“Feelings, nothing more than feelings,
Trying to forget my feelings of ….”
I just finished watching The Bachelor — yes I know I’m a sick man; but I’m also a mad man because I feel for Tenley. I know she is singing this song from days gone by, Feelings, nothing more than feelings, Trying to forget my feelings of love. Jake chose someone other than her and she is crushed and her feelings for him only bring her pain (or at least that is what Hollywood wants us to know but I’m a sucker for romance).
Feelings they mess us up so much or do they? I’ve been experiencing a host of feeling over the last few weeks with all that is going in the world, in our town, in the church, in my own family. These feeling are driving me crazy at times because I don’t know how to deal with the situation or what to do with to help or make better. The feelings are overwhelming me and I’m finding I’m quite useless in many areas.
It is at these times I have to stop and return to my Creator … to the moment of my first love as some say and ask for help. So many times I have tried to do all this on my own and in so doing have limited success and much failure. When I allow my feelings to overwhelm me I can’t even move. I take this time to ask God to redeem me AGAIN and set me on a firm foundation, to clear my mind and to give me direction.
The good news is that God is faithful — feeling or not; and will pick me up again and give me what I need to make it though the season. God love me that is the one sure thing in life and doesn’t require a feeling. Yes, feeling is involved but it is not primary. And the love of God puts all feelings in perspective. It also reminds us that feelings are a gift from God. To be in fellowship with our brothers and sisters; to care about the neighbor; to have a heart for the least, the last and the lost; to be moved by the plight of another are all gifts from God that center around the heart … the feeling heart. We have a great gift. We feel because God feels and we are made in the image of God. Gifts are great but sometimes require grace to carry.
I’m rambling something bad today … just more thoughts of a wondering preacher. I do know I love you and that too is a feeling but also fact that is embraced by God’s grace.
Later
There is a lot of fear going around these days.
There is fear about tomorrow, about grades, about homes, about jobs, about the future and some fear overshadows all those and then some for some people. The nation is in crisis and nobody can seem to find a way to help us out of it. We are running scared in the world … all because of the power of money.
Don’t get me wrong, I like money and I can find so many uses for it; enough uses in fact to run out of it before I know it. Yet how we view money and the power we give money has been the issue for us in this country and the world. We have allowed money to right next to God (sometimes higher than God). I shared in my Sunday sermon that our life is not measured by the amount of our possession. This is not my word but the words of Jesus. That puts a whole new spin on the power of money.
We do not need to stand in fear but instead to stand in faith. We need to let our faith conquer not only our fear but our issues with money and how it has taken control of our lives. Faith finds ways where money says … sorry we are in a recession … sorry we have cut the budget …. sorry you have lost you job but there is not enough money to go around …. sorry we are forclosing on your home – faith say, my life is not measured in the amount of my procession.
In those moments we in faith turn to the faith community to our brothers and sisters and say, please help. We belong to a community of the compassionate and committee. This community of faith cares for each other and the entire world. We are the hands and feet and heart of Jesus.
That being the case we stomp out fear and offer faith, even in the darkest of times Never forget no matter how fearful it seems … God is still God and God still loves you and me and will provide a way.
Keep the faith!
I’m headed to the Kingdom … not the Kingdom of God that you would usually expect me to talk about but the Kingdom of a big mouse named Micky. Yes, my wife and I are taking our poor deprived daughter for her first visit to Disney World next week. At age 12 Katie has never been to the Magic Kingdom. I know; how has she survived?
As we get ready for our trip I have found the Mouse knows how to do it. We have received in the mail information especially prepared for the Everhart Family, in it was a DVD to help us plan our trip. Sweet uh? The DVD tells us all about the hotel we have chosen and how we might make all these plans prior to our arrival; no waiting, no standing in lines, no “sorry no room for you”. Wow, all before we get there. They even are offering to set us up on a meal plan. I like meal plans.
They have noticed that we are interested in a meal with the Princesses of Disney and helped us book a time for Katie to eat with her heros (a real princess meeting the fake princesses … a must you know) We will have special seating and time with four of the most powerful princesses in animation.
Do we need help getting around? You know at 49 I might have limited mobility. Do you need to get tickets to Space Mountain, Tower of Terror and other hot rides before you get there? They are ready to help me … uh I mean Katie get to her ride on time.
The mouse can teach us Christians some things. Being prepared for the coming of the people is vital. Having the welcome mat out before they even come is so important. Making the experience something they will never forget because of ease and friendliness makes all the difference in the world.
Hey we are smarter than an old mouse … aren’t we? Let’s make it our aim to make our church the door way to the Kingdom of God and in so doing welcome the people with joy, laughter, and love. We got more to offer than old mouse!
If I don’t write next week it might be because I’ve converted to the love of the Mouse but don’t count on it!
D
I was talking to the McDonough Methodist Academy students today in chapel and shared a verse of scripture from Ephesians 4:29. Go a head and look it up … it will do you good to open your Bible !
Paul is sharing a word about a word. I asked the children to help me and I told them that when I said a certain word they were to catch that word and put it back in my mouth. I yelled “CHRISTMAS!” and said get it. Several waved their hands in the air and others got excited and yelled “CHRISTMAS!” as well. So now more words were in the air. Despite their attempts they could not catch the word or put it back into my mouth. It had already made it around the room.
My point being (and I hope they got it ) was that we must be so careful because our mouths are powerful weapons (for good or bad). Paul says do not let anything mean, bad, ugly, hateful, spiteful, slanderous, bitter and on and on … come out of your mouth. As Christ followers we are to have mouths used for positive exchange … for that which builds up the body, the church, the Kingdom of God.
I told the children that the younger they learn to let their words from their mouths build up instead of tear down the better life will be and God will be so pleased. It is hard for us older “kids” to change and put a guard on our mouth. We live in a time that many people feel they have a right to tear anyone down, say anything they want and they do it with a vengeance. They cross the line of freedom of speech and destroy a life before one can imagine it.
It isn’t about freedom of speech or pointing out anothers faults … it is about love for each other, it is about being Christian and asking ourselves what should I say in this situation, in this discusssion, in this moment; that will build up and not tear down. We are called to live above the norm to live the extra ordinarary life for Jesus Christ.
Now if you excuse me I have to work on my mouth … I hate it when my blogs convict me.
Later
I have been at this preaching business for over 25 years. I have been ordained only 23 of those years but if you count the many times I preached to my stuffed animals as a child who knows how long I’ve been at this task of preaching the Word?
You might think that after so many years I would have all the answers as well as have all the questions, but this is not true. I am a struggler on the way. I struggle with the big issues of faith and with the little issues of daily living. I struggle because I’m far from having all the answers. That is why I keep on preaching and keep on teaching. As I preach and teach I find that God speaks to me. So when ever you say that the sermon spoke to you … sorry I was speaking to myself, preaching to my own needs, because I’m struggling.
The good news for me is that I don’t think I’m struggling alone. I see so many people struggling with the easy and the hard issues of the faith. I see people with smiles on their faces but questions in their eyes. I feel the desire among so many to become the man or woman the God desires us to become but not knowing how to always get there.
So I preach to myself and to each of you with the love of God flowing in my heart.
Sometimes my sermons may seem sweet, sometimes harsh, sometimes my sermons are challenging and other time affirming. But know these are my words coming from my struggle with the scriptures and the great theologians and others. I give all these words to God and ask that I not waste your time with my own stuff but that I help God speak to you through me in the midst of my struggle. Sometimes we will disagree and I hope many times we will agree but … each time I hope we grow and move through the struggle even if just a little bit.
I thank you if you have ever listened to even one of my sermons. I thank you for being daring enough to sit and listen. I pray that my words covered by the power of the Holy Spirit might have helped you in your struggles. I know they have me at times as well as your words back to me.
Thanks for struggling and allowing this short United Methodist pastor to struggle with you.
Last week the poorest nation in the world experienced yet another kick in the teeth, an earthquake. This earthquake was reported to be 7 on the scale! The people of Haiti are facing not just days and months but years of hardship and trouble. Is your heart broken for them?
It is easy to forget about the needs of others as we sit here worrying about our own economy and hoping to get our 401K back up to its past glory. It is easy to close our eyes and ears to the media coverage of the needs of these homeless men and women and children when we have to find our own job or trying to sell our home without to much of a loss due to the economy. It is easy for our heart to focus on ourselves and our needs in a tough day.
But my friends, these are our brothers and sisters we are hearing about, seeing torn asunder, these are OUR children left without family or food or home or clothing. These people of Haiti are not the enemy but the broken and the poor in need of a loving heart. Is your heart broken yet?
My heart breaks not only for the lose of the people of Haiti but for the loss of many who were there to bring hope and love to them. I think of the president of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) who died while in a meeting to stop poverty in Haiti. I think of Courtney Hayes, a grandchild of my members Zack and Laura Hinton there to help as a medical personal who is still missing in the rubble of the Hotel Montana. You see it isn’t something far away and happening to others; it is happening to all we love and care about. Is your heart broken yet?
I invite you to a season of praying for the heart of the people of Haiti. I invite you to cry tears of love for our sisters and brothers and seek God’s face on their behalf. I invite you to send a donation to UMCOR (100% of your gift will go to the people of Haiti and to the rebuilding of their lives). These people that the UMCOR president and Courtney care so much about are who we will be helping.
Is your heart broken? Mine is and I hope you will join me in reaching out in love to our brothers and sisters with love.
OK here we go!
Yes, another adventure in life. I am now going to try and do video blogging at the suggestion of my good friend and IT guru Jamie. Why you ask? Because we are trying to do anything that will allow us to celebrate and share the unconditional love of Jesus Christ with all who can hear; with all who are curious, with all who might stumble upon this medium as they are surfing the web.
It is our hope to catch people’s attention. Yes, to catch their attention and invite them to our church but more so to catch it and invite them to consider Jesus Christ as friend, as, helper, as Lord, and as Savior. Whatever it takes to get that up and running I am willing to do it.
I know I’m not much to look at (I’ve seen myself on our TV broadcast) but it isn’t about me, it is about Jesus and what I can do to help other people see Him and know just how powerful His love is toward them.
Hey, this is why we started going on TV, started an Internet Church by way of USTREAM, started Children’ Church and why we started the 942 Connector meeting in The Rodgers Center Gym at 9:42 each Sunday … to attract people to Christ. It has its fun moments and it has it frustrating moments. But again it is not about us … it is about Jesus and getting the word out there the He loves you unconditionally.
I hope you will pray for me as I attempt this weekly video blogging and keeping up this blog and all the new techno stuff I’m trying to learn. I hope you will pray for the new adventures our church is stepping into. I hope to see you on the adventure with me!
Grace and peace today to each of you.
Dana
May the God of hope - give you a sense of His presence always
May the God of peace – give you a calm assurance
May the God of joy – give you heart a skip and a jump of laughter
May the God of love – give you His greatest gift — Jesus to complete your life.
Merry Christmas to all and to all my love!
Dana
We are doing a lot of preparations as Christmas 2009 approaches. We are decorating the tree, putting up the lights, sending out the Christmas cards or emails and of course shopping for the right present for that special someone. Christmas takes loads of prep work and it seems to get to be more and more each year.
Behold I have Good News of Great Joy! Christmas is not about us. Wow, did you get that? Christmas is not about us, but about Jesus Christ. Christmas is about God giving to planet earth the greatest gift we could possibly receive. Jesus comes to us like one of us and lives among us and for the love of each one of us dies in our place to cover all our sin; past, present and future. All you and I have to do is to accept the gift in our hearts and enjoy the season — the life.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t give presents to each other or we shouldn’t send greetings to people we love … no that is an act similar to God act but in a smaller way. What I am saying is there is prep work to do.
For the coming of Christ into our lives we got to make room. We make room by giving up some stuff that has no place in our lives. We put out the old and the broken and the worn out and all that would keep us away from God and sweep our hearts clean for the filling of Christ child. Yes, Jesus wants to live in our hearts and lives. We can accept the gift but if there no where to put it the gift gets crowded out and forgotten with all the other stuff pushed into our lives. Jesus needs space … all the space and He will then help us arrange what is important for living in our lives. Jesus will take over the next prep job.
Christmas is not about us … radical uh? It is about Jesus for us. I hope when you see me you will say, “are you prepping preacher?” I will pray for you to prep too!
Happy Advent … don’t rush to Christmas just yet; prepare the way!
Have you stopped to think how blessed you are? I mean after all if you are reading this blog you are in the minority of folks around our world who have a computer and media advantages to log on and read. If you are sitting in and office at home or at work reading this on the computer you are blessed because you have a job more than likely and thus a pay check when a growing percentage of our country and the world has neither. Hey, if you can read you are blessed as over a majority of our world and even in this country of the free and brave can’t read, spell, or do simple math.
How do you handle all those blessings. Do you take them for granted like the air we breath? Do we forget them and not even think about them? Or God forbid have we grown to expect them?
We are told to give praise and thanksgiving to the One and only God. To lift up holy hands and hearts and with gladness praise God the creator and giver of all things for God’s gracious showering of blessings. Not just the big blessings but the minuet blessings so small that many would not even count them as a blessing. How do you handle these blessings?
I am not pointing fingers for sure because if I did I would be pointing right back at me. I say we all stop what we are doing and say a prayer of thanks. I say we all stop worrying about the turkey and rather Aunt Susan will bring her dog or not to the family gathering and if we will have enough seats and how will we deal with those twins this year? I say we spend the day thanking God for every good and perfect gift. I say we don’t box it into a single day but make it a daily 24/7 habit to give up praise for our blessings.
I say we also learn to give away our blessings? What, how can we give away our very life you ask? By following Christ and living our lives as a blessing to others and sharing the true love of God with each person we meet, especially those hardest to stomach!. Blessings were never meant to be kept safe and secure but given away so that others may know the love of a God who blesses God’s children 24/7.
How will you handle the blessings? I’d like to know. I hope you will share with me.
Hey … you are a blessing to me that you even read this stuff! God fill your day and days with more blessings than you can handle!
