Warning If You Track Church Attendance: The Numbers Are Lying to You
There is much debate in my church right now about whether we are a declining church body and whether or not we will survive this decline. So, purveyors of statistics tell us that we are in for a long slow, steady dip before we hit rock bottom and recover. Not exactly the message you want to hear if you are a believer faithfully caring out the work Christ left the church to do. Here’s the thing, the numbers are the numbers, right? We have to trust the numbers, the numbers wouldn’t lie, right? Na, Na I say the numbers are lying. Here is what we know about the church. Chuck Colson summarized it nicely in his book, The Body, 1992, Word Publishing, p. 70.
“Yet membership in a confessing body is fundamental to the faithful Christian life. Failure to do so defies the explicit warning not to forsake “our…
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NATIONAL FRUITCAKE TOSS DAY
This is a repost from 1/3/15 and actually National Fruitcake Toss Day is the first Saturday of January, so it isn’t really the right day, but funny enough to bear repeating.
That poor old fruitcake has been sitting in a box for over a month now. You can’t bear to throw it away, because someone has put a lot of effort into making it. Today is your chance. Where else, but in America, would a day be set aside for tossing your fruitcake?
When you think about it, we are a nation of throwing things away. When something has outrun its usefulness we toss it. I remember days when we saved everything. Egg cartons were recycled along with milk and pop bottles. Diapers were washed and re-used. Clothing was handed down to three our four children until it no longer stayed in one piece. Disposable items have only increased the landfills. Oh how far we’ve come! And now we can add to this, the tossing of a innocent little fruitcake whose only goal in life was to make us happy.
We can’t change the direction of today without putting some value on the things of the past. As we start this new year and think about how we’ll resolve to make this a better place, maybe we should become less concerned with quantity and more on quality. We can start by eating that fruitcake or giving it to someone who would gladly eat it, because they’re hungry.
The point of my post really has nothing to do with fruitcake, but hopefully will get us thinking about the value we place on things rather than on people. We’re all like little fruitcakes in a way – made up of a variety of talents and flavors. If we share just a small piece of ourselves, the planet will survive with God’s intervention. By the way, He doesn’t need our help.
Posted in Christian daily devotion, Humor, Uncategorized
Tagged disposable everything, fruitcake toss day, humor, saving
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HE CAN’T BE OUTDONE
ORIGINAL ART & INSPIRATION FROM PAUL KATHY BOECHER©
On the days when I feel useless, when I simply cannot move,
When my heart is full of energy, but I can’t get in the groove,
That’s the time I need my Savior, The King of heaven and earth,
His constant care He gives me and grants to me new birth,
He is the Lion of Judah, the great and mighty one,
He makes my life worth living, each day under the sun,
He arms me with protection, He lifts my heart and soul,
And though I may be weary, my life He does control,
Each day that passes from me, is like the setting sun,
I know that it will rise again, God cannot be outdone.
Posted in art, Christian daily devotion, Christian Poetry, Uncategorized
Tagged Art & Poetry by Paul & Kathy Boecher, encouragement, God, inspliration
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DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF
I’ve come to the conclusion that if I have to get down on my knees for any reason, I better think of all the tasks I need to do before getting up again. The up and down process is killing me. The fact that my knees have taken a beating in the past year doesn’t help. I’ve also decided that my original height must’ve been 6’3″ tall. I’m now 5’1″ and all that excess baggage has fallen directly to my hips.
Growing old is definitely not for sissies. The fact that a person has endured for more than seven decades is really an accomplishment in our day and age. Don’t tell that to Methuselah though. He lived to be 969 years old. Imagine the aches and pains he had to endure.
Today, the average life span in the United States is 79.3. You’d think that over so many centuries, and with all the advancements in health care, people would live much longer than they did in the early days since creation. My point is that no matter when we’re born, or what the circumstances of the world, we’re probably going to grow old and we should be prepared for it.
This is what we can expect: Sight and hearing fade and even disappear altogether. Skin sags and turns to crepe paper. I learned that term while channel surfing and came upon a show, “How to deal with crepey skin.” Actually, like all living things, we dry up over time. Our hair falls out along with our teeth. Our bones become weaker and our muscles evade us for the rest of time. If we’re fortunate, our minds still function, but we’re constantly reminded that we’re becoming forgetful and our concentration isn’t what it used to be. We sleep more. We feel useless at times. Every little thing creates fear of some incurable disease. Our friends are going to heaven before us. In other words, my friends, we’re dying.
For many, this is the end of the road. I can’t imagine having any zest for living if I thought this was all there was. With nothing to look forward to, it all seems meaningless. King Solomon knew all about stuff like that. He lived life to full capacity. He had it all – money, property, servants, great clothes, women, success, power, the whole shebang and yet he thought it all meaningless.
The things of this world, including our youth, money, success and power have no value when you face death. You came into the world with nothing and will leave the same way. So what’s the purpose of living? It isn’t to grab all the gusto we can by experiencing all of it. It isn’t the eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you may die philosophy. It does call on us to be an instrument for God’s work to be done on earth. With that in mind, we’re not restricted by age. In fact our age often gives us the necessary experience to share with others.
Psalm 34:17-20
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
He keeps all his bones;
not one of them is broken.
That alone should be encouragement for those of us facing the aging process. We know that this isn’t all there is. An eternity in paradise is waiting for us on the other side of the grave- a place of perfection, with bodies that never age and minds that are clear every day. That is the best insurance policy we can have.
Posted in aging, Christian daily devotion, Uncategorized
Tagged aging gracefully, encouragment, Eternal Life, Hope, Inspiration
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CAPTIVE
ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©
Within the confines of an icy realm,
The waters deep have turned to frozen glass,
Dark shards of broken, shattered dreams,
Entwine around this once enlivened shell,
It cannot free itself nor find a path to carve,
Alone and useless ’til another comes,
To free it from the shackles of its hell,
It stands alone and lifeless in the sun,
Reflecting everything within it’s sight,
In hopes of an ever burning light,
But still in darkness, hopelessly,
‘Til life returns from deepness of the grave,
Reflections are just memories, they don’t save,
Until that final day,
When the Redeemer comes again,
All we can do is shine as mirrors of His will,
To serve, to wait, to hope and know for sure,
That He enlivens all that once has died,
He takes away the tears that man has cried,
And turns reflection to reality.
Posted in Christian devotions, Uncategorized
Tagged art & poetry from Paul & Kathy Boecher, Hope, Inspiration, New Life
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MY YEAR IN REVIEW
As I look back at the year 2017, I do so with wild anticipation for a new one. Actually the past year was filled with far more blessings than problems, yet the fact of growing older has no genuine amount of humor attached to it. So I have to dig deep to find some.
The year started out much like this one is … COLD. Temperatures that fell far below freezing, frozen pipes, no shut off valve for the water, hours of heating pipes so they wouldn’t burst – the average joys of owning an old house. That didn’t deter us however. We still had a little money to spare and were able to take care of the immediate plumbing repairs. We also invested in rewiring the house to bring it up to code. Life was good. We settled nicely into our new “old” house and became quite enamored with it.
As the year progressed, I was consumed with starting over – making a fresh start – living the retired life. By March I was getting even chubbier than before and decided to work out at the “Y.” They have a program designed just for seniors called the Silver Sneakers. I was able to keep up for a while, but then we began to plan a trip to S. Carolina in May and working out came in second to making vacation plans.
Summer came and we discovered a sagging spot in our backyard. We knew there might be a problem when Paul sat in a lawn chair and one of the legs slowly disappeared into the ground. We still aren’t sure what’s going on. It could be an old cistern, or a septic system, or who knows what else. We filled it in with more dirt and are praying that we don’t get sucked in at some point.
By this time, I was beginning to feel like Tom Hanks and Shelley Long, in the Money Pit, as they renovated an old house in New York. However, I never dreamed I saw the Care Bears, nor did we have to haul hot water from downstairs to the upstairs bathroom. Actually we don’t have an upstairs bathroom, so that wouldn’t have been a problem in the first place. It seemed that our savings were quickly being eaten up by necessary repairs. Still we love our new “old” house.
By September, I was going out of mind with boredom, so agreed to do an after school drama program. It got the old juices running again and sparked an interest in looking for a way to share my knowledge. Paul found a little art center a few blocks from home where he teaches outdoor art classes. We suddenly found ourselves in need of making additional money to stay afloat. We taught the elderly (of which we are) in assisted living facilities. Unfortunately, that was very sporadic. Neither of us wanted to be Walmart greeters and felt we still had something to offer. We’ve found places where we can teach our crafts and make a few bucks at the same time. Thank you, Jesus!
So as the end of the year approached we felt as though things were falling into place for us. We have the pleasure of a home which is half the size of our previous dwelling. We found a church which has brought our family back together to worship. We live in a community where the arts abound. We still love our little house on the highway and have adapted to the noise, by imagining that we live by the ocean.
The year ended with more plumbing problems, but our spirits are still in tact. We still laugh through it, but until all is rectified, I see the dishes mounting in the kitchen sink and think I will have to haul hot water from the bathroom or do the dishes in the bath tub until it warms up outside.
During the past few months I’ve taken a couple of falls, with no serious injury other than my pride- feel like I need one of those life alerts attached to me – and continue the battle of the bulge. Paul tells me I shouldn’t take those holiday songs literally – the ones that say, “fall on your knees.” and my son in law encourages me to stay upright.
Today is the beginning of a new year. Paul is starting to enjoy being down in the cistern, keeping watch on the space heater and contemplating putting up some art and turning it into a man cave. I’m relishing not having to do the dishes until we run out of them. Isn’t it great how God helps us to adapt to our circumstances?
Posted in aging, New Year, Uncategorized
Tagged AGING, arts, encouragement, humor, Inspiration, New Year, senior living
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THE AMAZING GAGE
While our family visited last week, Gage showed off his balancing skills. This was quite an accomplishment for him, since he’s usually too active to balance anything, much less on his head,
I do think we may need a dog psychiatrist for this pup though. Every time there’s any kind of change in his routine, he rebels. He refuses to be kenneled and when he is, he makes a mess of it. I will continue to monitor him and may have to take to the vet if he doesn’t get better.
We love this dog and hope he’s just in need of therapy rather than having it be something physical.
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SECOND CHANCE, AGAIN!
“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning.” T.S. Eliot
“The more we let God take us over, the more truly ourselves we become – because He made us. He invented us. He invented all the different people that you and I were intended to be. It is when I turn to Christ, when I give up myself to His personality, that I first begin to have a real personality of my own.” C.S. Lewis
Paul and I were talking about some temporary setbacks this morning – little annoyances that seem to creep into our lives and send us into a tizzy. For example, with the terribly cold temperatures this week, the pipes leading to our kitchen sink froze and we’ve been trying to deal with it, without having to call a plumber. Yesterday, we came home to a sick dog – again, and since he is getting older, the first thing we think of is serious illness and possibly losing this loved animal which has become part of our lives.
These are little things, that peck away at your confidence and faith, yet they gnaw away at us. All throughout our marriage, we’ve struggled financially – we’ve dealt with illness – we’ve watched many of our dear friends pass away this year- we’ve discovered that downsizing was a good thing, but we still have to work in order to pay all of our expenses. The devil loves to tap into our weaknesses. He knows what gets under our skin and he uses those things to pull us away from the One who can change all our circumstances if we simply ask.
Entering a new year is like entering a new chapter. You feel you can start over – get right with the world and God – flip a new page and look forward instead of back. The past, however, has a way of creeping into your mind and hanging on.
This past week, we enjoyed the pleasure of having our S. Carolina family with us. It was a time of enjoyment, laughter, fun and just getting caught up. When they left yesterday, my heart cried and so did my eyes. We will be seeing them again in the spring when our oldest grandson graduates from college, but still the tears flowed, until I came upon this Bible passage:
Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfector of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Those words give me confidence to open the door to the future. God has a plan for each of us and it will be great. With every day, we come one step closer to eternity. That means death will no longer stalk us – we will live forever without worry, pain or tears – we will inherit the Kingdom of God – we will experience perfection.
The past has been filled with blessings for all of us and we can find them everywhere. Sometimes it takes longer to find them, but they’re there. They’re the things which push us forward. Letting go of the mistakes, the bumbles, the misplaced judgment, the self-righteousness and turning instead to our Creator, we’re guaranteed a better tomorrow. Look forward with faith in Christ, Jesus, the One who made eternal life possible for all.
HAPPY NEW CHAPTER!
Posted in Inspiration, New Year, Uncategorized
Tagged encouragement, eternity, FAITH, Inspiration, Jesus, New Year, starting over
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DON’T LOOK BACK
We’re quickly approaching the end of another year. It’s time to pack up everything that happened in 2017 and add it to annals of history, but is it really a good idea to simply look ahead? We can learn much from past mistakes. We cannot push forward, if we dwell on the past, but isn’t it good to know that each year is a blessing from God? Each moment we spend in this time, is for our eventual good – for the perfection of eternity.
God has given me the ability to pack away the bad memories of my past. I still feel guilt over my wrong doings. I’m still ashamed of the bad things I’ve done. My heart will remain heavy with guilt until my dying day. Even so, with each day, the memories fade away and so does the guilt, when I know what Jesus has accomplished for me. I know that, because He conquered death, I’ve been redeemed for a future in heaven. The grave cannot hold me, because Jesus paid my ransom.
As we look back at the past year, there are many things we prefer to forget. There are the sad moments of loss – either financial, personal loss or the loss of one we love. There are the major bloopers we’ve made, the words spoken in anger, the little lies and all the things that bring us down. Even so, there are the events that changed us in some way – the advances in career, the successes achieved, the encouragement we’ve given others. Those historical moments shouldn’t be erased from our memory, because they are all elements of who we are now and will be tomorrow.
Dear, Lord, Jesus, little baby in a manger, King of Creation, Because of your love for me and all people, you were willing to take on human form, live as my brother and die for me. I was not at all worthy of such a precious gift, but you gave it unconditionally. Help me now, to move forward into the next year you have blessed me with. Show me how to use my gifts to be an instrument in your Kingdom. Whatever time you have allotted for me, remind me that you are the One who created time. You know what will happen in the future, you’ve laid out a blueprint for my life which leads directly to you and your eternal home. Let all things be done for your glory and my good. Amen!
Posted in Christian devotion, Inspiration, Uncategorized
Tagged Future, memories, New Year, Past, Salvation, Sin
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JULIE’S FRIDAY FUNNY
DEAR YODA:
2017 filled it was with emotions mixed. Struggled did we and shed tears we did. Lived we did through sadness and loss. Part of God’s plan was it. Know we do, that good it is. New Year happy may be. Road blocks there will be – loss and sad times too – but confident are we that God will do good in everything and bring us great joy. The road to eternity waits for us.
YEAR NEW HAPPY, FRIEND OF MINE!
JAR JAR
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MIDWEEK AT THE GRANDPARENTS’
Mini-bird houses painted by our two daughters, granddaughter, oldest grandson and grandma and grandpa.
This has been a delightful week in so many ways. Not only are we celebrating our Savior’s birthday, but we’ve been enjoying a long awaited visit from our S. Carolina family. We’ve shared Christmas Eve church services, followed by a delicious meal at daughter Joy’s house. Being in God’s house with family is always a joyful experience. Christmas day we enjoyed a turkey dinner at our new “old” house with our out of town guests. The next day we drove to the other side of town to spend the day with our son and his lovely lady. Delicious food was once again involved. It seems that we always eat more and laugh a lot when we get together.
Board games have been popular this week. At our son’s house, we played a game called “Cranium” which actually hurt my brain. It turned into a riot of laughter and fun. Scrabble is a little less painful on the brain. Yesterday it was a three hour Monopoly adventure. We rarely play board games anymore, but it certainly is a fun way to get everyone involved.
When you visit the home of an artist, the bill of fare often includes doing some sort of art. We were minus a few family members, but the picture above shows that Paul isn’t the only artist in our clan. These little bird houses currently hang from our condiment holder on the kitchen table, but will fill a lilac bush when they begin to bloom in the spring – a great reminder of time well spent together.
With three young adult grandchildren, there’s a need for filling the time with things that will interest them. When you’re in your seventies and they are just ebbing towards adulthood or already there, it can often be difficult to connect. Especially when smart phones occupy time. This week has been a great gift for us. Our children have always enjoyed each other’s company – maybe more so now that they are no longer children. We laugh a lot about their antics as kids and the funny experiences we shared on family vacations and even playing board games.
They’re just beginning their lives – our children are at the peak of their careers and we are drawing closer and closer to heaven. As far apart as we are in age, we still are able to connect and find enjoyment together. Adding food to the mix doesn’t hurt. I’ll bet I gained another ten pounds this week.
I know families like mine don’t just happen. You have to work hard to make a family. Having the Lord as the head of the house has been the mainstay which has bound us together and will continue until we are no longer around to see it. I am confident that God will continue to touch their lives and we’ll enjoy a great reunion in heaven some day. I wonder if there will be board games.
Posted in Christian devotions, Family, Uncategorized
Tagged connections, enjoyment, FAMILY, holiday visits, Inspiration, parenting
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BE NEAR ME, LORD, JESUS
Is it over? The trash cans line the streets for weekly pickup and they’re stuffed with discarded wrapping paper, empty boxes, leftovers from massive overindulgence, ready to be hauled off to the city dump and crushed into a dlandfill. Is this what’s left of Christmas? People hit the shopping malls to return unwanted or improperly sized clothing – redeem gift cards- pick up some bargains on seasonal things. Is this all there is? The carols have been returned to the music shelves – the classic Christmas movies have been replace with science fiction and action/adventure – the state of the world returns from a short hiatus of fake news and continues as usual. Has Christmas made a difference?
One of my favorite Christmas carols is “Away in a Manger,” because the essence of that tiny human being – so helpless and meek – yet powerful, almighty, God. There is no way to wrap my mind around that concept. A child will lead us? A little boy, born into poverty and oppression had left His throne in heaven to pay the only price to relieve us of all our sins?
In the third verse of that precious hymn, we ask the Lord to be near us. This is a prayer we can count on being answered, because of the love our God has for us, in spite of our darkened hearts .
The holiday can cause one of the greatest let downs after it’s over or it can be the new beginning we’ve all longingly waited for. We still think we control our lives. We look at what we’ve accomplished and not what God does through us. We trust in others to govern us – to teach us – to do for us. Why is it so difficult for us to believe that there is someone far greater who is in complete control of our destiny?
Jesus associated with the scum of the earth and then died a pitiful death as a common criminal on a cross. What could a man like that do for us? He came in deep humility to be the perfect sacrifice. He lived in poverty to remind us that His kingdom was not of this world. We still have that hope to look forward to. In the meantime, we can be confident that our dear, Lord, Jesus will be near us, not just during Christmas, but forever.
Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me I pray
Bless all the dear children, in Thy tender care
And fit us for heaven, to live with Thee there.
Posted in Christian daily devotion, Uncategorized
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atimetoshare.me 