God Is Passionate About You

In God's household people matter. People matter more than reputation (Jesus made himself of no reputation), more than any material thing or status, people matter in God's heart. Jesus was not intimidated nor fearful of being associated with, nor befriending the outcasts of society. Dirty scruffy belligerent bold fishermen were members of His inner circle. Sinners whose life choices brought them in direct conflict with His teachings of truth and righteousness were recipients of His grace. To the proud and arrogant, the willfully disobedient; those duped by fear and pain, hurt and disappointment, those whose anger clouded their vision and those who lost their way; the teachings of Jesus Christ brought light and hope and freedom. They were all given the same grace and opportunity to turn from the error of their ways, even after they had walked with Jesus Christ and lived with Him and followed Him, when they erred, He forgave and His grace and mercy were abundant. He who has never sinned cast the first stone. God loves us so much as He sees us in our broken and erring path, hits us with a 2X4 (or a bright and blinding light, or a vision of eating unclean things, or sets us in a pig pen, starving) to get our focus aright, and a proper vision again. When that moment of clarity comes, however that may be, we see that we are in the wrong...and our sin is primarily against the One who died for us to set us free. It is that love affair with Jesus Christ, a passion for Him that will not only turn us around, but keep us focused on The Way. If my people will humble themselves and pray...I will hear and I will heal. Admitting wrong, humbling acknowledgement and repentance are accepted by God. God rejoices when we turn to Him, no matter how far, how hard, how long a time we have fallen away. We matter to Jesus Christ. He called us "friends" and gave us the example to follow. Friendship is not easy. Friendship is a great art and must be worked at and upon often. True friendship is not a mask to wear when convenient and comfortable, it is "one of the distinguishing glory's of man" (John Adams). Friendship bears with the disappointments and hurts. Friendship comes along side to shore up brokenness's and battered lives. Friendship requires no conditions, it means you have made somebody else more important than you are to yourself. In friendship there is a rock to lean upon in times of storm. Friendship is easy in good times, when laughter is abundant. Augustine said it well when he wrote in City of God,"what gives us consolation in this human society filled as it is with errors and troubles, if not the sincere loyalty and mutual love of true and good friends." Our supreme hope and effort should be to fully enjoy and cultivate a friendship and intimacy with our Creator, having that relationship reflected in our friendships with one another.

God is passionate about you.

ANCIENT LANDMARKS

Ancient Landmarks - We are admonished in scripture not to remove, nor forsake the ancient landmarks set by our ancestors. "Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set..." Proverbs 22:28.

Life does move on. Our childhood home and haven of safety, a place for family gatherings and an open door to those who needed rest and strength and a place to regroup and move forward themselves is, in a way, moving forward and on in itself. The mantle will be passed the last day of June 2008 to a new owner. This home has been in our family for 66 years. If the walls could share their history and the things they have seen and heard...and yes felt (spaghetti, whipped cream, pencil and crayon marks, a slap of a hand...) the story would be full and colorful and complete. The lives that have lived here, and died here. The dreams dreamed, the hopes birthed, adventures of all sorts...most of all the love and the laughter and the bonding of a family that has kept us together through life's many roads. We cannot forget the wonderful neighbors and neighborhood that helped to shape our lives. Life at the end of a dead end street was the best! The Sullivans and Bobars and Smiths', the Barnes and Merchants, the Pauls, Leopolds, Garappes, Barones' and Lawrence, all neighbors who played a role in our lives. Who could forget Humane Society at the end of the street with our favorite babysitter, Tessy Burns, and the wonderful story "The Bears"! We could never forget Mrs. Hitchcock nor Ickle, Fred Meyers (our special gentle giant of a friend) nor Bob and Janet Jones, Deb and Ed Rounds and the newest addition (20 years ago...a rather stable neighborhood) Kathy and Alan across the street made . Kevin Mclaughlin moved in when most of us had already moved on. He has been a good neighbor to mom and Peter and for that, the rest of us are most appreciative. The quarry with ice skating in winter and rock and water adventures in the summer. Polliwogs and frogs and birds and salamanders. "The stream" behind the house and the brook across the street and of course "the field" and the raspberry patch. In summer we would frequent South Beach on Lake Champlain, mom towing our little red wagon loaded with toys, towels, blankets, lunch and drink, and always Tag, our wonderful Lab, accompanied us. We would walk home through the underpass and up Birchcliff Parkway, easily 3 miles. We had a multitude of pets, dogs and cats and birds and a turtle and fish, to name them all, time and space won't allow here. Over the years things in the neighborhood have changed and new developments have edged into our once gigantic playground.

God in His infinite wisdom has worked the sale of this house perfectly. My brother has the perfect place to move to and we all have had more than a year to sort, disseminate, cherish and keep, toss, relive, cry, laugh, sigh and just generally get used to the idea that this will no longer be our "family home". How so like you God.. thank you.

The good deeds done here will never be lost, forgotten nor replaced. The deep and abiding bond of love and commitment to family, friends and neighbors is forever etched in the lives of many. The ancient landmarks will never be lost, nor removed.

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven:" Ecclesiastes 3:1

Grace and peace to you.

NOTE: The more people who have read this blog, the more has been added and corrected (thanks Nancy for catching the huge spelling error)...a good thing! So, feel free to comment and correct and I will edit appropriately.