just life-between-the-buns as usual...

Tomorrow will mark 3 weeks since my mother-in-law had her fall.  We got her settled back into her condo last Wednesday evening.  (We only had to wait 1 1/2 hours beyond the appointed discharge time until the hospital could send a person capable of pushing her wheel chair from her room to the hospital door.)  She's still in pain but navigating carefully with a walker.  I don't know if I've ever mentioned that my mom lives in the same seniors building.  So in a lot of ways it's   interesting  convenient.  We are grateful that the pelvic fracture wasn't worse, as in "dislocated" ... but it's still going to take another couple months to heal.

In the meantime, I'm looking forward to  my Joanna's maternity leave.  She is scheduled for a C-Section on March 30, but as we know, babies make their appearance in God's time, not ours...so we shall see.  It makes it hard to plan a short trip to South Carolina, where my other daughter-in-law, Ellie, is looking at a due date of March 23!

For now, I'm trying to take one day at a time, and longing for spring.  I've eaten way too much comfort food this winter and I need to get outside and get my body moving again.  I'm almost in despair, wondering if I will ever see decent fresh produce in the markets again. Obviously we aren't getting anything locally grown and I'm just plain tired of pale, mushy tomatoes, blueberries that go moldy after two days in my fridge, and limp lettuces.

I did make a yummy dish the other day which I'm sure many of you are familiar with~creamy chicken enchiladas.  I actually toyed with two different recipes, and then added a few ideas of my own.  This makes enough for two casseroles, so either divide it in half, or make two and put one in the freezer for later or to give away.  Let me know if you try it!

3-4 medium to large chicken breasts, cooked and chopped

16 oz. light sour cream

1 26 oz can cream of chicken soup

16 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

approx. 14 regular size flour tortillas

1 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder

chopped green onions or onion powder to taste

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro or 1 Tbsp. dried cilantro

a few drops of Tabasco sauce to taste 

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained

1 small jar salsa

Method:

*Bring to boil large pan of water and drop chicken in.  Cover and turn heat off.  Poach chicken about 15 minutes.  Remove from water and let cool.  Chop.

*In large pan, combine chicken, and half of the sour cream, half of the chicken soup, and half of the cheese.  Add beans, salsa, and seasonings.  Combine all with wooden spoon.

*In separate bowl, combine remaining sour cream and soup and set aside. (You can add a little Tabasco and/or chili powder to this also)

*fill tortillas, roll, and place seam side up in baking dish, touching each other.  When dish is full,

cover with soup/sour cream mixture, and top with remaining cheddar cheese. Cover with foil.

*Bake at 350℉ for 40 minutes.

Note:  This recipe will fill two casserole dishes.  Bake one, freeze one if you are not cooking for a crowd!

When serving, garnish side of plate with shredded lettuce, dollop of sour cream, sliced black olives, chopped fresh tomato, and tortilla chips.

Here's a simple and inexpensive craft I did with the kids last week.  They want to hang them on the wall in my "children's bedroom" so I will also purchase a "D" and an "O" for my other two grands, Deacon and Owen.  They can paint them next time they are in Ohio.  Can't have any sibling  cousin rivalry now, can we?  It will be a while till the two new babies will be ready to paint, but I'll buy letters for them too as soon as we know their names!  I think they will look real cute hanging on the walls in "their" room.

This is the paint we use for crafts.  I can find them for about 50 cents a bottle, and I squirt a little of each color they want to use onto a paper plate.  The sponge brushes are economical too, as well as inexpensive brushes.  While they were at it, they found a few other things to paint...

Hubby and I have also been busy helping to promote our church's theme for the year: "Do Justice, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly" (From Micah 6:8).  We have started blogging for the local outreach ministries our church supports to help raise awareness of needs to be filled and ways that people can become engaged in serving.

As part of the Local Outreach team, we are getting to know the various ministries first hand by visiting them, interviewing people who are already engaged, and by serving in small ways ourselves.

So that's been my life for the past couple of weeks..what have you been up to while waiting for this long winter to be over?

Exceptions to love?

No matter how much we might say or believe that love makes the world go 'round, I have a sneaky suspicion that everyone has an "unloveable" someone in their life.  Christianity is all about love, from the first to the last, and certainly I try to live out Christ's commands to love on a daily basis.  Loving and showing that love to my family is huge for me, and I also consider myself a pretty loyal friend to many. I smile at strangers.  I try to be kind to frenzied waitresses and store clerks.  I'm a soft touch when anyone asks me to give of my time, money, or talent.

Just don't cross me.   I'll love you as long as you are nice to me back.  Just don't betray me, speak condescendingly to me, or judge me.  Because if you do...

Every now and then, those are very real thoughts that go through my mind.  I know in my heart of hearts that I don't even come close to loving others the way Jesus wants me to.  I much prefer to know who my enemies are are keep them at arm's length.  When I'm honest I have to admit: loving my enemies is not something I'm very good at.  

But God isn't finished with me yet.  He keeps chipping and sanding and polishing  me, and for that, I am grateful.  Even for those in my life I really don't want to love, I can honestly say I want to want to.  And so He keeps working on me and in me.  And every now and then He shows me an example of what He can do in the lives of people who are fully committed to Him.

For example, I've recently been learning about a real life situation in a family at our church that is almost beyond belief.  Some years ago, a highly successful professional Christian man and his Christian school teacher wife were raising their two children when the man decided to have an affair.  The marriage blew up, and the man married the other woman. The man's reputation in the Christian community was shot.   In time, the man and his second wife had two children and were moving on in life.  Enter God.  The second wife started attending a woman's bible study at the church and became a believer.  Eventually she persuaded the man to talk to our pastor to see if they might be welcomed into our church family in spite of their wretched past.  

Grace, grace, God's grace. 

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within...

Grace, grace, God's grace.

Grace that is greater than all our sin.

Our pastor was convinced the man who sat before him in his office was not the same person he knew previously.  He had been humbled and radically changed by the God who loves without exception.  The  right hand of Christian fellowship was extended. 

 But the story isn't over.  Today the man and his first wife teach a divorce recovery class at the church.  The second wife and the first wife have become good friends and are seen at Starbucks having coffee together.  Healing has come to this family, and God is glorified.  Our pastor and the man have become close friends and have written a book together which will be out in a few weeks.  

All this has got me to thinking about the "unloveable" people in my life.  Even though they are few, how can I hold back?   If God can cause those two women to love each other for the sake of the Gospel, He can surely help me to love sincerely.  I'm counting on it.  Without exception.

What about you?

Love in Action

I've mentioned that my husband and I have joined our church's Local Outreach team, and that we are now writing blog posts to keep our church members and others updated as to what the ministries are about and how they might consider helping. I've added a link on my sidebar. Have a look at our latest post about Urban Vision in Akron, Oh.

We are so blessed to be involved with Local Outreach as part of Christ Community Chapel. (formerly Hudson Community Chapel). Our church's vision for the new year is focusing on Micah 6:8:

"And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."

One blessing after another at Blessings...

Some of you know that my hubby and I are becoming involved with our church's local outreach ministries. Specifically, we are getting to know the various ministries first hand, finding ways we can serve here and there, and we are doing a blog for our church to help create a connecting point between needs and servants.

One ministry our church supports is called Blessings, which serves teenage parents. I've been so touched by learning not only what this ministry is doing, but also about the commitment of the high school girls who are also moms who have chosen to keep their babies. I thought I would provide the link to the blog I wrote in case you would like to see it. Click here.

Thanks for reading,

Jacquelyn

What does your home smell like?

When I clicked onto Facebook this morning, I saw a post by "Home Made Simple", a website I enjoy looking at from time to time. It offers all kinds of tips for home organizing, recipes, etc. Today I saw this question: "What's your home's signature scent?" Some suggestions for winter are pine, vanilla, cinnamon, cranberry, peppermint, gingerbread...you get the idea.

I was reminded of a scripture verse found in II Corinthians 2:15. Depending on the translation you may be looking at, it goes something like this:

"Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God."

This verse has challenged and encouraged me over the years. Does my life smell good to God? Is my home filled with the sweet aroma of Christ? Do visitors feel a sense of peace here or is the air filled with tension? Are kind words spoken frequently? Does chaos reign in my life and in my home or is there order and rhythm that allows time for meditation, reflection, prayer, planning ahead, connecting with old friends, making new ones?

Today I'm thinking about the New Year and what I'd like to do differently to make my life and my home smell better to God and to others. I want to bring a little more order to the hours of the time I am given to make room for the things I know are important. Simple things like making phone calls to elderly friends and relatives, reading to my grandchildren, serving in the local outreach ministries our church supports.

This will be no easy task. I like to say that even though I am officially an "empty-nester", my life is anything but empty. In fact it is very busy and very full. But as another year has passed and another birthday approaches, I have to admit my energy levels are not what they used to be. And how ever many days I have left to live, they surely are fewer than the number I've already lived. I want to make the signature scent of my "home" the sweet aroma of Christ. I have a little cleaning up to do. How about you?

Where have I been all my life?

This past Sunday, my husband and I were introduced to yet another community organization in our county. We were invited to an open house by a young friend who has just committed the next two years of her life to serving on the staff. First Glance is a faith-based organization in the Kenmore area of Akron, Ohio whose mission is "To connect students and their communities to Christ and the Church through real, loving non-threatening avenues."

First Glance has been existence for about 10 years and currently has a small full-time staff and about 100 volunteers. Many of them are from local churches, some of them live in the local community, and a few are former students who have come back to give back. All of them genuinely love and care about the students they serve at First Glance and get involved in other aspects of their lives as well.

Having started out as a community student center, First Glance has broadened its scope and has several programs it offers to teens. These include recreational opportunties such as playing pool, indoor skateboarding, basketball, computers, just hanging out and eating pizza, groups for teen moms, teen dads, and other mentoring type programs. Currently about 250 students come through the doors of First Glance each week.

The program I want to tell you about today is called TEEN MOMS, which has been in existence for about 7 years now. The young girls who come are either pregnant or have babies. Here they are mentored weekly by experienced adult moms who not only teach them basic parenting skills, but give them practical instruction to learn many life skills. The youngest mom in the program right now is age 14.

One goal is to encourage every girl that comes to TEEN MOMS to either complete their high school education or obtain a GED. For those who graduate, specific job training or college is encouraged, and the volunteers do everything they can to help these girls achieve these goals.

TEEN MOMS meets once a week, and the girls are encouraged to come early and help prepare supper in the new and beautifully constructed kitchen. This way they are learning a very practical life skill. Child care is provided.

Each mom works through a parenting book and lessons are turned in weekly. The girls can earn "baby dollars" by doing a variety of things such as completing these lessons, attending school, getting good grades, holding a job, attending church, reading to their babies, etc. Their "baby dollars" earnings are entered into a checkbook register (teaching them yet another life skill) and can be spent at the Baby Boutique. This is a cheerful room full of (mostly donated) baby clothing, baby medical supplies, toys, and other equipment that looks just like a real store, and the girls write a "check" to pay for their "purchases".

Each week TEEN MOMS provides some kind of a hands-on activity or informational speaker such as a doctor, a nutritionist, or other health-care specialist. Mentors also teach the girls how to sew a baby quilt and keep an on-going scrapbook project for their babies. Other supervised times are provided during the week for the girls to come and exercise, work on their studies, just play with their babies in the beautiful and clean nursery, or help with cleaning the areas.

While some government grants have been obtained for First Glance, most funding comes from individuals or local organizations. In spite of extreme economic conditions, First Glance brought in enough money in 2009 to pay off the facility they have as well as acquire more of it for much needed expansion. We were extremely impressed with the beautiful renovations of an old building, as well as the cleanliness and orderliness of the entire operation.

By far, the most important aspect of First Glance is the changed lives of the students who come through the doors. The name "First Glance" comes from the idea that many of these teens have never had an opportunity to see faith in action. Their lives have been filled with anything but love, steadfastness, and hope. At First Glance, they are introduced to the Gospel in a way that meets them where they are. To quote part of the mission,

"In every interaction with the students, volunteers model Christ's love with the hope that they might find rest in Him. In conjunction with our mission, First Glance also works to encourage our students to attend an area church."

When my husband and I were driving home from the open house, I glanced at our GPS which showed we would arrive home in 15 minutes. Two things were not lost on us: first that we had to use a GPS because we were so unfamiliar with the area of Akron where First Glance is located; and secondly, that it was only 15 minutes from our driveway in the suburbs.

I would love to hear how God is opening the eyes of your heart to seeing Him at work all around you. He just showed me, again.

"Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words." - St. Francis of Assisi

"Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." James 2:17

He Giveth More Grace...

Here are the words to a beautiful hymn. Though written in a previous century, the words are timeless. The author, Annie Johnson Flint (1866-1932), knew first hand tremendous sufferings her entire life. But God gifted her with abilities to write poems and hymns that undoubtedly have blessed and encouraged thousands of souls, including mine. I hope it blesses you today as well!

He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater, He sendeth more strength as our labors increase; To added afflictions He addeth His mercy, To multiplied trials he multiplies peace. When we have exhausted our store of endurance, When our strength has failed ere the day is half done, When we reach the end of our hoarded resources Our Father’s full giving is only begun. Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision, Our God ever yearns His resources to share; Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing; The Father both thee and thy load will upbear. His love has no limits, His grace has no measure, His power no boundary known unto men; For out of His infinite riches in Jesus He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

electric girdles and gracious hostility

"Singing in Church" by Norman Rockwell

I always get a good laugh from reading these church bulletin bloopers. So if you can use a laugh today, or know someone else who can, here you go:

-------------------------- The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals. -------------------------- The sermon this morning: 'Jesus Walks on the Water.' The sermon tonight: 'Searching for Jesus.' -------------------------- Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands. -------------------------- Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say 'Hell' to someone who doesn't care much about you. ---------------------------- Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help. -------------------------- Miss Charlene Mason sang 'I will not pass this way again,' giving obvious pleasure to the congregation. -------------------------- For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs. -------------------------- Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get. -------------------------- Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. Thus ends a friendship that began in their school days. -------------------------- A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow. -------------------------- At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be 'What Is Hell?' Come early and listen to our choir practice. -------------------------- Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones. -------------------------- Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children. -------------------------- Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered. -------------------------- The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment, and gracious hostility. -------------------------- Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow. -------------------------- The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon. -------------------------- This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin. -------------------------- Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 A.M. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B.S. is done. -------------------------- The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the Congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday. -------------------------- Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door. ------------------------- The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy. -------------------------- Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.. --------------------------

my friends are on their way to Haiti!

Tony and Jan Iannetta, close friends of ours, are on their way to Haiti today with this year's mission team from our church, The Hudson Community Chapel . Our local newspaper, The Akron Beacon Journal, has published a front page story about it. I hope you have a minute to read the article and see the photos. The story also highlights Ezekiel Isaac, a 19 year old Haitian who is living with Tony and Jan while he goes to college at the University of Akron. They are paying all of his expenses. He is a wonderful young man who wants to go back to Haiti after he gets his education to serve his people in his country.

Please pray for our team! For their safety, for their effectiveness both in their social mission and also in their mission to spread the Gospel, and for their health. Pray also for the team's families who are left at home, that things will go well for them while their family members are away.

The team had some weather-related delays trying to get out of the country, but they remained flexible, knowing that God is in control of it all. During their delay, they met members of the US military who were on their way back to Iraq and Afghanistan, and they were able to pray with them. They also were able to tell many people about the mission to Haiti, and strangers gave them money!

I can't wait to hear their stories when the team gets back from this short term mission trip. God bless you, Tony and Jan, and all the 2010 team!

"...go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

~Matthew 28:19-20, ESV~

CORE: God with skin on...

Do you ever feel like God is relentless in His pursuit of you, opening your eyes day by day to something new, and making you realize how much more growing there is to be done in your life?

That's how I'm feeling lately. And it's a good thing.

This morning my hubby and I, and other members of our small group from church, participated in a local community outreach program called CORE - Community Outreach Resource Exchange. It is a furniture bank where folks come to get items they desperately need. CORE calls these people "neighbors".

The neighbors make an appointment and come with a voucher listing furniture items they need. These have been pre-determined through a home visit by another social agency. Everything is 100% free to these neighbors, and all items have been freely donated.

Our small group (there are 12 of us) has committed to volunteering at CORE on the 4th Saturday of each month. One of the couples in our group is extremely involved in the leadership at CORE and so that is how we became aware of it.

Basically it is a warehouse with several loading docks. Inside is a waiting room with chairs for the neighbors to sit until their names are called. Then volunteers escort the neighbors through the warehouse, looking for the things on their lists. Mattresses, bed frames, and dressers are the most desperately needed items. Some neighbors are even in danger of losing their children to foster care if they don't have these basic pieces of furniture. So what looks like a warehouse full of old and used furniture to volunteer workers like me can be a building full of hope to a neighbor in need.

My job today was really simple. I got up this morning and made several pots of coffee and put them into carafes. On our way to the warehouse, we stopped at two different donut places so I could use two coupons and purchased a couple dozen donuts. We brought styrofoam cups and napkins, cream and sugar. Another lady in our group made muffins and coffee. Together we simply greeted the neighbors as they arrived and offered them our refreshments while they were waiting. This was something new and it seemed to be a big hit. When it seemed appropriate, we made small talk with them in the waiting room to help put them more at ease.

My hubby was one of the escorts and also did his share of helping to carry furniture items out to the dock. There was a huge effort to make this all as high touch as possible, and trying to make the neighbors feel loved. In fact, before any neighbors arrived, all the volunteers held hands in a circle as a seasoned worker said one of the most heart-felt prayers I've ever heard. Then we were reminded that it might look like we are in the furniture business, but we are really in the God business.

For each of the neighbors there were two escorts. The last thing the escorts do, and the most important we were told, is pray with the neighbors before they leave with their furniture. They pray for the neighbors' continued provision, for wisdom and direction for them as they are rebuilding their lives for whatever reason.

When my older son was little one time he wanted to get in bed with us. We didn't want to start a habit of this, so we gently explained that he didn't need to be afraid in his own room, and that God was always right there with him. We've never forgotten his reply: "Yeah but I want someone with skin on!"

And that is what CORE is all about. All the volunteers being God with skin on. Not just the ones the neighbors saw today, but all those that went ahead of us...the donors of the furniture, the drivers who picked the items up, those who carried the stuff in and out of the warehouse, those who do all the paperwork.

I'm sure there is so much more that God wants to open my eyes and my heart to. I'm excited.

"...love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." Luke 10:27

our

"You've Been Gifted" follow up...

On December 4, '09, I wrote about the initiative our church did during the month of December called "You've Been Gifted". (story here) There were so many stories that came in of random acts of kindness, and were posted on our church's website, though now they are gone. I wanted to share one story with you that was sent to our pastor. It is particularly touching.

"I was in the Super Walmart in Streetsboro this weekend and asked the Lord before entering the store to lead me to someone who needs a blessing. I really felt the presence of God while choosing a check out aisle. I ended up behind a woman in one of those wheelchair type carts the store offers and she was with her adult daughter. They were having trouble paying for their purchases and were trying to use different credit cards. It was obvious that this was the person God has chosen for me to "gift".

I stepped next to the lady and said " Merry Christmas why don't you let me pay for you today." The cashier overheard me and said " you can't do that" and I asked "Why not?" and she turned the cash register's monitor toward me that showed her total bill was $192. I said "that's OK our church asked us to look for opportunities to bless others this Christmas season" I then handed her the "You've Been Gifted" card.

The lady in the wheelchair began crying really hard and her eyes were red; she grabbed my face in her hands and said, "thank you very much-- I didn't think kindness like this still existed." She then said "the reason I am shopping today is to buy clothes for my husband's funeral this weekend!"

The cashier heard this and raised her hands in the air (and held them there) and said "praise God!" she then asked where our church was and said she would like to go to a church where people are as nice as me.

At this point I was feeling awkward about all the attention and started to babble phrases like "its not a big deal" and " I have a lot of money" --how embarrassing is that!

However, after all was said and done it really felt great to "team up " with God and be a part of blessing some else."

My random act of kindness didn't cost nearly as much in terms of money, and I don't know what the outcome was because I was able to do it anonymously, but I know I was just as blessed. I also did the Christmas Jar that I wrote about here. In fact, we had friends over on Christmas Eve (before all the excitement started with my mother-in-law and the ER) and our friends had also done one, so we got to excitedly share our stories with each other. I don't want to go into any more detail in fear of being "found out"!! But it sure was a lot of fun, and who wouldn't like to be blessed with an unexpected jar full of money on Christmas Eve from a secret friend or even from a stranger? I'll be starting to fill a new jar this week for next Christmas. I wouldn't miss out on this for anything!

I stumbled into a blog that a young gal, Katrina, is writing and she has determined to do a random act of kindness every day. You might like to check it out here. I have found it to be quite inspiring! But the best news is that when I went to read her post today, I found out that she committed her life to the Lord yesterday! If you feel so led, go over and give Katrina some encouragement. The angels are rejoicing and so am I!

God bless us, everyone!

church signs

One of my pet peeves has always been reading dumb things on church signs around town. I don't know why it gets under my skin so much. It's like someone is trying to say something profound in a cutesy way and in a few words.

My poor hubby knows how much it annoys me...he has to put up with my ranting when we're out driving and I spot one. What REALLY annoys me is when some slogan is posted that doesn't even speak the truth.

Here are a few you may have seen yourself:

"Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the snake, and the snake didn't have a leg to stand on"

"Down in the mouth? Come in for a faith lift"

"Speak well of your enemies, afterall, you made them"

"God is a know-it-all"

"Global warming is coming"

"Get ready for take-off"

You get the picture. Why do churches think these flippant sayings are a welcoming message to someone looking for a church to visit? And I found out that churches actually subscribe to services (yes, they pay money) to receive these sayings to post on their signs. A little web surfing also shows that there are tons of sites out there that exist for the purpose of ridiculing these signs.

OK, now I've gotten THAT off my chest!

I have to admit that for the first time in my life, yesterday I actually saw a church sign message that spoke to me personally. I was out running an errand at the end of a very busy day. I was feeling a bit down on myself for having had a cranky attitude the day before in front of some loved ones. As I drove around a bend in the road in the near-darkness, I spotted a church sign that read "TGIF" and under that it said, "Thank God I'm Forgiven".

Me? Touched by a church sign message? It had to be a God thing because this has never happened before. But it really did jolt me out of my self-loathing to remember that ALL my sins, past, present, and even future, have been forgiven. They were nailed to a cross long ago. Every day I can walk in newness of faith with full assurance that I am a beloved daughter of the King, and He takes delight in me.

I love these words to the hymn, It Is Well With My Soul. They speak such truth and assurance to my heart. To read the history of this hymn and hear the melody, go here.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!

My sin, not in part but the whole,

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

I'll probably still be annoyed when I see dumb church sign messages. But I won't forget TGIF anytime soon. Have a wonderful, forgiven Friday!

Of the Father's Love Begotten...

What could be the oldest known Christmas carol is also one of my favorites. Sadly, it is not heard very often in Christian churches today. I'm grateful that I learned this hymn. Singing it somehow makes me feel united with the saints of old.

The author of the words, Marcus Aurelius Prudentius Clemens, was born in the year 348 in a Roman province in what is now northern Spain. Originally it was probably sung as a chant. The words were set to music in the 11th Century, and translated from Latin to English in the 1800's.

It is said that music is the universal language. I think that is because it has the ability to reach into the depths of the human soul. While the words of this hymn are filled with praise to God, the music is almost haunting, as if to say, "How can you not believe? This is love eternal!"

Take a few moments this Advent season to join your voice with those ancient believers and feel the power of God pull you to Himself. Be blessed! Evermore and evermore!

Of the Father’s love begotten, ere the worlds began to be, He is Alpha and Omega, He the source, the ending He, Of the things that are, that have been, And that future years shall see, evermore and evermore!

At His Word the worlds were framèd; He commanded; it was done: Heaven and earth and depths of ocean in their threefold order one; All that grows beneath the shining Of the moon and burning sun, evermore and evermore!

He is found in human fashion, death and sorrow here to know, That the race of Adam’s children doomed by law to endless woe, May not henceforth die and perish In the dreadful gulf below, evermore and evermore!

O that birth forever blessèd, when the virgin, full of grace, By the Holy Ghost conceiving, bare the Savior of our race; And the Babe, the world’s Redeemer, First revealed His sacred face, evermore and evermore!

This is He Whom seers in old time chanted of with one accord; Whom the voices of the prophets promised in their faithful word; Now He shines, the long expected, Let creation praise its Lord, evermore and evermore!

O ye heights of heaven adore Him; angel hosts, His praises sing; Powers, dominions, bow before Him, and extol our God and King! Let no tongue on earth be silent, Every voice in concert sing, evermore and evermore!

Righteous judge of souls departed, righteous King of them that live, On the Father’s throne exalted none in might with Thee may strive; Who at last in vengeance coming Sinners from Thy face shalt drive, evermore and evermore!

Thee let old men, thee let young men, thee let boys in chorus sing; Matrons, virgins, little maidens, with glad voices answering: Let their guileless songs re-echo, And the heart its music bring, evermore and evermore!

Christ, to Thee with God the Father, and, O Holy Ghost, to Thee, Hymn and chant with high thanksgiving, and unwearied praises be: Honor, glory, and dominion, And eternal victory, evermore and evermore!

Listen here: http://nethymnal.org/htm/o/f/ofthefat.htm

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

A random act of kindness...

Our church has started a tradition at Christmas time called, "You've Been Gifted". We have "business" cards available to pass out to folks we want to gift in restaurants or coffee shops. On one side, the cards say:

"You've Been Gifted. At Hudson Community Chapel we believe the greatest gift that God has given the world is Jesus. This gift for you is our way of sharing the gift of Jesus. We pray you enjoy it."

The other side has our church's website, service times, and location. (www.hudsonchapel.org)

The idea is to do this anonymously by having a waitress bring someone else's bill to you and leaving the church's card with them instead.

Believe me, with over 3000 folks attending our services each weekend, we are really not doing this to scout for new members. (We've had to turn people away for lack of parking spaces, and we have a shuttle service for members willing to park off-site to create more spaces.)

Last year our church received many thank you letters from those who had been gifted by members...and there were all kinds of heart-warming stories. This gesture simply flies in the face of what our world is all about, especially during a frenzied holiday season. People are stopped dead in their tracks to think that a stranger would pick up their bill. It's a random act of kindness that brings a smile to someone's face and softens their heart.

I can't wait for my husband and I to have the opportunity to do this. It will be a lot of fun. Perhaps I'll look for someone to gift who seems all frazzled and stressed out. Maybe a young family with whiney kids. Or perhaps a senior citizen who is alone. Blessing someone in the name of the One who has blessed us so much. Anonymously. Because of love. I can't wait!

Congratulations, Dr. Don!

My little brother, Don Lichi, 57, completed his 10th marathon on Saturday, Sept. 26 in Akron, Ohio.

He says this is his last one...we'll see!

Approximately 10,000 people from all walks of life came to participate in the various races, which included a 1/2 marathon, and a relay race.

In case you didn't know, a marathon is 26.2 miles. Don finished the race in 4 hours, 52 minutes (4:52). 1500 people set out to do the 26.2 mile marathon. Of the 1431 people who finished, the average time was 4:21. The longest time was 6:40.

The first place winner of the race was a 27 year old man from Kenya, whose time was 2:27...not the world's record, but not too far from it! How amazing is that?! This man is in the United States to run a couple races in hopes of taking the prize money back home to his family. He picked up $2000 in Akron.

The Bible uses the analogy of running a race many times to illustrate how we should live our lives while on this earth. One of my favorite verses is this one, which is a quotation of Paul from one of his letters to his protege, Timothy. He was chained up in a dreary prison at the time, and knew he was near the end of his life:

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day..." (II Timothy 3:7)

Paul is looking back over his years of laboring for the sake of the Gospel, as an athlete who has given his all for the prize.

Now, my brother knew before he started this marathon that he would not even come close to being the fastest runner. He did not let that discourage him from running the race, however, and striving to finish it, in spite of an injured calf. Nor did it bother him that he was 30 years older than the man with the fastest time. He was running according to his own abilities. After months of training and discipline, the satisfaction of finishing well according to his ability was his reward. It was a worthy goal for him. The same can be said, I'm quite sure, of the person who finished with the longest time. What mattered was getting into the race, and doing the very best they could, and with that comes the satisfaction of finishing well.

Isn't that just like life? We all have different abilities and talents. What are we doing with them? We don't need to compare ourselves with others...but we can be developing and using the skills that we each have been uniquely gifted with. That is a worthy goal. And the prize will be, at the end of our lives, to hear those coveted words, "well done, good and faithful servant" (Matt. 25:23).

Way to go, Don! You are, as always, an inspiration to so many...both in running the marathon 10 times, and in the race of life.

HOW BEAUTIFUL IS THE BODY OF CHRIST...

I've thought long and hard about what to say in this post, or if I should say anything at all. Without knowing all the history or having a personal acquaintance with the people involved in this story, I'm fearful that readers might make a quick judgment about the circumstances and not see the point I want to make here. But I'm going to proceed anyway.

This past weekend my hubby and I, along with about 150 other folks, gathered for a most unusual celebration. We drove about two hours to get there, but others came from as far away as Florida. God surely smiled down upon this outdoor event, as He caused the weather to be perfect. We, and most other attendees, didn't even know the people whose house (and yard) we were at. There were even some in attendance who had never met the couple who were the object of the celebration.

So what was this all about and what was the common denominator here?

About five years ago, we attended the marriage ceremony of a wonderful young couple, the groom the son of good friends of ours. The wedding and reception were beautiful in every way--a warm, sunny day, a lovely old church, a brass orchestra, a fairy-tale like reception with a sit down dinner--the kind a guest would never forget. Off the newlyweds went to dreamland to live happily ever after!

Both recent (Christian) college graduates, the newly married couple soon embarked on their careers and settled in a new town, found a good church and made friends easily. Life was good.

But a secret sin was lurking in the background of the new husband. It involved an internet indiscretion, an activity that he had engaged in back in college days. The Federal government calls it a felony, and this young man was arrested at the public school where he was teaching. Literally overnight his life was changed forever. After a long, agonizing judicial process, he began serving out a nearly two year prison term in a Federal facility a state away from home.

We were so close to this situation and there are so many details that are impossible to retrace here, and that would only distract from what I really want to say anyway. What I want to proclaim loud and clear is this: When followers of Jesus Christ take His teachings to heart and put them into action, they are being the true Church, the true Body of Christ. There is nothing like it on earth that can compare to this reflection of His love, His compassion, His forgiveness.

Believers from many backgrounds and many geographical locations joined together unrelentingly for several years as members of that mystical Body, to love and support this young couple and their families. We held the tears of a heart-broken mother and father. We sent monthly checks to help support the young wife who was left alone during her husband's incarceration. We prayed around-the-clock for them. We visited; we sent letters of encouragement. They were ever on the hearts and minds of all of us who had the privilege of taking up this cross and helping to bear this burden.

Finally the day of freedom from prison came. Finally the couple would have a chance to celebrate and meet so many who had been there for them in their time of need. It was a day of rejoicing, a day for prayers of thanksgiving. A day that helped us all remember the unmatchable grace of God.

This precious couple still has a long road ahead of them. There is a time of probation and other legal restrictions. A new career path needs to be found. Trust needs to grow. A myriad of unknowns that may await. But God goes before them as they humbly walk with Him down a new path. And the Body of Christ on earth surrounds them. The way it is supposed to be.

"How Beautiful the radiant bride
 Who waits for her Groom with His light in her eyes 
How Beautiful when humble hearts give 
The fruit of pure lives so that others may live 
How beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful 
is the body of Christ..." --Twyla Paris 

"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."

Galatians 6:2