Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Those Brown Eyes
Those brown eyes, I couldn't stop looking at those brown eyes. I was sitting on the campus quad eating lunch with Linda who I had been dating. She had just introduced me to her friend, the girl with the big, beautiful, brown eyes. "This is my friend, Trudy". Dorthy Parker says, "men don't make passes at girls who wear glasses." But she never saw the way these glasses framed these dark brown eyes. I knew that day I wanted to ask her out, but how do I do that without being rude to Linda. Linda and I were friend, but my feelings stopped there. so I took my time, meeting her at lunch with Linda, "running into her on campus and finding time to talk", and talking out the psych class we had in common (different sections). It took me two months to get the courage to ask her out. We end up going to see Paint Your Wagon. I was smitten. She was so easy to be with, I could talk to her without feeling awkward (my normal state around girls). She was okay with just being together without talking. She was warm and open. What I liked best was the way her face lit up when she saw me. I was smitten.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
In The Begining
Martin and I met through a mutual friend, Linda Hite, in the fall of 1969. We were both attending Long Beach City College. I remember sitting on the grass in the Quad when we were introduced, but all the details are kind of fuzzy. His hair was longer then and I remember red highlights in his blondish hair. His eyes were blue like the ocean. His smile made me smile. He was a person that I would like to get to know better. We discovered that we had the same instructor for a psychology class which we were taking that term, but at different times of the day. So we would get together and ‘study’ for that class during free times of the day on campus. I always looked forward to seeing him. There was something about him that I did not have with anyone else. He always made me feel happy, excited, maybe even a little bit giddy. I was hoping he would ask me out some time. He finally asked me out to a basketball game in January. I don't recall why, but we ended up going to see the Premier showing of ‘Paint Your Wagon’ in Westwood instead of the game. Our first date was also two days after my 20th birthday, so I remember January 22, 1970 very well! That night he did not hold my hand, but he did kiss me goodnight. Needless to say, I was in seventh heaven!
Posted by Trudy Jones
Posted by Trudy Jones
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Lessons learned
If I have learned anything in forty years, it is that Trudy has be my greatest mentor on living honestly and simply. I tend to live in the gray areas of life, looking for all the exceptions to the rules. I complicate things so as to make decision harder. Trudy has always been straight forward and gets to the heart of the matter. She is the one who taught me that love is not about me. It is about the one you love. It mean paying more attention to them than yourself. If you are truly taking care of your partner it frees them to take care of you.
Of course this must be mutual or it could lead to an abusive situation. In a truly loving relationship this kind of caring frees you to be you and to be open with one another. It allows you to be vulnerable, humble, and forgiving. I know I can share my fears and my joys with her because she cares about me. I can focus on her because I know I am cared for. We have certainly had our ups and downs, times of real, difficult, and painful issues. But Trudy's courageous love has helped me through those times.
Of course this must be mutual or it could lead to an abusive situation. In a truly loving relationship this kind of caring frees you to be you and to be open with one another. It allows you to be vulnerable, humble, and forgiving. I know I can share my fears and my joys with her because she cares about me. I can focus on her because I know I am cared for. We have certainly had our ups and downs, times of real, difficult, and painful issues. But Trudy's courageous love has helped me through those times.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Birthday of our marriage
Today is my birthday. Forty years ago today, Trudy and I announced our engagement at a surprise birthday party we had planned. We used it as a cover to keep our engagement secret until the last possible moment, so we would not have endure months of planning, advice and stuff. We almost brought it off as a complete surprise, except for Trudy's habit of writing everything down. Her mom found the note with information on about the engagement. Before Trudy could warn me, I came over and was greeted by her mom with "How could you do this without telling me.....!! I am sure she was horrified that she did not have a chance to talk Trudy out of marrying this hairy, non-Hungarian hippie. So began our forty days of trial in the wilderness (for details, please consult the movie ":My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and substitute Hungarian every time they say Greek.
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Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Forty by Forty
July 14th is my 64th birthday. This year it takes on a special significance that has nothing to do with my birth. It is exactly 40 days before Trudy and I celebrate 40 years of marriage. Over the next forty days, I plan to celebrate this milestone with stories, pictures and lesson we learned. It is significant, as my sister Sheila will relate, because just two months before our wedding I was still telling everyone I would never marry again.
It will be fun looking back over the last forty years to see how we got here.
It will be fun looking back over the last forty years to see how we got here.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Simply clear or clearly simple.
Matthew 6:14
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Last night Trudy and I watched a new movie, Amish Grace, on the Life Time Movie Network. I do not usually watch movies on the channel as I find them saccharine and sappy and overly sentimental. But I had read the book, Amish Grace, and wanted to revisit the story. This is a true story about the killing of 5 Amish girls at the Nickel Mines School and how the Amish parents and community dealt with that tragedy. The book was a serious work written by three scholars from Christian colleges. The book had a profound impact on me and in part was one of the catalyst for my Lenten study this year. This book is one I recommend to anyone who has ever struggled with the practice of forgiveness.
The movie attempted to portray this struggle through the eyes of one of the families whose daughter was killed and their difficulty with forgiveness. A brief synopsis: A neighbor of the Amish families walked into the school and shot 10 girls, after letting the boys go. He wanted to anger God because his own daughter died. He then committed suicide. Almost immediately the Amish forgave him and came to the aid of his wife and children. They attended his funeral, and sent gifts to his children. They met with his wife to tell her that they harbored no ill feeling towards her or her children. This act of grace astonished the community, as most of those outside the Amish community have little understanding of their faith.
What draws me to this story is that the Sermon on the Mount is one the central pillars of the Amish faith. Every year they set aside time to study, reflect on and pray about the lessons of the sermon. Like many great ideas the sermon is simply written (or more correctly spoken). Simply is not simple. The Gettysburg address is simply written, but profound and deep. Simply mean clear, plain words with an unambiguous meaning but that cause you to think. Simple writing is writing that has no depth, does not stir though contemplation. The Matthew 6:14-15 verse is a clearly stated direction. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Do not forgive and you will not be forgiven.
When I was teaching 7th and 8th graders they were always questioning simple rules. They were always looking for the loopholes, the grey areas, and the boundaries. They wanted to know if I really meant what I said. They thrived on ambiguity as it gave them an excuse for not complying, a way out. But they really wanted clear boundaries, it made them feel secure. Teachers with foggy boundaries always had more discipline problems than those who were clear. God is always clear, but sometime we have a hard time hearing that. We are so busy looking for a way out.
Simply written expectations do not mean they are easy. Anyone who has struggled with the untimely death of someone close can tell you that. Often we want a simple explanation of why it happened. We want to know that it was reasonable. We may want justice, we want a chaotic world to make sense, or we want to undo the undoable. Forgiveness is the path through trauma to peace. It is a narrow road. It must practice continually. Forgiveness is not a one time act. We may have, as one Amish mother said, Forgive and in an hour, forgive again.
Forgiveness is really for us, the victim. Truly done, it gives the anger and hurt to God. It trusts God to be Just and Loving. I have spent my entire adult life struggling with Forgiveness. My first wife Kathy died in bed next to me. Every day I have to work at Forgiveness. Why she died and I lived is not a question that I can ever answer. It has taken years find any Peace. The Amish Grace story resonates with me because I have walked in their shoes. In a world that often seems to make no sense, God clearly makes sense.
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Last night Trudy and I watched a new movie, Amish Grace, on the Life Time Movie Network. I do not usually watch movies on the channel as I find them saccharine and sappy and overly sentimental. But I had read the book, Amish Grace, and wanted to revisit the story. This is a true story about the killing of 5 Amish girls at the Nickel Mines School and how the Amish parents and community dealt with that tragedy. The book was a serious work written by three scholars from Christian colleges. The book had a profound impact on me and in part was one of the catalyst for my Lenten study this year. This book is one I recommend to anyone who has ever struggled with the practice of forgiveness.
The movie attempted to portray this struggle through the eyes of one of the families whose daughter was killed and their difficulty with forgiveness. A brief synopsis: A neighbor of the Amish families walked into the school and shot 10 girls, after letting the boys go. He wanted to anger God because his own daughter died. He then committed suicide. Almost immediately the Amish forgave him and came to the aid of his wife and children. They attended his funeral, and sent gifts to his children. They met with his wife to tell her that they harbored no ill feeling towards her or her children. This act of grace astonished the community, as most of those outside the Amish community have little understanding of their faith.
What draws me to this story is that the Sermon on the Mount is one the central pillars of the Amish faith. Every year they set aside time to study, reflect on and pray about the lessons of the sermon. Like many great ideas the sermon is simply written (or more correctly spoken). Simply is not simple. The Gettysburg address is simply written, but profound and deep. Simply mean clear, plain words with an unambiguous meaning but that cause you to think. Simple writing is writing that has no depth, does not stir though contemplation. The Matthew 6:14-15 verse is a clearly stated direction. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Do not forgive and you will not be forgiven.
When I was teaching 7th and 8th graders they were always questioning simple rules. They were always looking for the loopholes, the grey areas, and the boundaries. They wanted to know if I really meant what I said. They thrived on ambiguity as it gave them an excuse for not complying, a way out. But they really wanted clear boundaries, it made them feel secure. Teachers with foggy boundaries always had more discipline problems than those who were clear. God is always clear, but sometime we have a hard time hearing that. We are so busy looking for a way out.
Simply written expectations do not mean they are easy. Anyone who has struggled with the untimely death of someone close can tell you that. Often we want a simple explanation of why it happened. We want to know that it was reasonable. We may want justice, we want a chaotic world to make sense, or we want to undo the undoable. Forgiveness is the path through trauma to peace. It is a narrow road. It must practice continually. Forgiveness is not a one time act. We may have, as one Amish mother said, Forgive and in an hour, forgive again.
Forgiveness is really for us, the victim. Truly done, it gives the anger and hurt to God. It trusts God to be Just and Loving. I have spent my entire adult life struggling with Forgiveness. My first wife Kathy died in bed next to me. Every day I have to work at Forgiveness. Why she died and I lived is not a question that I can ever answer. It has taken years find any Peace. The Amish Grace story resonates with me because I have walked in their shoes. In a world that often seems to make no sense, God clearly makes sense.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
The Narrow Gate
The Narrow and Wide Gates
13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
It is our choices...that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Spoken by Albus Dumbledore.
I love to wander. Many times I gotten in the car with no destination in mind, but to wander, explore and enjoy the journey. When Trudy's parents came to visit us in Australia, we took them to Tamania for Christmas. As we drove around the island, we would stop at any place that was even mildly interesting. Trudy's dad had a very difficult time with this. If we left point A in the morning to get to point B by that evening, he expected us to go by the straightest route in the fastest possible time. We had long "disscusions" about the purpose of our trip. Trudy and I saw it as a journey and her dad saw it as a destination.
What this passage reminds me is that the journey and the destination are both important. Wandering on a day off is one thing, wandering through life without a destination is another. For our lives to have purpose, we have to have a destination. I am not talking a location as much as I am a goal. To reach that we can not merely wander with vague notions of where we are headed. We have to make choices that lead us to that goal, destination, or life.
Central to my beliefs is the idea of choice. God has created us as free agents, able to choose. Those choices determine who we are. Regardless of what others do or don't do, we are responsible for our choices. If someone treats me badly, I am reponsible for how I respond. If things don't go my way, I am responsible for how I react and deal with the situation. If I am going to make it through the narrow gate, I must make choices that lead me down that narrow path. I must turn the other cheek, walk the extra mile, give away my riches and love others as I love myself.
The whole purpose of the Sermon of the Mount for me is set out a clear set of sign posts directing me to the narrow gate. Read the signs, choose to follow them and the gate is open.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Matthew 7
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; those who seek find; and to those who knock, the door will be opened.
9 "Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
James 4:3
3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
When I was a youngster at home, my father had a favorite response to request for thing from my sisters and me, "manana" (Spanish for tomorrow). It meant "not yet". It was often frustrating, because it wasn't a no or a yes. It was hard to argue with this answer because it could be no or could be yes. For the most part we took it as a no. By tomorrow we would forget what we had asked for and my dad would be off the hook. The lesson I learned was that my dad used this answer for things he considered trivial. If I was going to ask for something, it had better be important or I would be ignored.
My struggle with prayer seems to come from this experience. If I am going to ask for something, it ought not to be trivial. It must be important.
But how do I decide what is trivial and what is important. As I read the verse from James it took a load off of my mind. It was so much what I was asking for, but what my motivations were. If my neighbors are difficult to get along with, do I pray for vengeance or for strength to love them? Am I praying for something I covet or something I need?
I also struggle to remember that prayer is not just a chance to ask for things. I need to remember that it is also chance to thank God for literally everything he has given us. It is also a chance to confess the ways we have separated ourselves from God. Prayer is also an opportunity to be quiet and listen to God. This is perhaps the area I have the greatest difficult with, being still and quiet. After about 20 seconds my mind starts to wander. I know that this is something we have to practice to get better at this. I recently received and email with this quote which I have found helpful:
"Have confidence in that divine Love which holds you close. You have nothing to fear, and if you don't know which way to go, stay where you are. Just be still and quiet and you will find how remarkably conditions will work out for you. So much tangle is made by this eagerness to get on with something. You only get into a muddle and then have to retrace your steps. Be still and trust in God."
White Eagle
" The Quiet Mind"
One of the things that the James passage also reminds me is that all of the Sermon on the Mount really speaks to our motives and should guide us in our prayers. Jesus even gives us a model to use.
Lord,
I thank you for time today to sit and quietly listen. I want to be busy and I want to be heard, but I need to be still and hear. Help to be unbusy and quiet. Help me to wait and listen with an open heart.
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; those who seek find; and to those who knock, the door will be opened.
9 "Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
James 4:3
3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
When I was a youngster at home, my father had a favorite response to request for thing from my sisters and me, "manana" (Spanish for tomorrow). It meant "not yet". It was often frustrating, because it wasn't a no or a yes. It was hard to argue with this answer because it could be no or could be yes. For the most part we took it as a no. By tomorrow we would forget what we had asked for and my dad would be off the hook. The lesson I learned was that my dad used this answer for things he considered trivial. If I was going to ask for something, it had better be important or I would be ignored.
My struggle with prayer seems to come from this experience. If I am going to ask for something, it ought not to be trivial. It must be important.
But how do I decide what is trivial and what is important. As I read the verse from James it took a load off of my mind. It was so much what I was asking for, but what my motivations were. If my neighbors are difficult to get along with, do I pray for vengeance or for strength to love them? Am I praying for something I covet or something I need?
I also struggle to remember that prayer is not just a chance to ask for things. I need to remember that it is also chance to thank God for literally everything he has given us. It is also a chance to confess the ways we have separated ourselves from God. Prayer is also an opportunity to be quiet and listen to God. This is perhaps the area I have the greatest difficult with, being still and quiet. After about 20 seconds my mind starts to wander. I know that this is something we have to practice to get better at this. I recently received and email with this quote which I have found helpful:
"Have confidence in that divine Love which holds you close. You have nothing to fear, and if you don't know which way to go, stay where you are. Just be still and quiet and you will find how remarkably conditions will work out for you. So much tangle is made by this eagerness to get on with something. You only get into a muddle and then have to retrace your steps. Be still and trust in God."
White Eagle
" The Quiet Mind"
One of the things that the James passage also reminds me is that all of the Sermon on the Mount really speaks to our motives and should guide us in our prayers. Jesus even gives us a model to use.
Lord,
I thank you for time today to sit and quietly listen. I want to be busy and I want to be heard, but I need to be still and hear. Help to be unbusy and quiet. Help me to wait and listen with an open heart.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Judging Others
Matthew 7: 1-11 ...First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you'll see clearly enough to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye. ...
This is a passage about learning empathy and practicing mercy. Mercy come from being able to see how yourself in your neighbor's predicament. Until we can see that we are all fallable and in need of God's grace, we find it difficult to love our neighbors as ourselves. Mercy implies judgement on our part, not comdennation, but judgement that comes from recognition of our neighbors troubles and our call to help them come to awareness of the Grace that God had made available to all.
This passage illustrates that we need first to recognise our own failings and need for Grace. Once we have seen our need for Grace we can do as Jesus told the adulterous woman and the woman at the well: Go and sin no more. If we truly work at this we will see that it is not easy and that we are continuously in need of Grace. Knowing this, we should judgeour neighbors with mercy and love.
This is a passage about learning empathy and practicing mercy. Mercy come from being able to see how yourself in your neighbor's predicament. Until we can see that we are all fallable and in need of God's grace, we find it difficult to love our neighbors as ourselves. Mercy implies judgement on our part, not comdennation, but judgement that comes from recognition of our neighbors troubles and our call to help them come to awareness of the Grace that God had made available to all.
This passage illustrates that we need first to recognise our own failings and need for Grace. Once we have seen our need for Grace we can do as Jesus told the adulterous woman and the woman at the well: Go and sin no more. If we truly work at this we will see that it is not easy and that we are continuously in need of Grace. Knowing this, we should judgeour neighbors with mercy and love.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Matthew 6:16-24
Fasting is a practice I don't understand, but I think this passage has a larger topic that I do struggle with daily. It is the problem of priorities and relationships. I certainly want to have a relationship with God and I also, as a consequence of God's Love and Grace, want to have a relationship with those around me (family and neighbors). I want to share what I gain as a result of my relationship with God with those around me. How do I do this?
When I was discharged out of the Navy, I had a month before I started back to college. I took a trip across the United States with 3 friends. They were all two years older and had all completed college. I often felt left out of the conversations because my experience were down a different track. I tried to find ways to relate with what was happening in the conversation. At one point an one of my friends asked me why every thing I said started with "I". This rebuke silenced me for days. I listened as they talked. As I listened I realized my priority was to get them to notice me, rather than to relate to them.
I still struggle to give God his due in my daily life. I am afraid that I will not be able to say things right or will offend others so I remain quiet. OR I really want attention for myself so that I offer myself rather than God. We all want to be loved for who were are, but some of us don't believe that is enough. We try to puff our selves up with wealth, success, or good works to seem better than we are. Yesterday, as I was driving to Eugene I was listen to an audio recording of the Bible and this quote stood out.
If I truly remember why God love and grace are important it is because I am sinner who needs God's grace. The struggle then is my fear of letting other know that I am a sinner who needs grace. We live in a time when such a premium is put on success and goodness that we fail to see that we are all in need of grace. We place a huge stigma on those who fail or fall. We isolate ourselves so that we need not come in contact with the "sinners" I fall for this hypocrisy all the time. My sin is not as bad as his sin. I wear my piety as a cloak to hide the real me.
Oh Lord,
I wander lost because I hold man's esteem for me higher that yours. I fail to honor what you have done for me. I struggle to put you at the center of my life. Forgive me. Amen
When I was discharged out of the Navy, I had a month before I started back to college. I took a trip across the United States with 3 friends. They were all two years older and had all completed college. I often felt left out of the conversations because my experience were down a different track. I tried to find ways to relate with what was happening in the conversation. At one point an one of my friends asked me why every thing I said started with "I". This rebuke silenced me for days. I listened as they talked. As I listened I realized my priority was to get them to notice me, rather than to relate to them.
I still struggle to give God his due in my daily life. I am afraid that I will not be able to say things right or will offend others so I remain quiet. OR I really want attention for myself so that I offer myself rather than God. We all want to be loved for who were are, but some of us don't believe that is enough. We try to puff our selves up with wealth, success, or good works to seem better than we are. Yesterday, as I was driving to Eugene I was listen to an audio recording of the Bible and this quote stood out.
10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' [a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
If I truly remember why God love and grace are important it is because I am sinner who needs God's grace. The struggle then is my fear of letting other know that I am a sinner who needs grace. We live in a time when such a premium is put on success and goodness that we fail to see that we are all in need of grace. We place a huge stigma on those who fail or fall. We isolate ourselves so that we need not come in contact with the "sinners" I fall for this hypocrisy all the time. My sin is not as bad as his sin. I wear my piety as a cloak to hide the real me.
Oh Lord,
I wander lost because I hold man's esteem for me higher that yours. I fail to honor what you have done for me. I struggle to put you at the center of my life. Forgive me. Amen
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Giving and Praying who is it for?
Matthew 6: 7-15
It is so easy to dismiss this portion of the Sermon on the Mount and say "I not performing for others, but the reality is that only means I am better at hiding that fact from myself. How often have I, in group settings, where I am praying aloud, anguished over the words to sound better to the group rather than just speaking to
God. I find it difficult to center myself on my love of God and all he does daily for me and not on my current needs. In fact when look at the prayer time at church many of the prayers people request are personal, either for themselves or family. I know I rarely use that time to praise or thank God for his constant Grace and Love.
I have struggled with the idea that I need to place my offering higher on my list of priorities, not for myself but in response to God and what He has given me. Centering my life outside myself is a daily challenge. It seems so much of what I fill my day with is about me. Often, the closest I get to focusing outside myself is taking care of my grand kids. Its feels great because they respond automatically with joy and thanksgiving when grandpa does things for them. I wish I could be half as responsive to God in remembering all that he does for me.
Dear God,
You are so good to us, even our daily breath is your gift. I struggle to remember to thank you for all you do. Even in my darkest hours you have been there,keeping me, guarding me and forgiving me when I doubted your presence. Give me. Thank you for my daily breath, for sweet air that I take for granted. For all that I take for granted or that I remain unaware of I thank you and praise you.
It is so easy to dismiss this portion of the Sermon on the Mount and say "I not performing for others, but the reality is that only means I am better at hiding that fact from myself. How often have I, in group settings, where I am praying aloud, anguished over the words to sound better to the group rather than just speaking to
God. I find it difficult to center myself on my love of God and all he does daily for me and not on my current needs. In fact when look at the prayer time at church many of the prayers people request are personal, either for themselves or family. I know I rarely use that time to praise or thank God for his constant Grace and Love.
I have struggled with the idea that I need to place my offering higher on my list of priorities, not for myself but in response to God and what He has given me. Centering my life outside myself is a daily challenge. It seems so much of what I fill my day with is about me. Often, the closest I get to focusing outside myself is taking care of my grand kids. Its feels great because they respond automatically with joy and thanksgiving when grandpa does things for them. I wish I could be half as responsive to God in remembering all that he does for me.
Dear God,
You are so good to us, even our daily breath is your gift. I struggle to remember to thank you for all you do. Even in my darkest hours you have been there,keeping me, guarding me and forgiving me when I doubted your presence. Give me. Thank you for my daily breath, for sweet air that I take for granted. For all that I take for granted or that I remain unaware of I thank you and praise you.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Turn the other cheek...
It has taken a few days of thinking to deal with this sections of the Sermon on the Mount and still I am struggling with this passage. Tom Wright explained that the Old Testament idea of "...an eye for an eye..." was actually an attempt to limit vengeance and to keep revenge from accelerating as people sought revenge. He said it was the first step toward mercy. I can understand this. When I was teaching much of my time was devoted to settling disputes and fights. The most common response when I ask why someone had hit another student was that the student had called him a name. As the name calling accelerated they came to the place where no verbal insult was enough and the punching started. Student found it very hard to be the first to step back and say "Wait a minute this is getting out of hand." We put such a value on winning, success, and victory that choosing another path seems like losing.
We hate to be the first to give in, to take what seems to be second place or to take the servant role. Kids are often incredulous when you suggest using the golden rule, "treat them as you wish to be treated." They want them to do it first. As adults we seem too have the same problem. The other guy had to show mercy first, apologise first, admit they were wrong first or we can not forgive. Yet as Christians we should know that God forgave us before we sinned. His grace is there waiting for us to realize we need it and accept it.
This part of the sermon is difficult because it calls us to act with "loving kindness and mercy" which for some reason we think of a being weak. But this is how God act towards us.
We hate to be the first to give in, to take what seems to be second place or to take the servant role. Kids are often incredulous when you suggest using the golden rule, "treat them as you wish to be treated." They want them to do it first. As adults we seem too have the same problem. The other guy had to show mercy first, apologise first, admit they were wrong first or we can not forgive. Yet as Christians we should know that God forgave us before we sinned. His grace is there waiting for us to realize we need it and accept it.
This part of the sermon is difficult because it calls us to act with "loving kindness and mercy" which for some reason we think of a being weak. But this is how God act towards us.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Matthew 5:27-37
Until my daughter suffered her brain injury, I had trouble understanding theses passages. As a result of injury to her frontal lobes, my daughter had and has difficulty with impulsiveness. Impulses are thoughts, desires and ideas that spring unbidden. If I see a friend standing across the street and without thinking I just cross the street in the middle of the block without looking either way, that is impulsive.
Acting without judgement. One of the most difficult parts of growing up is learning to control that impulsiveness. Often people never fully out grow it. ( Which why grocery stores put candy at the check out counters.)
What I understand from these passages is that God expects us to use judgement in our relationships with others. Marriage is not to be an impulsive act, enter into lightly. When we do marry, we are expected to to be serious about it. We are human and will have problems, but we are to work at reconciliation. I note that Jesus in verse 23 admonished us to not wait for our partner to admit wrong doing, or apologized first, but to leave the altar and go ourselves and initiate reconciliation .
This same seriousness of how we act is discussed with the giving of oaths. Don't embellish your promise. Say what you mean simply, Yes or No. I will or I won't. If you say yes mean it. That means that it must not be impulsive. It must be thoughtful, something you know is right and that you mean to do. In our society we place so much emphasis on speed that we have forgotten how to be thoughtful. If someone does not reply immediately with a snappy answer, we think less of them than the person with quick and witty response.
One of the results of this is a society in which quitting is a perfectly acceptable way to deal with problems. Difficulty with a marriage, walk away. Difficulty with the church, walk away. Difficulty with a committee, quit.
These passages for me talk about grace in action. These thing are not possible with grace or Grace.
Father,
It is so easy to walk away, to wait for my brother to act first, to do the easy. I pray for patiences to listen, to think, to act with care and grace.
Acting without judgement. One of the most difficult parts of growing up is learning to control that impulsiveness. Often people never fully out grow it. ( Which why grocery stores put candy at the check out counters.)
What I understand from these passages is that God expects us to use judgement in our relationships with others. Marriage is not to be an impulsive act, enter into lightly. When we do marry, we are expected to to be serious about it. We are human and will have problems, but we are to work at reconciliation. I note that Jesus in verse 23 admonished us to not wait for our partner to admit wrong doing, or apologized first, but to leave the altar and go ourselves and initiate reconciliation .
This same seriousness of how we act is discussed with the giving of oaths. Don't embellish your promise. Say what you mean simply, Yes or No. I will or I won't. If you say yes mean it. That means that it must not be impulsive. It must be thoughtful, something you know is right and that you mean to do. In our society we place so much emphasis on speed that we have forgotten how to be thoughtful. If someone does not reply immediately with a snappy answer, we think less of them than the person with quick and witty response.
One of the results of this is a society in which quitting is a perfectly acceptable way to deal with problems. Difficulty with a marriage, walk away. Difficulty with the church, walk away. Difficulty with a committee, quit.
These passages for me talk about grace in action. These thing are not possible with grace or Grace.
Father,
It is so easy to walk away, to wait for my brother to act first, to do the easy. I pray for patiences to listen, to think, to act with care and grace.
Monday, February 22, 2010
reconcilliation
5:21-26
So if you are coming to the altar with your gift and there you remember that your brother has a grievance against you, leave your gift right there in front of the altar and go first and be reconciled to your brother.
It is so amazing how obvious and simple he makes this sound. Yet we find this so complex and difficult. We can find dozens of reasons and excuses for not doing this. We have become experts at avoiding reconciliation. Rather than reconcile we divorce, divide, leave, shun, reorganize, blame, lie, and ignore. We would rather lose what we have than admit that we are wrong, weak, selfish or mean. We equate humbleness with weakness, saying I sorry with losing, and not getting our way with failure.
The first time I really experienced how important this is, I was only 8. I had been playing with my dads tools (a no no) and broke my dad's steel tape measure. I tried to hide it, but he found it right away. When asked about it, I knew I had to admit my guilt so I said, " I broke it". My dad got very angry, spanked me and sent me to my room. Later he came to my room and said, "I sorry I lost my temper. It wasn't fair when you admitted your mistake. I overreacted." I was stunned. I had never had an adult apologise to me before. That he could humble himself to do that, when I knew I had wronged him, still amazes me.
How many of the problems in our church, our community, our nation and world could be avoid by do this simple and obvious act. I know it takes two to tango, that we can't do it by ourselves, but even if we were successful only have the time it would make a huge difference.
Father, help me to see that being the first to take the step toward reconciliation is not weakness, but strength. Help me to listen with my heart and my mind, so that I may consider others and avoid the need to be reconciled. Thank you for taking the first steps to be reconciled with me.
Amen
So if you are coming to the altar with your gift and there you remember that your brother has a grievance against you, leave your gift right there in front of the altar and go first and be reconciled to your brother.
It is so amazing how obvious and simple he makes this sound. Yet we find this so complex and difficult. We can find dozens of reasons and excuses for not doing this. We have become experts at avoiding reconciliation. Rather than reconcile we divorce, divide, leave, shun, reorganize, blame, lie, and ignore. We would rather lose what we have than admit that we are wrong, weak, selfish or mean. We equate humbleness with weakness, saying I sorry with losing, and not getting our way with failure.
The first time I really experienced how important this is, I was only 8. I had been playing with my dads tools (a no no) and broke my dad's steel tape measure. I tried to hide it, but he found it right away. When asked about it, I knew I had to admit my guilt so I said, " I broke it". My dad got very angry, spanked me and sent me to my room. Later he came to my room and said, "I sorry I lost my temper. It wasn't fair when you admitted your mistake. I overreacted." I was stunned. I had never had an adult apologise to me before. That he could humble himself to do that, when I knew I had wronged him, still amazes me.
How many of the problems in our church, our community, our nation and world could be avoid by do this simple and obvious act. I know it takes two to tango, that we can't do it by ourselves, but even if we were successful only have the time it would make a huge difference.
Father, help me to see that being the first to take the step toward reconciliation is not weakness, but strength. Help me to listen with my heart and my mind, so that I may consider others and avoid the need to be reconciled. Thank you for taking the first steps to be reconciled with me.
Amen
Friday, February 19, 2010
Impulse
Matthew 5.27-37
As we prepared to bring our daughter Michelle home from six months of hospitalization and rehabilitation after her traumatic brain injury, we began to call other parents of children with TBI. As I started to end a conversation with one mom about out patient rehabilitation facilities, she said, "I know the hell you have endured so far, but in some ways the worst in still ahead". We had been through six months of gut-wrenching anxiety, depression, uncertainty, and sorrow. We stood beside our 17 year old daughter while she lay in a four month coma and two months of emerging slowly to consciousness. I was stunned. What could be worse.
What could be worse? Even her death at time had seemed preferable to the uncertainty. She said that we would be severely test as our daughter moved back into society. Her daughter had recently gone with her brother on a high school church group swim party.
When they returned, brother said,"Do you want to tell Mom or shall I". The daughter hung her head and remained silent. The son said, "When we got to the swimming hole, we all started stripping down to our swim suits. Mary stripped down to her birthday suit and refused to put on her swim suit." The mom then said, "This impulsively is one of the hardest things to deal with. It is so unpredictable"
Her prediction was accurate. This has proved to be the most difficult part of our daughter recovery. Having her shave her head, throw a chair through her bedroom window. swear like a trooper, and punch, bite, and fight with her mother and I. I can not count the number of times I have had to explain to patient police officers why she was acting the way she was. I have had to make emergency stops on the freeway to prevent her from stepping out the door. One of our worst fears was that she became sexually reckless. We endured 14 years of anxiety as we worked with pastors, counselors, the justice system and family to help her regain her self control. We have reach a point where the anger has become manageable, she is faithful to her spouse, and she is reasonably safe. (She still swears inappropriately)
I ask myself if she can relearn self control, why do I have such difficulty control my own impulses. I am beginning to learn that it is not the impulses that get us into trouble, but the failure to recognise them and to give in to them. It is so much easier to just let them rule you, than to control them. We do this impart because we are not humble enough to recognise we need help to control them. As children we had parents (hopefully) who guided us in learning to control these impulses. Now what we need to recognise is that we need Gods help and he is always there to help and guide, but we must do our part.
We need also to recognise that we are human and may fail. God doesn't beat us up them but is ready with grace. We need to accept His grace and forgive ourselves. When we come to God as a child, it means we accept His authority to parent up, we accept his wisdom, rules and Grace. Neither beating ourselves up nor letting ourselves off the hook.
God, I want not to have to be accountable, I want to let my impulses rule me. I pray for self control and for wisdom to accept your authority in my life.
As we prepared to bring our daughter Michelle home from six months of hospitalization and rehabilitation after her traumatic brain injury, we began to call other parents of children with TBI. As I started to end a conversation with one mom about out patient rehabilitation facilities, she said, "I know the hell you have endured so far, but in some ways the worst in still ahead". We had been through six months of gut-wrenching anxiety, depression, uncertainty, and sorrow. We stood beside our 17 year old daughter while she lay in a four month coma and two months of emerging slowly to consciousness. I was stunned. What could be worse.
What could be worse? Even her death at time had seemed preferable to the uncertainty. She said that we would be severely test as our daughter moved back into society. Her daughter had recently gone with her brother on a high school church group swim party.
When they returned, brother said,"Do you want to tell Mom or shall I". The daughter hung her head and remained silent. The son said, "When we got to the swimming hole, we all started stripping down to our swim suits. Mary stripped down to her birthday suit and refused to put on her swim suit." The mom then said, "This impulsively is one of the hardest things to deal with. It is so unpredictable"
Her prediction was accurate. This has proved to be the most difficult part of our daughter recovery. Having her shave her head, throw a chair through her bedroom window. swear like a trooper, and punch, bite, and fight with her mother and I. I can not count the number of times I have had to explain to patient police officers why she was acting the way she was. I have had to make emergency stops on the freeway to prevent her from stepping out the door. One of our worst fears was that she became sexually reckless. We endured 14 years of anxiety as we worked with pastors, counselors, the justice system and family to help her regain her self control. We have reach a point where the anger has become manageable, she is faithful to her spouse, and she is reasonably safe. (She still swears inappropriately)
I ask myself if she can relearn self control, why do I have such difficulty control my own impulses. I am beginning to learn that it is not the impulses that get us into trouble, but the failure to recognise them and to give in to them. It is so much easier to just let them rule you, than to control them. We do this impart because we are not humble enough to recognise we need help to control them. As children we had parents (hopefully) who guided us in learning to control these impulses. Now what we need to recognise is that we need Gods help and he is always there to help and guide, but we must do our part.
We need also to recognise that we are human and may fail. God doesn't beat us up them but is ready with grace. We need to accept His grace and forgive ourselves. When we come to God as a child, it means we accept His authority to parent up, we accept his wisdom, rules and Grace. Neither beating ourselves up nor letting ourselves off the hook.
God, I want not to have to be accountable, I want to let my impulses rule me. I pray for self control and for wisdom to accept your authority in my life.
Sometimes....?
Matthew 5:21 (to be continued)
My friend and pastor, Peter, gave me some good advice once; set goals for yourself, but do not hold yourself to impossible standards. My goal is to write daily about a portion of the
Sermon on the Mount, but yesterday........well!?!
My good friend Bud had just brought his wife home from the hospital so Trudy and decide to take dinner to them so Bud could rest a little. We went to the store to pick a few ingredients. When we thought we were done we strolled up to the check out stands and there were two with the cashiers standing out front looking for some one to help, what good luck I thought.
then we remembered something we had forgotten, back to the dairy section for cottage cheese.
When we came back every check out stand had a line, except the self checkout stand so we went there. After scanning all the items, I swiped my debit card and it refuse to authorise it. I called the credit union and realized we were had $2.00 less that the what was in the cart. I put back a couple of things we didn't need and then took out my wallet to get my card. No card! I checked my pockets, no card. I asked Trudy if she had my card, "No", she said. I scanned the area quickly to see if I had dropped it, it was there. I took everything out of my pockets. No card. I completely emptied my wallet, Nada! We looked in the bags, on top of the checkout machine. I turned my pockets inside out again. I emptied my wallet for a third time.
Even thought Trudy insisted that she did not have it I had her empty we purse. No card. The cashier came over to see was wrong and she looked. I emptied my pockets and wallet again, same result. The cashier took the machine apart piece by piece. We found $5.00 dollars in coins people had lost in cracks and crevices in the checkout machine, but no card. a small crowd had gather behinds us, so Trudy used her card and we moved away from the machine and I went through the whole routine again.
People were starting to asking us to move with irritated politeness so they could get around us. I started to worry that the card had been pick up my some opportunistic thief. We went out to the car and got in. I noticed the time was 4:50 PM. We were going to be late getting dinner to Bud and Mary, but I had ten minutes to report my lost card to the Credit Union. I called them and cancelled the card. I now have to wait 7 to 10 days for a new one. We called
bud and said we would be 30 minutes late. We drove home puzzled by what had happened to the card and frustrated that we would be late taking dinner to Bud and Mary. I realized then that I would miss dinner as I had a meeting in Lebanon at 7:00 pm. When we finally arrived home, Trudy reached into her pocket for keys and came out with......THE CARD!! ARRRGHH
Now how come neither of us remember me giving it to her after I tried to use it.
We rushed to get dinner prepared for Bud and Mary, drove to Crowfoot to deliver it and cut short our visit so Trudy could drop me at my meeting. I was 20 minutes early, but we did not have time to return to Albany get my and drive back. So Trudy left me and promised to send my Son Matt back to get me at 8:00 pm. I watched her leave and then walk up to the meeting place. No one was there. I called my partner John to ask why. John said, "The meeting was
Tuesday, not Thursday". Now I standing in Lebanon with out a jacket, a car, or a way home and I have to pee. No keys no place to go. AAARRRGGGHHH!! Some times it is just not my day!
Father, sometimes I think I am so good, so capable, that I set impossible standards. I get impatient, with others and my self. and when things don't work out I get angry. I pray for patience, I pray to learn humility. I pray for peace of mind and heart.
-
My friend and pastor, Peter, gave me some good advice once; set goals for yourself, but do not hold yourself to impossible standards. My goal is to write daily about a portion of the
Sermon on the Mount, but yesterday........well!?!
My good friend Bud had just brought his wife home from the hospital so Trudy and decide to take dinner to them so Bud could rest a little. We went to the store to pick a few ingredients. When we thought we were done we strolled up to the check out stands and there were two with the cashiers standing out front looking for some one to help, what good luck I thought.
then we remembered something we had forgotten, back to the dairy section for cottage cheese.
When we came back every check out stand had a line, except the self checkout stand so we went there. After scanning all the items, I swiped my debit card and it refuse to authorise it. I called the credit union and realized we were had $2.00 less that the what was in the cart. I put back a couple of things we didn't need and then took out my wallet to get my card. No card! I checked my pockets, no card. I asked Trudy if she had my card, "No", she said. I scanned the area quickly to see if I had dropped it, it was there. I took everything out of my pockets. No card. I completely emptied my wallet, Nada! We looked in the bags, on top of the checkout machine. I turned my pockets inside out again. I emptied my wallet for a third time.
Even thought Trudy insisted that she did not have it I had her empty we purse. No card. The cashier came over to see was wrong and she looked. I emptied my pockets and wallet again, same result. The cashier took the machine apart piece by piece. We found $5.00 dollars in coins people had lost in cracks and crevices in the checkout machine, but no card. a small crowd had gather behinds us, so Trudy used her card and we moved away from the machine and I went through the whole routine again.
People were starting to asking us to move with irritated politeness so they could get around us. I started to worry that the card had been pick up my some opportunistic thief. We went out to the car and got in. I noticed the time was 4:50 PM. We were going to be late getting dinner to Bud and Mary, but I had ten minutes to report my lost card to the Credit Union. I called them and cancelled the card. I now have to wait 7 to 10 days for a new one. We called
bud and said we would be 30 minutes late. We drove home puzzled by what had happened to the card and frustrated that we would be late taking dinner to Bud and Mary. I realized then that I would miss dinner as I had a meeting in Lebanon at 7:00 pm. When we finally arrived home, Trudy reached into her pocket for keys and came out with......THE CARD!! ARRRGHH
Now how come neither of us remember me giving it to her after I tried to use it.
We rushed to get dinner prepared for Bud and Mary, drove to Crowfoot to deliver it and cut short our visit so Trudy could drop me at my meeting. I was 20 minutes early, but we did not have time to return to Albany get my and drive back. So Trudy left me and promised to send my Son Matt back to get me at 8:00 pm. I watched her leave and then walk up to the meeting place. No one was there. I called my partner John to ask why. John said, "The meeting was
Tuesday, not Thursday". Now I standing in Lebanon with out a jacket, a car, or a way home and I have to pee. No keys no place to go. AAARRRGGGHHH!! Some times it is just not my day!
Father, sometimes I think I am so good, so capable, that I set impossible standards. I get impatient, with others and my self. and when things don't work out I get angry. I pray for patience, I pray to learn humility. I pray for peace of mind and heart.
-
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Matthew 5: 13-20
"You're the salt of the earth!But if the salt becomes tasteless, how is it going to get salty again?... You're the light of the world! A city can't be hidden if it's on top of a hill...."
This passage could be call the "Walk the Walk" commandment. Christ is calling us to live a covenant life. That is he is saying that all that God, through the Prophets and the Word, has taught us about how to live is still there, unchanged, in force but now through Christ we can truly make it a reality. Anyone can quote the rules and tell you what is just and right, but living not just the letter of the law but the spirit of God's Promise requires more.
Many who understand the letter of the law do well in a black and white world, but falter when trying operate in the grayness of reality. Jesus came to help us sharpen the contrast so that we can better live in relationship with God and our Neighbors. Salt not only preserves food, but sharpens the flavor so that we can better experience taste. Watered down salt neither preserves or sharpens the flavor of food.
In this "upside down world" the our lives should shine like a light so that others can see the benefits of Living in God's Grace. If receiving God's forgiveness and his direction for a righteous life does not change us in a way that others can see the rightness of it are we truly living in God's Kingdom. We have to " Walk that Walk" .
God, It is so much easier to just keep doing the same old things we have always done and to just Keep asking for forgiveness than it is to truly change. I truly need your help to walk in a new way, to love in a new way, and to forgive wholly and truly. Help me to change. Amen
This passage could be call the "Walk the Walk" commandment. Christ is calling us to live a covenant life. That is he is saying that all that God, through the Prophets and the Word, has taught us about how to live is still there, unchanged, in force but now through Christ we can truly make it a reality. Anyone can quote the rules and tell you what is just and right, but living not just the letter of the law but the spirit of God's Promise requires more.
Many who understand the letter of the law do well in a black and white world, but falter when trying operate in the grayness of reality. Jesus came to help us sharpen the contrast so that we can better live in relationship with God and our Neighbors. Salt not only preserves food, but sharpens the flavor so that we can better experience taste. Watered down salt neither preserves or sharpens the flavor of food.
In this "upside down world" the our lives should shine like a light so that others can see the benefits of Living in God's Grace. If receiving God's forgiveness and his direction for a righteous life does not change us in a way that others can see the rightness of it are we truly living in God's Kingdom. We have to " Walk that Walk" .
God, It is so much easier to just keep doing the same old things we have always done and to just Keep asking for forgiveness than it is to truly change. I truly need your help to walk in a new way, to love in a new way, and to forgive wholly and truly. Help me to change. Amen
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
The Blessings
Matthew 5: 1-12
Good News! Blessings! A world upside down, backwards.We have to think a whole new way. This is the stuff that scares me, because I am so resistant to change. I want to be comfortable, the old routines are known, and inconspicuous. It is a struggle even though this is Gospel, Good News.
As I read Wrights explaination I began to see these differently. The description of them as announcements makes it a little easier to see what is being said. In the world I have carried a saddness for 40 + years and have never really been comforted, but Christ has come to announce that in God's Kingdom I will be. He suggests that the Lords prayer tell us to pray that God's Kingdom with come and God's Will be done "on earth as in Heavern. I have found it very hard to pray with this kind of focus and on a regular basis. As I read and study over the next 40 days, I want to pray with this kind of focus and regularity. Peter suggested that I write a prayer for each day and I am going to do this at the end of each blog posting.
Father, I want to live by my rules, I want the controls to work the same as always. I am afraid of new ways of doing things. As I listen for your word, open my heart and eyes to the new ways of your Kingdom.
Good News! Blessings! A world upside down, backwards.We have to think a whole new way. This is the stuff that scares me, because I am so resistant to change. I want to be comfortable, the old routines are known, and inconspicuous. It is a struggle even though this is Gospel, Good News.
As I read Wrights explaination I began to see these differently. The description of them as announcements makes it a little easier to see what is being said. In the world I have carried a saddness for 40 + years and have never really been comforted, but Christ has come to announce that in God's Kingdom I will be. He suggests that the Lords prayer tell us to pray that God's Kingdom with come and God's Will be done "on earth as in Heavern. I have found it very hard to pray with this kind of focus and on a regular basis. As I read and study over the next 40 days, I want to pray with this kind of focus and regularity. Peter suggested that I write a prayer for each day and I am going to do this at the end of each blog posting.
Father, I want to live by my rules, I want the controls to work the same as always. I am afraid of new ways of doing things. As I listen for your word, open my heart and eyes to the new ways of your Kingdom.
Lent and the Sermon on the Mount
For years I have consider varies ways of observing the season of Lent, by giving up something, doing something or reading something. I have never been successful. This year I am making the most serious attempt ever by focusing on listening to God. I have three elements that I am trying to incorporate in this.
Avoiding distractions that fill time but not by soul, my heart or my mind. i.e. I am giving up my games I play daily on Facebook because they occupy me but do not fill me.
I am going to spend 40 days reading, studying and praying the Sermon on the Mount.
I am keeping myself accountable by asking Scott to parallel me on a daily basis and by asking Peter in pray for me this lent.
I have chosen the Sermon on the Mount because it is simplest sermon ever and the most profound. Jesus speaks simply and directly on how we should live our lives, relate to our God and our neighbors. At times it is painfully blunt. I have so much difficulty with this laconic call to live my life in such straight forward way. I love the loopholes in life, but Jesus leaves us none.
I recently read a book about how the Amish community reacted to and dealt with the killing of five young school girls . They began with forgiveness and then through prayer worked to let God help and lead then through this tragedy. I have done the opposite. I have spent 42 years trying to reach forgiveness in the death of my first wife Kathy. As I have reflect on this difference in approach, I became aware that the Amish consider the Sermon on the Mount important enought to spend time every year studying, listening, and praying about it.
God, you ask so little of me, yet I find it difficult to enough remember for a day, a hour, even a minute. Forgive me!
Avoiding distractions that fill time but not by soul, my heart or my mind. i.e. I am giving up my games I play daily on Facebook because they occupy me but do not fill me.
I am going to spend 40 days reading, studying and praying the Sermon on the Mount.
I am keeping myself accountable by asking Scott to parallel me on a daily basis and by asking Peter in pray for me this lent.
I have chosen the Sermon on the Mount because it is simplest sermon ever and the most profound. Jesus speaks simply and directly on how we should live our lives, relate to our God and our neighbors. At times it is painfully blunt. I have so much difficulty with this laconic call to live my life in such straight forward way. I love the loopholes in life, but Jesus leaves us none.
I recently read a book about how the Amish community reacted to and dealt with the killing of five young school girls . They began with forgiveness and then through prayer worked to let God help and lead then through this tragedy. I have done the opposite. I have spent 42 years trying to reach forgiveness in the death of my first wife Kathy. As I have reflect on this difference in approach, I became aware that the Amish consider the Sermon on the Mount important enought to spend time every year studying, listening, and praying about it.
God, you ask so little of me, yet I find it difficult to enough remember for a day, a hour, even a minute. Forgive me!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
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About Me
- Martin Jones
- Albany, Oregon
- Grandpa, dad, husband, teacher (retired) traveler, reader, listner, Jesus follower, music lover, artist, photographer, friend, Student, progressive ......
