Gave Up or Lost

Gave up or lost? 

I listened again to the sermon of 5/15/16 and it occurred to me to wonder if I had given things up or lost them.  For example, I lost my ability to walk, lost my apartment because of the walking and the Parkinsons disease. In the process, I lost a lot of items that I had accumulated over the years, like my postcard collection. Or did I give them up because I knew that I could no longer live alone. Another loss, my independence. Or did I really give in because I knew the Parkinsons will get worse as I age. I'm holding onto my sanity as best I can, but there is so much I either do with difficulty or I need help with like taking a shower. 

I think I am here because this is where God wants me to be, but I often find myself wondering - just what am I doing here and what is my purpose here? Is this God's design, or? I'm not sure of anything right now except that MCCD is and always was the church I was to join and be with when I moved here to be closer to my family. This last is the only certainty that I can hold on to.  I'm not sure of anything else except where I am and my church. 

Now, where do I do with all this and where do I go from her spiritually? Somehow I seem to hav lost a bit of myself.   Where did it go? I'm coming up with interesting questions tonight - are there any answers??? 

God Is Working

See the rugged,

Snow- capped mountains
Reaching for the sky.
See the deep, green valleys
Laying far beneath
See the rolling plains and prairies
Stretching onward mile by mile
See all the signs and know;
God is working – here.

See the trees growing upward
See the green grass beneath.
See the glowing flowers
With all the colors
Of the rainbow.
Look all around you now
And know that again:
God is working – here.

See the small streams
And the wide rivers
Flowing onward to the sea.
See the wider sea
And the restless waves
Beating on the shoreline.
See all this and remember:
God is working – here.

See the people gather,
Young and old, short and tall.
See them in all colors
And all persuasions
Mixing freely all around.
See all of this
And always remember:
God is working – here.

Feel the wind a blowing
Wherever it will
See the rain coming down
Always upon one and all.
See the bright sun shine
Every day, even through the clouds.
Look around you day by day
And know that always and ever:
God is working – here.

Welcome

Hello,how are you

You are welcome here,

Come in and sit down .

We are happy to see you, 

Let's talk awhile 

And find out something 

About each other.. 

Come, sit  down 

And be welcome. 

Music

MUSIC 

MUSIC 

MUSIC 

Music settles my soul, 

Gives me joy, 

And helps me find peace. 

Thank you, God 

For the music 

That you have set 

Within our souls. 

Music soothes, 

Helps me find the center 

And helps me keep 

On an even keel. 

Thank you, oh God, 

For those people 

Who make the….

MUSIC 

MUSIC 

MUSIC 

3 Prayers

Loving God, thank you for reminding me every day that you do love me.  But you also remind me that you love all other people, too.  You have told me that it does not matter what people look like, who they are or what they believe.  You told me that you still claim them as your children, and you love all of them.  You have said again and again that there is no  one who is outside of your love.  Please keep reminding me until it is so much a part of me that there is no one who I can hate, for I do not want to ever do anything that is outside of what 

you want. AMEN

Dear God, I'm sorry, but I'm not doing as well as I should. There are still some people who I would like to 

hate, or at least think that you do not love them. These   people think too differently than I do, and I cannot handle that. Remind me again that those who are different that that your love cannot be restricted to just some people, but is  inclusive of all. Stay always near me, and help me to learn your love. AMEN

Oh God, immerse me so much in your love that there is no one who I can hate or think can be outside of your love.  Fill me so full of your love that no matter who the others are or what they believe, I will remember that your love is theirs, also, even when they disagree with me.  Help me to love others, forit is so much easier to love family and friends than to love others who are so much different.AMEN

 

The Kingdom of Love

    Hope for the Kingdom of love, which shall come. 
It is in this kingdom that all shall live in peace,
nor shall any put down any other.  No person will be
made to feel that they are less than any other person. 
And God's love will be there for all, for all are His
children. 
    Work for the Kingdom of love and let all people
know that God's love is there for them.  This is what
Christmas is all about, God's love made manifest,
walking among the people, showing all how they were
to live in peace. 
    Live as Christ did, loving all people, sharing
God's love with all, and the kingdom will come sooner. 
For the more we live in love and in Christ, the more
the kingdom is present in this world.  And let God's
love flow through us all out to the whole world, that
all the world will know God and His love.

Special

YOU are special!  You are the only one like you that has

ever been or will be. There will never be another like

you, for God made you to be unique.  So let no one tell 

y4ou who or what you must be. Just be the best you that 

you can be.

You ARE special!  You are the only one exactly like you,

so be the best of who you are.  Let no one try to tell 

you who you are or dictate to you how you should act.  

Just be who you are.

You are SPECIAL!  There is only one like you, and God 

loves you just the way you are.  For you are the only 

one with your particular set of genetics and talents.

My Walk

As I walk along, 

I see in  my path 

A dark tunnel 

And no way around. 

It is one of the dark places 

That is always near me 

That I avoid as best I can. 

It is  the dark place 

Within my soul

And I feel to enter there. 

But when I look 

I see Jesus there 

On one side, 

His arms open wide 

Inviting me to come there. 

And He gently holds me 

While the tears flow 

And comforts me 

And reassures me

That He will never 

Leave me alone 

And always will 

Love me 

And calls me, 

“Beloved. “

Don't

Don't ignore me,

I am here

And I am human,

Just like you!

Don't ignore me,

I am alive

And I have needs

Just like you.

Don't pretend

That I do not exist

Or that God

Did not make me.

Don't ignore me

Just love me

As I am

This day.

The Dream

    I had gone to bed.  For a time, I could not sleep, but tossed and turned restlessly.  Then, as I finally started to drop off to sleep, I had the strangest vision, or if you will, a dream.
    It seemed as if I was so large that this solar system of ours was as a toy to me, and I held in my hands our planet.  It was as a ball or a precious jewel.
    It seemed so perfect, this jewel I held, all blue and green, with shifting streaks of white.  But as I looked more closely, I could see flaws.  The scars of war were there, old wars and the bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  And the newer wars of Vietnam and Bosnia.
    Then with penetrating sight, I looked and saw flaws more hidden.  The flaws of hate and suspicion ran across the face of this jewel I held.
    Suddenly, I feared to let go of this ball, this jewel, for if I let it go from me on its appointed rounds, I feared that it would come back to me in fragments, exploded, or as a blackened and dead world.  But yet I let it go, and watched more carefully, for it had become suddenly very precious to me.
    Then I was myself.  And I thought and then wondered if God were not at times afraid to let go of this world of His.  For it seems that however hard He tries, we people turn from Him and choose, instead of the path of glory and light; other darker paths.
    Then my dream returned to me.  And I seemed to watch, afraid, as this precious world of ours wound its way through the starry night. 
1964          

Kindness

 Kindness,,  how to be kind when the other person is not and doesn't seem to care who they hurt?   What can be done in that case?   You start by not reacting the  same way.   If you can, a soft voice and quiet   demeanor can work wonders.   It is  much better to be kind to people,  even those who you  think don't deserve it.   And you just might change the way that other person reacts to others. 

Come, see what kindness can do to relationships between people.  Keep your voice calm and quiet ,  no matter the provocation.  You will have a much better life if you will treat  all other people with love and gentleness.      And this is God's command,  that we live together in peace and love. 

I have discovered that if you talk quietly to a person you distrust,  you just might find the person is not as bad as first thought.   From a distance,  the person sometimes seems impossible to deal with,  but as you get closer, you may find the person is   better than others have told you. 

Thoughts on Love

More power in love, in loving people.

Love is the strength that keeps us going.

Love is the root of all life.

Love is God’s power loose in the world.

Love is a healing strength.

Love is complete happiness.

Love is life; eternal, full and complete.

Love is God; God is love.

Love is wanting the best for whoever you love..

Love is not grasping, holding on, but a setting free  so that whoever you llove can wander and then come bac to you.

Nothing is so great, so wonderfu as love, yet we know so little about it.

I Am Love

I Am Love       

I Am here.
Before the world was,
I Am there,
And I created all.
Yahweh, Elohim,
Call me what you will,
I Am always near.
Out of love
I created you.

John 1:1-5   
I am the word
That created all,
And I became
One with you
To show you all
The way to live
With each other
In love.

John 3:16
I came in love
To teach all
How to live together
In peace and love.
Can you learn
To follow me
And love
All that you meet?

I John 3:1
In this know
How much you are loved,
You are my children!
You are all
Precious to me
And I would
Hold you close
If you will only
Come near.

I John 3:11   
And being all
Children of mine,
Learn to love
One another,
For you all are
Brothers and sisters.
Come together
And see
Who you really are.

I John 4:7-10
I came
That you might
Know what love is,
And how much
I really love you.
Come and see
And find forgiveness
And love
For yourself.

I John 4:11-16
You will come
To live in union
With me
If you will only
Love one another.
And in this union
Is my love shown,
That though you have
Never seen my face,
You still live in union
With each other.

I John 4:17-18
You need not
Fear anything,
For my love
Is always there
To protect you.
Come to me
And see
How great my love
For you is.


I John 4:19-21
I created you
And I loved you
Before you knew me.
I came that you
Might know love
And not hate,
For there is no room
For hate near me.
If you love me,
You love others!
Come to me and know
My great love
For you!

I Said A Prayer

I said a prayer for you today,

And asked God to guide you

In the path that you should go

And keep you safe and sound.

 

I said a prayer for you today

And told God that I cared for you.

I asked for health and happiness

And that you should know love.

 

I said a prayer for you today

And asked God to dwell

Within your heart and soul

Each and every day.

 

I said a prayer for you today

And asked that you have help

In your daily life

To know what you should do.

God is There

God is There

Psalm 23

God is with me,

There to protect

And to show me

Which way to go.

In good times

Or in the bad,

God is there

And will not

Leave me alone.

Isaiah 56:1-8

God is there for me

And for all people

From all nations

Who come together

In love and fellowship, 

Loving one another.

Many are called

From other places

To be here

Where God is,

Where love is.

Matt 28:18-20

As God is there for us,

We are called

To go out to the world

And tell all people

Of the love of God

Shown us in Jesus.

Acts 2:1-4

And God's Spirit

Descends on me,

Leading me to go

And tell the world

Of the love

That is there for them.

Acts 10:9-15

The message

That I was given 

Is this:

God's Love 

Is for all people

And no one 

Will be turned away.

All people are loved

And all are God's!

Hey God

Hey God, I am here, and I want to talk to you.  I don't mind being
here in this life, and most of the time, I don't mind being who I am.
But dear God, I am so oppressed!  Why did you make me to be so
different from everybody else?  Differences are just not accepted
here.  Once people know that a person is different, they turn away or
make it hard for that different one to live.  Some have even been
beaten or killed!  Why God?  Why can't people accept me as I am?  Why must they continually be trying to change me?  Why did you make me as I am?

The Children of One God by Jerry Browning

The Children of One God 

By Jerry Browning 

We have wandered through the desert like the chosen of God did 

We have lived in dark confusion like the face of God was hid

We have searched to find our Sinai while the world kept closing doors 

Far too many chose to turn away, gave up and searched no more. 

They  chose to live in silence, in the darkness of their dreams 

In solitude and one-ness and in loneliness it seems 

Then the light came to a chosen few and wounds began to heal

The time was right, the truth of God began to be revealed. 

Chorus :

We are children of one God who made humanity from clay

We are worthy, we are loved, we're whosoevers who've been saved 

And we join our hearts in love to form a ring around the world 

We are loved, we are the children of one God. 

There was a sound to follow, flute and drums began to play 

The lady and the troubadour stepped out to lead the way

They carried truth and light into the the darkest of the nights

And eyes began to open, wrongs began to be made right. 

One by one, at first with caution, children stepped into the light 

Joining hands in quiet boldness,  standing firm in heaven's light 

Then a thousand came to join them, pretty soon a thousand more 

And the children of one God stood where they never could before. 

Chorus :

Drinking the Joy

Sitting with the family
That God has given me
Knowing that He is here,
Loving me.
Drinking in the joy
That is there,
Because God
Is in the midst.

Drinking in the joy,
Enjoying God’s presence,
Then spreading the joy
To all around
That all may know
That God dwells
Among us
And loves us all.




Drinking the joy,
Feasting on God’s love
For even me!
Wherever I turn,
He is there,
Loving me
Every day.

What more
Can I do
But to love Him?
For He is everything
To me
And His love
Strengthens
And upholds me.

Drinking the joy,
Feasting on God’s love
For all people,
Letting the world know
Of God’s love for them.


Q