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CHRISTMAS IS COMING
11-26-2011
I know we see the signs everywhere. Especially after Black Friday!
So did you survive the rush? the traffic? pushing through the sales? the exhaustion of early shopping?
Well as you know some people did not fare so well! We all read that in one well known store people got maced for crowding a certain lady who was really upset. So that is one way to repel the crowd.
I wonder if Jesus carried a can of mace when the crowd got rough? Do you suppose He was up early at the" Palestinian Holy Wailing Wallmart"? No doubt He was searching for "matso ball soup " on sale just in case He needed to feed some extra people that stayed around too long after the message.
Well now we are in the rush of the season and everyone is ready to panic because they have so much anxiety and a long list of work and shopping before the big day arrives. Can't you already feel the sweat glands bursting out in the holy holiday season?
I have some good news for you. IT'S NOT YOUR BIRTHDAY! IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU! IT'S NOT ABOUT PRESENTS! IT'S NOT FOR YOU!
Christmas is for JESUS! Remember? It is the Messiah's coming into the world. We honor Him! Not the kids or grandkids or mom and pop or old Saint Nick. Get it?
Now since it is not about you and not your birthday then change your focus now and do it quickly before you get all stressed out about presents, food, decorations, outside lights around the scrubby bushes in the front yard.
What if believers really turned this holy day into His Birthday Celebration and not the party for everyone else. Wow, I think Jesus would really be happy on His birthday instead being left out some where in the stable unrecognized like in Bethlehem.
What a novel idea to CELEBRATE JESUS this year. Do you think that could possible really happen with a few of us believers? After all you already had your birthday this past year. Right? So now it is time to give Him the honor He deserves.
Join me this year in focusing on him and giving presents to Him for a change. Go ahead surprize Jesus and honor Him this year.
I will do my best. Will you join me?
~ Pastor Ron
CARAMELIZED WALNUTS
11-07-2011
Take a generous supply of walnuts, cover them with 1/2 pound of butter (don't say anything), with lots of brown sugar and bake them in the oven.
Heaven on earth!! Watch out!! I could eat the entire batch without even stopping to drink my extra large glass of milk.
Now that is a snack to fill my stomach after I have watched a few teaching episodes of my favorite communicator, Andy Stanley.
However these tasty little morsels don't just suddenly appear on the table for anyone to enjoy. They are hand made with love and attention. That love and attention comes from only one person.
I think you already know that person is my best friend, wonderful cook, beautiful lover and dedicated servant of the Lord, and to me also.
These tasty treats and my terrific mate remind me of that special verse penned by the apostle Paul in Romans chapter 12. This is what he wrote: "Honor one another above yourselves."
I enjoy not only the caramelized delicacies, but so much more love and tender kindness because Pam practices putting me first in our marriage.
Her special affection makes my role such a great delight and I want to be a better mate to her because of all I experience from her fantastic spirit of giving.
I think the apostle Paul had much more in mind than marriage. His words extend to every relationship. They model the very essence of Jesus' life and ministry.
Make the investment yourself and like me you will discover the dividends are so much greater. What if every believer practiced this principle. I think our churches would be overflowing with people wanting to know the very secret of personal success.
Oh yes, don't forget, the caramelized nuts. They are fantastic and yummy delicious!
~ Pastor Ron
THANK YOU FOR PRAYING FOR BAJA!
10-12-2011
God answered prayer for our Baja Mission Trip recently. We had 20 team members. Here is a short list of what was accomplished.
1) Effective evangelism at each one of our three outreaches.
2) Distribution of hundreds of pounds of clothing, 100 plus bags of rice and beans, plus toys for kids, 100 backpacks for school children and they were filled with school supplies, flashlights galore, plus more and more stuff!
3) Safety crossing of border, safety in 1600 miles of travel, good health for all team members all week long.
4) Personal spiritual growth for our team members, especially the teens and children with us who were being discipled by the adults.
5) Rewarding door to door visitation in the Triqui Village, including praying for very very sick people who had no access to a doctor.
6) We also accomplished painting a building, re-roofing a bathhouse, day care ministry to kids, and a senior ministry at the "Good Samaritan Retirement Home".
Thank you very much for your prayers! It was truly a successful ministry. Next year it is your turn to get involved and make the trip to Baja. It is a very awesome experience to be used by God to reach other people who have so very little.
~ Pastor Ron
IT IS FUN
09-23-2011
Missionary life is a really great extra special blessing!
I'm not saying that it is easy........OH NO------- But in the many difficulties the "FUN" is seeing God at work.
Soon our missionary team will depart for Baja on Oct. 1st. From our many previous trips we have discovered the results you get when you do the right thing.
YOU ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU FOCUS ON!
YOU ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU FOCUS ON!
For missionaries there is really no option because the struggles and challenges make it obvious that "I must focus on God"
Isn't that true in your life too?
FOCUS ON GOD AND YOU ALWAYS GET GOD
However there are many times when I forget or neglect or just don't want to do that.................then the results are quite disastrous.
Remember when you focused on fear??? What were the results? Yes, you got worry...anxiety...doubt...and lots of trouble and grief.
Remember when you focused on yourself, your strength, your pride? Yes I do and the results were very bad.
Please pray for our team of 20 members that we will stay focused on God.
We will encounter many blessings and burdens with challenges and victories.
We plan to share them with you when we return So please stay tuned.
~ Pastor Ron
RECENT SURGERY
08-27-2011
Yes it happened to me. For five years I took meds to stave off the effects of prostate enlargement. Finally I needed to take action and my doctor did a great job of TURP. That stands for Transurethal Resection of the Prostate. After less than a week now I am healing up really fine and should be back in the office shortly. To give you a little play on words I will say that I have been wonderfully "relieved".
This was my first real surgery and I am so pleased with the results. A two hour surgery resulted in about 5 hours in the hospital with no overnight required. I received great care, lots of personal attention (doting over me every minute) and the wonderful loving service of my beautiful wife.
I look back at the surprising blessings which came from my first time ever surgery. I started out with a cold sneaking up on me and the instruction manual read "you will be canceled if you have a cold." Thankfully I was not cancelled and in fact my cold ended on Tuesday (I had surgery on Monday).
All my symptoms ended in the hospital, no more sneezing, coughing, stuffy nose, or sore throat. They were all gone. It was miraculous! (Unfortunately, Pam got my cold, and worse than I when I came home from surgery Monday night).
The doctor gave me the latest procedure which reduced any major bleeding to a very little loss of blood. Thank God once more for healing.
Another special blessing was the moments of personal sharing together with Pam that made our marriage even more stronger than it was before. Going under anesthesia always makes you aware of being totally out of control. This procedure of unconsciousness was the catalyst that drew Pam and I even closer together. That was an unexpected blessing for which we thank God.
Another great blessing was the little "codeine" version for my pain relief. I really only needed a few tablets but what a joy it produced every time I took one of those cute little euphoria pills. Yes I really had the"joy of the codeine" to fill my cup to overflowing. I joked to my friends that when I was finished I would start a new Codeine Recovery 12 Step Program.
I waited so long for this procedure. I am now asking myself WHY? Why wait five years to struggle and groan when I could have done this so much earlier?
I think God asks us the very same question. Why wait? "Come to me all you who are weary, heavy burdened, struggling with life's problems....I will give you rest." Why wait?
~ Pastor Ron