Just a note... from me... Bill,
It's been a considerable amount of time since my last post. I have been ill, went on vacation and ill again. Crohn's disease can drag me down at times to a point that I feel I can barely continue just to hold a job. But that has everything to do with the fact that I know that God walks right by my side through the ups and downs of life both physically and spiritually.
I strongly support the concept of at a minimum following one of the Bible reading plans I have mentioned in the past. Even when times are low and some things just seem out of reach, these daily readings come to mean so much in the daily living of life and the call and direction that God may be calling. The calling at times is just to rest and the at other times is to get up and go!
Here is a copy from a previous post of the Bible reading plans I have used in the past that have blessed my life. Please consider using one or another you may find. I haven't checked out the links recently, but I'm sure a Google search could be of use also:
Now, on to a few Bible Reading Plans I have used. I started with reading five chapters a day beginning to end. To me this was gruesome. It was more of a chore than a joy. Then I moved to a classic plan which was much better http://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-reading-plan/classic.html --- but for the past few years I have loved the one I am currently using http://www.navpress.com/product/9781576839744/The-Discipleship-Journal-Bible-Reading-Plan-Discipleship-Journal --- This gives you 25 days per month. I enjoy the five or six days of grace and each day you will read Old Testament, Letters, Psalms, and Gospels. This has been my favorite plan for years.
I'm not sure if I should continue the email list unless I receive some feedback that I am not intruding upon the vast amounts of email that I'm sure people receive. So, I would ask you to kindly respond to kc8isn@sbcglobal.net if you desire to be removed from the email listing. No offense will be taken. I will continue to post to Facebook, Google+, Twitter and Pinterest. Pinterest has been a bit of an experiment for me (in other words... I don't know what I'm doing!).
Now, on to the good stuff!
John 14:15-21
‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’
Reflection
I visited Graceland yesterday! Before you get too excited that maybe I saw Elvis... I didn't. This was Graceland Cemetery in Sidney Ohio. I lived in Sidney until the age of seven and then my family moved to Middletown. I was in the middle of 2nd grade at the time. Of course we visited Sidney often for Thanksgiving and so many other times. My mom really missed living in Sidney and she really missed her close family so Saturday trips were not uncommon.
When Sue and I visit Sidney we always stop at the Spot, a local diner in the middle of town. Drive around to see the house on Washington Street and usually visit Graceland. This being Memorial Day weekend, we stopped by to visit all of the grave sites we could find of all the relatives who have died. Most of my family, at least on my mother's side were Lutheran. So we include a drive by of St. Johns Lutheran Church where I was baptized.
Today's Scripture reminds me of the faith of all of my relative who have died. It reminds me of how even though I don't see them physically, they are ingrained into my life. They are part of who I am and how I am, even if they wouldn't admit to that!
When Jesus ascended into heaven, he assured the disciples, and that includes me and many of you also, that there would be the Advocate with us forever. The Spirit of Truth. Jesus is Truth as well. So in this, we can rest assured that God is always with us.. with us in life... with us in death... with us forever. God does not leave us alone... in pain... in suffering... in illness... in poverty... in addiction... in loneliness... in sin... in anything. God does NOT leave us alone!
In this presence of God, which sometimes even takes the form of relatives, of people, of nature, of the Word, in the Sacraments, and in the lives of those disciples who witness to the Truth, we experience Love. And in this experience of Love; we see Jesus.
So as Sue and I visited the grave sites of many relatives at Graceland, as we toured the small town of Sidney, as we ate Old Fashioned Cream pie at the Spot, we were one in spirit with so many other disciples, past, present and future in the Love of God. Yes, we experienced the presence of Jesus and the Truth that only God could reveal in the lives of those past and present and those yet to be.
The Spirit of God moves and the Love of God spreads... even at the grave sites at Graceland... what an appropriate name! All due to the love of God in Christ Jesus and the gift of the Advocate the Holy Spirit that transcends all time and space... Yes, God has revealed Love and will continue to reveal himself to all people throughout all time.
Thanks be to God!
Song
Here is a song by Chris Tomlin that reminds me of the impact that the Love of God and the Holy Spirit has on the lives of all Jesus' disciples, past, present and future. Oh, how I long to sing in unison and in parts this song of Awakening before the Throne of God in praise to the One Truth and Love.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Pf96xwXsv8
Prayer
Come Holy Spirit come... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen.
It's been a considerable amount of time since my last post. I have been ill, went on vacation and ill again. Crohn's disease can drag me down at times to a point that I feel I can barely continue just to hold a job. But that has everything to do with the fact that I know that God walks right by my side through the ups and downs of life both physically and spiritually.
I strongly support the concept of at a minimum following one of the Bible reading plans I have mentioned in the past. Even when times are low and some things just seem out of reach, these daily readings come to mean so much in the daily living of life and the call and direction that God may be calling. The calling at times is just to rest and the at other times is to get up and go!
Here is a copy from a previous post of the Bible reading plans I have used in the past that have blessed my life. Please consider using one or another you may find. I haven't checked out the links recently, but I'm sure a Google search could be of use also:
Now, on to a few Bible Reading Plans I have used. I started with reading five chapters a day beginning to end. To me this was gruesome. It was more of a chore than a joy. Then I moved to a classic plan which was much better http://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-reading-plan/classic.html --- but for the past few years I have loved the one I am currently using http://www.navpress.com/product/9781576839744/The-Discipleship-Journal-Bible-Reading-Plan-Discipleship-Journal --- This gives you 25 days per month. I enjoy the five or six days of grace and each day you will read Old Testament, Letters, Psalms, and Gospels. This has been my favorite plan for years.
I'm not sure if I should continue the email list unless I receive some feedback that I am not intruding upon the vast amounts of email that I'm sure people receive. So, I would ask you to kindly respond to kc8isn@sbcglobal.net if you desire to be removed from the email listing. No offense will be taken. I will continue to post to Facebook, Google+, Twitter and Pinterest. Pinterest has been a bit of an experiment for me (in other words... I don't know what I'm doing!).
Now, on to the good stuff!
John 14:15-21
‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’
Reflection
I visited Graceland yesterday! Before you get too excited that maybe I saw Elvis... I didn't. This was Graceland Cemetery in Sidney Ohio. I lived in Sidney until the age of seven and then my family moved to Middletown. I was in the middle of 2nd grade at the time. Of course we visited Sidney often for Thanksgiving and so many other times. My mom really missed living in Sidney and she really missed her close family so Saturday trips were not uncommon.
When Sue and I visit Sidney we always stop at the Spot, a local diner in the middle of town. Drive around to see the house on Washington Street and usually visit Graceland. This being Memorial Day weekend, we stopped by to visit all of the grave sites we could find of all the relatives who have died. Most of my family, at least on my mother's side were Lutheran. So we include a drive by of St. Johns Lutheran Church where I was baptized.
Today's Scripture reminds me of the faith of all of my relative who have died. It reminds me of how even though I don't see them physically, they are ingrained into my life. They are part of who I am and how I am, even if they wouldn't admit to that!
When Jesus ascended into heaven, he assured the disciples, and that includes me and many of you also, that there would be the Advocate with us forever. The Spirit of Truth. Jesus is Truth as well. So in this, we can rest assured that God is always with us.. with us in life... with us in death... with us forever. God does not leave us alone... in pain... in suffering... in illness... in poverty... in addiction... in loneliness... in sin... in anything. God does NOT leave us alone!
In this presence of God, which sometimes even takes the form of relatives, of people, of nature, of the Word, in the Sacraments, and in the lives of those disciples who witness to the Truth, we experience Love. And in this experience of Love; we see Jesus.
So as Sue and I visited the grave sites of many relatives at Graceland, as we toured the small town of Sidney, as we ate Old Fashioned Cream pie at the Spot, we were one in spirit with so many other disciples, past, present and future in the Love of God. Yes, we experienced the presence of Jesus and the Truth that only God could reveal in the lives of those past and present and those yet to be.
The Spirit of God moves and the Love of God spreads... even at the grave sites at Graceland... what an appropriate name! All due to the love of God in Christ Jesus and the gift of the Advocate the Holy Spirit that transcends all time and space... Yes, God has revealed Love and will continue to reveal himself to all people throughout all time.
Thanks be to God!
Song
Here is a song by Chris Tomlin that reminds me of the impact that the Love of God and the Holy Spirit has on the lives of all Jesus' disciples, past, present and future. Oh, how I long to sing in unison and in parts this song of Awakening before the Throne of God in praise to the One Truth and Love.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Pf96xwXsv8
Prayer
Come Holy Spirit come... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen.
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