Ponderings of a Western Christian

Last Sunday Reverend Issac Shaw spoke to our Peace Church congregation.
Whoa!

He is a Christian pastor and from New Delhi, India, a native of India, who is dedicated to spreading the hope of the Gospel of Jesus to Northern India. This region is full of the poor and homeless, and populated by people of Hindu & Muslim faiths. This area makes the Western culture look extravagant to excess. Christians in this region of the world are in the minority and are persecuted and martyred daily.

This is a hard fact to wrap around my Westernized mindset, where I'm surrounded by people who have much, who strive to get more, and, honestly, I'm right in foray with them; I do love to buy and want so many things:(!

I'm addicted to HGTV and all their make-over home shows. But lately it seems that people blessed with lovely homes are willing to spend thousands of dollars to have a 'more lovely' home:(
Success breeds excess, doesn't it?

Issac challenged us, tried to shake up our comfort zone, to realize the North American church lives in the midst of unbelievable blessings that few others in the world have and can only dream of. We, the Western church, are 'called' to be generous with our wealth and/or time and to pray for/ or go to those that are living in poverty and hopelessness in order to love them in Jesus' name and care for them.


Jesus chose to live among the common people, ministering to the poor & downtrodden, those forgotten by the world.

Saying all that, Cary/Apex/Morrisville, for the most part quite affluent, is filled with needy, desperate, people as well. Many of us live in luxury compared to Northern India and other countries of the Third World, but we struggle with hopelessness & despair in our midst; broken relationships, broken dreams, health issues, loneliness, struggles of old age & living on an income that will not stretch, abuse, neglect, mental health problems galore---should I go on??

Yet God is able to use us wherever He desires. The only thing Christians are called to do is to be available to be used by Him & to love those around us.

Am I listening?
Am I loving others?
What are my priorities?

Rev. Shaw, you did rock me.

May Already!

 
Where has 2009 gone??

Here it is the 15th of May, the pool is opening this weekend, Skye has finished her Junior year at Appalachian, ball season is in full swing, & the honeysuckle is blooming!

Last weekend my family helped me paint my bedroom, & I love it; it a tan color, like coffee with cream:) I'm thinking maybe I'll hire Kelley to paint my stairwell & my landing, strip off my kitchen wallpaper & paint that too:) She is so good at it:)

Father's Day cards are out at Hallmark; I've been working on them all week:)

I had my annual physical Tuesday & survived--I whined for days beforehand:(

My good friend Kathy & her fiance Alex have set their wedding date, August 22nd, so I've been pondering some sort of wedding shower:) Kathy & I'll have to talk:) Should we have a Tea Room affair or a larger gathering? I'm so tickled for them both!!
Such a sweet romance:)

Three Three, my grand puppy, was critically ill for almost 3 weeks, has been diagnosed with Addison's disease, & is recovering, thank God:)

Summer is on the horizon. What is in store?
A bike trip along the New River?
A wedding shower in July?
Keith & I will have our 40th wedding anniversary August 3rd.
Skye will be moving into an apartment in Boone mid August.
The Fuller/Worrell wedding will be a highpoint the third week of August:)

Each day brings forth something new....
Stay tuned:)

(The pic is rain on the car window as we drove home from Pa. May 2nd; I thought it was cool:))

Skye's New Adventure

 
Beginning Tuesday, Skye will start her summer job, and the interesting thing is, it's where I work, Lynn's Hallmark!
I don't think of us as being alike at all, but, she wanted to try working in retail for a change. Previously she's been employed at the Cary Y, and last summer volunteered as a counselor at Camp Ridge Haven. She enjoyed the kids, was very good with them, but is ready to try something new.

We won't be on the same schedule at Beaver Creek, and that's a good thing. No one needs their mom around too much when you're 22 years old.
Our Hallmark girls will be helpful and will guide and direct her through every situation:) They'll be a blessing to her, as will our wonderful manager, Yvonne:)

Skye will find this is a job where you concentrate on the customer, listen to their needs, try your best to help, and, overall, leave a genuine friendly impression with everyone:)
She will need patience and grace in all situations, and that's what I pray for her:)

Have a grand summer, Skye!
I'll try not to fuss over you too much, and, it'll be a treat to see what you learn:)