Archive for the ‘Wesley United Methodist Church’ Category
December 27, 2011
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Christmas is over, or is it? The sun is setting on this year, isn’t it? Jesus Christ came to save us all not just for the one day of the year we celebrate His birth but everyday of our lives. So why do we act like this is the most important day of the year? Why do we go to so many extremes to buy, cook, invite, shop, eat, wrap, decorate, party and stress our lives away? Good question you say! Well I say it is a good question. One each of us as individuals need to answer based on our own reasons for how we waste away the opportunity to truly worship our Lord and Savior. Now I am not saying we should not enjoy the season and give to our family and friends, but what I do want to say is we focus on the wrong things while we are working our way through this season. Our focus with everything we do should be on the salvation, forgiveness and promise of eternity with our God. Our focus should be on His love poured on us and His teachings that show us the good and right way.
Spending time with family and friends showing the love you have for them is the good and right thing. Sharing all that God has given you with them is a really good thing too.
What I really want to say today is that we should treat Jesus just like He is a beloved member of our family. We should spend time with Him, we should hear Him talk to us, we should share our hopes and dreams with Him and live our lives as if He were shopping, eating, buying, decorating, cooking, partying and inviting right along with us. Perhaps we would spend at least some of the treasure we have on things He would have us do and on people He would have us be with. Kind of puts a different spin on it doesn’t it. Wouldn’t it change the way we do all the holiday things we do? Yes, I believe so too! A New Year is coming and could be a new way of living it if we will just think about what we do each and every day.
Have a blessed and very Happy New Year,
Randy
Tags:Birth, Bless, Christmas, Jesus, kindness, Lectionary, light, love, Luke, meditation, methodist, readings, Revised, Scripture, spiritual, Spiritual growth, unconditional, united
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December 20, 2011
Well it definitely is not a manger, she wasn’t born in a stable, no hay just warm blankets, no shepherds just nurses, no wise men but Aunts, Uncles, Nanna and Pawpaw, and we sure do love her a lot. Jeremy and Tracie may not have been Mary and Joseph but I don’t think you will find parents who love their child any more.
This Christmas is a more special one for the Branch/Parzen family. As most of you know we have a new granddaughter. All Christmas days should be special to us all because we do believe in His birth, His life and His sacrifice. His deity is proven to us in His resurrection and ascension. Holding a newborn is a reminder of our responsibility as Christians. We are responsible for those little ones. Mary and Joseph were responsible for Jesus and God led them through the dangers that surrounded them.
Do you listen to your God to help you raise your little ones. Many of us have failed to follow Jesus as well as we should have in raising our children. If you feel that way, you need to realize that first and foremost God forgives you. Secondly, it is never too late to start being the person Christ calls you to be. Kindness and unconditional love go a long way to the witness that Christ wants us to have. Christmas is all about kindness and unconditional love so go out and love your family, friends and even a stranger or two. That is the gift that Christ would have you give.
Merry Christmas and have a blessed New Year,
Randy
Tags:Birth, Bless, Christmas, Jesus, kindness, Lectionary, light, love, Luke, meditation, methodist, readings, Revised, Scripture, spiritual, Spiritual growth, unconditional, united
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December 19, 2011
Tags:America, Bless, bridesmaids, Common, ethics, God, growth, integrity, Jesus, lamp, Lectionary, light, Lord’s, Luke, meditation, methodist, psalms, readings, Revised, Romans, Samuel, Scripture, Scripture readings per Revised Common Lectionary, spirit, spiritual, Spiritual growth, storm, study, Thessalonians, united
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December 14, 2011
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We went to Austin for the birth of our new granddaughter Georgia Ann. She’s named after Jane’s mother. The slide show is just a very few of the many pictures taken on phones and cameras. Baby and parents are at home now and getting settled in with the newest member of the household. I guess we all know who will be ruling the roost for a while. She is a beautiful little girl with a head full of dark hair. Tracie had that same kind of hair but we also hear that Jeremy had a head full too.
Monday I experienced some beginnings and endings. Tracie called Monday morning and said she was being admitted to the hospital and should have the baby early afternoon. The baby was born at 3:52pm. That was the beginnings and the endings were the funeral for Chuck Swiderski at noon. Chuck was a member of Wesley United Methodist Church here in Orange and it was my honor to preside over the funeral. The day was a reminder that we experience life and death everyday and we must prepare ourselves for all that life throws at us. While Georgia has her life ahead of her as a new beginning we see that Chuck lived his life in a way that left his children and grandchildren missing him with the ending of his life. As Christians we believe that Chuck has experienced a new beginning, a rebirth into a new body and a new life with our God and Jesus Christ our Savior. Our lives can be rewarding and so can our deaths. We just need to pay attention to the teachings of Jesus Christ and live our lives the best we can today, each and every day. Chuck did and he received his reward.
Tracie and Jeremy received a reward Monday as an expression of their love for each other. Georgia will continue to be a blessing to us all and we will do our best to raise her knowing God and knowing Jesus Christ. Baptism is in the works for this little girl, maybe even on Christmas day. Hope you all can be there.
God’s peace and blessings to all with prayers for a Merry Christmas all around,
Randy
Tags:Baptism, Birth, Christmas, church, death, God, growth, Jesus, Jesus Matthew Peter Spiritual growth, Luke, meditation, methodist, united
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December 12, 2011
Tags:America, Bless, bridesmaids, Common, ethics, God, growth, integrity, Jesus, lamp, Lectionary, light, Lord's, Luke, meditation, methodist, psalms, readings, Revised, Romans, Samuel, Scripture, Scripture readings per Revised Common Lectionary, spirit, spiritual, Spiritual growth, storm, study, Thessalonians, united
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December 8, 2011
Well it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas around this Branch household. Lights up inside and out. Although the outside light display could use some work. I will try to get to that soon.
I like to think of the lights we all put up each year represents a lot more than our own pride in how many lights we can put up. Wouldn’t it be nice if the number of lights stood for the amount of light that shines through our hearts out into the world to represent Jesus Christ and the light He shines into the world. Wouldnt’ it be nice if our witness to our Lord and Savior was as bright as the lights we put up. Hmmm, just something to think about. The lights can be simple adornments for our home during the Holiday Season or they can say Merry Christmas, we believe in Jesus Christ.
Well any way how about having a Merry Christmas,
Randy
Tags:Christmas, Holidays, Jesus Matthew Peter Spiritual growth, lights, Merry
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December 5, 2011
Tags:America, Bless, bridesmaids, Common, ethics, God, growth, integrity, Jesus, lamp, Lectionary, light, Lord’s, Luke, meditation, methodist, psalms, readings, Revised, Romans, Samuel, Scripture, Scripture readings per Revised Common Lectionary, spirit, spiritual, Spiritual growth, storm, study, Thessalonians, united
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November 28, 2011
Tags:America, Bless, bridesmaids, Common, ethics, God, growth, integrity, Jesus, lamp, Lectionary, light, Lord’s, Luke, meditation, methodist, psalms, readings, Revised, Romans, Samuel, Scripture, Scripture readings per Revised Common Lectionary, spirit, spiritual, Spiritual growth, storm, study, Thessalonians, united
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November 21, 2011
Tags:America, Bless, bridesmaids, Common, ethics, God, growth, integrity, Jesus, lamp, Lectionary, light, Lord’s, Luke, meditation, methodist, psalms, readings, Revised, Romans, Samuel, Scripture, Scripture readings per Revised Common Lectionary, spirit, spiritual, Spiritual growth, storm, study, Thessalonians, united
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November 14, 2011
Tags:America, Bless, bridesmaids, church, Common, ethics, God, growth, integrity, Jesus, lamp, Lectionary, light, Lord’s, Luke, meditation, methodist, per, psalms, readings, Revised, Romans, Samuel, Scripture, Scripture readings per Revised Common Lectionary, spirit, spiritual, Spiritual growth, storm, study, Thessalonians, united
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Wesley United Methodist Church, Orange TX 