Hospitable Hearts

 Hospitality; the giving of yourself. 

We just had to travel for my daughter's doctor's appointment and will be again in two weeks. We are able to stay with one of my Aunts, (one of many and any one of them would accomidate us, and have!)

She said she "did nothing special" for our arrival, stay and departure.  Not true! While she didn't feel she had done a great amount of prep, the giving of yourself, the opening your heart and sharing what you have IS special!

My other Aunt who shares the home with her wasn't there, but had made sure her bed and room were ready for us....

📖 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.  Romans 12:12-13

Hospitality is mentioned with "gifts" in scripture, but is not listed as a "spiritual gift" specifically,  but I believe the reason for that is that we are ALL called to be hospitable; Giving of yourself, your time, your resources to make another feel comfortable, cared for, satisfied, assisted, loved...is something very special. 

📖 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.  Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.  If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:8-11

We have heard the term "a hospitable environment" conditions which allow for something to sustain and grow. But the opposite, inhospitable; an environment that is harsh.

Hospitality doesn't mean you are a great hostess of big gatherings or that you throw a great party.

Hospitality is your heart being open to the needs of those around you, and allowing God's love to work through you...your hands, feet, ears, heart. Creating an environment that can put another at ease. 

📖 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:1-2

Hospitality is more about our hearts than our work or our busyness. 

🙏🏼Lord, I pray that each of us allows You to work in us to have hospitable hearts so that we can show hospitality to those You bring our way, in what ever form that may take. Thank you Lord for the hospitality that is shown to us. ❤️

Again

 Again, I don't always like to repeat blogs. AND again, this one was intended to be posted Monday. But it is worth reading again. And it was posted on this date 2 years ago!

CoffeeTime With A Dear Friend.     June 19, 2023

Again and Again and Again...

At church yesterday, Father's Day. we sang a Matt Maher song, Run To the Father. 

As we were singing the chorus struck me

I run to the Father
I fall into grace
I'm done with the hiding
No reason to wait
My heart needs a surgeon
My soul needs a friend
So I'll run to the Father
Again and again

And again and again.    

Songwriters: Cody Jay Carnes / Matt Maher / Ran Matthew Jackson

"Again and again and again and again"

Did you see that?!

The music video shows images of the story of the prodigal son; (If you don't know the story click the link)

Luke 15:11-32

📖 20 So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 

He went home to the Father....he had hit rock bottom, was broken and humbled and made the move toward his father....but when the father saw him coming to him...he ran to him!

A beautiful visual of how when we get off track or turn from God, He is there, wait waiting for us to turn back to Him. in our broken and humble condition. 

The son comes home, dad throws him a grand party...some issues with a less than humble, jealous brother....but son home safe, wiser, story ends.

But see, ours may not end there....we have run to the Father, fallen into grace, basked in His love;

But then life happens. We have disappointment, we have tragedy, we have hurt and pain...and we find ourselves way down the road again, sometimes around the corner or even in the next town!  When we finally stop and fall on our knees we realize we have gotten farther away from our Father than intended...we realize we need to run back to the Father again!

And in my life, again and again!

📖 Surrender your heart to God,
    turn to him in prayer, Job 11:13

"Again and again and again and again" 

Also says to me...He is there always. No matter how many times I wander or stubbornly go MY way....He is waiting for me to turn back, again and again and again and again!

I pray that brings you hope, not discouragement. 

🙏My prayer for you includes Luke 22:32

📖 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” 

I pray no matter where you find yourself right now, you

 run to the Father

fall into grace
[be] done with the hiding
No reason to wait
And [your] heart [finds] a surgeon

[your] soul [finds] a friend
 run to the Father
Again and again
And again and again❤️

Listen to this amazing song!

🎵 Run To the Father Matt Maher

Grounding

 Grounding...it seems to be "a thing".  I can't tell you how long it has been around, but theoretically forever, as long as people have walked barefoot on the earth. 

"Grounding, is a practice where your body makes contact with the Earth's surface, like walking barefoot or using grounding devices. The theory is that this contact helps your body connect with the Earth's electrical charge, potentially reducing inflammation and pain."

It has become something in myrealm as some family are trying it.

But, you know me...and my mind!

Grounding is fundamental as a Christian. 

Grounded in our faith, rooted in our relationship 

with Christ.

Jesus told stories, parables, to help His followers

understand the importance of grounding their faith.

📖 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”   Mathew 7:24-27

📖  “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means:  When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.  The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.  But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.  The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.  But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Matthew 13:18-23 (NIV)

 Faith in Christ, the Son of God.

We are to be grounded, established, rooted in Jesus teachings 

📖 So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in him,  being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude. Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elements of the world, rather than Christ. Colossians 2:6-8 (CSB)

Remaining grounded is what gives us strength and hope.

📖   Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds because of your evil actions.  But now He has reconciled you by His physical body through His death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before Him— if indeed you remain grounded and steadfast in the faith and are not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard. This gospel has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become a servant of it.  Colossians 1 HCSB

Spending our time in His word, and in communication with Him everyday will help keep us grounded in our Source, our Foundation. 

🙏🏼

📖 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,  to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. ❤️ Ephesians 3:14-21 (NKJV)

Communion

 As we took part in the ordinance of communion this past Sunday thoughts occurred to me. Even the word Communion;the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level.

We become intimate with our Savior, when we participate in communion.

Which would imply an already eatablished relationship. We believe Who He is and what He has done for us. We have accepted Him as our Lord and Savior. 

The word "ingest"came to mind. We are to make Christ a part of us. 

He handed wine and bread to those closest to Him, those He was spending His last hours with. He used it symbolically to try and have them understand what was going to be happening. 

"This is My body broken"

"This is My blood..."

📖 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Matthew 26:26-28

Representations of His sacrifice on the cross for each of them. Now place yourself at that table...representation of His sacrifice for YOU!

It didn't end with His demonstration...He said "take, eat" 

He had already said He was the Bread of Life, 

📖 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35

He wanted them to understand He needed to become a part of them. 

We must do the same. And it is far more than being obedient and remembering what He asked us to do "in remembrance of me"

📖 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:19

We must "consume" all we can of Christ. We must "devour" His word so it flows through as as naturally as our life blood.  It becomes a part of our being. 

We have to have Christ be more than something we know about, He has to be something that becomes a part of us.

We can sit and look at food, tell people about it, read about it, but unless we take it into ourselves and digest it to become part of who we are...it does nothing. 

And, personally, I believe He used what was available. No special properties in bread, or the wine they had then. It was what they had for their passover meal...a traditional celebration all Jewish people recognized every year commemorating their salvation from the Angel of Death that took every first born son in Egypt and their freedom from the chains of slavery.

Don't you find it interesting Jesus used that ceremony to create a new ceremony for us. He asked that this be done "in remembrance of Me"

We are to commemorate, celebrate, our salvation from eternal death. We are to celebrate our freedom from the chains of slavery to sin!

We eat the bread, and drink from the cup as a reminder to ourselves the sacrifice made on our behalf and to be obedient to what He asked us to do. 

He wanted a new tradition to come from what would seem like a tragedy. But I also think He knew we would need a reminder of what has been done for us.

We don't eat once and it lasts us forever.

Once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we also need to continue to "feed" our souls if we are to grow and mature. 

Though our salvation is once, we must continue to learn and listen and communicate to grow closer to Him

📖 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Philippians 2:12-13

We don't want to be a "malnurished" Christian, not strong enough to withstand the storms that will come our way. Too weak to help others, too tired to serve. 

📖  I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”  John 6:51

🙏🏼 Lord, I pray that we have the desire to consume everything YOU every day, that we feast in Your presence.  Forgive us for allowing ourselves to become malnurished. I thank you for calling us to remember what You have done on our behalf.❤️

 

Memorial Day Anniversary

 This was supposed to be posted Monday.

But life is a bit crazy...crazier..at the moment. For that I am grateful.  We, as a family, know that things could be looking way differently right now. Thank you Lord we celebrated Memrial Day with all.our children and grandchildren, two children healing, but present!

I wanted to share a video that was very moving and specific for this year's Memorial Day.

🙏🏼Lord, thank you for all those who have served our country and gave the ultimate sacrifice. Please comfort those left behind. ♥️

📖   My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. John 15:12-14

🇺🇸🙏🏼♥️🇺🇲

🔗 Remember and Honor

A Marriage Celebration Renewal

This week we were able to attend our New York State Fire Chaplains Association's annual conference. This year it was held in Niagra Falls. It is known as the "Honeymoon Capital of thr World". So we were able to purchase an additional package at the end of our conference schedule that included a vow renewal at the Falls, a guided tour of some of Niagra and a reception dinner. A great way to celebrate 38 years! Which seems an accomplishment...however out of the eight couples we had been married the least!

 There was a lot of marital wisdom there!

Since i am posting today I am reusing a blog from 8 years ago with a couple minor changes. 

☕️♥️

I had started to prepare a different message for yesterday....but since I didn't get it posted and I am posting today, May 23rd....I have decided to go a different route.
As I have been making preparations to celebrate 38 years of marriage today I began thinking about how I could impart my wisdom to you!  HA!
No wisdom to be found....but I can share with you a few thoughts God has shown me through this journey, this institution that He created!
📖 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.
But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
 The man said,

“This is now bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
    for she was taken out of man.”

That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Genesis 1:18-24

38 years is worth celebrating!  But don't we celebrate each year of our anniversary...don't they even have "gifts" for each year...
1st year - paper
2nd year - cotton
...
25th - silver
etc etc

30 - pearl!

38th - Exotic...well us traveling to Niagra Falls id about "exotic" as we get!  Also, Beryl, Emerald, and Aquamarine are also considered contemporary gift options for the 38th anniversary

.

Jesus told a parable in which heaven was like 10 virgins waiting for their bridegroom.  Matthew 25

and Jesus refered to Himself as the bridegroom when His disciples were questioning Him about who was fasting and who was not...
 ^📖 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast. Mark 2:19-20

John the Baptist also referred to Jesus as the Bridegroom.
 ^📖 To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.”
John 3:27-30

SO He is our Bridegroom....we are to prepare ourselves for Him as we do for something as special as our wedding day. And His voice should fill us with joy!  How exciting that we BELONG to Him!

Shouldn't we celebrate that "marriage"!  That we, as believers, are the Bride and He is our Bridegroom!
Our Bridegroom has shown us what Love really is, we can Trust Him, He will never fail us! He can take care of ALL our needs.
 Isn't that worth celebrating!

One passage that God has used with me over the years is from Philippians 2
and to me it is a perfect model for a marriage relationship.

📖 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

As a husband and wife....we are made of the same flesh, we are both created in His image, but one must be willing to be humble, so that both can be raised up and God glorified!

If we can have the attitude of Christ in ALL our relationships, how much more content would this world be! 

Celebrate your marriage today.....but more than that celebrate the fact that you have a Bridegroom that loves you and has all the best for you!

IF you don't know this Bridegroom I talk about please email me ....or ask someone who has a relationship with Christ.  BEST decision you could ever make!

It is a "marriage" made in Heaven!

🙏🏼Dear Lord, I pray for all the marriages today; for those who are in the "Honeymoon phase, for those just "coasting along" and for those who are struggling and questioning their marriage. I pray You work in a mighty way today. I pray for everyone to know the Bridegroom that loves them unconditionally and eternally and desires a relationship with them. I pray that relationship strengthens daily! In Jesus name Amen♥️

Unsung Heroes

 I apologize that this didn't get posted Monday. I wanted it to follow Mother's Day, but just realized that maybe being Wednesday, exactly two weeks from the accident....may be the right day!

I am posting the 2 links to our Sunday service. My "message", though I am including the print version, probably would make a bit more sense in context with the service as a whole.

🔗 Mother's Day service part 1

🔗Mother's Day Service part 2

Unsung hero

....the title of the song, the name of the movie. And I didn't realize until I started getting this ready for a spotlight Sunday several months ago that it was about their mother...so I held off and decided to use it for Mother's Day.  And now the timing, for other reasons, seems to be God.

I don't have a whole long message. Just some thoughts. Many of us have a mom who we look up to, we cherish. We even think of them as a hero, even if they have passed. I know there are some who don't like that term “hero”;  "They are just doing their job" "it is just what you are supposed to do".

I know some people may not have a mother they would put in that category, they love their mom, but for whatever reason their mom may not have taken care of them or weren’t nurturing and for that I am sorry. And I pray that God has put people in your life that you can look up to and use as an example. 

Moms sometimes do go underappreciated, mostly because sometimes it really isn't known exactly ALL a mother manages to juggle and do....and why the moms I know are unsung heroes. 

But as we have just witnessed and are living through...the many unsung heroes that surround us.

People doing what they do just because, making "going out of their way" be absolutely normal. 

And I could go back in time and list many. 

My mom...I am sure I don't know all that was sacrificed by my mom, but she has always been one of my heroes, someone I hoped to emulate one day. I have watched my daughter be an amazing mother no matter how difficult her circumstances are and my daughter -in-law being a terrific boy mom.

But I will start 5 weeks ago

Friends who live in an incredibly small apartment willing to put up six people, while Marah had tests and procedure in the city. Who completely upended their life for our 2 night stay which was incredibly comfortable and what Marah needed.

To those taking extra care of Marah when she ended up in the hospital in Malone...[Kim, being mom when I wasn't there..and taking care of things…. unsung hero moment to us]

And then to April 30th almost 2 weeks ago.

God had it all.  He was before it and in it and after it. 

And through so many individuals, heroes in my book, hero moments...those who showed up, just incase more personnel was needed.

Luke himself...keeping such a level head and being positive.  Talitha and her dad doing anything they could to try and get him out and staying calm...calming for Luke. Kevin, running the scene in emergency mode...taking charge and taking care, to save Luke and his leg.

Gina, keeping calm with the boys and making their way out of the swamp and the woods...not knowing the status. 

Rachel and Marah also, not knowing their brother's status, doing what needed to be done. Remaining calm.

Terry, who listened and came through Potsdam. He arrived at the ED just when the ambulance did. Kevin went in with Luke, as he was still stabilizing the leg. Talitha had to go to waiting. I wasn't there yet.  She was by herself , Terry was there right when he was needed.

Every single one of you is a hero to me. 

 A hero is someone who stands firm, steps up, when things around them are uncertain and upside down. It is the one who remains steady....can be counted on whether it is a normal day or a day that goes sideways.

And I didn't mention all who have called, text or even just prayed. Because it isn’t JUST prayer. Prayer warriors are heroes too!

What lessons from this?

Heroes know that it isn’t their power that they accomplish anything,

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.
 Psalm 12:1-2

They know where their strength comes from

 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.  Philippians  4:13

 We do not do what we do for recognition or honors. 

We do what we do because we serve a great and mighty God...who loves us in a great and mighty way...and we try to pass that love along to anyone in any way we can.

 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.   Colossians 3:23-24

 We should all aspire to be unsung heroes. Doing God's work in the background, knowing we are serving and pleasing the Lord.