Colossians 3:15-20
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,
to which indeed
you were called in one body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly
Teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom,
Singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
with thankfulness
in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or deed,
do everything
in the name of the Lord Jesus
Giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
Husbands, love your wives,
and do not be harsh with them
It's the Time of the Season
It's about to fly past Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, and the next morning dawns as All Hallows' Day. All Saints' Day. And if this isn't enough celebrating, then allow All Saints to continue to be 3 Days of All Souls' Day. The olden days were inclusive! And followed with Thanksgiving!
I grew up with my step-grandfather, Rev. Wm Tate Young, who was an extended part of the family. He had gone to University of the South with my great-uncle, Bob Wilson, as his roommate. Tate had proposed to my grandmother about 1926. Unfortunately for Tate, my grandmother had met my grandfather and was, according to Grandmother Bit (Augusta Elliott Wilson Anderson Young), breathlessly waiting for her other brother's roommate to propose - my grandfather. Tate was part of our lives - my whole life. He married into the Wilson family and everyone loved having Tate near us. My mother told me, about 4 years before he married my widowed grandmother, to consider Tate as my only grandfather. Tate was pleased, and I was too.
Finding Steadfast Love, Forever
Tate's house, later with my grandmother, was usually the Thanksgiving destination. And countless Sunday dinners. Tate christened me as an infant, as visiting priest from both Sherman and Dennison Episcopal Churches, at St. Michael's and All Angels Episcopal Church.
All went well. Back in the day, baptisms could be private, mine was.
And on the way home, Tate was driving, waving, talking and gesturing. It was believed... Tate might have drifted out of his lane during this merriment. And the other driver in the middle lane, sat on his horn in retribution, loudly. Then the offended driver, sped up window-to-window, lifted his middle finger in the international sign of, "I'm a jerk, think a lot of myself and this is my description." The driver attempted to yell something to match and go along with his personal signal, and his mouth fell open to his collarbone - - - realizing Tate was wearing a black suit with a white, clerical collar.
Tate laughed, smiled, raised his hand back and waved. His mood didn't flag, even a notch. Tate, said, to the quiet car, "Look, it must be one of my parishioners!" We all laughed a good amount of time. Decades and decades.
There are other 'auto-mobile' quotes from Tate. "Hell is like going on vacation, with those you love, in a small car. "
Tate believed firmly in God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit
and having a firm opinion.
On - everything. But not from the Pulpit.
Because Jesus is more important than an opinion.
The Pulpit blesses all of us, in Jesus Christ.
The Pulpit blesses all of us, in Jesus Christ.
So, we need a Church, centered, believing Jesus is Lord
God's Word is True
and we are all sinners.
God is Love.
Jesus is Forever
Jesus doesn't have a Direction
He is the Direction and the Destination
Jesus is Living Water. And with His presence, as the Holy Spirit, Holy Water goes everywhere Holy Water wants to go. In the thirstiest of places. Jesus is seen in the schools, hospitals - all aspects of the fullness of the earth. The Holy Spirit is both All and Almighty, yet, gentle comfort going where invited.
Tate was a Priest for over 50 years. He went everywhere to everyone. With an open heart.
The Church is his guide. The Door is open because the Heart is Open.
Opinions are pushed aside. Jesus is Love. In the Pulpit, Tate was teaching the Word of God, not agenda. Uniting. Not dividing. Always praying for the President and for Justice for everyone.
As a child, watching Tate and going to Parochial schools - I have found the best portion of the week is Worship. Beautiful. Marvelous. Worship. We stand before the Lord and tell Him Thank You. We thank Him for our Blessings, we are precisely, exactly who we are to Him.
We are under His Pinion. His Umbrella. Invited to His Throne, His Heart, His Joy. We bring our joys and sorrows and know Him as Father. The Exact Nature of Jesus Christ.
Each week, as Episcopalian or Methodist, we always prayed to be one with the Holy Catholic Church. This doesn't mean we will be saying the Eucharist in Latin anytime soon. Instead, this is a request of God to be at Peace with one another, who say, "Jesus is Lord." Overcoming the this and that. Know, deeply, all will be before Jesus Christ. Every knee will bow, Jesus Christ is Lord.
Catholics are diverse. Episcopalians diverse. Methodists diverse. Presbyterians had 14 different denominations, last time I checked. Diverse and diversity are different in a Church and in the secular area. Heaven has no closed gates.
God never says not to pray after 10 pm or before 10 am.
Prayer opportunities never cease!
Times and seasons change.
This season has something different constantly happening, like popcorn.
Overt sadness, depression, denial, ignoring the situation - Oh - the ways I've dealt with major changes in the past. However, now, I give myself permission to feel how I feel. And realize this is a season. Huge changes take at least two years to grieve, and this is natural, is the heart in healing time. We lost our daughter being stillborn during Hurricane Ike. Grief can be placed in the Hands of God forever. We allow this to return for moments, to remember love, and we put this back in His Capable Hands.
Vacations, in emotions, are times when we have a headache, or we know our mood is low. Then we know to tell ourselves, I'm putting this in God's Hands and taking a vacation from the worry or the sadness. No new, huge decisions will be made. This is rest.
The other aspect of dealing with pressure from all directions is to be kind, speak willingly and speak politely. I speak truth with mercy and don't always like the results, but people have to decide their own path. I know mine will be Love the Lord and seek Him first.
I watched the news a great deal during the Pandemic. Saw Lemon tell people not to be friends with those who have different ideas. Heard Anderson say some sites are loved by everyone, but he is saying, stay away from some sites, they aren't for us. The news is an opportunity to pray. In fact, I pray watching television shows from a decade back. Lord, please help us all - not to be that. Let's find more, instead.
Be more Heaven on earth.
Now, I watch the news, maybe, ten or fifteen minutes a day. Got the gist. Stories seem to repeat in a more aggressive way.
When people will disagree. That's ok. Let's be polite and speak the truth with mercy. I worked in Pro Life. We talked to single, married, happy, sad, doing well, struggling and overcome. We did STD tests for gay people, married and sad people. Almost everyone cries to find out they have this happened to them. It was a time they found sex used as a weapon instead of love. And this is trust betrayed. The way we have meaningful conversation is to be honest with one another. And speak willingly to those who speak politely. Truth and mercy are the goals in Jesus Christ. His Word, His Plan, He comes First.
The Bible has 3,000 pages of disagreement, struggle or conflict. Evidently, God planned and we learn as we struggle. And this is Unity. Unity in a love for Jesus Christ. Unity for open hearts. Unity becomes what God is ... Love.
In my Pro Life work, I'm not a Republican, I'm the Child of Jesus willing to talk about the situation honestly and with hope and recovery. The East is far from the West, overcoming sin and unhappiness. Completely and Forever as God's Promises. Not with judgment. With Hope. Speaking of unhappiness. If someone seeks to leave, then this is their choice. But the Door is open like the Gate of Heaven.
The Book of Acts has a plan for true Jesus Unity. Prayer. I will pray for your concern, please let me know, let's pray. In Pro Life, I always prayed like this and have never been thought of as uncaring to pray like this:
Abba, Father,
We come together to pray
and ask You to be present,
hear this prayer, please,
in Jesus Christ.
Dwell in me,
Dwell in us,
Dwell in those we Love,
Help us to seek You first.
And we will finish well, in Jesus Christ.
Help us to find and bring
to become
more Heaven
to this earth.
Your Plan, Your way,
Your Son is best.
Establish us on your path,
help keep us near You
and on the path.
Your Wonderful Plan.
You Include All in Your Plan.
Encourage us in Love
Encourage us with Your Joy.
Jesus, teach us to follow You
more closely in Your Word.
Correct us in Your Love
to remain with You.
Help us when the path isn't seen
Protect us to remain with You.
Your Love is
where I want to be.
Forgive me for my
flaws, weakness and sin.
Because You are God of Love
and I need you in my life.
Help us with our needs
today
and You will help us tomorrow as well.
Bless Israel with peace,
Bless families with living, loving hearts,
Reawaken God being first.
Bless this Nation.
Bless the Nations who need You.
In Jesus,
Amen.
Psalm 118:24
This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do, in word or deed,
do everything
in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks
to God the Father through Him.
Psalm 136:1
Give thanks to the Lord,
for He is good,
for His steadfast love
endures
forever.
♔ Lord Jesus Saves †
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