Seasons And The Church

By Norma Vera

I read an article by Kelly Bailey about the beauty that comes from the death of fall. I considered her concept and realized seasons speak volumes of Christ and His Church.

Spring comes gently stretching from her yearly nap with yawns of daffodils, and buttercups. Her anointing grace causes everything to bloom. The smells of Jasmine, honeysuckle, and orange blossoms fill the air. Releasing a mist of puppy love she sings, “O taste and see that the Lord is good!” All nature joins the chores as a new generation is born. With roars of laughter, she dances in the rain celebrating Life. When
finished she tags the hand of summer and goes to sleep.

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How To Avoid Becoming A Resoluter

 By Don Otis

We are wired to want to change those habits we know are bad for us. Perhaps it is in our DNA. We establish New Year’s resolutions and then become discouraged when we break a diet plan, miss workouts, or simply give up. A few months ago in this column, we talked about “bucket lists.” These are life goals. They are things we say we want to do but never seem to get around to doing them. Many of us do the same with our first-of-the-year resolutions.

It is a foolproof axiom that health clubs get busy in January but clear out by April. The pattern is hard to miss for those who workout all year. Special offers bring new people into a facility but the hard work or broken resolutions kick in and people give up. We used to call these people the “resoluters.” They start the New Year with all the best intentions. Don’t we all? Then, when the going gets tough, or boring, or the challenges of life prevail, they give up.

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Resolved

By Jane Thornton

“Let’s make a pact.” My friend thrust her hand over the center of the table. Each of us layered our own hands over hers where they hovered above the soggy-lump remnants of an annihilated chocolate melting cake strewn across a plate. With great solemnity, we all took the pledge. “The diet starts . . . tomorrow.”

Easy to say with stomachs bloated by chips, salsa, onion rings, burgers, and, of course, chocolate.

Many people think I can’t relate to dieting woes. I have, after all, been comparatively thin most of my life. In fact, in junior high I suffered with being too skinny. I know, I know. Many of you are echoing the words of Tevia in Fiddler on the Roof, “May God strike me with such a curse, and may I never recover.”

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A Blind Man’s Story

By George Dalton

Barnabus and Sara were in love, he saved his money to pay the price for his bride, now they were married. Life was wonderful he’d served as an apprentice to the cobbler and tanner, now he owned his own shop. He was a businessman, and Sara was in love with him. One day he came home from work and Sara met him at the door. He could see the excitement in her eyes,

“What is it my darling?”

“We’re going to have a baby, I saw the midwife today, and she agrees, we’re going to have a baby.”

He started to grab her up and swing her around the room, then thought, OH I can’t do that anymore. “That is wonderful my darling, if it’s a boy he can grow up strong and become an apprentice in my shop. If it’s a girl she’ll be beautiful like her mother.” Sara said, “We must tell our parents they are soon to be grandparents. My papa will love being a grandfather, my mother will be making baby clothes by tomorrow.”  “ It is sad that my papa didn’t live to see his first grandchild,” Barnabus said, “but my mama’ll be excited.”

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Time For War?

By Julie Cosgrove

Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, “I am a warrior.” Joel 3:10

The prophet Joel is reversing what Isaiah once said in 2:4- the more familiar verse that is often stated on greeting cards along with Peace on Earth near Christmas and into the New Year. We think of our Lord as a peaceful God, one that wants us to turn the other cheek, who told Peter to put away his sword in the Garden, who wouldn’t fight to defend himself from execution on the cross, and told His disciples after the resurrection “Peace I bring to You.” In fact, we call Christ the Prince of Peace.

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