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Monday, January 25, 2016
Living in the Miracle
Daily Lesson for January 25, 2016
Today's Daily Lesson comes from John chapter 4 verses 46 through 53:
46 So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” 49 The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. 51 As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. 52 So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53 The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.”
The moment of serenity is the moment of healing.
After all the begging and bargaining with God turns out not to have done a thing, when we realize we just can't talk Jesus into coming down to heal our son or our daughter or our father or mother, when we finally accept that the signs and wonders we've been praying for just aren't going to happen, then the miracle takes place:
In the acceptance of our circumstance,
In trust that we have been heard,
At peace that they and we are in the LORD's hands,
At rest in the promise that that shall live -- whatever it should mean.
This is what it means to believe. This is what it means to have faith. This is what it means to live in the miracle.
46 So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” 49 The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. 51 As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. 52 So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53 The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.”
The moment of serenity is the moment of healing.
After all the begging and bargaining with God turns out not to have done a thing, when we realize we just can't talk Jesus into coming down to heal our son or our daughter or our father or mother, when we finally accept that the signs and wonders we've been praying for just aren't going to happen, then the miracle takes place:
In the acceptance of our circumstance,
In trust that we have been heard,
At peace that they and we are in the LORD's hands,
At rest in the promise that that shall live -- whatever it should mean.
This is what it means to believe. This is what it means to have faith. This is what it means to live in the miracle.
Ryon Price, 2nd Thoughts
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Yes!
WHEN
A LOVED ONE PASSES...
When
a loved one passes, do not worry. Weep, wail, scream, yes, honour their memory,
but do not worry. They haven't gone anywhere, strictly speaking. They have
simply lost location and time. You can no longer pin them down, say 'there they
are', find them in their materiality, seek them in your personal world. But you
see, they were never tied to their bodies in the first place. Their arms, their
legs, their brain, their fingers, their blood, their kidneys - these were not
the things that defined them. You loved the physical, yes, you were attached to
it, you expected it to continue, but it was not all of your love.
You
are being called now to remember a deeper love, a universal love, a love that
is not attached to form, a love that knows no bounds. A love that does not flee
into past and future, but remains so very present as you go about your days. A
love that does not depend on word nor place, that follows you wherever you go,
that is inseparable from your very own presence, that whispers in your ear late
at night... I AM HERE.
Do
not search for your loved one in time nor space, friend, do not reach for them
and find them absent. They are closer than all that. It will take a while to
readjust to their formlessness, of course. You will be called to let go of
dreams, yes, and there will be much pain to be felt, much grief to explore with
courage and willingness. Get ready to break open for love! But, oh, the joy of
discovering your loved one right where you left them! And the excitement of a
relationship shattering open into the Infinite!
Know
they cannot leave you! Know they never will!
For
they are in your presence, and you in theirs!
-
Jeff Foster
What is CASA?
Volunteer Your Time to Change a Child's Life
Nobody longs for a safe and loving family more than a child in foster care. As a court-appointed special advocate (CASA) volunteer, you are empowered by the courts to help make this dream a reality. You will not only bring positive change to the lives of these vulnerable children, but also their children and generations to come. And in doing so, you will enrich your life as well.What Do CASA Volunteers Do?
CASA volunteers listen first. Then they act.
Volunteers get to know the child by talking with everyone in that child's life: parents and relatives, foster parents, teachers, medical professionals, attorneys, social workers and others. They use the information they gather to inform judges and others of what the child needs and what will be the best permanent home for them. Who Can Be a Volunteer?
You do not have to be a lawyer or a social worker to be a volunteer. We welcome people from all walks of life. We are simply looking for people who care about children and have common sense. As a volunteer, you will be thoroughly trained and well supported by professional staff to help you through each case.You must pass a background check, participate in a 30-hour pre-service training course and agree to stay with a case until it is closed (a year and a half on average).
Friday, January 22, 2016
Thursday, January 14, 2016
2nd Thoughts by Ryon
In his book "Choosing to Live" my friend Jerry Campbell reflects on his journey through the process of grief following his wife Veta's passing away. In the process of his grief, Jerry remembered a dream he had two decades before:
"I dreamed that I was sleeping when a messenger from God appeared before me. The messenger wore a long, brown robe with a large cowl. I could not see the messenger's face. Suddenly I became aware of the messenger addressing me with a question . . . 'What is the most brilliant and important characteristic given to humans?' Without pause the answer jarred me wide awake! 'Death.'"
Death is a great motivator. To know that we are dust and that to dust we shall return brings to us consciousness. We are vulnerable. It is a dangerous world. There are snakes out there. And we are running out of time.
To know that we will die is the first lesson in knowing what it is to live. And to those who use that knowledge -- to love and serve and spend time and build up treasure where treasure has ultimate meaning -- it is a great blessing. The blessing of knowing that tomorrow is not guaranteed awakens is to the blessing of today.
After Jerry was awakened by his dream he says he made his way to the bathroom, reflecting on the meaning of the night visitation he wrote in his journal. "Humans are born to die; death is the boundary that gives meaning and urgency to life . . . I know it was a dream, but I can't shake the feeling that God has sent me a message."
Ryon Price, Pastor, 2nd Baptist, Lubbock
"I dreamed that I was sleeping when a messenger from God appeared before me. The messenger wore a long, brown robe with a large cowl. I could not see the messenger's face. Suddenly I became aware of the messenger addressing me with a question . . . 'What is the most brilliant and important characteristic given to humans?' Without pause the answer jarred me wide awake! 'Death.'"
Death is a great motivator. To know that we are dust and that to dust we shall return brings to us consciousness. We are vulnerable. It is a dangerous world. There are snakes out there. And we are running out of time.
To know that we will die is the first lesson in knowing what it is to live. And to those who use that knowledge -- to love and serve and spend time and build up treasure where treasure has ultimate meaning -- it is a great blessing. The blessing of knowing that tomorrow is not guaranteed awakens is to the blessing of today.
After Jerry was awakened by his dream he says he made his way to the bathroom, reflecting on the meaning of the night visitation he wrote in his journal. "Humans are born to die; death is the boundary that gives meaning and urgency to life . . . I know it was a dream, but I can't shake the feeling that God has sent me a message."
Ryon Price, Pastor, 2nd Baptist, Lubbock
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