Saturday, October 26, 2013
Friday, October 18, 2013
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Blue Rose
I was looking back on some FaceBook postings I had done in the past and came across this one from July of this year. Sometimes it is good to go into your past and dig up stuff that you may have said, received, or passed on to others. This is one of those "received and passed on" stories that doesn't really matter if it is fact or someones imagination. It is worth reading and perhaps shedding a tear or two when you finish. I know I did then and just did it again! It is called:
Having four visiting family members, my wife was very busy, so I offered to go to the store for her to get some needed items, which included light bulbs, paper towels, trash bags, detergent and Clorox. So off I went.
I scurried around the store, gathered up my goodies and headed for the checkout counter, only to be blocked in the narrow aisle by a young man who appeared to be about sixteen-years-old. I wasn't in a hurry, so I patiently waited for the boy to realize that I was there. This was when he waved his hands excitedly in the air and declared in a loud voice, "Mommy, I'm over here."
It was obvious now, he was mentally challenged and also startled as he turned and saw me standing so close to him, waiting to squeeze by. His eyes widened and surprise exploded on his face as I said, "Hey Buddy, what's your name?"
"My name is Denny and I'm shopping with my mother," he responded proudly.
"Wow," I said, "that's a cool name; I wish my name was Denny, but my name is Steve."
"Steve, like Stevarino?" he asked.
"Yes," I answered. "How old are you Denny?"
"How old am I now, Mommy?" he asked his mother as she slowly came over from the next aisle.
"You're fifteen-years-old Denny; now be a good boy and let the man pass by."
I acknowledged her and continued to talk to Denny for several more minutes about summer, bicycles and school. I watched his brown eyes dance with excitement, because he was the center of someone's attention. He then abruptly turned and headed toward the toy section.
Denny's mom had a puzzled look on her face and thanked me for taking the time to talk with her son. She told me that most people wouldn't even look at him, much less talk to him.
I told her that it was my pleasure and then I said something I have no idea where it came from, other than by the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I told her that there are plenty of red, yellow, and pink roses in God's Garden; however, "Blue Roses" are very rare and should be appreciated for their beauty and distinctiveness. You see, Denny is a Blue Rose and if someone doesn't stop and smell that rose with their heart and touch that rose with their kindness, then they've missed a blessing from God.
She was silent for a second, then with a tear in her eye she asked, "Who are you?"
Without thinking I said, "Oh, I'm probably just a dandelion, but I sure love living in God's Garden."
She reached out, squeezed my hand and said, "God bless you!" and then I had tears in my eyes.
May I suggest, the next time you see a BLUE ROSE, don't turn your head and walk off. Take the time to smile and say Hello. Why? Because, by the grace of GOD, this mother could be you. This could be your child, grandchild, niece or nephew. What a difference a moment can mean to that person or their family.
From an old dandelion!
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.
"People will forget what you said, People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel!"
A Blue Rose
Having four visiting family members, my wife was very busy, so I offered to go to the store for her to get some needed items, which included light bulbs, paper towels, trash bags, detergent and Clorox. So off I went.
I scurried around the store, gathered up my goodies and headed for the checkout counter, only to be blocked in the narrow aisle by a young man who appeared to be about sixteen-years-old. I wasn't in a hurry, so I patiently waited for the boy to realize that I was there. This was when he waved his hands excitedly in the air and declared in a loud voice, "Mommy, I'm over here."
It was obvious now, he was mentally challenged and also startled as he turned and saw me standing so close to him, waiting to squeeze by. His eyes widened and surprise exploded on his face as I said, "Hey Buddy, what's your name?"
"My name is Denny and I'm shopping with my mother," he responded proudly.
"Wow," I said, "that's a cool name; I wish my name was Denny, but my name is Steve."
"Steve, like Stevarino?" he asked.
"Yes," I answered. "How old are you Denny?"
"How old am I now, Mommy?" he asked his mother as she slowly came over from the next aisle.
"You're fifteen-years-old Denny; now be a good boy and let the man pass by."
I acknowledged her and continued to talk to Denny for several more minutes about summer, bicycles and school. I watched his brown eyes dance with excitement, because he was the center of someone's attention. He then abruptly turned and headed toward the toy section.
Denny's mom had a puzzled look on her face and thanked me for taking the time to talk with her son. She told me that most people wouldn't even look at him, much less talk to him.
I told her that it was my pleasure and then I said something I have no idea where it came from, other than by the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I told her that there are plenty of red, yellow, and pink roses in God's Garden; however, "Blue Roses" are very rare and should be appreciated for their beauty and distinctiveness. You see, Denny is a Blue Rose and if someone doesn't stop and smell that rose with their heart and touch that rose with their kindness, then they've missed a blessing from God.
She was silent for a second, then with a tear in her eye she asked, "Who are you?"
Without thinking I said, "Oh, I'm probably just a dandelion, but I sure love living in God's Garden."
She reached out, squeezed my hand and said, "God bless you!" and then I had tears in my eyes.
May I suggest, the next time you see a BLUE ROSE, don't turn your head and walk off. Take the time to smile and say Hello. Why? Because, by the grace of GOD, this mother could be you. This could be your child, grandchild, niece or nephew. What a difference a moment can mean to that person or their family.
From an old dandelion!
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.
"People will forget what you said, People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel!"
Can you see yourself as the Mother? Perhaps as Steve. Don't you wish you could react like Steve did? Sometimes we are wrapped up in our own world, with all of it's garbage and struggles, that we are not aware of our surroundings as much as we should. I firmly believe that God puts instances like we have just read about in our paths every now and then to see how we will react. Wouldn't it be a great world if we all reacted like Steve did? Unfortunately, not many do. So this may be a wake up call for us to unveil our inner perspectives and thoughts and when we are out and about pay a little closer attention to those around us that may need a word of assurance, a "hi", or even something as simple as a barely noticeable "nod". Those are so easy to do and they don't cost you any money! But to the person (perhaps their caretaker) they are priceless.
Just food for thought, I felt the need to share with you. Have a great day, thanks for taking the time to read my stuff.
Keep Singing, Keep laughing, Keep smiling
Blessings,
Gary
Monday, October 14, 2013
New punctuation?
What is with this number sign (#) phenomenon that people call "hashtag"? The English language is getting so convoluted that it is becoming very difficult to keep up with word usage and symbol meanings. Facebook is starting to be overrun with the "#" symbol, like it is a part of the English Language as a punctuation mark. I don't know what to say or do about it. Is there anything that I can do, except ignore it and don't let it bother me? That won't happen, I can tell you that right now. I am not the perfectionist of the English written word with complete knowledge of all the spelling and punctuation rules. If you have been reading my blogs at all, that should be obvious by now. However, I am getting pretty anxious about this "hashtag" thing.
When I was in High School, I did average work I suppose. Actually, I never failed at any of the courses I took, but was not an honor student either. History was one of my favorite subjects. American history is very interesting, and at the present time a lot of folks seem to have forgotten (assuming they actually knew, to begin with) what values our country was founded on. Our education system is not our only drawback, because through the years, slowly creeping into "normality", our civilization as a world and our country as a specific, has been degrading. Let me explain. I remember my Grandparents values, how they spoke and how they treated people. I admired their gentleness, warmth and the way they treated others. I have fallen short of their examples. There are times that I have a very difficult time to not say what I really think, because it would either disappoint my elders, or get me in trouble with what I said. I am sure there have been times that the wrong word(s) have been chosen to explain to someone a feeling or a point of view. I, like I like to think everyone has, have our own experiences to draw conclusions that are, in times of stress, blurted out without much pre-thought and wish they could have been re-said or not said at all. Isn't that part of growing up and growing wiser? I am sure some folks are slower at learning how to communicate than others are...so we must take those folks into consideration before jumping to wrong conclusions, and making a fool of ourselves. Like on old Saturday Night Live shows, Rosanna Rosannadanna says "Oh never mind". She used to crack me up.
I know some folks, particularly on FaceBook that love to argue most everything that someone says. Most of the time those folks are courteous and kind when making their points. It usually revolves around fact checking which is an area that is rarely used on FaceBook, so the points are mostly well taken by me, sometimes not others. The point is: Using common sense, courtesy and an average respect of the English language so we can all understand, we can communicate much easier.
We (using the term, but excluding myself and others like me) have become a texting, electronic communicating, secluded within ourselves, people. The need for short cuts in speech, as well as in electronic devices is warping our ability to be social to others when face to face. Please refer to my opening statement about "hashtags". I am about ready to start eliminating a good number of FaceBook "friends" that I do not nor cannot understand what their message is that they are trying to communicate. That, and it seems they have a need to let us know every movement they are making! Come on now, is that all that important to spend time and effort texting a message about?
We have become personal isolationists without human touchy, feely, in our face communications and have shrunk to be "texters" but still want everyone to know what is going on for the majority of their waking hours....as it is happening! Now with the abbreviations, and additional slang, it is very difficult to keep up with such activity.
I consider myself a story teller type of a person. I love communicating through personal experiences and stories to help others understand. And as you can guess by now. . . . that takes a little longer than abbreviating texting. When I am blessed and asked to share a sermon on a Sunday morning, I try to attach a story or two to the message to show that normal, everyday people (like the listeners are) can achieve or attain the salvation of Jesus Christ. Quoting theologians or scholars or authors of some contemporary book that nobody has heard about is usually pointless because the listener can not relate to those folks, but they can relate to a story of kindness or bravery of what a common, ordinary person has accomplished. So by using common words, simple story, well placed points, with common sense, common language usage, a message can be shared that most folks can comprehend. I shudder to think of what the verbal language will be in a few years, if "hashtags" and other slang are given into the NORMAL language sets that the youth are using today. And I don't want to think they are being taught that in schools today.
Enough of this for now. Hope my sharing some thoughts has enlightened, entertained or opened a door of opportunity to communicate further with me or others, in a courteous, kind and helpful manner. BUT, remember the most important thing in talking and sharing with others: God loves us SO much that He sent His Son Jesus as our Redeemer and friend. God reaches out to us all, all the time. We can visit with more of His Gifts to us another time soon. So until then,
Keep Singing, Keep Laughing and Keep Smiling,
Blessings,
Gary
When I was in High School, I did average work I suppose. Actually, I never failed at any of the courses I took, but was not an honor student either. History was one of my favorite subjects. American history is very interesting, and at the present time a lot of folks seem to have forgotten (assuming they actually knew, to begin with) what values our country was founded on. Our education system is not our only drawback, because through the years, slowly creeping into "normality", our civilization as a world and our country as a specific, has been degrading. Let me explain. I remember my Grandparents values, how they spoke and how they treated people. I admired their gentleness, warmth and the way they treated others. I have fallen short of their examples. There are times that I have a very difficult time to not say what I really think, because it would either disappoint my elders, or get me in trouble with what I said. I am sure there have been times that the wrong word(s) have been chosen to explain to someone a feeling or a point of view. I, like I like to think everyone has, have our own experiences to draw conclusions that are, in times of stress, blurted out without much pre-thought and wish they could have been re-said or not said at all. Isn't that part of growing up and growing wiser? I am sure some folks are slower at learning how to communicate than others are...so we must take those folks into consideration before jumping to wrong conclusions, and making a fool of ourselves. Like on old Saturday Night Live shows, Rosanna Rosannadanna says "Oh never mind". She used to crack me up.
I know some folks, particularly on FaceBook that love to argue most everything that someone says. Most of the time those folks are courteous and kind when making their points. It usually revolves around fact checking which is an area that is rarely used on FaceBook, so the points are mostly well taken by me, sometimes not others. The point is: Using common sense, courtesy and an average respect of the English language so we can all understand, we can communicate much easier.
We (using the term, but excluding myself and others like me) have become a texting, electronic communicating, secluded within ourselves, people. The need for short cuts in speech, as well as in electronic devices is warping our ability to be social to others when face to face. Please refer to my opening statement about "hashtags". I am about ready to start eliminating a good number of FaceBook "friends" that I do not nor cannot understand what their message is that they are trying to communicate. That, and it seems they have a need to let us know every movement they are making! Come on now, is that all that important to spend time and effort texting a message about?
We have become personal isolationists without human touchy, feely, in our face communications and have shrunk to be "texters" but still want everyone to know what is going on for the majority of their waking hours....as it is happening! Now with the abbreviations, and additional slang, it is very difficult to keep up with such activity.
I consider myself a story teller type of a person. I love communicating through personal experiences and stories to help others understand. And as you can guess by now. . . . that takes a little longer than abbreviating texting. When I am blessed and asked to share a sermon on a Sunday morning, I try to attach a story or two to the message to show that normal, everyday people (like the listeners are) can achieve or attain the salvation of Jesus Christ. Quoting theologians or scholars or authors of some contemporary book that nobody has heard about is usually pointless because the listener can not relate to those folks, but they can relate to a story of kindness or bravery of what a common, ordinary person has accomplished. So by using common words, simple story, well placed points, with common sense, common language usage, a message can be shared that most folks can comprehend. I shudder to think of what the verbal language will be in a few years, if "hashtags" and other slang are given into the NORMAL language sets that the youth are using today. And I don't want to think they are being taught that in schools today.
Enough of this for now. Hope my sharing some thoughts has enlightened, entertained or opened a door of opportunity to communicate further with me or others, in a courteous, kind and helpful manner. BUT, remember the most important thing in talking and sharing with others: God loves us SO much that He sent His Son Jesus as our Redeemer and friend. God reaches out to us all, all the time. We can visit with more of His Gifts to us another time soon. So until then,
Keep Singing, Keep Laughing and Keep Smiling,
Blessings,
Gary
Friday, October 11, 2013
Monday, October 7, 2013
Good times with Good Friends...at God's House
I keep thinking it can't get any better, and then God puts another WOW session in my lap. Gibson Wells United Methodist Church has been our home church now for some time now, and it started as a wonderful blessing to have been exposed to these folks during a two month period a couple years ago when I filled in for their previous Pastor. When I was assigned a church to Pastor, we chose Gibson Wells as our home church. When I was hospitalized and subsequently had to focus on my health, Pat and I were able to attend Gibson Wells on a regular basis. We chose this church because we loved the people and especially the youth of the church! What a strong spirit they all have, and it could be felt every time we were around them. We were immediately drawn into their activities and their lives. The kids and the young adults . . . well, to be truthful, EVERYONE just loves on us, like we are not used to. There is NEVER a moment before or after church that there is some one or more that comes over to help me with my guitar and equipment to help me carry it to my car. It kind of makes me feel like a rock star! Such love and kindness to both Pat and I.
While I was Pastoring them, I kept my love for music to a minimum, primarily because I was not there to "entertain" but to inspire, motivate and make Disciples for Jesus, through messages and care. That is the way I am. When assigned a church, I try to focus on leading folks to the wonderful life that following Jesus can bring. Now that I am part of the "flock", and my only motivation is to serve Jesus Christ and our church family while doing all I can to assist and support the Pastor, I am free to focus on what I have been gifted to share with others in the form of Music. I am not a professional musician, but love making music that brings people happiness and a closeness to the Love of Jesus that Gospel Music can inspire.
With all that in mind, we had a Community Picnic Sunday evening, and it was FANTASTIC! Having rain in the morning, the prospects of outdoor activities was pretty slim. All we need to do is have FAITH in God, and He will provide. By 4pm the clouds had gone away and the temperature was mild. When we got to church, the hamburgers were being cooked, the games were being set up and the fellowship hall was being prepared. What a great turnout we had! I had been asked to bring my guitar and lead some singing. The kids and younger folks had a wide range of activities like three legged races, tug of war, the littles had some really fun things as well. I was thinking of joining them, but figured they would really show me up too bad, so I passed on that thought.
We sang a couple songs, Sandra and I played our guitars and then "The Girls" came up and performed a wacky and awesome song with audience participation and lots of movement which was a blast to witness. THAT was super fun to watch and be a part of. A song or two was played and sung by those sitting on and around the wooden deck. Pastor Paul Lore sang a beautiful medley of spirit filled songs, with one of the most wonderful Tenor voice I have heard. What a treat that was. We then sang some more songs as the youth played "the games". You see, when a person gets to the age that playing those games becomes dangerous, we tend to sit and sing instead! All is wonderful. I know Pat and I had a wonderful evening with our church family and when the chill started to creep into the bones, it was time to return home with great memories of all the terrific activities that continues to bring us closer and closer as a family of Christians as we walk our lives together.
The following pictures show what fun you missed. Lets not make that mistake again. Come on over and join in when we have one again.
So it was a great day of playing, singing, sharing, laughing,
and of course what Methodists do best . . . EATING!
Keep singing, keep laughing, keep smiling,
Blessings,
Gary
While I was Pastoring them, I kept my love for music to a minimum, primarily because I was not there to "entertain" but to inspire, motivate and make Disciples for Jesus, through messages and care. That is the way I am. When assigned a church, I try to focus on leading folks to the wonderful life that following Jesus can bring. Now that I am part of the "flock", and my only motivation is to serve Jesus Christ and our church family while doing all I can to assist and support the Pastor, I am free to focus on what I have been gifted to share with others in the form of Music. I am not a professional musician, but love making music that brings people happiness and a closeness to the Love of Jesus that Gospel Music can inspire.
With all that in mind, we had a Community Picnic Sunday evening, and it was FANTASTIC! Having rain in the morning, the prospects of outdoor activities was pretty slim. All we need to do is have FAITH in God, and He will provide. By 4pm the clouds had gone away and the temperature was mild. When we got to church, the hamburgers were being cooked, the games were being set up and the fellowship hall was being prepared. What a great turnout we had! I had been asked to bring my guitar and lead some singing. The kids and younger folks had a wide range of activities like three legged races, tug of war, the littles had some really fun things as well. I was thinking of joining them, but figured they would really show me up too bad, so I passed on that thought.
We sang a couple songs, Sandra and I played our guitars and then "The Girls" came up and performed a wacky and awesome song with audience participation and lots of movement which was a blast to witness. THAT was super fun to watch and be a part of. A song or two was played and sung by those sitting on and around the wooden deck. Pastor Paul Lore sang a beautiful medley of spirit filled songs, with one of the most wonderful Tenor voice I have heard. What a treat that was. We then sang some more songs as the youth played "the games". You see, when a person gets to the age that playing those games becomes dangerous, we tend to sit and sing instead! All is wonderful. I know Pat and I had a wonderful evening with our church family and when the chill started to creep into the bones, it was time to return home with great memories of all the terrific activities that continues to bring us closer and closer as a family of Christians as we walk our lives together.
The following pictures show what fun you missed. Lets not make that mistake again. Come on over and join in when we have one again.
 |
| "The Girls" doing their audience participation while they gave the song "Movement" |
 |
| Ta Da! |
 |
| In deep discussion |
 |
| Enjoying a great evening with friends. |
 |
| Alvin and Linda enjoying and singing along all snug as a bug in a rug. |
 |
| Sandra and Linda....ain't they cute? |
 |
| The Three legged race is ON! |
 |
| Pastor Paul sings! |
 |
| Tug of War P U L L!!!!! |
 |
| Let the Games Begin! |
 |
| Jimmy left holding the top, Robert making a scorching good hamburger and George supervising |
 |
| Sandra and I are "dueling guitars" |
 |
| Dorothy Lore, Pat Saffell and Sandra Carman visiting. Linda and Larry catch up on things too. |
and of course what Methodists do best . . . EATING!
Keep singing, keep laughing, keep smiling,
Blessings,
Gary
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)