One of the things I love about living in Oklahoma is that we, for the most part, get to experience four distinct seasons. I will admit that Winter has been sort of "light" for the past couple of years; still you can tell that it's not Summer, Fall, or Spring. With each new season, activities change; so do the scenes of nature that surround us. It is a reminder that life is ever changing and that each season of life is a opportunity to know God, our self, and others in new and deeper ways...
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What is the difference between a sprint and a marathon? A sprint is a short race; one in which the runners can easily see the end-line. A marathon is a long race; in a marathon, until the very end, the participants cannot see the end line. They are two very different races and involve different strategies. A sprint requires a burst of energy for a very short period of time. A marathon requires a management of energy and can go on for several hours. So with the COVID-19 virus crisis, it is helpful for us to realize that we are "running a marathon," not a sprint; and we will need a sound strategy if we are going to cross the finish line...
Faith, hope and love are described by the apostle Paul as the three qualities that last forever. In my experience, we hear a lot about faith and love, but some how the quality of hope doesn't seem to get as much attention. Still, Peter tells us that hope is an essential aspect of our new life in Christ. He says it in these words, "You have been born again to a living hope..." (1 Peter 1:3). Psychologists and Social Scientists tell us that as long as people have hope they will continue to: fight, move forward, and hold on. It is when people loose hope that they tend to give up and give in to the destructive situations and challenges they face. I think that in the face of the covid-19 virus crisis, this is a time, especially, when people need to hold on to hope. I would like to share two examples of what I mean...
I've heard many inspirational speakers over the years but recently I heard the testimony of a man who challenged my heart, mind, and soul. The setting was the "Wild Beast Feast" (a weekend fellowship and training for Christian men) sponsored by the Friendship Baptist Church of Owasso. The speaker was Clay Dyer, who is a professional fisherman and Christian speaker. Now what's so special about hearing the testimony of a professional fisherman? This professional fisherman was born without legs, and with only one (partial) arm. Still, with all of these limitations he has managed to accomplish many great and wonderful things....
Recently a friend of mine, Karen "Girl" Friday, shared a post on linked-in which included a picture of a cross and this prayer, "Lord, place the cross and the blood of Jesus between me and the enemy, and between me and difficult people and circumstances. There's nothing your redemptive blood doesn't cover. And there's nothing it can't redeem. In Jesus Name. Amen." Her post reminded me of an experience I had many years ago, and of my own Reconciliation Cross....
Important decisions come at all stages of life; this is especially true of spiritual decisions. We were reminded of this as our 2020 was launched with the baptism of our grandson, Sam. He had mentioned, to his parents, in November that he wanted to be baptized. After several conversations, with both parents and Pastor Keith, it was decided that his baptism would occur during morning worship, the first Sunday of the new year. He was surrounded by his family (parents, grandparents, aunt, and brother), the children of the church and a host of church friends. Pastor Keith read about the significance of baptism, asked him some personal questions, and then lowered him down and up from the water. Though he is only 7 years old, Sam had made a decision that we wanted to follow Jesus...
As my son, John, approached his 16th birthday, he was actively shopping for his first vehicle. One day a friend of his called him and said, "Hey, you've got to take a look at this 1966 Ford truck. It doesn't run, but it can be fixed up and you can get it for a steal." The next day John and his friend (who happened to be his former grade school principle) came home towing "Old Red." It needed paint; it needed repairs to the engine; it needed repairs to the bed; but together John and Mr. Flurry worked on this old truck. Then one day, John came running into the house shouting, "It's running! It's running!" Though it still needed a lot of work, together they had got the truck running. But that was only the beginning. Over the years, as time and money have allowed, John has continued to repair, fix-up and restore that truck. John is now in his 30's and "Old Red" is still a work in progress...
The relationship between spirituality and mental health has long be an interest of mine. There are times when mental health professionals and the religious community seem to be at odds with one another. But it is always exciting to me when I see studies which reinforce the belief that spirituality and mental health are closely connected. So you can imagine my joy when I recently came across an article titled, "7 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Gratitude."
A little friend has been hanging out at our house recently. It is a little frog who we usually see in the evening (around dusk) at various places on our front porch. He loves to hang out on the hood of our porch light. When it is turned on at night it draws all sorts of insects and bugs and I guess he sort of thinks of it has his "evening buffet." But several days ago we began missing him. We looked for him but he was no where to be found. We thought perhaps he had moved on. But, the other day my wife got her water bucket and filled it so she could water the porch flowers. As she tried to begin watering, for some reason the water wouldn't come out; something was blocking the flow. After emptying the bucket of water and examining the spout, to her surprise, she found "froggy." He was stuck in the spout; so she quickly rescued him. He was still alive and seemed to be doing ok. But apparently he had gotten into the bucket and couldn't get out. Had he stayed there he would have surly died. When she got him out she placed him on the handle of the bucket, and with no apparent fear, he sat there as she took his picture. It also most seemed as if he was saying, "Thank you. I was in an awful spot. Thank you for rescuing me!"...
Our daughter, Beth, recently spent five days in the hospital with abdominal pain, vomiting, and dehydration. The picture above was taken on the day she was released (the heart of the problem was finally determined to be the gallbladder which was removed a week later.) As we gathered her things and prepared to leave the hospital she exclaimed, "Don't forget my flowers!" These were very special flowers indeed...
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AuthorDr. Allen Schneider is a United Methodist pastor and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist presently serving the Sapulpa and greater Tulsa communities. Archives
March 2024
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