Fifty One Years Ago Yesterday . . .

It was 51 years ago yesterday that my parents were UNEXPECTEDLY doubly blessed. Yep. March 12, 1956. That was the day that my brother Jim entered the Smith family, followed 8 1/2 minutes later by yours truly. Now I said my parents were unexpectedly doubly blessed. You see, my parents had NO IDEA they were going to come home from the hospital with two babies! But that is exactly what happened. So two older sisters who were hoping for a baby brother got two (and it wasn't a buy one get one special, either)!

Birthdays are a usually a lot of fun. For me, it meant getting together with family. I had breakfast with my sister and her daughter (whom we did not get to see over the holidays due to our ministry trip to Europe) and supper with my immediate family. It was a wonderful day!

Birthdays can also be a good time of year to evaluate where we are in life. None of us do this enough. The Greek philosopher Plato once said that the unexamined life is not worth living. A great insight on his part. Let me suggest you do something the next time your birthday rolls around (and given enough time it surely will!). Set aside some time the week of your birthday and do a self evaluation. If you want a tool that will help, go to the following web address: http://biblicalspirituality.org/newyear.html. There you will find a list of questions to ask yourself about yourself. A great exercise that will help you to move forward in your journey of grace! I plan to work through this list later this week. I hope I am better for it.

Thanks for listening,

An older (and I trust, wiser) pj

Wake Up!

In November of 2000, Christa Lilly suffered a stroke and heart attack. She's been in a coma ever since, except for a few brief moments when she had awakened. That changed this week. On Sunday, Christa suddenly awoke. For three days she was awake, talking with family members and the media and eating cake. But on Wednesday she suddenly and unexplainably slipped back into her coma. Doctors are baffled. They are unable to pinpoint the cause of her sudden wakefulness or relapse.

As Christ followers, it is easy for us to slip into spiritual "comas." The Apostle Paul understood this. Therefore he states that "the hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed" (Romans 13:11). Let's follow his advice. The days are dark. Our time is short. Opportunities abound. Let's not sleep through the day. Rather, let us wake up and make the most of our time here on earth. All by God's grace and for HIS glory!

Thanks for listening,

pj

An Information Explosion!

We are in the midst of an information explosion! Last year alone, there was so much digitial information (emails, blogs, cellular phone calls, TV signals and photos) generated that if you were to take and publish it all, the stack of books would reach from earth to the sun. That is a LOT of information!

Now here I am adding to this information glut with this blog. Should I be doing so? Isn't there enough info out there without my adding to it? Hmm. Good questions. I surely don't want to add to anyone's busy schedule by making anyone feel that they just have to read what I write. But at the same time, if someone wants to stop by for a quick visit with me (via this blog) - then I want to give them some encouragement to live out their faith or something to mentally "chew on" that - at the end of the day - will help them in their journey of grace. So I hope in some small way I accomplish that. And if it is only for one or two people on any given day - for me it is information well worth adding to the growing digital info pile!

Thanks for listening,

pj

Cancelled!

For the second time this winter, snow has forced us to cancel our Wednesday evening activities here at the church. And of course, it would happen after I made a big deal this past Sunday about it being the first Sunday of "Meteorological" Spring. But it does snow in the month of March (do you remember the March 13, 1993 superstorm that dropped over 20 inches of snow and effectively shut down the region for several days?). So we should not be suprised that it snowed today! I just am hoping it's the last of the season!

As I sat at my desk this morning and stared out at the snow blanketing the ground, I was reminded of the words of Isaiah 1:18, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." Wow! To think that our sins have been cancelled and our souls washed clean - so that when God looks at us now, he sees us as being as white (pure) as snow! Thanks be to Jesus!!!

Thanks for listening,

pj

Now That's Some Burger!

Recently, Dennys Beer Barrel Pub in Clearfield, PA added a new burger to their menu. It is called the Beer Barrel Main Event Charity Burger. The burger features an 80-pound ground beef patty and a pound each of lettuce, ketchup, relish, mustard and mayonnaise. In addition, the patty is topped off with 160 slices of cheese, up to five onions and 12 tomatoes. Now that is some burger (not to mention the 100,000 plus calories and the $379 price tag)! The restaurant is planning to submit the necessary paperwork to get the burger listed in the Guinness Book of World Records (I wonder if the burger comes with Rolaids or a free 30 day pass to the local gym?)

Now why would a restaurant offer such a monstrosity??? Hmm . . . probably for the publicity (and they are getting plenty - stories about the burger can be found on such web sites as MSNBC.com and CNN.com - to name a few)! Now there is nothing wrong about a restaurant seeking publicity. For restaurants - that is the name of the game (but only if it is good publicity - just ask the corporation that owns the rat-infested fast food restaurants in New York City - they would rather do without the publicity they have received!). Restaurants want all the good publicity they can get - it tends to be great for business!

We as Christ-followers have something to get excited about - or should I say SOMEONE to get excited about! Jesus has done so much for us. Let's publicize Him to others! If you want to read about someone who was told to do just this, read the account of the man healed by Jesus of demon possession as recorded in Mark 5:1-20. Note especially verses 19-20. So today, share with someone about how God has had mercy on YOU!


Thanks for listening,

pj

The "Hiccup Girl" No Mo! (a follow up to my Feb. 22 blog)

Finally, after five weeks of enduring an ongoing case of the hiccups, Jennifer Mee is now hiccup-free! After all the good old remidies said to stop the hiccups failed, and after numerous trips to a variety of specialists (including an infectious disease specialist, a neurologist, a chiropractor, a hypnotist and an acupuncturist - all of whom were left mystified as to how to help Jennifer) - the hiccups went away as mysteriously as they had arrived. It was just after waking up yesterday morning that Jennifer noticed that she was not hiccupping any more! Finally!!!

Trials we face in life are a lot like that. They come - often unexpected and unexplained. They tend to outstay their "welcome" (as if we ever gave them one!). And the vast majority of trials will eventually go away. Now, if you are like me, you don't like trials. Because it doesn't matter what shape a trial might take, I'd rather pass! But as much as I dislike trials, I have grown to appreciate them. Am I crazy? Out of my mind? Nope. I have come to realize that without trials in my life and the suffering they bring, I would not be the person I am. Trials are God's divine instruments through which he matures our faith and strengthens our character. That is why James tells us to "consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of various kinds." Why? Because as James points out trials produces perseverance in our lives which will adds in a huge way to our growth as Christians (See James 1:2-4 and Romans 5:3-5). So the next time you face a trial, a "hiccup" (or worse) in the pleasant flow of your life - rejoice. God is at work. And when you pray, don't ask God to remove the trial (because all you are doing is asking him to remove you from his divine classroom!). Rather ask God to help you through the trial, teaching you whatever it is that you need to learn!

Praying with you,

pj

Spring Has Sprung!

Yeah! Yo! Finally! It is here! What is here? Spring is here! I know some of you are thinking, "OK, John, hold on! I just checked my calendar and it says spring arrives on March 21st. So what are you raving about?" Today is March 1st, right? March 1st is the first day of METEROLOGICAL spring! You see, meterologists divide the year's season according to climate - and the three coldest months of the year are December, January and February. March begins the transition to warmer weather. Therefore, March, April and May make up meterological spring. So in a very real sense we can celebrate today the arrival of spring - unless, of course you love snow and cold and ice and sleet!

So take heart! Even if we have to endure another snow storm, it won't be long before the warm breezes are rustling our hair as we sit out on our back decks (well - maybe the warm breezes will rustle your hair!). I just love spring. To watch nature "come back to life" after lying dormant and "dead" throughout the winter gets me pumped! For me it is a reminder of the resurrection of Jesus who though once dead and in the tomb is now alive! Praise God for the new life of spring - and the new life that is ours because Jesus now lives!

Thanks for listening,

pj