The Leaf by Floyd H. Johnson

Today a leaf danced across my path.
It did a little jig as it moved along the ground,
urged along by unseen hands.

Dry and tender, it waltzed in step with the trees
who clapped their hands to the tune of some
silent melody.

I moved on, perhaps never again to see that sight,
though leaves will dance and waltz tomorrow.

A Demanding Week

This past week was tough. And I only have our local Christian radio station (http://www.fln.org) to blame . You see, on Tuesday morning I turned on the radio and was listening to the Morning Show, as it is called. The music was great, the interviews were okay, but then came that moment that would change my life forever. The announcers told the world, and me, that day had been proclaimed "Practice Winter Snuggling Night".

I, liked that idea, called my wife and told her what I had heard. And sure enough we practiced snuggling that evening.

But the silly radio station could not stop when they were ahead. Because now it was Thursday morning and again I was enjoying the music and commentary. And again, the announcer decided to tell the world and me that Thursday was "National Husband Make Dinner Night".

Now this was too much. I mean, I don't mind buying my wife candy on Valentine's Day. I even enjoy buying flowers for her on Mother's day. And getting a small gift for her on her birthday - I'll even do that. But when the local radio station combines snuggling on the day before Halloween and making dinner on the day after Halloween, it really is too much.

Now, I did snuggle. I did make dinner (Meatloaf, Alfredo Noodles, and Green Peas). But, come on now, I have been married for almost 34 years. Why is the local Christian station choosing to pick on me?

Or maybe I should ask, did you get to snuggle this past week? Did you make dinner for your wife this week? If not, it is not too late. Why not do it this next week?

Yours because His,

Pastor Patrick

You Alone by Floyd H. Johnson

You alone are God,
There is none besides.
      You alone can save,
      All others leave me lost.
You alone give life,
All else leaves me dead.
      You alone show grace,
      All others condemn.
You alone I will worship,
You alone will I serve.

Written in response to Lesson 4 of Beth Moore's Jesus: 90 Days With The One and Only.

Bungee Jumping Bishop

These two images show Bishop Violet L. Fisher bungee jumping in New Zealand.

WOW!

Blessings,

Pastor Patrick

New Word - Autumnishy

My wife's newest word - AUTUMNISHY.

Definition - "of or pertaining to autumn, like Autumn"

Typical sentence: I am going to make my office more autumnishy.

Yours because His,

Pastor Patrick

Can I Stop Talking?

Can I Stop Talking?

Earlier this fall, I preached two sermons on finding God in times of silence and in times of solitude. You can see the sermons at my sermon blog:

http://PastorFloyd.blogspot.com

The two sermons were preached as part of a series on the Christian Disciplines - where I attempted to answer the question, "Most of us come to church so that we can know God better. What can I do to know God better?"

I even put it in practice by visiting our local zoo. Rather than trying to see every exhibit, during my five hours at the zoo, I stopped at only four exhibits:

• The Alligators
• The Meerkats
• The Tigers
• The Polar Bears

And I had lunch. It was designed to be a relaxing time, a time of reflection and retreating. It was good.

One of the other ways that I relax is reading. I like light mystery. For example, I have been reading the books by Lee Goldberg based on the Diagnosis Murder and Monk TV series. Each of these include a bit of comedy and a bit of mystery making them fun to read.

Another series I stumbled on a couple of years ago after watching a Made-For-TV movie on the Hallmark Channel is written by a female author writing under the pseudonym of Lee Harris. The series tells the story of a former Catholic nun who was raised in a convent and naturally joined the teaching staff of its college. At the age of 30, Christine Bennett found herself responsible for the care of a mentally challenged nephew and the recipient of a house along the Long Island Sound. During the course of the seventeen books, she is married, has a child, and solves a series of murders that seem to be dropped in her lap. Written in the first person, they have been fun to read and follow her through the early years of marriage, motherhood, and murder.

I am currently reading the final book in the series. The author told me in a personal e-mail that the publisher was choosing to leave the genre and would not be publishing more books. Though she has another series with another publisher, her hands are tied when it comes to the Christine Bennett Mystery series. She describes the other series as being "darker and harder" - something that I do not find inviting. After finishing The Cinco De Mayo Murder I will have read all the Christine Bennett Mystery books that have been published.

So what does The Cinco De Mayo Murder have to do with finding God in silence and solitude. The question is answered on page 158 of the book. Christine is on the way to visit a college professor who knew her latest victim and that probably had some vital information in finding some resolution to the case. She is moving through the corridors and climbing the stairs of the college classroom building. As she makes her way to the professor's office, she is passed by "an occasional young person" who scoots by with "a cell phone at his ear." At that point the author, writing in the first person, comments, "We have become a society that cannot stop talking."

I was reminded of my words of a few weeks earlier. Can we, can I, slow down enough that I can hear God speaking? Or do I have so much to say that I will no longer listen to God? May I never be so noisy, that I will not or cannot listen to God. Let me always find times of silence, let me always find times of silence or solitude, either intentionally or not, that God can use to speak to me. May the same be true for you.

Yours because His,

Pastor Patrick

Spiritual Disciplines Word Find

Spiritual Discipline

E V E N V L W B K H X F K J W I T I
V A K L V N W W L E X M O B R G S G
T B E A Q I O V Y I B D H G B B E C
G N I N E T S I L V I M O Z J D R C
O Q Y P R O Q M S S I D Q I R B P B
E C N E L I S Y C S S I R Y C X C F
Y M V D N I V I U * E Y A I V I P K
O C Y H H I P D P G F F F R I Z F F
X Y D G W L G R T E W Z N O Z D N H
T D A A I I E V T T M R O O L N K Z
Q R P N X S B C M F R W P V C H E S
M T E Q E K N Z M T I I G J Z B C P
U S M N Y Q K T H Q O V L D K N I C
R B C I E V S P I R I T U A L H T H
M E R T T N T F Q J T Y R V S W S F
N O I S S I M B U S K W Y R N R C U
Q Z E B J V Z X H Y F Q O K O H I F
F O J Y A R R J D O Q W O W D H A N

CONFESSION DISCIPLINES GODS
PRESENCE LISTENING REST
SILENCE SPIRITUAL SUBMISSION

WORSHIP