I am blessed! I had such a wonderful Father. He was always there for me; always cheered for me; was ready to listen to me and advise me. I knew he loved me and though he has been gone, for 20 years now, I still miss him. As we celebrate Father's Day I now feel honored to be the father for two adult children: Beth and John. Both turned out to be wonderful adults who are responsible, creative, talented, fun to be with, and (most important) truly love the Lord. I wish I could say that this was all a result of my wonderful efforts, but the truth is, as a busy pastor and family therapist I was distracted too much of the time. Fortunately, I have a wife who carried much of the parenting burden and I now benefit, in wonderful ways, from her dedication and effort. But the blessing of being a father, and the opportunity to be a support, encourager, and role model is not over. As long as I am alive there is always the possibility for me to influence the next generation in a positive way...
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When you live in Oklahoma you get used to facing "storm season." The last part of April through June is when we are usually "on watch" for stormy weather. But storms can occur, in various forms, almost any time of the year. Sometimes they are wind and hail storms; sometimes they are snow and sleet storms; sometimes they are "storms" of heat and drought. Whatever the form, they are a force to be dealt with and they remind us that in terms of life, storms come in many ways...
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. I doubt that this theme will be lifted up through our national news, still it is a time to spread the word as best we can. The fact of the matter is that the mental health of many has been challenged during this past year. Our struggle with covid-19 and the relational "fall out" from a hostile election have taken a toll on many. A physician friend of mine told me recently that many of her patients had suffered "set-backs" in their physical health over the past year. I believe that the professional counseling community would say that this has also been true for many regarding their mental health....
Recently my wife and I were enjoying a restful Sunday afternoon when an awful "crashing" sound caused us to look into our garage: the ceiling had fallen in. At the time we had no idea what had caused the collapse, but we immediately knew we had a big mess. It took several days to clear out ceiling panel and insulation. It took several additional days to move items from our garage into storage so that workers could begin their repairs. It was hard to believe how quickly things had gone from "relaxation and peace" to "shock and chaos." But sometimes life is just like that: on the surface all is going well, but then "the ceiling crashes in!" What do we do when we are awakened to discover that life is now a mess?...
There is a fault that I will confess to. It's not something new, rather it is a tendency that I have struggled with for years. The fault is my tendency to try to keep working even when my body is telling me it's time to rest. My guess is that I'm not alone in this struggle...
This past month was the first month, in over a year, that I was able to make an "in-person" pastoral visit to a church member in a hospital. Getting in to see her did have some challenges: I had to: 1. have my temperature taken; 2. wear a mask, 3. make sure there was only one visitor in the room at a time, and 4. restrict my visit to designated floors (some are still reserved for active covid-19 patients). Still, I was able to see "face to face" a lady who had undergone a serious colon surgery. I was able to be present with her, encourage her, and share in prayer with her. It was, in some ways, a small step but still a significant one and definitely a sign that our land is beginning to heal...
Today is Easter Sunday. For many, it will be a wonderful day of worship and fellowship with friends and family. In anticipation of our grandchildren arriving this afternoon, one of my Good Friday goals was to mow the backyard. (Get it in shape for a big Easter egg hunt). But about half way through the project the unthinkable happened: the front wheel came off of my riding mower. The "pin" holding it in place had snapped and wheel came completely off. Fortunately, a friend came to rescue me. The same thing had happened to one of his tractors and he knew exactly what to do. In short order, he had me "up and mowing" once again. But sometimes, things aren't that easily repaired. Sometimes when "the wheels come of" we are faced with a true crisis...
Sunday, February 14, is Valentine's day and this is traditionally a day for couples (married, engaged, committed, or engaged) to express their love for one another. In some ways it is sad that we need a specific day to remind us to share our love with those who are special to us. Still it is helpful to have a specific day when we can stop and focus our affection on the people we value most. This year, perhaps more than any other, is a year when we need to share our love...
It is a very common practice, as we begin a new year, to make "new years resolutions." Usually these are stated in the form of goals that one wants to achieve in the new year. Often times they involve intentions to change ones behavior: exercise more, adopt a healthy diet, read the Bible each morning, etc. The problem with setting these goals is that although we may begin the year with sincere intentions, often by February we have already lost our momentum. By the time we come to December we are lamenting about how far we have gotten off track and how we need to work harder at these goals next year. Maybe we need a different approach...
On December 21, my wife, daughter, and I stood in our driveway (Sapulpa, Ok) and marveled at the beautiful sight of Jupiter and Saturn (the two largest planets in our solar system) as they "aligned" and gave off a marvelous light, marking the beginning of the winter solstice. Their alignment this year is rare and hasn't been seen since the Middle Ages. It is this phenomenon, many believe, that the Wise Men witnessed so many years ago. How blessed we are to have been able to see it as we approach Christmas day, 2020. It should cause all of us to stop and think...
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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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