09.28.07
Posted in General Blog Post at 10:26 am by Pastor Don
Dear Friends:
So, now the harvest.
Are you eating well?
Caring for the body, it’s a good thing.
Caring for the mind is also a good thing.
How about the soul? How goes it with your soul? That’s the part of you that is for an eternity. Are you keeping it nurtured with prayer? What do they say? Seven days without prayer makes one weak. Speaking personally, I can always tell when I haven’t been praying. I get depressed, fearful, and un-Christ-like. Prayer is fuel, as is Bible reading and Bible study. These are such good sources of food for the soul. And of course, there’s worship. There’s an old ditty that says:
Each time that I pass by the Church, I always stop to visit;
So when I’m finally carried in, God won’t ask, “Who is it?”
Does God know you? More important, do you know God? How goes it with your soul? Why not get it tuned? Start praying, get into a Bible study, get yourself to worship, and serve God. You’ll like what happens to your soul.
Your friend,
Pastor Don
Permalink
09.21.07
Posted in General Blog Post at 3:30 pm by Pastor Don
Dear Friends:
The other day at home, I, with much ignorance, accidentally burned a pot of chili that I had prepared for lunch. Obviously, it created an odor . . . an odor that I definitely did not want my wife (who teaches high school math during the day) to smell when she came home. I used candles, air fresheners, and even a bowl of vinegar. I ventilated with the best, throwing open windows and turning on fans.
When my wife came home after school, she commented, “Did you make a mistake with the cooking today?” Discussion followed and her extended grace and kindness were much appreciated by this chili-burning cook, after my confession.
It works that way with God as well. We make mistakes, we sin, and sometimes our spiritual lives just smell (let’s admit it…they stink). God comes along, extends grace (”God’s riches at Christ’s expense”) and opens to us a sweet-smelling relationship. The Bible indicates that if we acknowledge our sins, and confess them, God is quick to forgive. This day, celebrate God’s grace in your life, and then extend it unto others. We all “burn the chili” sometime in our lives.
Your friend,
Pastor Don
Permalink
09.14.07
Posted in General Blog Post at 4:37 pm by Pastor Don
Dear Friends:
We’re in the process of adding a new sanctuary unto our building. It takes a lot of people to help make that happen. There are the physical laborers as well as those who donate monies toward the materials and labor. To God be the Glory!
There’s a song written by John Thompson and Randy Scruggs that calls us also to be a sanctuary.
Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true.
With thanksgiving, I’ll be a living sanctuary for you.
A sanctuary is a holy place, a place where God is given the honor. It’s a daily effort, requiring prayer, Bible study, the fellowship of believers, and worship.
How goes it with your building of your sanctuary? I invite you to come by and visit the Normandale Hylands sanctuary, and in the process seek to build your personal sanctuary as well. To God be the Glory.
Your friend,
Pastor Don
Permalink
09.06.07
Posted in General Blog Post at 2:05 pm by Pastor Don
Dear Friends:
How is life for you this September 2007? Or as a New Yorker once greeted me, How YOU doin’?
I’m enjoying watching all the children going to school, as well as watching them come to Church. There are lots of children’s activities at Normandale Hylands. As a Christian gardener, I’m always concerned about the seeds that I plant. As someone once said, A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove. But the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.
As a Christian gardener, I am constantly planting seeds of love and care, forgiveness and joy. When someone asks me, How YOU doin’? I simply say, Planting the seed and watching the harvest. What are you planting? What will you be harvesting? How YOU doin’?
Your Friend, Pastor Don
Permalink
