this paragraph from the chapter of max lucado's book 'come thirsty' that we are using in our study on sunday mornings. i wanted to share it with you:

Worry is an option, not an assignment. God can lead you into a worry-free world. Be quick to pray. Focus less on the problems ahead and more on the victories behind. Do your part, and God will do his. He will guard your heart with his peace ... a peace that passes understanding.

doesn't that just make you feel rejuvenated? read phil 4:6-7, "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."

Thankfulness
by Jamie Shell & Brent Nidiffer

A good king in Spain known as Alfonso XIX learned that the boys who served in his court were forgetting to pray before their meals. So he decided to teach them a lesson. He gave a banquet and invited them to attend. Midway through the dinner, a ragged beggar came in, sat down, and began eating ravenously. When he was finished, he went out without saying a word. "That ungrateful wretch ought to be whipped," shouted the boys. "He ate the king's food and never showed gratitude."

Quietly, the king rose to his feet, and silence fell over the group. "Daily you have taken the rich blessings of life from the hand of your Heavenly Father," said the king. "You've enjoyed His sunshine, breathed His air, and eaten His food. All these things He has graciously provided, yet you have not bothered to say 'thank you' for any of them. You are more ungrateful than that beggar."

Unfortunately, we often take for granted the blessings that God has so generously provided. Like the boys, we accept them as commonplace -- dare say, we think they are deserved -- rather than the special gifts of heaven's grace that they are. During this holiday season, we should carry the same attitude as the Psalmist who wrote, "Thank the Lord because he is good. His love continues forever. That is what those whom the Lord has saved should say." (Psalm 107:1-2a NCV)

As you finish your Thanksgiving leftovers with family and friends, don't forget to take the time to be grateful to the King for what He has given to you.

---------

(c) 2005 Jamie Shell & Brent Nidiffer.

i got this in an e-mail from my dad. i wonder if he was sending it to me because i was like those boys? probably not, but i have been guilty of being those boys.

answer to can you guess what this is?

this post is the answer from two postings ago.

it is the little debbies that danny sent me for guessing that the picture he put out there of his puppy's paw.

i took a bite out of one of the pies, and tried to take an upclose closeup on the one a took a bite out of, but you can see that it is all blurry.

Happy Thanksgiving, Y'All!

can you guess what this is?

i am copying a style of post from a guy that has a great blog that i read often, and have imitated in the past.

hint: a blurry, upclose view of one the dozen prizes i received.



















sorry to say i will not be able to provide a prize if you can guess what this is, but i will reveal the answer later. good luck!

its been awhile

some may be wondering what has happened to me. well, let me first say thanks to all that have been visiting, and commenting. some of the comments have been very gracious, and i thank you.

last week was a long week. my family, my parents, and grandmother, wanted to have thanksgiving last weekend so that it would not conflict with other families and their time together for the holiday time. we went up on friday night, after my daughter had her varsity soccer tryouts. all week she had been practicing and trying out for the varsity team, and it was all worth it. she made the cut and is a varsity player and she is only a sophmore! i think that is awesome. i wasn't varsity until i was a junior when i was in high school.

well, we got to my parents place around 10:30 pm or so, and then saturday we hung out with family and then found out that my brother was going to be in from his route around 6:00 pm, and we were planning to not leave any later than 5:00 pm. my brother is a truck driver and he was out on a run, and was not planning on being around for the weekend, but he drove hard and long to see us. that was cool. however, we had to leave after less than 30 minutes of time together. it was good to see him.

we made it back home to our house late saturday night, an hour into sunday, around 1:00 am. a little later we woke and went to church. i have been blessed to be able to sit with my wife after long weeks of not being able to study with her. i have missed that. i have been either getting things ready for the service in the a/v room, or teaching, or something has just kept me from being in class. the whole month of november has been an "off" month for me. however, this sunday i will be covering for josh, and i will be in the a/v room handling the sound. heather has done an amazing job on running the media shout shows! she came in cold, after missing the training class, and has filled in admirably.

one of our elders has been leading a study of max lucado's book 'come thirsty,' and it has been a well needed and well attended class. jerre has been doing a great job leading this class. after services we met at the home of the life group leader that my life group multiplied from. the groups combined for one last meeting of this season, and had lunch together before we studied bruce's sermon from earlier that day.

following the study we went home and spent the rest of the day just relaxing and spending time together. that was good.

note: not mentioned in this post yet is that i have been suffering from pain in some of my teeth. if you have ever suffered from pain in the mouth you know what i mean. it was bad enough to be awakened from sleep, not to mention while sleeping in a different bed on friday night, but i was not able to get to sleep until 3:30 am. i took some tylenol pm, and surfed the web until the medication kicked in at 3:30.

on monday i was able to get in and see the dentist, and it was thought that the trouble was originating from a tooth that had a deep filling put in, and if the problem persisted, that tooth would require a root canal. happy, happy, joy, joy. now it is wednesday and i think that the problem is with the tooth in front of the suspect tooth, but i can not get in to see the dentist again until after the holiday season. argh! so i have to rely on popping pills (prescribed pills, mind you), and avoiding the cold and hot stuff on that side of the mouth, and all. not fun.

i hope to not take so long in posting in future, but keep coming back, if you don't mind, and keep the comments coming, as well.

ever been guilty of these verses? ... i have

Romans 14:1-23
1 Accept Christians who are weak in faith, and don't argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. 2 For instance, one person believes it is all right to eat anything. But another believer who has a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. 3 Those who think it is all right to eat anything must not look down on those who won't. And those who won't eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to condemn God's servants? They are responsible to the Lord, so let him tell them whether they are right or wrong. The Lord's power will help them do as they should. 5 In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. Each person should have a personal conviction about this matter. 6 Those who have a special day for worshiping the Lord are trying to honor him. Those who eat all kinds of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who won't eat everything also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God. 7 For we are not our own masters when we live or when we die. 8 While we live, we live to please the Lord. And when we die, we go to be with the Lord. So in life and in death, we belong to the Lord. 9 Christ died and rose again for this very purpose, so that he might be Lord of those who are alive and of those who have died. 10 So why do you condemn another Christian ^F82 ? Why do you look down on another Christian? Remember, each of us will stand personally before the judgment seat of God. 11 For the Scriptures say, "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow to me and every tongue will confess allegiance to God.'" ^F83 12 Yes, each of us will have to give a personal account to God. 13 So don't condemn each other anymore. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not put an obstacle in another Christian's path. 14 I know and am perfectly sure on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong. 15 And if another Christian is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don't let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. 16 Then you will not be condemned for doing something you know is all right. 17 For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God. And other people will approve of you, too. 19 So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. 20 Don't tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, there is nothing wrong with these things in themselves. But it is wrong to eat anything if it makes another person stumble. 21 Don't eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another Christian to stumble. 22 You may have the faith to believe that there is nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who do not condemn themselves by doing something they know is all right. 23 But if people have doubts about whether they should eat something, they shouldn't eat it. They would be condemned for not acting in faith before God. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.

ever have this happen to you

i have been the martha of this verse, and the mary. it is so fun to be the mary. isn't it?

Fellowship With Jesus
Luke 10:40-42

It never stops, the vicious cycle of doing things. Running errands, cleaning the house, picking up the kids, putting in extra time on your project at work, studying for another big test. You just keep going and going with no end in sight.

It can even become a pattern in your church life. Helping with prayer meeting, keeping the nursery, teaching Sunday school, visiting the shut-ins, calling last week's visitors. It goes on and on and on until you're spending all this time working for the Lord but you're not spending time on what He desires from you most: your fellowship.

John wanted to share the good news of Christ so others would come to know Him and fellowship with Him (I John 1:3, 6). He knew what the most needful thing in his life was.

We need to remember that as well. Mary knew it was better to sit at the feet of Jesus, loving Him and sharing with Him, rather than preparing a five-course dinner like Martha.

To know Him more intimately, we must spend time with Him. Out of this closer relationship, our love for Him grows and we desire to serve Him more.

When Jesus becomes our sole focus, nothing can shake us. If we make fellowship with Him a priority, He will make Himself known to us like we've never known Him before.

i've personally been having trouble with that second paragraph. i've had the luxury for the past two sundays to sit in worship with my wife. we haven't done that in a long, long time. it was so great to be able to worship with her again, i just can't explain it.

don't be like me. get out of that sound booth, get out of the nursery, ... those things will get taken care of. i guarentee it! people will start complaining ... like that stopped happening while you still doing that stuff, but it'll get taken care of. enjoy the fellowhip that God so deeply wants! and then after that big drink of fellowship then start helping again.

remember that Jesus, too, took time off to be with God. Jesus is the best example we have. shouldn't we follow his lead?

yoke's on you (part 2)

now let me start this post stating that i am not a scholar, or a theologian. i am just a learner, like the rest of you. i am reading a book right now that speaks on the subject of this post. the writer found that the use of the term "yoke" in the time of Jesus dealt with the way that the rabbi had interpretted the torah (first 5 books of the bible).

each community's rabbi interpretted the torah in the way that he thought God had intended. so each community had different ways of doing things. wow! that sounds familiar.

read the following scripture with that in mind (note: yesterday's post dealt with the last three verses, but i added the three preceding ones to add a little more umph.):

Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving

25 Then Jesus prayed this prayer: "O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding the truth from those who think themselves so wise and clever, and for revealing it to the childlike. 26 Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way!

27 "My Father has given me authority over everything. No one really knows the Son except the Father, and no one really knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

28 Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light."

now what do you think of that! does that make you think of those verses in a different light?

it may be just me, but i thought this was so enlightening. it may be that my little mind gets excited about little things like this, but i think that is what Jesus was going for.

now i think that Jesus was lifting all of those rules and regulations that society was living under, and that He was giving them the way to do things better and easier. His interpretation was God's interpretation ... firsthand.

it makes me think back to the question asked of Him about what were the greatest commandments. its all about love. love God with our whole self and love everybody else the same way we love ourselves.

sounds simple, but do you have the same trouble i do in fulfilling the second part?

yoke's on you

what does this verse mean to you?

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

"short timer" jokes

my dad retires next week for the second time. this time from wal-mart, the first was from the air force.

he is asking for for some short timers jokes he can use since he is getting the "single digit figgits," for those of you who have been in the military can remember hearing.

they usually start like this:

how short are you? i am so short that ...

any help will be appreciated. i will forward them to him.

here is a shot of him and me about two year ago:

mobile greek festival

over the weekend we attended the greek festival in mobile. it was actually the first one that i have attended (been married over 17 years. finally got the chance to go). my wife's mother is greek, and so it was neat to go and learn more about that ethnic background. the first place we went to was the greek orthodox church.

makis foropoulos (that's not his greek name. it is his english name) is the cantor of the greek church there in mobile and nearby malbis. he had a humorous way about him, and he was very knowledgeable. he shared with us where he was born. guess where he was born? he was born on the island of patmos. does that ring any bells?

here is a scan of the church that was made out of a cave on the island of patmos where john was imprisoned. the crack in the ceiling of the cave is believed to be the crack which God spoke to john through. notice where the ceiling comes together with three pieces of stone. makis said that it is believed by some to resemble the way they use the thumb, fore finger, and middle finger to cross themselves.

makis was a hoot! he was very polite and willing to share with whoever had questions. he sopke of paul when he went to the athenians and spoke to them about their "unknown god". there is an awesome stained glass window depicting that encounter in the church there in mobile. i really like that story. its neat how paul worked in the story what that society knew and could relate to. huh? sound familiar? kinda like how some of the churches of Christ are trying to have services at their churches that would allow visitors to feel more comfortable when they visit.

we had gyros, fries with greek seasoning, dolmathes (stuffed grape leaves with meat and rice), orzo (greek pasta), baklava, kourabiedes, koularakia, melamakarona (those four were desserts), and dr pepper, coke, and water to drink. we considered some wine but decided not to since i was driving.

while we were eating we watched the kids of the school there dance to some of the dances from greece. the guys were very agile and some did cartwheels and flips in the air. the girls looked very pretty in their dresses. while the kids danced, their parents, friends, and well wishers dropped money on the dance floor. after the dance was over and they lined up for the bow it was a mad rush to pick up the money. it was first come first served.

after the food and dancing we walked around to see the vendors and their wares. they had some the neatest stuff. beautiful jewelery (my wife almost got an early christmas gift), linens, embroidery, and wood carvings.

all in all, it was a great time!

a testimony

check out this blog that talks about my friend jd.