Wednesday, November 27, 2013

New Traditions

Image courtesy of Bing.com

Thanksgiving 2013 brings a new experience for Dick and me. For the first time ever, we are not sharing our Thanksgiving meal with family.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

. . . a friend


The face of a friend brightens up when we meet.
The hand of a friend waves hello on the street.
The home of a friend is a welcoming place.
The smile of a friend will reflect on our face.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

What Does Your Cross Mean?

Photo courtesy of Morguefile.com
What is the “sign” that someone is a Christian? Is it a cross? A Bible?
Specific items are often associated with a particular group. Policemen carry badges; doctors sport stethoscopes; ministers wear clerical collars; baseball players never go anywhere without their caps.  Yet, donning a badge doesn’t make me a policeman anymore than slinging a stethoscope around my neck makes me a doctor.

So, is everyone wearing a cross a Christian? After all, lots of people wear them these days. Does owning a Bible mean we believe what is between its pages?

I recently read an article about a teenager who wore scrubs and a stethoscope, walked into several hospitals in Australia, and posed as a doctor in both the ER and in patient’s rooms. The authorities and the general public were outraged. And, rightly so. No one looks up to an impersonator.

In John 13:35 Jesus shares the true indication of a Christian.
“Your love for one another will prove
to the world that you are my disciples."

It’s not sterling silver crosses tacked on our ties or dangling from our bracelet that tells the world that we are Christians. It’s not a large-print, leather-bound, words-of-Jesus-in-red Bible that signifies our beliefs. It is our love for one another.

That simple online news article about the teen-aged imposter pricked my soul. What signal am I sending out by my words, my actions, my attitudes? Am I showing love for my fellow believers? What is really in my heart? Can the world tell that I follow Jesus?

“Whatever is in your heart determines what you say.
A good person produces good things
from the treasury of a good heart,
and an evil person produces evil things
from the treasury of an evil heart.
Matthew 12:34, 35                 

Blessings!
Pam

©2013 Pamela D. Williams

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Welcome to Trucksville!

Photo by Pam Williams
Our move is over! We are unpacked and settled! How did we accomplish it so quickly? We benefited from a TON of help from the great folks at Trucksville United Methodist Church!

A couple of years ago I wrote up guidelines for welcoming a new pastor. Our annual conference sent them out to all the UM churches which were going through a pastoral change. While welcoming a new pastor is exciting, it is also a bit unsettling, if the truth be known.