There are times when you just have to sit back, take a deep breath and enjoy what is happening around you. There are times when your world comes crashing down around you from an unexpected direction and is totally NOT understood. Then as your wounds are being licked and you try to understand the WHAT and the WHY, you come to the conclusion that it wasn't all that bad after all. You also determine that it is all part of God's unblemished plan for you and that there was grace and opportunity within, that actually makes sense. THAT's where the enjoyment and amazement comes in.
I have been dreaming and wishing for years for the opportunity to some day be qualified and able to be a Pastor of a church. That day came when we moved to West Tennessee over four years ago. We are members of the United Methodist Church. It was founded by John Wesley when the United States was an infant. It comprised of many individuals called "Circuit Riders", that traveled between different congregations (churches) in the developing wilderness of this great country of ours. Some routes brought the traveling ministers to a church once a month or even longer, depending on the area being served. In the mean time, the congregations continued in Bible Study and accountability of each others actions, etc. Like we as the Body of Christ still do today, but usually with our Pastor with us all the time. So, as United Methodists, our Pastors are itinerant to some degree as they are assigned to locations on an average of every four or five years, depending on the Conference they are in or even the district. With that said, I am a United Methodist Lay Servant (previously called Lay Speaker) and have been for over 25 years now. Through this period, I have had the privilege to fill in for Pastors of other churches as they requested, or as the Director of Lay Speaking Ministries or Resource Directors have asked. I was doing that more and more since my move to this beautiful part of the world called Tennessee. One day our District Superintendent called me into his office and asked how I liked the people of a little country church that I had been serving for a couple weeks for their Pastor who had undergone some medical challenges. I told him I was really enjoying the time with them a lot. He then asked the question that I have been wanting to hear for many, many years. "Would you be willing to be their Pastor?" What a beautiful sentence that was. It was a learning experience that I shall never forget. I had been given the opportunity of a life time. I felt the joy that only God can give. What love and affection. Although it was quite a drive to and from the church, and the fact that I was assigned as a part-time Pastor, I did what I felt called to do. I was honored to visit members that were in several of the local hospitals (also quite a distance to drive), nursing homes, convalescent homes, rehab centers, paid visits with my Lay Leader to several members (men and Ladies) homes, and was a very frequent attendee at the Wednesday evening Youth Gathering. After 10 months of wonderful and cherished times with the congregation, I found myself in the hospital and diagnosed with an incurable lung challenge that would require learning to live with oxygen assistance. I had been blessed with modern technology in the form of a small unit that looks like a purse but hums as it generates my breathing needs. I never missed a Sunday during all this. I was in and out of the hospital in four days and back in the pulpit the following Sunday. It was then that I found out that it would be better for someone else to continue their Pastoral needs after a very intense meeting. What a devastation for me to accept.
That is when the healing time progressed and I had time, with the stabilizing assistance from my loving wife to start going to a church that we had served for a two month period some time ago, while their Pastor was on maternity leave. This church has an active Youth program and has a Spirit that surrounds anyone coming into their presence. It reminded us of the church in Nevada that we left when we moved East. Things started to fall into place almost immediately. I found the opportunity to continue my love of music by helping out the pianist at Worship. The Youth are such a blessing, and I was asked to share my music at one of their Sunday evening meetings. I was given a suggestion of a musical journey towards Christ. I thought that was a FANTASTIC idea, and went to work picking songs to do just that. The evening came, and it was a wonderful, cool in the shade, evening on the wooden deck between the Church and the Fellowship Hall. That evening a young lady decided to accept Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior! It was quite a blessing for all of us that evening. She was later Baptized when the church spent a weekend at our Methodist Camp on the Tennessee river...along with three others that had made that decision the night before during a time of song and testimony in one of our lodges. What a glorious time for our church, and for those youth! Pictures are on my Facebook Page for you to see how wonderful it was.
After much thought and inner searching, I have come to the conclusion: My relationship with God is strong. I feel strongly that He has allowed me to experience what I had been wanting and working toward for years . . . to Pastor a church. Now His soft voice is telling me this: "I have let you have what YOU wanted, now I want you to do what I want . . . to use your musical gifts to build the Church." With the help of Pastor Paul, the wonderful pianist Sandra, and the many awesome people God has put together at Gibson Wells United Methodist Church, I feel that the time has come to expand the music (which is God's inspiration) ministry to help bring others to be Disciples of Christ for the betterment of the community and the world.
I do wish to have the opportunity to preach the Word of God whenever I am asked, and maybe some day before this life is over, a Pastoral opportunity is again offered. In the mean time, Music is what I will be focused on and will work toward our ultimate goal of reaching out to others through music, to seek out a relationship with Father God, Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Your prayers for our success is appreciated and you will be blessed.
Remember,
keep singing, keep praying and above all . . . keep laughing
Blessings,
Gary
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Friday, November 1, 2013
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
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