LIFE

"the experience of being alive" Merriam-Webster

Scripture teaches:

"Fight the good fight for the faith;

take hold of eternal life

that you were called to

and have made a good confession about

in the presence of many witnesses." 1 Timothy 6: 12 (HCSB)

Sometimes life is just hard, we find ourselves going through the motions, we get up each day, brush our teeth, grab a cup of coffee and run out the door. At the end of the day, we return, take off our shoes and descend into the sofa, to awake the next morning to do the same thing.

Life is more than that, we are a called people, we are the chosen of God to fulfill the great commandment: to love God first and foremost and then love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

Life is that moment when we come to the place of weariness from the world and know that there is much more that we are to do!!!

Scripture tells us very clearly we we are to MAKE A GOOD CONFESSION and to do it in the presence of many witnesses!

There is no plainer explanation of what we are to do: to live life by first confessing Jesus as our Lord and Savior so that we are his witnesses throughout the entire world...

Mark 16: 15 "Then He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation." (HCSB)

"CHANGE"

Change comes in all forms, shapes and sizes. Here in Lake Placid, NY we see the majestic colors that show themselves on the mountains. We experience the warmth of the sun rays as they bring a smile each morning as it come up over the mountains. 

Change can sometimes be the exact thing we need most, or it can bring great anxiety and fear. The world saw great change when the birth of the Messiah took place in that small village of Bethlehem. The world again saw great change that Friday when the earth went black and Messiah breathed his last breath.

Change is inevitable, we experience it every year, we move from one season to another, We also see change in our own personal lives as we move from infancy through adulthood, yet there is ONE thing that never changes and that is God's Word.
                                                    Matthew 24:35...

We can remain confident that God is the same yesterday, today and forever!  
                                                   Hebrews 3:8...

Knowing that we can hold onto the fact that life may change fast around us, we hold to the understanding that God is amazing and gives us exactly what we need to deal with the change. 

So as the season begins to change again, let us be ready for the change that God might ask us to make in our lives.

Until next time,

Pastor Patti

Tables and Dinner

What does dinner look like in your house? Is it busy with everyone's daily schedule? Is is a time where the family can come together and sit together to hear the stories about what happened that day? What ever your table looks like, remember that God is the guest that is there listening with excitement!

Many times as a child in my house we would have unexpected guests arrive and mom would always make room for one more. There was always enough room at our table.

As a follower of Christ, I learned early in this journey how very important the table of God is!  

As we grow in our faith we learn that some time during the church service we expect the table with bread and cup to be shared just as Jesus shared with his disciples. When it comes time for this sacrament we might sit in anticipation or we may sit with high anxiety because we do not feel worthy of participating. 

No matter how you approach the table, remember there is always room for one more!

Paul continued to make the table available to all people in his teaching from 1 Corinthians 11:

 23 "For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 gave thanks, broke it, and said,[f] “This is My body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.”

25 In the same way, after supper He also took the cup and said, “This cup is the new covenant established by My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes."

Are you ready today to have dinner with God and listen to the words he has for you? Are you ready to invite someone else to the table so they can be filled and nourished?  

Come sit for a while, enjoy some of God's great food, the bread and the cup!

Until next time,
Pastor Patti

ADJUSTING

Adjustments a part of life. We all do it when we begin something new. How about when you got married, you had to adjust to your life partner and the proverbial toothpaste debate. Or when children came along and you had to learn to share your spouse with a little one who demands a lot of attention. Or perhaps you have lost the love of your life due to illness or accident and you have to adjust once again,

Another adjustment in life is when we decide to give our lives over to Jesus. To allow him to walk along side of us to helpful grow us into the person that God chose for us to be long before we were even born.

The scripture speaks of many stories of people's lives whom God had to make adjustments; look at Adam and Eve, they had it made in the Garden of Eden, then lost it all, or how about Moses, he was living the life as a wealthy Egyptain boy and then God calls him back to his people for a huge job! Or Paul, who was being a great Pharisee, but God changed all that when he knocked him off his horse and called him to be the person to change the world as we know It,  to that which brought Christianity to so many!

With each adjustment God was present; the adjustments were never easy, they always come with stress and circumstances, but God is always faithful. God walks alongside of each person to guide and direct. Maybe not the way you want or expect, but God is there!

What is the adjustment that God is making in your life today? Do you know that God is there with you? Do you reach out to him and call him by name for guidance. Do you even slow down enough to hear his answer?

Let us begin to allow God to make those adjustments in our lives,  so that we can learn to trust and obey! Just as the great hymn "Trust and Obey" written by John H. Sammis, 1846-1919 is shared below:

“When we walk with the Lord

In the light of His word

What a glory He sheds on our way

While we do His good will

He abides with us still

And with all who will trust and obey

Trust and obey

For there's no other way

To be happy in Jesus

But to trust and obey”

Until next time, let’s sing this again and this time let’s mean it!

Pastor Patti

Our View

Ah, is what might come to mind when we think of the great wonders of the world, or maybe the scene from the top of a mountain after a hike. Or how about sitting at the ocean as the sun is setting for the night.  What great thoughts and feelings may come over you as you think on these things.

God has given us all an opportunity to see things that others may never have had the opportunity to! I recall visiting with a group of Native American youth in Southern California in 2012. These youth were from reservations around the U.S. Many of them were thousands of miles away from home while attending school. Many of these youth had never seen life off their reservation before attending this particular school.

This story is important because it describes for us the way many might view God. Many may never have experienced anything about God other than what they are accustomed to or how they have practiced their faith for decades.

So let's look at how these two thoughts reveal the true love that God has for us... God gives us the ability to experience new things all the time. We may not like the "view from our seat" but the view is there whether we like it or not!

God may give us an opportunity to move out of our comfort zone and allow us to experience the greatness of what he has in store for us if we just "soak it all in"!

So, while we have are in a situation that requires us to look for God's blessing, remember the view God has provided that is right smack in front of us!

Until next time,

Rev. Patti

Taking A Journey

I AM THE EMPTY TOMB

Just a few days ago, I was charged with the job to hold and cradle the body of the Son of God!

Today he is no longer with us! You see, he awoke and the stone was rolled away!

I no longer hold him, for he has

RISEN FROM THE DEAD!!!

 

Taking A Journey

I AM THE TOMB

I have been purchased by a wealthy gentleman for his last resting place. But now I find myself being used for a common criminal. I cannot imagine what this rich man was thinking to use me in this way.

I am to be a place of honor, a place of respect and a place for the wealthy, not for a person who was disgraced by dying on a cross where thieves dye.

Yet, when this man’s family brought his body to be laid inside of this tomb, I realized that this man was someone who was great; he was gentle, he was kind and there was something that spoke to me about him.

I am so proud to be the place chosen to hold the body of this great man; The Son of God!

I now become dark as the soldiers are sealing the doorway with a huge rock, because if they don’t in a day of two this earthly shell will begin to smell and those who come to pay homage to this man will not want to have a vivid memory of such a smell.

It is cold in here, dark and hard; but I will wrap my smooth shape around his body, just like a cradle!

Trust me, I will hold him softly as long as he remains!

Taking A Journey

I Am The Wood

I once was a small seed that grew into a tree, full of leaves and branches. I had strong roots to secure me in the soil that fed me; so that a I could become this massive tree strong and beautiful. Dark and rich in the colors of woodland greens and browns of all hues and colors

Now that I have grown to the point of becoming something more that just taking from the earth, I am now to the point in time where I am being called upon to give. SoI freely give myself over to be cut and hewn into something that will be remembered for all of eternity.

I am being cut in such a way that I am being made into the cross that will carry the Savior of the world. You see I will carry the body of the man that was cast out by his own kind to be killed for something he did not do. Many of his followers just turned their backs on him for the frenzie of the moment; which caught them off guard.

I remember being in the area close to his home and watching him grow into the strong man he is today, the day that I, the tree, was chosen for. Yes, I am heavy and I will be difficult for him to maneuver, but I am honored to give my life for the sake of holding the Son of God. This man named Jesus will never be forgotten. I know I have rough edges and carrying me will cause even more pain for him. I will try very hard to be gentle! When he falls under my weight I will continue to be as gentle as I can.

You see I am the wood of the cross. I am the last thing this man called Jesus will touch. I will become the symbol for all of his followers, not only his followers now, but in the generations to come!