---

The other day I saw a clip from a Wal-Mart store showing 2 women, at the Customer service desk, getting into a drag out fight, and I do mean a drag out fight.

According to the report, one of the women was waiting for her turn to speak to the customer service representative and the other woman had her shopping cart away from the counter supposedly in line waiting her turn. When the customer service representative finished with the shopper at the counter, the woman who was next in line, moved to be waited on and at the same time the woman with the shopping cart forged ahead and hit the woman who was supposed to be next. Well, the woman with the shopping cart grabbed hold of the hair of the other woman and threw her down to the floor which provoked the confrontation between the women right there in front of all those watching… What ever happened to “peace on earth, good will toward men, in this case, women?”

Is it me or have we become a nation of anger? It also appears we have become a world of anger! Few and far between are the days of, “oh, please, you go first” and “I only have a few things, you can go ahead of me.” We have come to the place of “it’s all about me and I am going to get what I want no matter what!”

We can try to blame society and its influx on the lives of its citizens, but there must come a time when we need to stop pointing fingers at other people or influences and search our own hearts as to what really is the issue. The issue in my opinion is we have turned our back on the principles of the Word of God and as people of this nation we are suffering the consequences of our decision.

The sad thing is that this can also permeate into the church. When people of Christ begin to disregard the principles of the Word of God, we find ourselves in the same condition as the majority of the churches in Revelation 2-3. Christ’s words to these churches are as relevant now as they were first penned by John, “Remember and Repent!”

Coming back to Christ and His word is what truly brings about peace in our heart, mind, soul and spirit. This is good journey to pursue in our quest for “peace on earth, good will toward men.” Grace to you all!

As my family and I were traveling on Route 80 heading west to visit our daughter and her family in western Pennsylvania, periodically Nancy would comment on how beautiful the fall colors were on display in the leaves of the trees. The reds were bright red, the yellows were bright yellows and the oranges were bright orange. Each tree proudly wearing its badge of color like a regiment of soldiers lined up for inspection.

“Yep,” I said, “It’s that time again.” I know my reply was not overly profound, but what else was I supposed to say? Each year seasons come and seasons go. It’s that time again. The introduction of fall is announced by the brilliance of color and for better or worse, we are lulled into a sleepiness of familiarity which induces an “oh well” effect of awareness. We have seen it all before, what’s new type of awareness.

I confess I was wrong. I should have noticed more of the brilliance than I did. I was trying to be a conscientious driver. I guess that was the problem. We get caught up in the events of our day and we lose the won-der of God’s interaction around us because we are, well you know, “oh well!”

In writing this article I am allowing my mind to try to grasp the beauty of what I did see so I can communicate with you a lesson I learned from the trees. Am I willingly putting on display the color the Lord has blessed me with for the purpose of honoring Him? The brilliant red of “praise” as I live my life as a “living sacrifice.” The brilliant yellow of “time” in sharing words of encouragement to a person who feels defeated. The brilliant orange of “prayer” as I lift up the needs of those who are hurting.

I was once again taught a lesson I will not soon forget. As children of the living God, our lives need to be on display for the glory of God as well as for the encouragement to those around us. In the learning of this lesson I have come to a deeper understanding of the phrase “It’s that time again!” It is that time again to be awakened from the sleepiness of “oh well” to the awesome responsibility of living for the glory of Christ. “It’s that time again!” Grasp the opportunity to honor Christ.

Grace to you all!

This month’s article is difficult for me to write. No, I am not pondering any earth shattering news, nor am I ill or unsatisfied. I just have a loss for what to write about. I remember reading an arti-cle written by an author who tried to express what “writer’s block” is all about. He wrote, “Writer’s block is like trying to unscramble eggs, once they are done, the only thing left to do is eat them.”

I know you are not looking for some “mature spiritual en-lightenment,” (well maybe some of you are, sorry to disappoint you). I sure hope you are not looking for some witty, winsome, knock yourself out humor (well maybe some of you are, sorry to disappoint you). I have come to that place of scrambled eggs. My mind is cluttered and the last thing my mind wants to do is write an article.

But what does come to my mind is simply this. Why not write from the perspective of just being still. You know the kind of stillness where the clutters of sounds around you fade as the morn-ing dew as you just stay still and listen for God. No, I am not talk-ing about some “Kum Bye Yaw” stuff. I am talking about listening to the voice of God in the quietness of the dawn of morning before anything else grabs our attention. I am talking about being still be-fore God before our day is ushered into a plethora of events that most likely draws our attention away from God. Schedules need to be met, chores need to be done, work has to be accomplished, clothes washed, floors mopped, desk cleared kind of events that clutter our minds with more than we bargain for. Then by the end of the day we have spiritual “writers block” and we wonder where did it all go?

My dear people, I am truly blessed by God to be allowed the privilege of being here at Grace Community Church. For me, this is the unscrambling of scrambled eggs. I need to remember to be still and listen for the voice of God to capture, if only for a mo-ment, the very sweet essence of His voice as He whispers, “Be still and know that I am God.”

I believe we all need this.

Grace to You.

In the evening when I take Kona out for her last time to “do her business,” I am pleasingly serenaded by the symphony of insects that are producing a master piece of music. Scripture tells, “for since the creation of the world God’s invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that man is without excuse” (Romans 1:20).

I certainly do not know all the different types of insects that are part of the concert orchestra, but there are many different sounds which are blended together in a symphony of praise to the one true God who is so creative that He spoke into being a myriad of insects that to this day have been repeating the same symphony of praise that began when they first appeared on earth.

When I hear this collection of music I am reminded of the times we gather for worship. As each song is filled with the different sounds, notes, pitches and “grumblings,” you know those monotone notes that come from those who say, “I just can’t sing,” there is a symphony of praise that is being raised to God from a people who are grateful for all that Jesus Christ has done for us. It is a song of freedom and release from the shackles of sin. It is a song of praise and thanksgiving for answered prayer. It is a song of gratitude for another week of blessing. It is a song of sorrow for the loss of a job or loved one. It is a song of anticipation for the awaiting of a special day for celebration. It is a song of wonder for just the glory of God.

Then I begin to wonder about the day when we will all be at the feet of Jesus’s throne in glory joining those from all time who are already there, singing a new song for the praise and adoration of Christ who is the wonder of all of Heaven. We will all be in tune, we will all be “able” to sing, and we will all be gloriously lifting up our voices fueled by our thankful souls for finally being home. “What a day that will be…” I believe I feel a song coming forth… Until that time, let’s enjoy the evening symphony and our worship time together. Anticipating what is yet to come.

Grace to You.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your acts of kindness, in sending cards of sympathy and notes of prayers for our family, in the recent passing of my mom, Ruby Stilwell.

On July 4, 2015 around 9:15pm, mom closed her eyes and left this earth and immediately opened her eyes in the wonderful arms of her Savior, Jesus Christ who faithfully prepared for her a dwelling place in our Heavenly Father’s house. Wow! What an amazing truth promised in the Word of God.

No lengthy article is needed for this month’s Kitchen Table. Only what is needed is to say “Thank You.”

Grace to you all.

The other day I saw something I had never seen before nor did I ever think I would see it happen. Looking out our kitchen window I saw my big buddy, which happens to be a woodchuck, or groundhog, depending on where you come from, get all puffed up as he hunched his back while on all fours and go paw to paw with a skunk under one of the fruit trees in our back yard. Now before all you guys, and most likely some ladies of the church, get all excited about shooting that woodchuck let me at least try to finish my story.

Anyway, as my big buddy inched closer to the skunk, the skunk, for some reason I presently do not know, did not do what I thought was going to happen. Instead of letting my big buddy have it with both barrels, that skunk simply turned and walked away from the conflict. At this point I am glad the skunk walked away instead of doing what skunks do, you know what I mean. At least we do not have to wear a gas mask to go out on the back deck to water our flowers.

As I shared this account with Pastor Isaac and Dianne, Dianne gave me the idea for this article. She said, “That story reminds me of the scripture that says, ‘be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.’” (Thank you Di for the reminder).

As we are coming to the close of our study, “Exposing our Archenemy,” Ephesians 6:10-20 highlights our heavenly weaponry we have against the schemes of the Devil. This passage reminds us to get dressed for battle, by the way which is every single day, so that we are able to stand victoriously against our archenemy. Each piece of armor has it proper function to protect but they must work in conjunction with each other. In other words, putting on only one piece is not enough. As a warrior prepares for battle he makes sure he has all that is needed for the encounter. He would not think of proceeding without every piece of equipment in its proper place. So it is with us.

But don’t skip over the powerful statement of verse 10 which says, “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might!” This verse reminds me from where our real protection comes from. Our protection comes from the Lord and the power of His might. You know, I’m talking about staring down, standing firm against, and being victorious against anything the Devil throws at us. The kind of strength and might that God gives us to continue on even if the issues of life aren’t to our best interest. The kind of strength and might that lifts us up above the battle fray so that we can see the final destination of hope and peace. The kind of strength and might that God gives us that carries us from the depths of darkness to our home in glory. No Matter What!!

Thank you God for the object lesson, thank you Di for the idea, and most important, thank you Lord Jesus for the strength and the might we have to stand up against that skunk Satan. Grace to you.

Things do not always happen as we expect. I am sure this is not a statement you have never heard before, but in any case, it is true. We strive to make plans that honor our Lord and there are times when the Lord takes these plans and turns them to honor Himself in a much greater fashion.

I presently have a bird in my office! Its name is “tweety.” Yeah I know, not very original, but I did not name it, my mom did. My mom wanted a parakeet for Christmas so low and behold she got one. Now I have it because my mom is no longer at her apartment and most likely will not return there.

I’m telling you there are times when this bird wears on my last nerve. It screetches (sorry for the spelling) and squawks when I am on the phone and when others come in my office. You know those high tones that (there she just did it again, did you hear it?) cause your toes to curl. I’m talking about at the end of the nerve sounding high pitch sounds… Man, what a day!

I’m too tender hearted to just open the window and turn it loose, plus how would I answer my mom when she asks “how is tweety?” I certainly could not convince her that the bird opened the window on its own. How dumb would that be?

So here I am, a bird in my office, and the notes from Pastor Isaac’s message on “contentment” staring me in the face. By the way, great job brother on presenting that passage in Philippians. I am caught in the matrix of trying to understand the fullness of God’s will as He relates to us in everyday life. I have a bird in my office!!

I did not plan it this way but this is the way it is. I also did not plan on my mom being where she is in the condition she is in but this is the way it is. In all due respect, even in the times of “this is the way it is” God’s will is still the best way to live. We may never understand the full impact of God’s directive hand, and that is okay because all God wants from us is to trust Him.

Trust Him in the big and small things, a great passion and pursuit of our Christian life. I will pursue contentment… Even if I have a bird in my office!

Grace To You All

Last evening, March 20th, Northumberland County received a warning from the National Weather Center of a storm that was going to hit the area with even the threat of a tornado. As the evening went on the storm came. High winds, pelting rain with thunder and lightning that cascaded across the sky with all its rumbling power.

Wouldn’t it be great if we were warned of impending storms that were coming in our personal life? I know the Lord has told us that “we will suffer trials and tribulations” but I was talking about one of those huge storms that keep us awake at night with its haunting noise of doom.

In Mark 4:35-41 one of these storms is recorded for us to learn from so our faith may be strengthened. You know the account of this passage. Jesus and His disciples get in a boat to go over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus falls asleep in the front of the boat, storm comes, disciples scared to death, Jesus calms the sea and then asks an interesting question, “How is it that you have no faith?”

Life storms are given to us for the purpose of developing our faith. The problem is we too often focus on the storm and not on the one who can calm the storm. Storms can cause us to forget the promises of God. Jesus told the disciples, “Let us cross over to the other side.” In other words when Jesus said they are going to the other side, nothing was going to prevent them from reaching that place. How often is it that we forget the promises of God when we find ourselves in the midst of a storm?

Storms can also cause us to doubt the very character of God. The disciples woke Jesus and asked Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” In the midst of the storm the disciples doubted the very love of Christ. It is almost like us asking, “If God is a God of love then why is this happening to me?” How often we doubt the character of God when we find ourselves in the midst of a storm?

What the process of a storm is really for is that we will see the very wonder and power of how great our Savior really is. Remember, Jesus spoke and the wind and waves ceased their destructive onslaught. Jesus allows storms for the purpose of trying our faith to be strengthened so we can realize just how wonderful He truly is.

Don’t lose heart over storms, when Jesus allows them to come into our life of faith, get ready to see a display of His power and person that you may have overlooked. I guarantee you will not be disappointed in the outcome.

Blessings to all by the Grace of God.

Have I told you lately that I really like mowing my lawn? Keeping the lines straight and developing a pattern of mowing that you can see coming over the hill on Middle Road toward the church just prior to the intersection of route 225. Oh boy! I can’t wait! I guess only those of you who love mowing lawn can fully understand. It is an obsession that can only be satisfied with the sound of a mower and the sweet smell of the freshly mowed grass. Ah yes, it is spring.

With the newness of life awakening, I find myself thinking about a song Sandy Patti once recorded entitled “Was it a morning like this.” This song not only reached the heights of the recording charts but also burned a heightened image in my mind about the resurrection of our Savior.

Scripture reminds us of the events of that day, the coming of the women to the tomb with spices to anoint the body of Jesus. The stone that was supposed to keep the body of Jesus in the grave was rolled away to the side. Some angels were there reminding the visitor’s hearts of what Jesus said, “I will rise!” And disciples’ running to make sure the news was correct as related by the women only to behold the folded grave clothes that once caressed the body of Jesus. “Jesus Christ Is Risen, He is Risen indeed!” All of eternity hangs in the balance of this truth. May this wonderful truth never get boring or slighted as we walk in our newness of life.

May our lines be straight, may our design be God honoring and may we be on display for all to see the wonder of life as Christ lives in us. Like the scent of a sweet smelling savor unto God, may our life be that which honors the Lord both this spring and all of our life-long. Grace to you all….. Keep on mowing!!!!

Here is a quote I recently came across which I feel is the essence of the believer’s life.

“The main thing God gets out of your life is not the achievements you accomplish. It’s the person you become. That is also the main thing you get out of your life.”

In my mind this quote, by Dallas Willard, highlights the ever busy intersection between ministry and personal growth. The other day as I was seemingly being bombarded with event after event, I am sure you have been there, I was caught up in the arena of pity surrounded by those shouting from the stands, “why me, why me!” I mean, what did I do to deserve this? This even after I hit a truck with my van. It was at the end of the day when the Holy Spirit whispered in my soul, “Don’t miss the value of learning to lean on Jesus.” I had to align my emotions and will in light of God’s great blessings of life.

It is like stepping back and evaluating our life. The bumper sticker which says, “He who dies with the most toys wins” is not a good motto to have hanging over your fireplace. Things pale in importance when eternity hangs in the balance. The other day I was thinking about how awful it would be to stand before Christ empty handed with nothing to lay at His feet in worship. Saved, you bet… Empty, how tragic...

I am sure all of us are engaged in living as best we can for the glory of God. That being said, don’t get caught up, as I did, in focusing on what we would like to have happen, just focus on how is it that God is shaping me to conform to the image of Christ, which, by the way, is the main thing for each believer.

I was finding it difficult to think of what to include in this month’s article as I sat down and began to write. You know, sort of “writers block” kept me from thinking as I began writing.

I felt like we have just come off the sugar high of Christmas as well as anticipation high of New Years with all our resolutions. (By the way, how are you doing with those?) You ever notice how many weight control and exercising commercials there are on the television immediately after the holidays? Anyway, to get back to my original situational problem! I was finding it difficult to write.

Then it hit me, sort of like a cupid’s arrow piercing our hearts. February is “Valentine’s Day” month. February 14th is the day of love and relationships usually expressed in the giving of cards, candy, flowers and who can forget those childhood valentine school parties? Wow, what a wonderful time.

Yet, what we believers have from the greatest love giver of all time is expressed in His valentine to us with the words: “God so loved the world.” I always find it refreshing to include my name in those words. Can you imagine reading, “God so loved Doug?” Can you imagine including your name in those words? You can, no matter who you are because God does so love the world.

It is that kind of love that is never stale, never demands, never forsakes, never grows cold and never wavers. God’s love is as fresh as those flowers we buy from the first day until eternity. What an amazing thought. What an amazing God. Almost causes you to want to go out and get a peppermint patty doesn’t it? Well, maybe we should just focus on saying, “Thank you!” (You know, the commercials!!!!)

Until next time, may the love of God pervade your thoughts and lives throughout this coming month.

The other day I was looking over my collection of books I have on my shelves in my office and I came across one book that the title arrested me from looking any further and I began to contemplate the title. The book in question is entitled, “So, You Want to Be Like Christ?” and the author is Charles Swindoll.

I remember reading this book some years back but quite frankly I don’t fully remember the “eight essentials that get you there” in accordance with the books theme. So, dusting off the years of collected film from setting in boxes and standing on shelves, I reached for the book and began to reacquaint myself with the contents of the pages.

It wasn’t long before the cobwebs in my brain began to give way to the specter of memory as I glanced at the chapter titles. As each chapter title moaned for my attention I could not help but begin to read the book once again. It was like being reintroduced to a long lost friend. In reality, it was like being awakened from a slumber that we fall into when we enter the believer realm of complacency.

Complacency is that place of taking our Christian faith for granted. You know, what I mean! There are those times in which we allow our love for Christ to wane away as an outgoing tide of time from the shore of joy because we have become “use” to being a follower of Christ. The newness of our faith has been replaced with the staleness of “yeah, I know” mentality. All in all we forget what it is like to really be like Christ.

As we enter the threshold of yet another new year, obviously not fully knowing what lies ahead for us, let’s at least reestablish a hunger in our daily walk with God to become more and more like Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul writes concerning this in Romans 8:29 where he pens the words, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” I cannot think of a more appropriate theme for 2015 than to “Be Conformed to the Image of Christ.” There is no greater goal. Let’s make it ours.