Jamey's Newsletter: Sunday, March 13, 2022
A few years ago, I visited with a friend and admired his collection of wine. I noticed he had a very old bottle. He told me he purchased it overseas while traveling through Europe.
I asked if he was ever going to drink it, and he said that it was to be kept and admired.
It reminded me of a story from the bible of Mary breaking open a jar of expensive perfume and pouring it on the feet of Jesus. She refuses to keep the fragrance simply for it to be admired.
It is excessive. It is extravagant. Mary has gone overboard, as Judas is quick to point out.
The lavish act was a demonstration of the lavish love of God. As it will be shown on the cross, there is nothing economical about the life of Jesus. His love goes beyond death. His mercy is excessive. His love is extravagant. And Mary is performing an act that gives witness to the richness of God’s grace.
How will you give witness to God’s amazing grace in your life?
Jamey
Blessed Are Those Who Mourn and Are Meek
(Disclaimer: If you want to know if we have entered allergy season in Georgia, just look at my eyes in this video.)
Weekly Prayer
Gracious God, thank you for the reminder that a blessed life is a life of presence - our presence with one another and your presence among us. When we are struggling, hurting, wounded, and limping, we are blessed because you are with us. When we are barely hanging on, and moments away from another relapse, we are blessed by the friend at our side. Our healing is that of the love of a heavenly father that meets the aching heart of a hurt child, and so we say, “We are blessed.” Amen.
Meme of the Week
Dad Jokes
Apparently, you can’t use “beef stew” as a password. It’s not stroganoff.
What do you call a factory that makes okay products? A satisfactory.
I have been thinking………..
I worry about my kids. Will they make wise decisions? Will they stay safe?
I worry about getting old. Will I get cancer? Will I lose my memory? Will I have to stop eating chocolate ice cream?
I worry about my marriage. I worry about friends living without hope. I worry about international politics. And I worry about the fact that I worry.
I worry over my worry when my faith tells me not to worry.
Jesus says, "Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? (Matthew 5: 25 - 27)
I think it is poetic of Jesus to have us reflect on birds and lilies, but baby birds don't eat as much as my teenagers, and lilies in the field don't have a family to support.
However, by drawing our attention to nature, Jesus is reminding us of an important truth: We cannot worry our way into a better tomorrow.
We can't worry our way into a better tomorrow, but we can trust our tomorrows in the hands of God, and that will give us a better today.
Photo of the Week (Photos taken by me)
Attention to the divine ways God meets disabled persons through their bodies will open our eyes to encounter God in new ways. Click Here
60 volunteers are needed to get the Meals on Wheels program running full-time again in Hall County. Click Here
A Ukrainian boy travels 620 miles to safety with a phone number written on his hand. Click Here
$100M Ad Campaign Aims to Make Jesus the ‘Biggest Brand in Your City’I have some exciting news to share: You can now read Jamey’s Newsletter in the new Substack app for iPhone. Click Here
I would love to hear your feedback on this marketing campaign………. Click Here
Question Reflection (and yes, I actually think about these things)
If you could make a new flavor of ice cream, what would you make?
Van Leeuwen's Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Ice Cream Hits Walmart Stores Nationwide. Click Here to Read the Story
Happening at Gainesville First United Methodist Church
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