Wesley United Methodist Church, Orange TX

Jan Day gave me some cuttings from one of her roses.  I believe there were three all together.  After several days of sitting on the counter in the house, I found a small plastic pot, planted the stalks, and this one survived.  I walked out into the backyard yesterday after the heavy rain and the rose had so much water on its petals that it was hanging down.  I shook the water off and it perked right up to this beautiful small rose.   It is only about 1 1/2″ across but it is a beautiful rose.  Hopefully the plant will keep growing and we will be able to enjoy many more roses in the years to come.

Isn’t it amazing that God has created plant life that will grow after it has been cut off from its parent bush.   Many times we are removed from a familiar place and planted somewhere we are not familiar with.   In the struggle to grow and take root in a new environment, we can give up or we can set new roots, get involved in a new community and blossom into the beautiful followers of Christ He calls us to be.  Just as that rose was transplanted we too must strive to be all that we can be as a follower of Christ.   He will nurture and feed us through His Holy Spirit if we allow Him to.   Stay in the Word, take time to meditate and read a devotional each day.   These time honored practices will give each of us the connection to the nourishment that our souls need.

Have a blessed day,  Randy

I have added a new page to our blog.  “Visiting the Sick, Opportunities” is the name I have given it.  I base it on Matthew 25:36 where Jesus is talking about those things He would have us do if we want to be a part of His Kingdom.  There are other opportunities listed which are very important actions we can and must take as Christians.  While the scripture says “Iwas sick and you took care of me,” we must remember that caring for also means that we visit and let them know we CARE for them.  Hold a hand, pray, just sit and listen, being there means more than you will ever know.  Be a blessing to someone who is in need.   It gets you in the kingdom when it is done in love.

Mat 25:34“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who have been blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Mat 25:35For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.

Mat 25:36I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you took care of me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

Be a light shining through the coming darkness.  The sunset above says that night is coming but there is light still shining.  When we visit we are that light shining that gives hope.

Have a blessed day and may the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you,   Randy

Brady (grandson) has started football.  I took him to his first couple of practices.  As I watched them go through the conditioning drills that will get them physically in shape and help them to be mentally tough for the sport, I could not help but compare all that they were doing with our Christian lives.   Just as Brady had to hear about football, get excited about it and make a committment to the sport, we as Christians must hear about Christ, get excited about Him and accept Him (make a committment) as our saviour.

It takes a lot of hard work and committment to be the best you can be in any sport.  Many parents will go to all kinds of practices,  make all kinds of road trips to games and go to many meetings so that their children will have the opportunity to be the best they can be in their chosen sport.  The question is why those very same parents will not take their children to an hour or two a week of church activities?   It takes a lot of hard work and committment to be the best you can be as a child of Christ and just as little Tobey is trying to imitate his big brother so our children imitate us.   If we put no importance on our life eternal, show no committment to Jesus Christ, have no interest in church or the activities that church promotes,  our children who imitate and learn what life is about by our actions,  will show no interest in learning about Christ or accepting Christ as their saviour.

Have a blessed Sunday, spend some of it with God and Jesus, it will make the week ahead a better place to be…

Randy

This picture was taken yesterday evening at the WOS parking lot.  One of the benefits of having my Blackberry Tour is that it takes pretty good pictures most of the time.  It does have its limitations though. 

I love seeing sunsets.  They can be so beautiful and inspiring and in turn remind me of my limitations; another day has gone by and I have left much undone.  But there is hope in this sunset because God has given me a new morning and a new day to go out and be the Christ follower He has called me to be.  Here we are in a new day with a new sunset promised to us.  Make this day a day that you see God in and allow Him to help you make it a better day.

See the link to the right of the post for The Upper Room Devotional.  Try making it a habit each day to read this or some other devotional.  It can help you start out the day with the Spirit of Christ in your heart which will make it a better day.

Don’t forget your Wesley UMC’s cookbook.  It is the Fruit of the Spirit.  Let me know through Facebook, this blog or the church phone number 4098867276 how many you want. You can also email us at Wes2ley@att.net.

Have a blessed and peaceful day all day,  Randy