How to Hope When It’s Hard: Advent Hope
3 days ago
Friday, May 27, 2011
Blue Star Mother's of America Special Prayer for Memorial Day
The young and the brave...... Now that day is done.
We stand for them with honor, with pride, with broken hearts and empty arms......
Memorial Day.
Our heroes have gone on before us - too young to go - but too brave to stay. Our hearts were set on our lives together, an eternity of days, a future of tomorrows...... yet, day is done.
We draw together in prayer.
May we give thanks to the Almighty that we have such a land of blessing and hope to live in. A land provided and sustained by the brave of our nation. Those who have stepped forth to right wrongs and secure liberties. Those, our heroes, who have gone before us.
May we remember and pray for their families ~ seeking their comfort, their healing, their strength. May we beseech God that they may live in peace, the peace brought forth to our nation by the sacrifice of their hero.
And may we pray for one another. May we never forget what our heroes have given. May we hold our standards high and bringing their honor forth.
Those, too young to go - but too brave to stay......
Now day is done.....
WE STAND FOR THEM!
Peace and Prayers,
May your Memorial Day be One of Blessing, Safety, and Honor,
Rev. Lin McGee
National Chaplain
Blue Star Mothers of America, Inc.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
If We Expect Christ To Return, What Difference Should It Make In How We Live Today?
(Some ideas paraphrased from The High Calling by Mark D. Roberts of Laity Lodge. Exact quotes are inset.)
“Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks.” (Luke 12:35-36)
As a Christian, it was hard to watch and read the media coverage of the countdown to “Judgment Day,” May 21. Because it seemed so absurd to most of us, we ended up making jokes about it--not the fact that Christ will be coming back, but that the exact day had been “calculated” and people were actually putting up signs to that effect along roadsides. We jokingly advised, if your birthday was May 22 or any time after May 21, you'd better celebrate now and eat your cake early!
But on a serious level, it was sad thinking about the many people who had been led astray and truly believed this—believed this to the point of making major career and financial decisions. It was sad seeing Christianity represented this way. It was sad knowing the world had yet another means to mock Christianity.
I was not expecting Christ to return on May 21st, but I am expecting Him to return and will rejoice to welcome Him. I take seriously the promise Jesus made to return and this statement He made about the timing of his return: “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows” (Mark 13:32).
1. What does it mean to live in readiness for the return of Christ?
2. Does the promise of Christ’s return make any difference to you in the way you live?
“Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks.” (Luke 12:35-36)
As a Christian, it was hard to watch and read the media coverage of the countdown to “Judgment Day,” May 21. Because it seemed so absurd to most of us, we ended up making jokes about it--not the fact that Christ will be coming back, but that the exact day had been “calculated” and people were actually putting up signs to that effect along roadsides. We jokingly advised, if your birthday was May 22 or any time after May 21, you'd better celebrate now and eat your cake early!
But on a serious level, it was sad thinking about the many people who had been led astray and truly believed this—believed this to the point of making major career and financial decisions. It was sad seeing Christianity represented this way. It was sad knowing the world had yet another means to mock Christianity.
I was not expecting Christ to return on May 21st, but I am expecting Him to return and will rejoice to welcome Him. I take seriously the promise Jesus made to return and this statement He made about the timing of his return: “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows” (Mark 13:32).
Nowhere did Jesus tell us to try and guess what “no one knows.” I don’t think it’s necessarily wrong for Christians to see how biblical prophecies of the end times fit with current events. This can be a fascinating exercise. But, according to Jesus, we are not to guess the time of his return, but rather to live in a state of consistent readiness. He said, “Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks” (12:35-36). Our Master might return at any time, “but whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready” (12:38).Even though the “Judgment Day” non-event cast a bad light on Christianity, it can serve as a reminder to us amidst our busy daily lives to remember that Jesus is coming back. We, as Christians, should ask ourselves these two questions:
1. What does it mean to live in readiness for the return of Christ?
2. Does the promise of Christ’s return make any difference to you in the way you live?
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Trifecta, Menlo Park, Part 3 The Christening
Here are some pictures from our special day:
Auntie Kristin meets Addison for the first time!!
Trifecta, Menlo Park, Part 2
Chelsea wanted a pretty Christening gown for Addison, so she took her wedding dress to a seamstress and had her create the gown for Addison from it. Here is how it turned out: Gorgeous!
Addison Phair
Just had to post this picture of our beautiful granddaughter.....
We're all waiting to see if she will have curly hair!
Trifecta Weekend in Menlo Park, Part 1
We just returned from a wonderful weekend in Menlo Park celebrating Addison's Christening and Eric and Chelsea's birthdays. It was so great to see them and Chelsea's family too!
To begin the week, Natalie and I drove to Menlo Park on Monday the 16th, to spend the day with Addison, Chelsea, Sue and John. It was so great to have that time with little Addison - and everyone else too. It's pretty hard for her not to be the center of attention!
Here's some pictures from Part 1 of our visit:
Two of my beautiful daughters and granddaughter!
To begin the week, Natalie and I drove to Menlo Park on Monday the 16th, to spend the day with Addison, Chelsea, Sue and John. It was so great to have that time with little Addison - and everyone else too. It's pretty hard for her not to be the center of attention!
Here's some pictures from Part 1 of our visit:
The Cowboy Quilt
Since it's been sooo long since I've updated my blog, it's hard to know where to jump in again! My easy answer to that is to post some pictures of a quilt I have finished.
I had fun working with all the cute western materials and putting it together. The baby boy getting it will be growing up on a ranch, ropin' and ridin'!
I had fun working with all the cute western materials and putting it together. The baby boy getting it will be growing up on a ranch, ropin' and ridin'!
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