Jamey's Newsletter: Sunday, May 15, 2022
“What do I want my window to say?”
Author Bob Goff asks the question in his book Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People. He writes, “There’s a tradition at Disney most people don’t know about. The windows in the second-story shops are dedicated to people who helped build the kingdom there. At Disneyland in Southern California, I found a window across from the Jungle Cruise for a guy named Harper Goff. He’s not related to me at all, but that’s not what I tell the people who sell tickets to get in. The window says, “Prof. Harper Goff—Banjo Lessons.” But banjo isn’t what he’ll be remembered for. You see, Harper Goff has a window at Disneyland because he helped build a kingdom there.”
If you ask Shane and Joanna Cauller, who are Disney fanatics, what would their window say? They might tell you something about God’s love to provide a forever home for a beautiful baby boy.
On Friday, May 13th, Shane and Joanna Cauller finalized the adoption process for William Royal Cauller. It has been a twenty-two-month journey through the challenges of foster care.
I witnessed in the courtroom the love of God manifest in family, friends, and church family surrounding a couple that has been on a twenty-two-month journey to provide a forever home to a child that deserves to be loved forever.
Throw a breast cancer diagnosis, surgery, and recovery in the middle of the journey, and you will see in Joanna and Shane a resiliency that has amazed all of us.
They may not have their name in a second-story window at Disney yet, but I am confident that it is there in the kingdom of God.
If you would like to join me in supporting Shane and Joanna, her Venmo account is @Joanna-Cauller. Let’s show them some love!
Venmo: @Joanna-Cauller
Jamey
A Prayer for Graduates
Holy and Mighty God, before us today are graduates walking into an unknown future and incredible opportunities. Give them the wisdom to carve out a place in society where they live in service and gratitude. Please give them the courage to speak against injustice and stand for what is right and good. Give them faith to embody truth and walk the way of Jesus. May they never lack passion for you and compassion for their neighbor. In the name of Jesus, we pray, Amen.
Bible Stories for Grownups: David and Goliath
Meme of the Week
Dad Jokes
I asked my friend Sam to sing a song about the iPhone. And then Samsung.
I love that moment when you walk through a spider web, and instantly turn into a karate master. Anyone else?
I have been thinking………..
As political debates swirl around us, I can’t help but think are we turning people into projects? Politicians on both sides of the aisle are acting like citizens are projects that exist to meet their our own political agenda.
What if people in leadership (politics, business, and church) were more focused on building relationships instead of building their own personal enterprise?
People are people. Not projects.
Photo of the Week (Photos taken by me)
Book I Am Reading
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
This summer, we are providing families with children in our Path Project in the Baker and Glover community with grocery supplies for lunches.
There are two time slots each day; one for packing and one for loading/delivering. Packing consists of filling two grocery bags per family. The "cold" bags will be left in the cooler and the dry bags will be loaded on carts. Loading/delivering means that you load the bags onto the church bus and ride with the driver, getting out at designated houses to drop off the bags.
There is one sign-up in each slot. Although one person can do either task alone, it is better with some helpers, so recruit your friends and family! The person who signs up is the "captain" of that slot and serves as the contact in case any change becomes necessary.
Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. If you have any questions, please call or text Mary Wall (205)-242-1372.
Happening at Gainesville First United Methodist Church
Weekly Blessing
Go forth knowing God rejoices over you with gladness. God invites you into a future embraced by love and held together by grace.