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Beauty, eh? |
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Location: Blogs Brad's BlogMid-Week Missive |
 | | Posted by: Brad Miller | 11/3/2009 2:41 PM | Greetings on this GORGEOUS day!
First, a note of pastoral advice and care: if you are inside and you don’t have to be…GET OUTSIDE NOW! Turn this computer off and go…I’m not kidding!
Okay, now that’s behind me….a dear friend of mine, whom I will call “Sparky” (mainly because that is what I call her – and she calls me “Skippy” – go figure) has started a “Facebook” exercise for her friends. It seems that when she was in college she used to hang out in a bar called “The White Horse.” (I know, I know, it’s hard to believe that a friend of mine would hang out in bars, but you know, my positive influence only goes so far…). Anyway, one of the things that Sparky and her friends used to do at the bar was write questions on napkins and put them in a basket and then pull them out one at a time and all give answers to the questions. Funny questions, thoughtful questions, light questions, and some seriously deep questions. All these many, many, many years later, she remembers it fondly and I understand why.
A few weeks ago she revived this tradition with her Facebook friends. Two or three times a week, her post will be: Okay, today’s “White Horse”….followed by a question. “White Horse” has yielded some amazing answers to questions like: what is your favorite World Series moment? If you had to do a children’s sermon on “Hope” this Sunday, what would it be? As we head for All Saints Sunday, who are the Saints in your life? What was your favorite Halloween costume ever? Out of all your relatives, which trait are you most grateful to have inherited? I love the “White Horse” moments so much because it gets me to really thinking or allows my mind to wander back to wonderful days of the past or helps me to be thankful for all that I have been given or...all of that and more. It is a rare gift that can put you in such a great frame of mind and I am so thankful for Sparky and her White Horse questions and how they can brighten my day.
Today’s question was one that especially got me thinking. On a busy day, in the midst of important things, today’s White Horse question got me to stop, think and give thanks once again. Here it is: “Where did you see beauty today?” Wow. When I read it I stopped and reflected where I had been today, and what I had seen. I saw beauty in Carol’s face as we got up this morning. I saw beauty in the post-time-change sun on the way to work. I saw beauty at the post office in the face of the little girl who played peek a boo with me as we waited in line. I saw beauty in the playground joy of the children of the CDC. I saw beauty in the laughter and light moments that the CDC staff and I shared for awhile this morning. I saw beauty in the work of the electricians who are trying to come up a good way to beautify our sanctuary by back lighting our stained glass windows. Today, I saw beauty…everywhere. And you know what? If I’m honest, everyday I see beauty everywhere, if I will only allow myself to see it.
How often do we ignore the beauty that is all around us? How often do we get so caught up I our own “stuff” that we fail to recognize all the good gifts we have been given? How often do we simply refuse to take our metaphorical eyes off the ground and turn our gaze upward? Well, we need to get past all of that! We need to take a good hard look around us and see the beauty that is everywhere. It is good for our health, it is good for our soul, it is good for our spirit, it is simply good. And when we have recognized the beauty all around us, we need to turn our gaze upward and say “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
As I sit here, I am fighting the urge to run outside and just go…well…anywhere I can feel the sun on my face and know that God’s presence is real in the beauty of all creation.
It’s your fault, Sparky, so please… keep up the good work.
For an updated prayer list and list of upcoming events, go to www.brookhavenchristian.org
For your prayer list:
Churchill Morgan as he recovers from surgery to repair his detached retina. He says he is making good progress and thanks everyone for their prayers and thoughts.
Emma Kenfield, as she deals with what the doctors now think is a virus, and not an appendicitis. Keep her in your prayers as well as her whole family.
Steve and Kathryn Sabol as they celebrate their new life together after being married last Saturday night.
Celebrations for the youth of our church and the wonderful message that they brought to us last Sunday. Thanks to all of them who worked so hard, and to our youth director, Lauren Evans and so many volunteers: Laurie Hazen, Dian McKelvey, Eric Heinz, Chris Brooks, Crystal Evans, Jennifer Heinz, Debbie Kinney and those who lent their musical talents, Dan Womack, Chuck Daunch, Terry Evans, Charles Kinney and LeAnn Blanchard.
Announcements
Don’t forget the Annual Picnic this Sunday at 4:00 at Keswick Park in Chamblee. Bring a side dish, salad or dessert to share. A good time is guaranteed!
There will be a congregational meeting immediately following worship this Sunday. It will be a brief meeting to approve the budget and nominations for 2010. Please make every effort to attend.
There is still time to sign up for the Marriage Enrichment Mini-Retreat on Saturday November 14th from 8:30 until 3:00. Come for a relaxing day of learning something new (do you know your “Love Language”? Do you know your spouse’s “Love Language”? You can find out at the retreat.), of fun, and of simply spending some time with your spouse. The cost is $20. Lunch and all materials are included. Nursery care is available: please let us know if you need nursery care. To sign up for the retreat, contact me no later than Tuesday November 10 so that food and other materials can be ordered and organized.
I hope you can make it to worship this Sunday as once again we celebrate the Lord’s Day together. Normally, All Saints Day is celebrated the First Sunday in November, but this year we will observe this special day on the second Sunday, which is this Sunday. We will remember and celebrate those who have meant so much to us, and we will turn our attention to asking the question, “How can we best honor those who are no longer with us?” The sermon is titled “Perfected for All Time” and the scripture is Hebrews 9:11-14. Have a great rest of the week!
Be peaceful,
Brad | | | Permalink | Trackback |
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