Archive for the ‘Wesley United Methodist Church’ Category
Upperroom Daily Devotional 9-3-14
September 3, 2014Pastor’s Ponderings, Wanderings, Wonderings
September 3, 2014Posting three things I am thankful for: Day 5
1. I am thankful for all of my life’s experiences. Some were good, some were bad but all were beneficial. All were opportunities for me to choose to grow or choose not to grow. In some of those experiences it took a while for me to see some benefit/opportunity for growth in all that was going on but through the Holy Spirit I am able to look back and see the profound affect they had on me. I know through the leadership of the Holy Spirit I will always be able to grow in my understanding of life and how we should live it here in this earthly realm.
2. I am thankful for the Holy Spirit who touched my heart and changed me.
3. I am thankful for the United Methodist Church for it’s teachings and it’s tolerance for and love of all us sinners and hypocrites. We all know the church is full and overflowing with them. Well maybe not overflowing or full but still welcome to worship and praise the one who saves us, the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
Upperroom Daily Devotional 9-2-14
September 2, 2014Lectionary Readings for 9-7-14
September 1, 2014Pastor’s Ponderings, Wanderings, Wonderings
September 1, 2014Day four:
1. Thankful for my brother and sister’s spouses. Dianne and Mike have been a blessing throughout the years. Our Mom’s and Dad’s must have given us each a sense to choose the right person because we all have been married over 40 years. We all plan to stay that way as long as possible.
2. Thankful for Jeannie and Ken Perkins who taught me so much about our faith. Jeannie who sponsored me on the Walk to Emmaus. It was on this walk that I verbally spoke about God leading me into a different life. A walk with Him. I have been walking in Paradise with Him every day since then. Thanks to Ken for his gentle nature and easy flowing love for God. Ken still is that very same person.
3. Thankful for all my Pastors who taught me that it is okay to be me and love God because I am me. The different personalities of people like Art Pry, Rudy Pace, Ed Barlow, Lindsey Smith and Kevin Kissel were key in helping me understand that God wants us to be individuals who think and witness to how God’s love has inspired them. It is through such diversity that God is able to reach out and touch so many different people.
Upperroom Daily Devotional 9-1-14
September 1, 2014Pastor’s Ponderings, Wanderings, Wonderings
August 31, 2014Posting three things I am thankful for, for five days. This is day three:
1. Thankful for my older brother Jim and younger sister Holly. We may not see each other a lot but when we do we know we love each other. Thankful for the things they do for our Mom.
2. Thankful for church family. Many people who I have grown to love and who have taught me so much through being their Pastor. God has been so good to us through the six years we have been at Wesley UMC. They tolerate me being a hugger very well and have been very patient with my preaching.
3. Thankful to God for leading me into the Pastorate. Twist and turns there were but He got me where He wanted me.
Upperroom Daily Devotional 8-31-14
August 31, 2014Pastor’s Ponderings, Wanderings, Wonderings
August 30, 2014Posting three things I am thankful for, for five days. This is day two:
Yesterday I posted that I was thankful to God first and foremost, thankful for my beautiful wife and thankful for my grandchildren.
1. I am also very thankful for our two beautiful daughters, Misty and Tracie. They are the ones who made our life complete and were the driving force for us to join St. John’s UMC in West Orange almost 40 years ago. We knew raising them in church would make them better people. Thank you girls for the five beautiful grandchildren.
2. I am thankful for family. Thankful for Jane’s side of the family, the Johnsons. They accepted me into the family and are my brothers and sisters. My Mom and Dad, Mom especially, for dragging me to church. Not that we went every day but often enough to give me some basic knowledge. Dad for his strong moral direction.
3. I am thankful for our daughters husbands. Having two son in laws who are good to our daughters and who are hard workers and very good dads is such a blessing.
I know that is really more than three things to be thankful for but each blessing is surrounded by blessings flowing out from them. That is just the way God works in this world. “Give thanks to the Holy One”.
Wesley United Methodist Church, Orange TX 