Universal Life Church

Your gift to the universe is your timing.  God gives you the message to deliver at the most uncanny times.  Today, you have taken the frustration out of my heart.  You are a great blessing to me and so many others.

Thank you with all my heart.

Jennifer Short

Online Ordination

The Birthday Boy

Well, so maybe I am not a boy but a man of sixty-eight now, haven’t you heard of a person’s second childhood.  O.K. so it may be my third or fourth so who is counting.

Yes it is my  birthday…time is moving so fast…or maybe I am moving so slow. Anyway I get up do this do that and Sandy is home and then we eat enjoy a little conversation, some TV and time with missy and trouble and then bedtime and that is none of your business or TMI as the kids say.

Oh, yes, anyone out there remember me asking for the one hundred fifteen lb. blond female to be in my life.   I have her, but if I ever have occasion to pray that again I must learn to be specific and ask for her to be human as I have one hundred fifteen blond female golden lab in my life now.

Yes we have to be specific in our prayers. But then after being specific we have to end the prayer with this or something better with good for all and harm to none.

It is amazing how many times I have heard of people asking for a specific amount of money to come to them and then they receive it by having a favorite friend or relative make their transition.

Of course when one leaves is not necessarily a tragedy for them only for those of us left here for I firmly believe no one leaves before their time.

When I was shot in 1987 I was given the choice to stay or come back for it was not my time.  I am no one special so this choice may be available for all to go or to stay.

Also we have to remember that when one is seriously ill and we pray for them to release them to their highest good and the good of all with harm to none.

It is so hard for us to lose someone close, yet we must look past ourselves to what is best for all of those around us and for the world. 

Yes, even the little ones that leave us have fulfilled their purpose for being here.  Many times it is for us to focus on those left here. 

WE carry the memories in our heart so that we can carry on here caring for those we love.

For one to dwell on the past whether it is one departed on a physical plane to live a separate life or a loved one has made a transition to a higher plane does no one any good.

Louis L’Amour told us many years ago in one of his books a line that literally saved my life for my bride of three weeks had left me to go back to her live in boyfriend of five years.  I had gotten in my `61 Cadillac hearse camper and drove into the desert outside of Quartsite, AR with only a stack of Louie A’mour books and little or no water when on the third day of reading I read “Love is to live for not to die for’

I got up thirsty with less than a quarter tank of gas and drove into Phoenix to a friend’s  house where I collapsed at their front door.

Yes, love is to live for not die for.  Although there are times that we are called to place our life on the line for those we love. 

The thing we are not to waste our lives needlessly for they do not belong to us as they belong to a higher power that resides within us.

As we learn to listen to this higher power we know when and where to give our life or to keep it.  It all goes back to while there is higher power guiding us it is up to us to make the choice that better serves all  with good and harm to none.

That is how we are to live our lives in MHO with harm to none and good to all as we live our life of purpose.

"10 Secrets Many Senior Pastors Keep"

"10 Secrets Many Senior Pastors Keep"

I get to hang out and know many senior pastors. I have a great heart
for them and understand, firsthand, some of the pressures,
frustrations, and joys which are unique to the role of a senior
pastor. In my recent blog survey, over half my readers are in ministry
and half that number are senior leaders.

After sharing these points at a conference for executive pastors I was
asked to give my perspective as a senior pastor, since each of them
report to one. I have revised some of them and added a couple, so I
decided to share it again.

Here are 10 “secrets” about many senior pastors:

1. Leading from this position is overwhelming at times. We know Christ
is ultimately in charge, but we also know it often seems everyone
looks to us to have all the answers.

2. People tell the senior pastor all kinds of things about what is
happening in their life or in the lives of others…many we would
sometimes rather not know…and sometimes the weight of others problems
we carry is enormous.

3. Most pastors walk with a degree of uncertainty, which keeps us in
prayer, but also makes us question our abilities at times. It makes
depression common for many senior pastors. (Need a Biblical
example…see 1 Kings 19.)

4. Many senior pastors fear the possibility of failing in their role,
so they thrive on the encouragement and prayers of others.

5. Sometimes we allow insecurity to cause us to become overprotective
of our reputation and our position.

6. We face the same temptations and occasional spiritual dryness as
everyone else. This means we need accountability, but are often afraid
to seek it.

7. Our spouse is sometimes the loneliest person in the church and
often feels extreme pressure to live up to unrealistic expectations.

8. Loneliness can exist for all leaders and many pastors suffer from it.

9. We seldom know whom we can trust, which is why we become guarded
and appear hard to get to know. Most senior pastors have been burned
by someone they once trusted.

10. We suspect the staff, church leaders, and congregation sometimes
talk about us behind our back.

Granted, not every pastor faces each of these (that’s why I said
“many”) and I happen to be in an extremely healthy church, but even
still, some of these are real for me at times. Other pastors, for
reasons on this post, will not want you assuming these things about
them. In talking with dozens of senior pastors each year, I know this
is a representative list for "many."

Senior pastors find joy in our work and, thankfully, most of us know
we are in the center of God’s will vocationally. I don’t intend to
take anything away from that in this post. We serve in a called
position, so we are doing what we have been asked of God to do. When I
share any post like this, however, I have come to expect a lecture on
the need to depend on Christ for these issues, which only further
demonstrates my points.

Senior pastors are to fully rely on Christ’s strength, as is every
other believer. This is just a reminder that we happen to also be like
Elijah…"a man just like us" (James 5:17).

Pastors, anyone honest enough to agree?

Seasons Greetings from OMCSydney