What we’re really talking about
is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday
of November
when no one diets.
I mean,
why else would they call it Thanksgiving?
~Erma Bombeck, “No One Diets on Thanksgiving,” 26 November 1981
November 10, 2009
thinking about the holidays
Quote of the Day
“We’re put on earth a little while to learn to bear the beams of love.”
Reinhold Niebuhr
November 9, 2009
thank you – to our service men and women
A dear niece – this very day – became a soldier.
God bless her.
A beloved uncle who served in the Marines died recently.
God bless him.
There have been many in my family
and many among my friends
(as well as my husband)
who served in the military.
God bless them.
God bless and keep
those
who are serving
- all over this world -
for freedom’s cause -
for us . . .
God bless and keep them all.
electrical storms
As I was leaving the library this afternoon, met up with a friend who had been working on one of the library computers (just one of the services at our local library). The electrical storm yesterday ‘knocked out’ her computer. My arms were full of cookbooks when I told her that our oven was out of commission because of the electrical storm. Why the cookbooks? I think that I just love to read them – even though I might not be cooking!
#@*! gummit – pain!
Does swearing relieve pain??
I never heard my mother utter a swear word. One Christmas we were driving to my grandmother’s house and our car broke down – in a blinding snowstorm; my father was outside with the car hood up, head hidden from view – trying to fix the problem – and I heard him utter the D_ _ _ it word. That was the only time I ever heard my father utter a curse word.
. . . But swear words aren’t quite as simple as they seem. They’re paradoxical — saying them is taboo in nearly every culture, but instead of avoiding them as with other taboos, people use them. Most associate swearing with being angry or frustrated, but people swear for a number of reasons and in a variety of situations. Swearing also serves multiple purposes in social interactions. Not only that, your brain treats swear words differently than it treats other words.
Most researchers agree that swearing came from early forms of word magic. Studies of modern, non-literate cultures suggest that swearwords came from the belief that spoken words have power. Some cultures, especially ones that have not developed a written language, believe that spoken words can curse or bless people or can otherwise affect the world. This leads to the idea that some words are either very good or very bad.
. . . A lot of people think of swearing as an instinctive response to something painful and unexpected (like hitting your head on an open cabinet door) or something frustrating and upsetting (like being stuck in traffic on the way to a job interview). This is one of the most common uses for swearing, and many researchers believe that it helps relieve stress and blow off steam, like crying does for small children.
. . . Swearing and the Brain
Your brain is a very complex organ, but there are only a few things you need to know about it to understand how it approaches swear words differently from other language:
- In most people, the left hemisphere is in charge of language. The right hemisphere creates the emotional content of language.
- Language processing is a “higher” brain function and takes place in the cerebral cortex.
- Emotion and instinct are “lower” brain functions and take place deep inside the brain.
[excerpt from article "How Swearing Works" by Tracy V. Wilson in "How Stuff Works]
November 8, 2009
adult Sunday School classes
Attend Sunday School? Why?
Some people are of the opinion that Sunday School is only for children. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sunday School provides an important place for many things in the lives of adult believers.
The writer of Hebrews knew the importance of believers gathering together and staying in close touch with one another – not only for worship, but also to encourage one another in lifestyle. The first-century Christians were persecuted by the outside world, and they needed the strength, encouragement, and sense of belonging that come from being part of the group. An uncommon bond and unusual strength can be attained by joining together as a spiritual community.
The need for the strength of fellowship is no different today. Being a member of a Bible study group can encourage believers in their relationship to Christ, but it also can increase the bond a believer has with other believers.
A Place of Strength
“And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Heb. 10:24-25, Holman CSB).
A Place of Knowledge
“When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ he said to Him, ‘You know that I love You.’ ‘Feed My lambs,’ He told him” (John 21:15, Holman CSB).
Jesus admonished Peter three times to feed His sheep as an act of love. How important it is for all who wear the title “Christian” to live out what they believe. If we love the Lord, then we need to obey the Lord. To obey the Lord we need to know His Word for us. Studying the Bible – God’s Word – is essential to faith.The more we understand that Word for ourselves, the more confidently we can obey His commission to “feed” others.
An active and vibrant Bible study class will challenge you to become more proficient in God’s Word.
A Place of Belonging
“Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality” (Rom. 12: 12-13, Holman CSB).
Paul reminds us that to follow Jesus is be joyful, patient, faithful, and to practice hospitality. He knew that believers needed fellowship with one another. When believers spend time together, they begin to know one another. Knowing people’s names, their family members, and occupation will lead you to be more apt to pray and care for those families and encourage them in times of need.
A Place of Prayer
“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The intense prayer of the righteous is very powerful” (James 5:16, Holman CSB).
Prayer is vital to a believer’s life. Corporate prayer within the Bible study class is vital too. Use a large board to record prayer requests from class members. Record requests not just for those who are sick and dying, but place other expressions of concern.
Believers gain great strength and comfort when they see that Christ answers prayer in such a dramatic way.
A Place of Service
“Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not [only] for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil. 2:3-4, Holman CSB).
We are told over and over in Scripture to share our faith with others so that those who do not know Christ might have the privilege of meeting Him. We should seize all opportunity to express God’s love. That love can be expressed through prayer, words of encouragement, and acts of compassion. A believer can act alone to address the needs of another, but a special feeling bubbles within when a person joins with others to help someone in need, to offer hope, or to pray for others.
Sharers Class – photo memories
I must have given the original of these photographs to someone – I found the ‘proof’ sheet in one of my snapshot boxes.
Remembering the good times with the Sharers’ Class. We no longer have Nancy Stoffel, Guy Nunnelly, Betty Nunnelly, Charlotte Brenner, Jack Rowley, Jack and Bonnie Thornhill and Marjorie Blessing with us. God bless them.
They blessed us.
Reverend Lonnie Phillips has moved from Seguin FUMC.
There have been some changes – and we have the memories – good memories.
These pictures were probably taken about eight years ago (if memory serves); it was a good time!
