Quote of the Day

From a friend at church:

"There is nothing in my hand that was not put there by another."

Thanks Alex. I found it to be a helpful hermeneutic with Stewardship Campaigns on the way.

Quotes/Thoughts

Some thoughts that have gathered steam in my speech of late, and I need to worry:

"Hurt people hurt people"

"Deal with the diva, and forget the music"

Hope your life is easier!

Quote of the Day

The follies which a man regrets most, in his life, are those which he didn't commit when he had the opportunity.
- Helen Rowland

Quote of the Day

This one probably deserves some additional commentary, and I will have to see about coming back to it.

I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions.
- Augusten Burroughs

To give you an idea of where my head is today - the tweet of the morning read:

I keep contemplating life, the universe and everything. I keep coming up w/ 42. What does it mean?16 minutes ago via UberTwitter

Chinese Proverbs

There seems to be something so simple and direct about Chinese Proverbs. As such, I know I have gained from listening. I think this may be the core of interfaith dialogue: to listen to the other, and find that you know yourself and your beliefs more deeply.

For instance:

Chinese Prov.: When someone shares something of value with you, and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others.

Christian Learning: A reminder that this is the basic premise of Evangelism. We have had something so valuable shared with us, and we have a moral obligation to share it with others.

Chinese Proverb: Take everything with a grain of salt.

Christian Learning:

Matthew 5.13:

‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

We must as the salt of the earth be in everything, following the admonition to "be in the world, not of it". As such we can change the entire complexion of the world, as a mustard seed grows into a giant bush, where the birds take refuge, or yeast adds leaven to entire barrels of flour. (Mt 13)

Quote of the Day

"The worst bankrupt in the world is the person who has lost his

enthusiasm." H. W. Arnold

Quote of the Day

Lesson one never under estimate your own child if you are smart, they are ten times smarter than we are (Found on Facebook Comments)

Quote of the Day

There is no cure for birth and death save to enjoy the interval.
- George Santayana

Quote of the Day

Tradition is what you resort to when you don't have the time or the money to do it right.
- Kurt Herbert Alder

I don't think this is quite accurate, but traditions do need to be understood in the context they were formed, and then viewed through the lens of the contemporary society to see how it might need to be changed to be "done right"

Peace,

Question of the Day

What does it mean to you to "welcome children in the name of Jesus"?

Mark 9:30-37

Quote of the Day

Allan R. Bevere Broward County Florida Schools are requiring students to listen to the President's address to school children tomorrow. No one knows the penalty for students who stay home, but the rumor is that those students will be forced to listen to the ramblings of Vice-President Joe Biden :-)

Thought of the Day

Via Bro Greg

Thanks for the reminder. And who knew scripture could be so revealing, stripping us to the core, and yet leaving us feeling like we can yet do it well and better.

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
Romans 2:1-4 (TNIV)

More from Grandpa Spencer

I found these on a card back to back.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

Honesty was his rule for getting along with others

I GREW CONVINCED THAT TRUTH, SINCERITY AND INTEGRITY IN DEALINGS BETWEEN MAN AND MAN WERE OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE OF THE FELICITY OF LIFE, AND I FORMED WRITTEN RESOLUTIONS (which remain in my journal book) TO PRACTICE THEM EVER WHILE I LIVED.

Rotary Four Way Test of the things we think, say or do.

1) Is it the TRUTH?

2) Is it FAIR to all concerned?

3) Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIP

4) Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

I found it to be an imperative today when so much truth, half-truth and lies get mixed together. My hope is that I can build a church around TRANSPARENCY, which in turn develops TRANSFORMATION, which in turn means that we are getting closer to following the mission of the United Methodist Church, (To make Disciples of Jesus Christ, for the transformation of the world) and my own Vision (Extending Ministry)

Grandpa Spencer's Thoughts

I was culling through my filing system today as I have managed to move twice without checking the filing cabinets, and there was a stack of "to-file" items that was becoming unmanageable. In my files I ran across some items that had belonged to my Grandpa Spencer (my mother's father). I think some were in books I inherited from him, including his Book of Common Prayer, and the Bible he received for joining the "Pocket Testament League" (but more on that another day)

One thing that stuck out was:

Four things in any land must dwell;

If it endures and prospers well

One is manhood true and good

One is noble womanhood

One is childlife - clean and bright

And one an Altar - kept alight

Thanks Grandpa! I miss you.

Love,

David

Quote of the Day

The good life, as I conceive it, is a happy life. I do not mean that if you are good you will be happy - I mean that if you are happy you will be good.
- Bertrand Russell

A person is never happy except at the price of some ignorance.
- Anatole France

So here is to ignorance, and goodness -DSC

Quote of the Day

I thought this was helpful and encouraging for a variety of fronts. I think it is the power of positivity in the local church I am serving. I think it is the cause of health care before us. I hope it is the cause of Christ over legalism.

via UMC-GBCS

One of the things I read was a powerful quote by Bobby Kennedy:

Each time [someone] stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice [they] send forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.

Quote of the Day

No one means all he says, and yet very few say all they mean, for words are slippery and thought is viscous.
- Henry Adams

Fear

I was talking with a friend the other day. We were talking some about hate. I offered a bit of my wisdom, which she spun a little bit, and I thought it came out very profoundly.

And seeing hate as fear and resentment on steroids is a really cool way of looking at it. Really sort of disempowers the word.

Quote of the Day

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who are alive.” – Howard Thurman

ht: One Thing I Know

Speaking

Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.
- Plato

I would like to think that the reason for the lack of posting lately has to do with the lack of something to say; but I fear that the very reason for blogging has to do with the latter.

Peace,