HALF OVER

SCRIPTURE: GENESIS 1:14-15

And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so.

HALF OVER

Do you realize this year is almost half over? The end of June is upon us. Six months - gone! So much planned for a new year and now that year is on the downside. Sigh! Sigh! Oh, well. There is always next year.

Well, duh! Six months might be over but there are six months yet to be. Six months of opportunity. Six months of chances. Six months to get-er-done!

Six months to:

Share a smile

  Send a card

   Take a trip

    Play with your children

      Watch a movie

      Walk in the mud

     Sing in the shower

    Read a book

   Cook a fancy meal

  Put your feet up

  Call a friend

   Finish a project

    Begin a project

     Learn something new

      Clean behind the couch

      And under the bed

     Give someone an unexpected gift

    Make the gift instead of buying it

   Tell someone you love them

  Really listen

  Laugh

   Play in the rain

    Paint a picture

     Watch the sunset

      Take a deep, peaceful breath.

Do you realize you have six months left in this year? Six whole months! What a blessing!

AND NOW

Six months -- How will you use them?

Get your calendar out. Write in some things you want to do. Write them in ink! Now look forward to the last - the best - six months of 2013.

LET US PRAY (Please use this as a beginning of your prayer. Finish in your own words, words from your heart.)

Oh my, only six months left in this year. Lord, will you help me use them wisely? I realize there are many things I have to do. And people who depend on me. But use me to be a blessing. Use my life to enrich the lives of others. Let these next six months be a time of growing spiritually. A time of loving deeper. A time of learning about myself. A time to learn more about You. Lord, will you help me use the next six months wisely? Amen

JUST ANOTHER MINUTE PLEASE

I arrived early for a meeting at White’s Residential and Family Services. (http://www.whiteskids.org/) One of my CASA families has their visits there but I had not gotten railroaded nor behind someone that actually drove the speed limit, so I was early. The chapel parking lot seemed the exact place to wait. I put the windows down, watched and listened.

Beautiful flowers outside the chapel === Quiet surrounded by the noise of lawn mowers and birds === Shadows === A fountain === The campus waking up slowly === A girl on a swing === More people coming, going, waiting === An order to everyone’s movements === Pink, purple, red, white, brown, yellow and a gazillion shades of green

And then it was time to go to my meeting.

As I pulled out of the parking lot, I re-joined life but those few minutes of sitting and watching the world around me were wonderful. They made me realize how much I miss - how much we all miss - when we rush along. Never taking time to park in an empty lot and watch. And listen.

SCRIPTURE: Job 37:14

(God speaking) “Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God’s wonders.”

AND NOW

Is your life really busy? Are there just not enough hours in the day? Is there always a meeting? Or dinner to fix? Or the yard to mow? Or --- STOP! The “to do” list never ends. Sometimes, you just need to put the list aside. And stop. Stop and consider God’s wonders.

Leaving phones and all gadgets inside, go outside, by yourself or with a spouse, child or friend, sit on the step or in the grass, and listen and look. Then talk about what you saw and heard. You just might be surprised by what you are missing.

LET US PRAY (Please use this as a beginning of your prayer. Finish in your own words, words from your heart.)

Lord, Life is so busy I forget to just take time. Time to enjoy your wonders. Forgive me for taking the color green for granted and not noticing the people around me. Amen

FLAG DAY, ARMY AND FATHER’S DAY

So many subjects to pick from today.It is Flag Day. This is the 238^th birthday for the United States Army. Add to that, Sunday is Father’s Day. What to say?

Flag Day -- Yes our flag is flying. It proudly announces that we support and believe in the United States of America. The Flag represents how this country has grown from 13 states to 50. It represents those who have made this country strong. It represents the farmer, the banker, the steel worker, and the teacher. It represents the mothers and fathers. The sons and daughters. It represents the doctors and nurses, the store clerk and the corporate CEO. It represents the poor and the rich. The Flag represents each of us.

Flag Day -- Yes our Flag is flying.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. HAPPY 238^TH BIRTHDAY. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU.

We should all be singing this song. For 238 years, the Army has been defending your right to fly the Flag. Defending not only our country and our freedoms, but the freedoms of countries around the world. So, Happy Birthday Army. Thank you

This leaves Father’s Day. I thought this picture of my dad was just the one for today. He was in the Army. In the Infantry. In World War II. This picture honors our Flag and the Army.

Dad was the father of four: a boy and three girls. He drove a truck. A semi back before power steering, air conditioned cabs or GPS. He did not have a cell phone. Not even a CB. Just him and the truck.

Dad loved to drive that truck. He drove for Merchant’s Freight out of Terre Haute, Indiana. Being the child of a truck driver was not easy. We never knew when dad would be home. He would be in and out of the house at odd times. And he slept day or night, depending on when he got home. Dad loved being a truck driver. I hated it.

It is hard to get to know someone that is never there. During the day, when we were awake, dad might be asleep. At night, when we were asleep, dad might be getting ready to take the next load. Dad wasn’t there for school programs. Dad didn’t go to church. Dad knew how to tell us to be quiet but did not know how to tell us that he loved us.

Dad did, occasionally, play games with us and we thought it was funny when he helped mom do dishes. Dad made sure he was home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. At least for part of the day. Dad --

As I write this and as I look back, I realize dad was not what I expected a dad to be. I don’t think I ever did anything right. There was always something just not quite good enough. But I also realize something else. He was - is - my dad, my father, and I love him. He provided for his family and, knowing how he grew up, I think he did the best he could. I also saw an entirely different man when he became a grandfather. I saw the love he had for them. I saw him finally able to let the love he kept in his heart come out.

My daddy died at the age of 57. I miss him.

I BELIEVE

When you start combining this and that, it is something new. If I mix a box of Jell-O and add nothing but water, it is Jell-O. If I make a cake and put Jell-O in it, it is a cake with Jell-O. The Jell-O is no longer pure, it is just an addition to something else.

The other day I saw an interesting remark: Resist the influences of other world religions. As I thought about it, it made sense. If I keep allowing my religion, what I believe, to be influenced by other religions, I no longer have a strong foundation. I no longer have a Christian faith. I have an addition to something else.

SCRIPTURES

You shall have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3

I BELIEVE -- THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God the Father Almighty, (God, not a created idol, GOD. And I believe there is only one God.)

maker of heaven and earth (I do not believe in the big bang theory. I believe GOD made the world. The universe. Made me. I did not come from pond scum nor did I evolve from apes. I do understand that man used the word “day” when referring to God’s time of creation and do not believe this all happened in six “days.” But God could have created all of this in six “days” if He had wanted to.)

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord: (Only Son!! Not a prophet. A SON!)

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary, (I accept this as fact!)

suffered under Pontius Pilate, (I cannot image the love it took for God to allow this nor for Jesus to accept it, when Jesus was without sin.)

was crucified, dead, and buried; (I believe Jesus died on the cross and His body was placed in a grave.)

the third day he rose from the dead; (God had sent His Son for a reason; to take away my sins. Job done!)

he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; (God welcomed His Son. God wanted Jesus back beside Him. What father would not want the same?)

from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. (I so want to forget that I will be judged. But I will be.)

I believe in the Holy Spirit, (A part of the Trinity: God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The part of the Trinity that lives within my soul to guide me.)

the holy catholic church, (I believe in the church Jesus built upon the faith of Peter.)

the communion of saints, (I cannot do this alone. I must have help and part of that help is the support of others who believe in God, the Father Almighty.)

the forgiveness of sins, (This is a biggie!! I do believe my sins are forgiven. I believe this because Jesus took my sins to the Cross.)

the resurrection of the body (The grave will not be able to keep me.)

and the life everlasting. (My everlasting life began the minute I accepted the Son of God. Part of that life is now. Part of that life is yet to come.)

Amen