Servant’s Heart

Boys,

I have been surrounded by a call for a servant’s heart this past week so that must mean I should pass along the message.

Pastor Melanie Schultz spoke at COTR this past week. She and her husband, Jeremy are planting a new church on the University of Vermont campus and have become close friends through their mission. Melanie left us with this reading from 1 Peter 3:8-12;

⁸ Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. ⁹ Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. ¹⁰For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. ¹¹ They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. ¹² For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

This may sound more like an admonishment against an evil tongue but it is given in the context of how husbands should serve wives, wives should serve husbands, and parents should serve their children. So love one another, be compassionate and humble are characteristics of being a servant to one another.

In another book “Jesus On Leadership” we are asked to humble ourselves before our servants if we are to earn their respect as their master (leader). Leading with a servant’s heart.

I guess in layman’s terms I am hearing “Don’t get too big for you britches.” Jesus washed the feet of His disciples. How will we humble ourselves in our relationships with our bosses, co-workers, spouses, girl-friends, and family.

Something to think about…

I love you ,

Dad

Simon Birch and Darrelle Good

Boys,

Happy New Year.

I want to start the new year with a couple of referrals that I think have helped me get my priorities straight for 2012. I could be writing resolutions about getting a job and losing weight and eating and drinking right to help my Meniere’s Disease but instead I am focusing on the plan God has for me.

In the movie Simon Birch (based on the book A Prayer for Owen Meany), Simon has the following conversation with his pastor while serving timeout in the corner of the Sunday School Room:

Rev. Russell: What are you doing sitting in a corner Simon?
Simon: Thinking about God.
Rev. Russell: In a corner?
Simon: Faith is not in a floor plan.

Simon is on a constant search to discover God’s plan for his life. He is persistent in his faith and unwavering in believing that God does, in fact, have a plan for him in spite of his physical limitations. Go out and rent this movie.

Darrelle Good is the daughter of my long time friend Jeffrey B. Good. She has struggled with her relationship with God over the years and recently wrote the blog below to express how she has found truth in His word. She has given me permission to share her story with you. http://beingaliveisgood.com/

I know that God has a plan for me in the coming year. I even have a bit of a peek at what it might be. However, my goal for 2012 is to wake up every morning and believe that His plan is THE plan and that I will open my eyes and seek Him every day.

Something to think about…

I love you,

Dad

Human Beings

Boys,

I am deep into another novel, Cliff Walking by Dr. Stephen Payne, who happens to be a surgeon right here in St. Albans. It is his first novel and I am enjoying it. It is a story of a collection of individuals whose lives become intertwined through a series of events along the coast of Maine. In all cases there have been past hurts and a reluctancy to share these hurts. Of course I haven’t finished the book yet but I sense we are heading to a wonderful conclusion of love and reconciliation through the power of open communication and sharing. Then again maybe Dr. Payne is just leading me down a rosy path where I will be slammed against the rocks and bashed to pieces like the Maiden. Anyway, I wander…

At one point in the book, Francis, the local artist, offers the following. “Human beings; we want to be better than everybody else, yet deep inside we have a need to be kind, to help take care of others.”

While most of us might not admit that we want to be better than others, we are equally shy about admitting that deep inside we “need to be kind.”

I take away from this passage that no matter our station in life or our perceived status, we want to help take care of others. We do have a genuine need to be kind. Jesus used the phrase “the least of these” when he referred to anyone who might be considered below us and He always reminded us that what we do for the least of these, we do for Him.

Something to think about…

I love you,

Dad

Constipated Men

Boys,

There were five, five constipated men in the Bible, in the Bible. There were five, five constipated men in the first five books of Moses

Well, the first, first constipated man was Cain, he wasn’t Abel.

The second, second constipated man was Balaam, he couldn’t move his ass.

The third, third constipated man was Moses, he took two tablets.

The fourth, fourth constipated man was Solomon, he sat for forty days.

And the fifth,fifth constipated man was Samson, he brought the house down!

Something to think, think about…

I love you,

Dad