Jamey's Newsletter: Sunday, February 18, 2024
Have you ever heard the saying, "She has thick skin?" Someone recently told me, "You have thick skin," describing how I have handled a particular conflict. People described this way are known for their resilience and emotional toughness.
However, if having "thick skin" means being closed off from connecting with others, I am not sure this is a healthy way to live our lives. Being vulnerable may seem counterintuitive, but it allows individuals with "thick skin" to form deeper, more meaningful connections with others.
In the Bible, the apostle Paul writes about God's response to his plea for relief from a "thorn in the flesh," saying, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
Vulnerability is not about surrendering to our weaknesses but trusting that the grace of God can be made known through our weaknesses.
Jamey
(Music performed by the Modern Worship Team of Gainesville First United Methodist Church, Gainesville, Georgia)
Weekly Prayer
Gracious God, As we walk this journey, equip us with the discernment to know when to guard our hearts and when to lay them bare. In every interaction, let us reflect Your compassion, understanding, and boundless love, becoming beacons of hope and sources of comfort to those in need. In the name of Jesus, who showed us the ultimate example of strength in vulnerability, we pray, Amen.
Meme of the Week (two memes for the week - Girl Scout Cookies, Valentine’s Day, and Ash Wednesday)
Dad Jokes
I told my wife she should embrace her mistakes. She gave me a hug!
What do you call fake spaghetti? An impasta!
Wisdom Nugget: Let vulnerability transform fear into bravery, isolation into connection, and uncertainty into clarity.
A Question to Consider: In what situations do I find it most challenging to show vulnerability, and what fears or beliefs are holding me back?
Photo Taken By Me
Book I Read This Week
Jesus, the Final Days: What Really Happened by Craig Evans and N.T. Wright
Video I Found Interesting
Found Interesting on Social Media
Podcast Worth Listening to:
Articles that caught my eye:
Warren Buffett’s “2 List” Strategy: How to Maximize Your Focus and Master Your Priorities
Octavia Butler on Creativity, the Generative Power of Our Obsessions, and How We Become Who We Are
The Woman Who Spent Five Hundred Days in a Cave
People share 17 'completely original' life hacks that have improved their lives
How to Stay Sane in Brutalizing Times
Modern-Day Psalmist Kate Bowler Shares 3 Spiritual Reflections on Love All of Us Need This Week
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
We’re blessed by our partnership and the opportunity to support Rev. Esther Hanners and our friends in Honduras with supplies for the Methodist school and medical clinic. Thank you for building bridges to Jesus Christ for the people of Utila, Honduras.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
1. Donate supplies for the collection by purchasing any of the items on the Amazon Wish List and having them shipped to the church by February 25. (2780 Thompson Bridge Rd. Gainesville, GA 30506)
2. Give financially toward the purchase of supplies, as well as medicines and vitamins for the medical clinics. To give, please make checks payable to GFUMC, “North Shore Honduras Mission” on the memo line.
Happening at Gainesville First United Methodist Church
February 25 / Noon / Reception Hall of Gainesville First United Methodist Church
Gainesville First United Methodist Church’s hiking group, The Wilder Way, is working to create an inclusive hiking opportunity using the Joelette chair (pictured) so everyone can experience the community and beauty of hiking. Learn more at the interest meeting following the 10:50/11 am worship services on Sunday, February 25th in the Reception Hall.
Weekly Blessing and/or Quotes
"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable." - C.S. Lewis
