Chris Loehmer Kincaid's Blog, page 127
March 24, 2016
Maundy Thursday
From the Book of Matthew, Chapter 26 (New Living Translation)
17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?”
18 “As you go into the city,” he told them, “you will see a certain man. Tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My time has come, and I will eat the Passover meal with my disciples at your house.’” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus told them and prepared the Passover meal there.
20 When it was evening, Jesus sat down at the table with the Twelve. 21 While they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”
22 Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one, Lord?”
23 He replied, “One of you who has just eaten from this bowl with me will betray me. 24 For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!”
25 Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, “Rabbi, am I the one?”
And Jesus told him, “You have said it.”
26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”
27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, 28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. 29 Mark my words—I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”
^ ^ ^ ^ ^47 And even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests and elders of the people. 48 The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss.” 49 So Judas came straight to Jesus. “Greetings, Rabbi!” he exclaimed and gave him the kiss.
50 Jesus said, “My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.”
Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 51 But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, slashing off his ear.
52 “Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword. 53 Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? 54 But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?”
55 Then Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day. 56 But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures.” At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled.
17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?”
18 “As you go into the city,” he told them, “you will see a certain man. Tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My time has come, and I will eat the Passover meal with my disciples at your house.’” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus told them and prepared the Passover meal there.
20 When it was evening, Jesus sat down at the table with the Twelve. 21 While they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”
22 Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one, Lord?”
23 He replied, “One of you who has just eaten from this bowl with me will betray me. 24 For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!”
25 Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, “Rabbi, am I the one?”
And Jesus told him, “You have said it.”
26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”
27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, 28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. 29 Mark my words—I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”
^ ^ ^ ^ ^47 And even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests and elders of the people. 48 The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss.” 49 So Judas came straight to Jesus. “Greetings, Rabbi!” he exclaimed and gave him the kiss.
50 Jesus said, “My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.”
Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 51 But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, slashing off his ear.
52 “Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword. 53 Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? 54 But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?”
55 Then Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day. 56 But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures.” At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled.
March 23, 2016
Holy Wednesday
The Book of Matthew, Chapter 26 (from the New Living Translation)
When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2 “As you know, Passover begins in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”
3 At that same time the leading priests and elders were meeting at the residence of Caiaphas, the high priest, 4 plotting how to capture Jesus secretly and kill him. 5 “But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed, “or the people may riot.”
6 Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. 7 While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume and poured it over his head.
8 The disciples were indignant when they saw this. “What a waste!” they said. 9 “It could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.”
10 But Jesus, aware of this, replied, “Why criticize this woman for doing such a good thing to me? 11 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me. 12 She has poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial. 13 I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”
14 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests 15 and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.
Last Sunday, with Jesus’s return to the city of Jerusalem, we began the somber week leading up to Jesus arrest and crucifixion, followed by His triumphant resurrection on Easter morning. For the next four days I will be posting those events, with no commentary of my own. The Scriptures say it all.
When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2 “As you know, Passover begins in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”
3 At that same time the leading priests and elders were meeting at the residence of Caiaphas, the high priest, 4 plotting how to capture Jesus secretly and kill him. 5 “But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed, “or the people may riot.”
6 Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. 7 While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume and poured it over his head.
8 The disciples were indignant when they saw this. “What a waste!” they said. 9 “It could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.”
10 But Jesus, aware of this, replied, “Why criticize this woman for doing such a good thing to me? 11 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me. 12 She has poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial. 13 I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”
14 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests 15 and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.
Last Sunday, with Jesus’s return to the city of Jerusalem, we began the somber week leading up to Jesus arrest and crucifixion, followed by His triumphant resurrection on Easter morning. For the next four days I will be posting those events, with no commentary of my own. The Scriptures say it all.
March 21, 2016
Finally Full Circle
Last August 28, I declared that I had closed the book on a story that has lasted pretty much my entire lifetime. That old romantic building which was our town’s hospital for – well, my entire lifetime. Evidently there is still one story left in my head about that building, or at least the city block where it resided. And when I realized that my second to the last post about this place was exactly one year ago, well, what was I to do.
The end of August last year, Milestone Assisted Living Facility opened on the plot of land where the Old Sacred Heart Hospital had been. (Click on those links above to read all about it and see my photo album of it.)
I’ve been hearing lots of good things about the new building and know several people who have moved in. I missed the open house for the community, but since I have connections in the medical field, I thought I could just drop by and give myself my own tour. A month or two ago, however, a cousin of mine took up residence there. Shortly after that, my mom asked if I would take her there for a visit on my day off. Ah,ha, my ticket in the door.
It is indeed a beautiful facility and I thought at the time about taking some pictures, but thought that might be tacky. It isn’t just a building, after all; it is these people’s home.
While my cousin was giving us a tour, I ran into some of the women I know who are residents there. One of them, out of the blue, told me that I should do a presentation for the tenants about my travels to Kenya. At that very moment, the assistant director walked by. The woman I know grabbed her and introduced us. “Chris has been to Africa several times and she would love to come back and tell us all about it.”
I didn’t miss a beat, pulling a business card for our nonprofit out of my pocket and a pen out of my purse. “Let me give you my name and number, but otherwise here is the information on our organization that works in Kenya.” Sometimes I do amaze myself.
Long story short (too late for that, Chris), I gave my presentation for about ten residents this past Friday. I still didn’t take any pictures inside, but asked one of the staff to shoot this one of me and my guests.
I don’t know how much some of them got out of my talk, but they did ask lots of questions afterwards and even ate my chapati.
I think my story has finally come full circle.
The end of August last year, Milestone Assisted Living Facility opened on the plot of land where the Old Sacred Heart Hospital had been. (Click on those links above to read all about it and see my photo album of it.)
I’ve been hearing lots of good things about the new building and know several people who have moved in. I missed the open house for the community, but since I have connections in the medical field, I thought I could just drop by and give myself my own tour. A month or two ago, however, a cousin of mine took up residence there. Shortly after that, my mom asked if I would take her there for a visit on my day off. Ah,ha, my ticket in the door.
It is indeed a beautiful facility and I thought at the time about taking some pictures, but thought that might be tacky. It isn’t just a building, after all; it is these people’s home.
While my cousin was giving us a tour, I ran into some of the women I know who are residents there. One of them, out of the blue, told me that I should do a presentation for the tenants about my travels to Kenya. At that very moment, the assistant director walked by. The woman I know grabbed her and introduced us. “Chris has been to Africa several times and she would love to come back and tell us all about it.”
I didn’t miss a beat, pulling a business card for our nonprofit out of my pocket and a pen out of my purse. “Let me give you my name and number, but otherwise here is the information on our organization that works in Kenya.” Sometimes I do amaze myself.
Long story short (too late for that, Chris), I gave my presentation for about ten residents this past Friday. I still didn’t take any pictures inside, but asked one of the staff to shoot this one of me and my guests.
I don’t know how much some of them got out of my talk, but they did ask lots of questions afterwards and even ate my chapati.
I think my story has finally come full circle.
March 20, 2016
First Day of Spring
True and False Prophets “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
True and False Disciples “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
The Wise and Foolish Builders “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.”
When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. (Matthew 7:15-29, NIV)
These are the final words of Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount, which I have been sharing throughout Lent.
Today is Palm Sunday, the day we observe Jesus’s triumphant return to Jerusalem. It is also the beginning of Holy Week, the somber seven days which includes Jesus’s arrest, conviction and crucifixion. These are the final days of His life on this earth before He returns in glory one week from today.
Appropriately, this year, today is also the first day of Spring, here in the United States. It is the time of year where we revel in new life and new beginnings, where we look forward to seasons of growth and prosperity.
No matter what time of year it is, however, we need to remember that we have already been granted New Life through Jesus Christ. As believers, we can look forward to His triumphant return to this world.
Lord, God, thank You for sending Your Son to save us from our sins and from the hardships of this world. Grant us the patience to realize this life is only temporary, that You have so much better planned for us in Heaven. Amen.
It has been a mild winter, but not this mild. Here in northern Wisconsin, no matter how warm March is, we know that we better wait at least another month to plant anything outdoors. But Spring is still here!
True and False Disciples “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
The Wise and Foolish Builders “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.”
When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. (Matthew 7:15-29, NIV)
These are the final words of Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount, which I have been sharing throughout Lent.
Today is Palm Sunday, the day we observe Jesus’s triumphant return to Jerusalem. It is also the beginning of Holy Week, the somber seven days which includes Jesus’s arrest, conviction and crucifixion. These are the final days of His life on this earth before He returns in glory one week from today.
Appropriately, this year, today is also the first day of Spring, here in the United States. It is the time of year where we revel in new life and new beginnings, where we look forward to seasons of growth and prosperity.
No matter what time of year it is, however, we need to remember that we have already been granted New Life through Jesus Christ. As believers, we can look forward to His triumphant return to this world.
Lord, God, thank You for sending Your Son to save us from our sins and from the hardships of this world. Grant us the patience to realize this life is only temporary, that You have so much better planned for us in Heaven. Amen.
It has been a mild winter, but not this mild. Here in northern Wisconsin, no matter how warm March is, we know that we better wait at least another month to plant anything outdoors. But Spring is still here!March 15, 2016
At the Willow
Two years ago I came up with the clever idea to walk every street in my hometown and to document those streets here. I kept up with it for a while, but then life got in the way and I have been remiss in walking those streets. Of course, our long cold winters tend to keep me inside. Or at least use that as an excuse. This winter has been exceptionally mild and I need to get back to blogging about little Tomahawk. I’m keeping some dates open on my calendar in the coming months for just such a reason.
Since I haven’t quite made it out on those mean streets yet, I thought I would at least start with a little teaser.
Last Friday was remarkably warm and sunny for early March. When Hubby got home from work a little before three, we decided to take a ride. We drove north of town and up Highway Y out of Bradley. It had been quite a while since we had been out to the Willow. Hubby didn’t think he had ever been there, but I jarred his memory a bit. He stilled only recalled one trip.
Years before we met, I had taken a ride on the Wilderness Queen as part of a family caper. A not-so-fond memory was of crossing the dam. All those years ago, it was a narrow one-lane road over the dam and my active imagination pictured the whole dam collapsing under our vehicle.
But enough of my talk. I don’t mean to brag, but the pictures I took are pretty great. It wasn’t me or my camera. It was just the beautiful day and amazing place.
Since I haven’t quite made it out on those mean streets yet, I thought I would at least start with a little teaser.
Last Friday was remarkably warm and sunny for early March. When Hubby got home from work a little before three, we decided to take a ride. We drove north of town and up Highway Y out of Bradley. It had been quite a while since we had been out to the Willow. Hubby didn’t think he had ever been there, but I jarred his memory a bit. He stilled only recalled one trip.
Years before we met, I had taken a ride on the Wilderness Queen as part of a family caper. A not-so-fond memory was of crossing the dam. All those years ago, it was a narrow one-lane road over the dam and my active imagination pictured the whole dam collapsing under our vehicle.
But enough of my talk. I don’t mean to brag, but the pictures I took are pretty great. It wasn’t me or my camera. It was just the beautiful day and amazing place.
March 13, 2016
Ask, Seek, Knock
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7: 7-14, NIV)
At the beginning of Lent, I chose the passages from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount to share each Sunday until Easter. I divvied up all of the verses to fit into the six weeks of Sundays, but just now, reading these lines – well, Jesus packs so much punch into these words that I am left wordless. Or not. I could type pages telling what these words mean to me, the pictures that come before my eyes.
Of course, there truly is nothing more that I can add. You need to read only what Jesus has to say and put it into your heart. You need to live His words, and not just these, but everything that He has to say.
Lord, God, Heavenly Father, thank You so much for sending Your Son Jesus to live among us. Help us to see that He still lives and is still with us. Amen.
The ground looks like it is ready for flowers. Are we ready for Jesus?
9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7: 7-14, NIV)
At the beginning of Lent, I chose the passages from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount to share each Sunday until Easter. I divvied up all of the verses to fit into the six weeks of Sundays, but just now, reading these lines – well, Jesus packs so much punch into these words that I am left wordless. Or not. I could type pages telling what these words mean to me, the pictures that come before my eyes.
Of course, there truly is nothing more that I can add. You need to read only what Jesus has to say and put it into your heart. You need to live His words, and not just these, but everything that He has to say.
Lord, God, Heavenly Father, thank You so much for sending Your Son Jesus to live among us. Help us to see that He still lives and is still with us. Amen.
The ground looks like it is ready for flowers. Are we ready for Jesus? March 11, 2016
Ready to Work Out
We've been talking at work about all starting to work out, maybe train for a 5K or even a "mudder". A co-worker and I think we should each build obstacle courses in our backyards and take turns running them. And if any of you are friends with me on Facebook you may have seen a hideous video of me doing some plank moves at work.
It must just be that time of year where we think we should get in shape. Or at least a shape other than a couch potato.
I happened upon one of my old photo albums, and thought it was time to do some more scanning and archiving of those old prints. Interesting how I ran across my kids doing their own workouts.
Nick and Val scaling their swing set in the backyard.
Nick wheeling up the driveway.
Val trying out a pair of cross country skis.
Val with her bike helmet and knee and elbow pads. If you've ever met this girl, you know she needs more padding than that. Her arms and legs still look like bruised bananas most the time.
It must just be that time of year where we think we should get in shape. Or at least a shape other than a couch potato.
I happened upon one of my old photo albums, and thought it was time to do some more scanning and archiving of those old prints. Interesting how I ran across my kids doing their own workouts.
Nick and Val scaling their swing set in the backyard.
Nick wheeling up the driveway.
Val trying out a pair of cross country skis.
Val with her bike helmet and knee and elbow pads. If you've ever met this girl, you know she needs more padding than that. Her arms and legs still look like bruised bananas most the time.
March 9, 2016
And My Life Flashed Before Me
Ever have that feeling of your life flashing before you just before something bad is about to happen? Welcome to my world.
Yesterday, I ran to church over my lunch hour to hang some lights. Our women’s group is helping to host our church’s annual Easter Dinner for the community and we wanted to draw more attention to our sign-up sheet in the Narthex. Someone had suggested we hang Christmas lights around the sign and someone else offered a string of Easter lights. I volunteered to deliver them to the church, but well, something got messed up and the lights never made it to church. Which made me feel guilty, so I decided to just sneak over on my break and hang them myself.
Because my husband is a head usher, we have a key to the church, so even though our secretary doesn’t have a set schedule, I knew I could get in when I needed to. The door was locked and the building empty when I arrived shortly after noon.
Using my husband’s key, I went through the door by the offices and let it click shut behind me. I was locked in the dark unoccupied building. And it is a large old church, by the way.
I walked into the sanctuary and down the side aisle to the narthex at the far end. Day light came through the windows, but I know this building well enough that I could have felt my way to my destination in pitch black.
I pulled the string of lights out of their bag, found a box of tacks and started tacking the lights around the edge of the poster. Until I couldn’t reach the top of the bulletin board. I quickly dragged over the metal folding chair from next to the usher’s pew.
With the string of lights in one hand and a thumb tack in the other, I stepped up on the chair. And immediately lost my balance.
That’s when my life flashed before me. Or at least a long string of thoughts.
What am I going to do if I fall over the back of this chair which is the way I am heading? I will crash head-first into the floor. I am in this dark building alone. But from where I fall, unless I am knocked unconscious, I should be able to reach up to my purse on the table where I had laid the other string of lights. My cellphone is in my purse. But who would I call? The church is locked. Who would be able to get in here without breaking down the doors? But hold it, a friend at work is an organist at our church. She has a key. I can call her at work. I am set, when I fall and break a bone and can’t get out of here on my own.
But just like that, as all those thoughts came to a close and I had a plan, I was able to correct the angle of my fall, and instead of falling at all, I was able to jump off the chair and land, somewhat ungracefully, on my feet.
Amazing, but with heart pounding, I still had to hang the rest of the lights and get back to work on time. I don’t wear a watch and there was no clock in the narthex. I reached for my cell phone in my purse. It remained dark no matter which side button I pushed. The battery was completely dead. Completely. So much for my plan of calling that co-worker with the church key.
Was it all serendipity? Or was God protecting me in His house?
Yesterday, I ran to church over my lunch hour to hang some lights. Our women’s group is helping to host our church’s annual Easter Dinner for the community and we wanted to draw more attention to our sign-up sheet in the Narthex. Someone had suggested we hang Christmas lights around the sign and someone else offered a string of Easter lights. I volunteered to deliver them to the church, but well, something got messed up and the lights never made it to church. Which made me feel guilty, so I decided to just sneak over on my break and hang them myself.
Because my husband is a head usher, we have a key to the church, so even though our secretary doesn’t have a set schedule, I knew I could get in when I needed to. The door was locked and the building empty when I arrived shortly after noon.
Using my husband’s key, I went through the door by the offices and let it click shut behind me. I was locked in the dark unoccupied building. And it is a large old church, by the way.
I walked into the sanctuary and down the side aisle to the narthex at the far end. Day light came through the windows, but I know this building well enough that I could have felt my way to my destination in pitch black.
I pulled the string of lights out of their bag, found a box of tacks and started tacking the lights around the edge of the poster. Until I couldn’t reach the top of the bulletin board. I quickly dragged over the metal folding chair from next to the usher’s pew.
With the string of lights in one hand and a thumb tack in the other, I stepped up on the chair. And immediately lost my balance.
That’s when my life flashed before me. Or at least a long string of thoughts.
What am I going to do if I fall over the back of this chair which is the way I am heading? I will crash head-first into the floor. I am in this dark building alone. But from where I fall, unless I am knocked unconscious, I should be able to reach up to my purse on the table where I had laid the other string of lights. My cellphone is in my purse. But who would I call? The church is locked. Who would be able to get in here without breaking down the doors? But hold it, a friend at work is an organist at our church. She has a key. I can call her at work. I am set, when I fall and break a bone and can’t get out of here on my own.
But just like that, as all those thoughts came to a close and I had a plan, I was able to correct the angle of my fall, and instead of falling at all, I was able to jump off the chair and land, somewhat ungracefully, on my feet.
Amazing, but with heart pounding, I still had to hang the rest of the lights and get back to work on time. I don’t wear a watch and there was no clock in the narthex. I reached for my cell phone in my purse. It remained dark no matter which side button I pushed. The battery was completely dead. Completely. So much for my plan of calling that co-worker with the church key.
Was it all serendipity? Or was God protecting me in His house?
March 6, 2016
Judging Others
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.” (Matthew 7:1-6, NIV)
This is a tough passage to comment on, because it rings so close to home. Don’t we all judge others and not just some of the time, but all of the time. We don’t think that someone should get the job because we think they don’t have the proper education. We don’t think someone should have children because we think they aren’t good enough. We don’t want someone waiting on us at Kwik Trip because we don’t like how they look or how they talk. We don’t want to sit next to someone on the bus because we don’t like how they smell. We do it all the time. If we would just look in the mirror, we would see that we are the ones without the proper education, we are the ones that aren’t good enough. We look odd, we talk different, we smell funny. We have no right to judge.
Unfortunately, and I hate to say this, but Christians are usually the ones judging. My daughter and I just talked about this yesterday. This is why she doesn’t go to church or believe in organized religion. Which makes me sad and causes me a great deal of worry, but I see where she’s coming from.
Lord, help us to see the world with loving eyes, to see all people as equals. Remind us that You are the only Judge and Your opinion is the only one that counts. Amen
The kettle where I will plant some flowers in the spring is looking good, or at least it was when I took this picture a couple years ago. In reality, there is still a quite of bit of snow out there. But I am living in the prayerful expectancy of spring.
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.” (Matthew 7:1-6, NIV)
This is a tough passage to comment on, because it rings so close to home. Don’t we all judge others and not just some of the time, but all of the time. We don’t think that someone should get the job because we think they don’t have the proper education. We don’t think someone should have children because we think they aren’t good enough. We don’t want someone waiting on us at Kwik Trip because we don’t like how they look or how they talk. We don’t want to sit next to someone on the bus because we don’t like how they smell. We do it all the time. If we would just look in the mirror, we would see that we are the ones without the proper education, we are the ones that aren’t good enough. We look odd, we talk different, we smell funny. We have no right to judge.
Unfortunately, and I hate to say this, but Christians are usually the ones judging. My daughter and I just talked about this yesterday. This is why she doesn’t go to church or believe in organized religion. Which makes me sad and causes me a great deal of worry, but I see where she’s coming from.
Lord, help us to see the world with loving eyes, to see all people as equals. Remind us that You are the only Judge and Your opinion is the only one that counts. Amen
The kettle where I will plant some flowers in the spring is looking good, or at least it was when I took this picture a couple years ago. In reality, there is still a quite of bit of snow out there. But I am living in the prayerful expectancy of spring. March 4, 2016
The Journey of Six Years
I just missed an anniversary. The first of this month it had been six years since I started this blog. Actually I remember that the very first post was the end of February, but it was so lame – something about “this is a test, this is only a test” – and a few years ago I deleted it concerned that someone would stumble upon it and think that all of my writing was so mind-numbing. And perhaps a lot of it is still that appalling. Yet I keep plugging away. I have shared my life story here, from childhood to job travails to travels across country and around the world. I’ve written about my pets, my family and some of my friends. I dedicated my Sunday posts to Bible lessons and other inspirations.
It was a learning experience at the beginning. I didn’t know how to attach pictures or links and I didn’t give the earlier posts titles. I started out with an average of four readers per post, am now up to 40 or so. The most read post still remains, “Are you a sea lion or a seal?” with over five thousand views. I have no idea why, as the next most read trails at just over 400 views. I’ve tried different marketing approaches but it remains a mystery to me.
In June 2012 I started a second blog, “writing what i can when i can”, to help me be accountable to my writing goals. It hasn’t got the following of “The Dino Chronicles”, but it was never intended to. The latest change in my blogs is that I have added ads to the bottom of each post. I tried to keep them unobtrusive and I hope that no one is offended by them. I thought I would just see what happens there. Is there any money to be made by blogging? None yet.
But I shouldn’t bore you with facts and figures and findings. I just want to thank everyone who has been following my blogs. I hope that you don’t feel reading them is a waste of your time. I hope that once in a while I’ve taught you something or have made you laugh or even tear up. I hope that you continue to follow my story.
Thanks again and have a great weekend.
Dino remains my inspiration, whether when writing this blogor just when getting out of bed in the morning.
Last boring facts. I've written 1013 posts here and 276 on the other blog!
Isn't that amazing, Dino?
