Helen Keller

“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” Helen Keller

Helen Keller was deaf and blind but learned to communicate with the outside world. Her story and faith became famous and she inspired many people to overcome great obstacles because of her success. Perhaps one of the most compelling quotes from Helen Keller is her insightful ability to distinguish between blindness and vision. Many took pity on her because she could not hear nor see. Helen Keller did have great vision for the world and for the future. She could see with her heart and mind beyond what others could see who had two eyes that worked.
As Christians, we too need vision. God has shared a plan of action that includes love, mercy, compassion and hope. Our vision at Brazil First United Methodist Church is to grow stronger in our faith in Jesus Christ and to reach our community with the message of God’s love and hope.
Statistics show that 17,000 of the 25,000 Clay County, Indiana residents are not connected to a community of faith. Marriages are falling apart. Parents are abandoning their children through abuse and neglect. Hurting people are crying out for help, hope and a place to belong. Take a moment this week to share God's love with someone.

Kenya

In February, 2009 I accepted an invitation to teach a conference for Wings of Life in Kenya, Africa. The spirit of God is at work in the lives of the pastors and the people of Kenya. They are hungry for Biblical teaching because many do not have access to resources. One small church I visited was given a Bible and the pastor was so touched because the church did not have a Bible. Bishop Njoroge and the Wings of Life churches have established 15 rescue centers, 82 churches and a high school in the past 10 years. Please pray for purity and unity for all churches and may we be as hungry for God's Word as the people in Kenya.

Shack Small Group

The Shack, by William P. Young, is an inward journey to the soul. The fictional story sets up a crisis within Mack as he deals with The Great Sadness. The Great Sadness is the abduction of his five-year-old daughter Missy. One day, Mack receives a note from God inviting him to the Shack where Missy’s dress was found.
The rest of the book is a conversation between God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and Mack. The struggle within Mack dealing with The Great Sadness and his view of God can be found in many of us. During the month of March we will explore together the lessons from The Shack, ground them in Scripture, and hopefully grow closer to God in the process. Each Sunday morning worship in March a new topic will be introduced. Each Sunday evening at 5:30 p.m., you are invited to join us for small group discussions.

The Shack

I just finished the Shack I thought it was awesome. It captures the struggle of a hurting father (Mack) whose daughter was abducted. His biggest beef is with God, who invites him to meet together. The discussion between Mack and God and the way the Trinity is presented is fun, deep and surprisingly accurate to my own belief system. The biggest controversy is the depiction of God as a female African American who loves to cook. My opinion is that William Young has done a masterful job in a parable to share the heart of God.

Thank you

Thanksgiving and Veterans Day fall on the same month. Whenever I meet a veteran or someone in active duty for the first time I usually say thanks. I was never much of a patriotic flag waver until i had the opportunity to go overseas during my college days. Although i loved where i went, my experience helped me appreciate the privileges my country gives me. Thank a Veteran.

If it ain't broke

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," was wisdom my grandfather shared with me. For the most part it is wisdom that has served me well, yet, deep within me is a drive to improve what currently exists. There seems to be a tension between the philosophies of "leave well enough alone" and "there must be something better." Just because I love my wife and am satisfied with my marriage doesn't mean I quit trying to look for ways to improve our relationship. Within me is a desire to be a better husband, father, pastor and Christian. But the drive to improve may be counter productive if I can't have peace with who I am. Perhaps the balance is not between being satisfied with the current condition and the desire to improve it, but the goal should be altering our current condition so our thoughts, actions and words are in line with God's will. I am most at peace when I sense that God is indeed first in my life and I surrender the current condition and the possible future improvements at the cross of Christ. What do you think?

Forgive and Forget

Why do people hurt us? Why do we hurt? How do we move past our hurt? How do we heal the hurts we have? One of the best books I've read that addresses these questions is `Forgive and Forget' by Lewis Smedes. He writes, "Forgiveness is God's invention for coming to terms with a world in which people are unfair to each other and hurt each other deeply. God began by forgiving us and invites us all to forgive each other." Forgiveness is the path to healing the hurts we don't deserve.