Jamey's Newsletter: Sunday, May 22, 2022
Years ago, I was sitting with a parent who had recently lost a child in a tragic accident. The father talked about the pain and hurt he was experiencing, and then he said, “I didn’t ask to be here.”
The moment was too raw for words, so I stayed silent. And the father asked, “Where is God?”
The hard truth is that God may not deliver from the suffering. But the good news is that God will be with you in the pain.
This is the lesson that the psalmist writes about when he says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.”
God does not empty our lives of suffering, but God fills our suffering with himself.
Death may be casting shadows on the valley you are currently walking through, but you don’t have to walk through it alone. God is with you.
Jamey
If you are the only Jesus someone will ever see, what are they seeing?
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew that they may be the only witness to their God that anyone ever saw, and they decided it was better to have a testimony than to have a title.
God does not empty our lives of suffering, but God fills our suffering with himself.
Weekly Prayer
Gracious God, the fiery furnace stands before us. For some of us, it comes in the form of a medical diagnosis; for others, it is the loss of a job, the piling up of bills, or the unreconcilable of a relationship. There seems to be no way to ignore it. We feel the heat from it.
Lord, be with us in the fire.
Through all the mystery of pain, sorrow, and human vulnerability, Lord, we dare to believe that you are on our side, that your love for us is greater than the flames before us. Remind us again this hour that nothing, death, life, angels, demons, fears for today, and worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from your love. In the name of the One who walks with us, we pray, Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Bible Stories for Grownups: The Fiery Furnace
Meme of the Week
Dad Jokes
What is a flower’s favorite kind of pickle? A daffo-dill.
When does a joke become a dad joke? When it becomes apparent.
I have been thinking………..
We have difficulty recognizing our blind spots.
As I watch debates happening in public discourse on social issues, I notice how those with a platform call out the fallacies of the opposite opinion but fail to recognize their own circular arguments. Our public “courage” hides our weakness, and our “strength” in speaking out shrouds our ignorance.
We have lost the humility to recognize our limited vision and acknowledge that we could be wrong.
What if we took the shame out of admitting to our lack of understanding and owning our own mistaken opinions? I would think that at least public dialogue would be a little more civil.
Photo of the Week (Photos taken by me)
Book I Am Reading
The Character of Virtue: Letters to a Godson by Stanley Hauerwas
Preaching in Hitler's Shadow: Sermons of Resistance in the Third Reich
Couple offer first dance to grandparents who never got to dance on their wedding day in 1957
Gainesville's Ryan Davidson claims 7A state championship at Chattahoochee
Georgia Mountain Food Bank receives $2 million grant
These Hysterical Towns In Georgia Have The Most Bizarre Names Ever
5 Steps to Start Slowing Down and Leading Better
Meet the parents who refuse to give their kids smartphones
President Jimmy Carter - A Letter From Home
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Click on the link: Southern Baked Apple Pie
This summer, we are providing families with children in our Path Project in the Baker and Glover community with grocery supplies for lunches.
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
Question Reflection (and yes, I actually think about these things)
I talked to someone this week, and they discussed how individuals in certain professions have become specialized instead of containing a broad sense of knowledge. It got me thinking…..
Would you rather be an expert at one thing or pretty good at many things?
Weekly Blessing
Go into this week knowing that in your laughter and hope and dreams and your fears and tears, God goes before you and beside you in all things. Amen.
Show UP Challenge of the week
Utilize the “notes” section on your iPhone's contact card to write things about your contacts you want to remember — birthday gift ideas, favorite color, etc.