In Memory of Betty aka "likeisaid"

Once upon a time there was a blogging site called "journalspace" (JS). This site was just any ordinary site.... the people who posted there were not just normal people, they were special! It was the only site I have come across where those writing there actually became like a huge family, with all the pros and cons of a family.
One of those really special members as "likeisaid" aka Betty. She was funny, charming, and an excellent writer. Once she had also been on the road to becoming a country-western singer, but life's trials and tribulations got in the way.

On "journalspace" she shared her life with us, but in a way that it never sounded like whining. And she was there for all of us... listening to OUR whining! She was so cute and funny... and her entries reflected that.
In spite of being of an "older" generation, she learned html and soon her creative talents went to designing layouts for her blog.... you never knew what the layout would be when you visited, at times it changed almost daily. And they were all simply amazing!

In 2008 I made a trip to Dallas, Texas, to meet a number of journalspacer's. And on that visit I managed to meet Betty and Paul in person! In the photos below, Betty is hugging the orange scarf I had bought on a trip to Egypt and presented to her, along with a German Christmas mug. Paul is the one in the baseball cap.

After JS crashed in December 2008, Betty, like the rest of us, tried to find a substitute place to post. But no site has the been able to have the same family/community feeling like JS did. Betty tried her best to continue blogging as before at various sites (blogger, KCL, etc.), but it wasn't the same and she began posting less and less. Luckily most of us, including Betty, Paul, and Betty's sisters Sally and Paula, signed up with "facebook" and we were able to keep in contact.

Through "facebook" we found out about Paul passing away. Betty never really recovered from this great loss. And together with her real-life woes, including the poor health of her dogs, her own health deteriorated.

Betty has now joined her dear Paul. I already miss her terribly, but I know she is now in a happier place.

I miss you already, Betty!

Dorrie aka "Westy"

Two Worlds

We live in two worlds, one is physical and the other is spiritual. The physical world is easily discerned, but pulls us in many directions at once. The spiritual world is easily ignored, but leads us to the inner fulfillment of God’s love. Time spent giving attention to spiritual matters will ease the time we must spend on matters of the physical elements.

            Our physical bodies can both deceive us with vanity, and when we least expect it, stop us cold with a dose of reality of our limitations. Yet there are dimensions of our spirits which we can never fathom and there are strengths within us that are a total mystery. We are often surprised by answers that seem to come from nowhere to meet our need. We are creatures with a deep restlessness, and we search the world until we find our rest in the love of God.

            There is a healthy tension between the two worlds of physical and spiritual life. Between the extremes there is a balance of love and commitment that leads to total health. As we deal daily with our physical life let us remember the teaching of Jesus to “Seek first the kingdom of God.”  When we do that all the rest will fall into place.

            If you have been neglecting your spiritual life and are feeling the strain then now is a great time to refocus on your relationship with God.  As a Pastor I am always happy to help you find the way.

Messiah - What does it mean?

MESSIAH is a term that changed over time.

 It is a Hebrew word that means "The anointed one" and is used more than thirty times in the Old Testament to describe the Kings of Israel and Judah, the priest and the patriarchs and even Cyrus the King of Persia. King Saul and King David were Messiahs and it is David's kingship that is the model for the Jews for the "expected Messiah" who would restore  the grand Kingdom of David. In Daniel 9:25-26 we have the first prophecy of a coming Messiah as a king who would restore Israel.

In Jesus day the Hebrew people's expectations - including the disciples - was of a political king who would rid Judah of the Romans and restore the throne of King David. Jesus understood the Messiah differently as that of the suffering servant whose "Kingdom is not of this world." The early Christian Church picked up on that as a spiritual kingdom for those who accepted Jesus as their savior.

Messiah is a title which when translated into Greek was Christos or Christ.
So Christ is not one of the names for Jesus - it is his title...

Properly written is Christ Jesus or Jesus the Christ. In English it is Jesus the anointed one.  

Each Life Is A Song

“Each Life is a Song”

By Charles F. Little, Jr.

  

A life is like a song we write

In our own tone and key,

Each life we touch reflects a note

That forms the melody.

We choose the theme and chorus

Of the song to bear our name,

And each will have a special sound,

No two can be the same.

So when someone we love departs,

In memory we find

Their song plays on within the hearts

Of those they leave behind.

A Trusted Friend

There are times in everyone’s life when something hurts deep inside. It may be a lost love, something stolen, a house fire, or the loss of a job and what you need most is “A Trusted Friend” who will listen to your tale of woe when you need to vent. Sometimes you need to be that trusted loving friend who listens and doesn’t say much. You are just a friend and not a trained counselor so how do you best be that listening ear to your traumatized friend?

A trusted friend keeps personal information confidential and honors what ever lines are drawn between you.

The trusted friend listens with undivided attention and helps to clarify statements but does not react in a negative way no matter how illogical the distressed friend might be.

A trusted friend knows that this is not a time for advice or trite clichés like, “I know how you feel.” Nor do you say, “God doesn’t give you more than you can handle.” God may not but once in a while the world does.

End Times Specualtions

“End-Times” are a lot of fun to speculate about but we can never really know for sure. We learn about it in the Gospel according to Mark 13:26-27 with the promise of Jesus for a dramatic return but an added injunction in verse 32 that no one but God knows the day and time.

Over the last 40 years I have listened to many preachers predict the coming last day and some still do. The prophecy book of Revelation has been quoted and miss-applied so many times I have lost count. I remember in 1999 the air waves were full of doom for the world when mid-night of December 31^st came around. What a big flop that was.

Speculation abounds as to what the last days will be like. Almost each generation since the time of Christ as applied the events of their times to the signs of the last days. So many evil leaders of countries [like Hitler] have been called the “anti-Christ” over the centuries and it wasn’t true. People are reading into the scriptures the things they want to see.

I believe that one day Jesus will return as promised and the faithful church will be taken up. I am ready for that day if it comes in my life time. It may come in my life time and it may not only God knows that. I am also very much aware that my personal last day will come, as it comes to all of us. I have faith in my Lord Jesus for that last day as well. One of the two events will happen to me and it doesn’t matter which one for my faith in Jesus prepares me for both.

We Christians need to be living a Christ like faith that keeps us ready at any moment to meet our Lord. If we do that it won’t matter if the Judgment day comes for all of us at once or our individual last day comes first. Our focus should be living the way of Christ in love rather than living in fear of the punishment that will come to those who do not live the way of Christ.

Forgiveness and Love

Love and forgiveness are quite different though it often takes a lot of love to forgive someone.

Forgiveness requires: 

1. A wrong done; 

2. Admission of guilt; 

3. Repentance by the wrong doer: 

and 

4. Forgiveness by the one who was wronged.

This is why we confess our sins to God and repent. The word repent means to turn around - that is make a commitment to not do the sin again. This is a lot more than saying "I am sorry."

Repentance and Forgiveness restarts the relationship fresh.