Hope

 

A rainbow on the way home today--just when I needed a sign of hope.

Sunset to Sunrise: Beautiful Cape Cod

 
 
 

Learning Lessons

A true story.

We've known Larry and Lucy (names changed to protect the guilty) for many years. Our relationship is similar to a neighbor. We know a lot about them and vice verse. We have also done them quite a few favors, but we're not keeping a scorecard.

Well, Larry and Lucy had a tag sale and my husband went to it. He ended up purchasing a good size nativity scene. It was in a box and each piece was wrapped in paper or plastic. He looked at a few pieces and decided to buy it. Had he thought about the favors that we have done for this couple, he may have thought about talking down the $10 price tag, but he didn't.

When he got it home, we first discovered that Joseph had a piece broken off of his foot. Well, we can live with that. We examined the other pieces and all were very nice but I realized that the baby Jesus was missing. What good is a nativity scene without a baby Jesus?

I saw Larry the next day and asked if he could ask Lucy to look for the baby Jesus. He said he would. Well, the day after that, I saw Larry and he said it would be next to impossible to find it. So, then I asked him if we could have our money back. A nativity scene without Jesus is pointless. He said "As is". He said George had talked Lucy down from $15. (first lie--I still had the $10 sticker) and that George had looked at it for quite a while (second lie).

Now as I said, we have known Lucy and Larry for years. We should have known this would have been the outcome--I knew them too well and how they treated others. I just somehow thought that perhaps their standards would be different with acquaintances that they knew so well and would still be seeing often. They bragged that they had made over $3,000. on their tag sale. So, $10 is going to kill them? And it's not the money. $10 is not going to kill me. I don't even need a nativity scene. I have one. It's the principal. I could tell you about the many favors we have done for them. I thought we would have been treated with a little more respect. If I had sold it to a stranger, I would have given them their money back, but that's me.

This past summer we went to a tag sale a few streets over and bought a used VCR that we discovered didn't work when we got it home. We took it back and this stranger gave us our money back.

I know people can say, "buyer beware" or that we should have inspected it more. Yes, if it were a stranger, but from someone you've known more then ten years? Know we know, we are not exempt from their shady dealings. We were too trusting. Never again. I heard of another "friend" of theirs who got shafted by this tag sale. It's like money overtook their souls and believe me, they are not hurting for money.

Now there will be times in the future when Larry and Lucy are going to need a favor. In fact Larry already asked me to do something for him next week. So many vengeful thoughts have filled my head all day. I could easily get revenge and it could be sweet, if it weren't that I have a conscious. It's not fair that they don't. Can I be a bigger, better person? Well, if I had had to return that favor today, I don't think I would have been a better person. I need a little time to pass.

Funny the whole thing centers around Jesus. They obviously don't have him in their lives and when I asked them to look for him, they couldn't find him. I proclaim to have Jesus in my life, but symbolically He is missing in this whole situation. I know what Jesus would do, forgive and forget, but I do believe we should learn from this situation too. We cannot let people continue to walk all over ourselves and others. I know it is not our place to get revenge, but perhaps it is our place to remind them that when the store attendant gives you the wrong change in your favor, first it is wrong to take it and secondly, it is wrong to brag about it.

I know we shouldn't judge others either, but I think we should be helping to teach them right from wrong. There are too many Larrys and Lucys in the world (though thankfully I don't know many personally and believe me if I didn't have to, I wouldn't be in their company). I don't think it means to watch them take advantage of people over and over. Larrys and Lucys want more and more and are feeling entitled to more and more--sue crazy and looking for handouts. You know the old cartoon with the devil on one shoulder and the angel on the other? We need more angels on the shoulders of consciously challenged individuals. Be an angel, maybe we can change the world one at a time.

Church Journey Week 15 Easter Sunrise continued

 
 

Here are a couple of pictures just to show you the terrain. We estimated that about 70 people came out on this beautiful morning.

Church Journey Week 15 Happy Easter!

 
 
 
 

Okay, some of you may be saying what happened to week 14, 13, 12, etc. Well, due to technical difficulties we have a snag back from weeks ago. It finally dawned on me that it doesn't really matter to anyone else what week we went where, so we are going to catch up by doing these out of order.

We knew that going to a new church on Easter Sunday would not be a true picture of what it is usually like, so we decided to do what we have done for several years--attend a sunrise service. We are fortunate that there are a few close to us. Last year we went to the Colebrook Dam, which is beautiful. This year we went back to the Beach Rock lookout over the Barkhamsted Reservoir. It's a great place to see a sunrise, but involves a little effort of a short hike. Care has to be taken not to get too close to the edge.

This service is a combined effort of the Pleasant Valley Methodist Church and the Barkhamsted Congregational Church. The opening hymn was the appropriate "Morning Has Broken". The sermon was given by Rev. Margret Hofmeister from the North Congregational Church of New Hartford. She spoke of the glorious morning when the tomb was found empty from Luke 24. The pastor from Pleasant Valley Methodist Church (we believe) helped with the service.

In the past we have been to this service in winter coats and a blanket to try and keep warm. This year I had short sleeves and a sweater. It was a beautiful morning to see the sunrise. There were a few wispy clouds on the horizon.

I am happy to say that we also sang, "Christ the Lord is Risen Today". I have been disappointed on other Easters when it was not included. To me it is the theme song of Easter.

After the service there was a nice breakfast at the Barkhamsted Congregational Church (they alternate with the Pleasant Valley Methodist Church.) It was great to be amongst family and friends early on Easter morning.

I don't know how to put more than four pictures on a blog, so look for more pictures on the next entry.

Barkhamsted Winter Wonderland

 
 
 

Church Journey Week 5 (New Hartford)

 
 

As you can tell, we are playing catch up recording this journey. Eventually we will be up to date, I promise. As I re-read my notes on Saint Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in New Hartford, I realized I hadn't written anything down about the church building and I will give you my excuse later. I remember there were wooden pews and some were sideways to the pulpit. It is a typical white New England church building. I don't remember stained glass. The organ was small and in back of the church. It was pretty plain. There was no American flag. There was an addition onto the church that had us kind of rambling around to get to the coffee hour. If left on our own, we would have been lost.

I believe I lost interest in the church building as our focus was on the people. Once we were seated, the couple in front of us immediately introduced themselves and starting explaining things about the church. Within a couple of minutes, Rev. Timothy Yeadon bounded up to cheerily greet us. He said he saw new faces and wanted to introduce himself. He told us a trick to remember his name. He said when he was done with the sermon, we would say "Yeah, he's done." He is a bubbly and exuberant pastor.

The service was a little difficult for us to follow. We are not used to the traditional readings and responses and we struggled to find them on the appropriate pages in the hymnals. I has been interesting on our journey as we have spoken to people and their various worship preferences. George and I don't care for reading the corporate response. I would rather ponder my own feelings and search my heart for my own personal response and would like silent reflection time to respond in my personal way with God. One person we spoke to mentioned how he loved the written responses and how it made him think more about particular issues in relation to his life. Aren't we fortunate to live in a country where we can worship how we prefer?

This particular Sunday there was an infant baptism. After the baptism, the beaming Rev. Yeadon took the baby around to every single pew to show them the adorable infant.

The sermon was entitled "Real Healing" based on Luke 4:31-44, Acts 10:38, John 9, Phil.1:21. (I appreciate it when a pastor gives the references for what they are proclaiming.) Rev. Yeadon tackled the tough subject of the suffering people endure. He reminded us not to take things for granted. He referred to the time when Jesus was asked, "who sinned the blind man or his parents". He said God does not work that way--measure by measure with a clipboard in hand and punishing us in life. Satan is always trying to derail us.

Jesus went through his own trials and suffering on earth. By his wounds we are healed. He did not come just to solve our problems, but to save us. Why doesn't God heal? This is what my notes say, "he heals us by Christ...(child screamed) and we would envy them if we could see them now with Jesus in heaven." There was a little one not happy to be there and with his mom by herself. She was having a time trying to quiet him. As Rev. Yeadon ended his sermon with "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." We are saved to save others--our purpose in life.

The child began crying and would not stop. Rev. Yeadon asked the mother if he could take him. The child immediately stopped crying while the pastor continued the remaining part of the service holding him until the end and even taking him to say goodbye to people at the door. It was amazing. He was not related to the child. The child did not start crying again.

This was another church where they recognized birthdays and even sang the birthday song. I don't recall doing that in a church service before.

During our stay the people behind us talked to us too. The person in front of us led us through the winding hallways and stairs to the coffee hour. We spoke with a couple more people there and enjoyed coffee and goodies. I think the major thing I would take away from this church is the friendliness and the wonderful attitude of the pastor. It is a place where you will always feel welcome and I believe, be uplifted.

We went to the 8 am service. There are services at 8 am and 10:30 am with an additional contemporary praise and worship at 9:15 am. They have Children's church and adult Bible studies. Check out their website for the complete information: www.stpaulsnewhartford.com