"Blue Rose"

Received this story from Ken Green and I find it too moving not to spread.

Blue Rose

Having four visiting family members, my wife was very busy, so I offered to go to the store for her to get some needed items, which included light bulbs, paper towels, trash bags, detergent and Clorox. So off I went.

I scurried around the store, gathered up my goodies and headed for the checkout counter, only to be blocked in the narrow aisle by a young man who appeared to be about sixteen-years-old. I wasn't in a hurry, so I patiently waited for the boy to realize that I was there. This was when he waved his hands excitedly in the air and declared in a loud voice, "Mommy, I'm over here."

It was obvious now, he was mentally challenged and also startled as he turned and saw me standing so close to him, waiting to squeeze by. His eyes widened and surprise exploded on his face as I said, "Hey Buddy, what's your name?" "My name is Denny and I'm shopping with my mother," he responded proudly. "Wow," I said, "that's a cool name; I wish my name was Denny, but my name is Steve." "Steve, like Stevarino?" he asked. "Yes," I answered. "How old are you Denny?" "How old am I now, Mommy?" he asked his mother as she slowly came over from the next aisle. "You're fifteen-years-old Denny; now be a good boy and let the man pass by."

I acknowledged her and continued to talk to Denny for several more minutes about summer, bicycles and school. I watched his brown eyes dance with excitement, because he was the center of someone's attention. He then abruptly turned and headed toward the toy section. Denny's mom had a puzzled look on her face and thanked me for taking the time to talk with her son. She told me that most people wouldn't even look at him, much less talk to him.

I told her that it was my pleasure and then I said something I have no idea where it came from, other than by the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I told her that there are plenty of red, yellow, and pink roses in God's Garden; however, "Blue Roses" are very rare and should be appreciated for their beauty and distinctiveness. You see, Denny is a Blue Rose and if someone doesn't stop and smell that rose with their heart and touch that rose with their kindness, then they've missed a blessing from God. She was silent for a second, then with a tear in her eye she asked, "Who are you?" Without thinking I said, "Oh, I'm probably just a dandelion, but I sure love living in God's garden." She reached out, squeezed my hand and said, "God bless you!" and then I had tears in my eyes.

May I suggest, the next time you see a BLUE ROSE, don't turn your head and walk off. Take the time to smile and say Hello. Why? Because, by the grace of GOD, this mother or father could be you. This could be your child, grandchild, niece or nephew. What a difference a moment can mean to that person or their family.

From an old dandelion! Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God .

"People will forget what you said, People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel!" 

Amazing Read

Megan's Secrets by Mike Cope is an incredible read. I have shed tears with each chapter and through my reading have come to a deeper appreciation for the time I have with Dylon and Allie. I cannot recommend this book enough.



http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/0891122869/ref=dp_image_z_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books

Recognize holiness

More than once in the Gospels Jesus asks the leaders of the people to look beyond language to the witness of his life. When Jesus was asked "If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly," he answered, "I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name testify to me" (John 10:24-25). When John the Baptizer's followers pressed the same question, Jesus replied: "Go back and tell John what you see and hear" (Matthew 11:4). Jesus pushes us to look at our life. Proclamations of faith matter little compared with the presence or absence of truth and justice and love in our daily living. May we seek to live lives where people can recognize holiness. To this we are called.

Franciscan Monk Prayer

Discovered this prayer and found in extremely moving and powerful.

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, hard
hearts, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that you
may live from deep within your heart where God’s Spirit dwells.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who
suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you
may reach out your hand to comfort them and turn their
pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe
that you can make a difference in this world and in your neighborhood, so that you will courageously
try what you don'think you can do, but in Jesus Christ you’ll have the strength
necessary to do.

May God bless you so that you remember we are called
to continue God’s redemptive work of love and healing in God’s
place, in and through God’s name, in God’s Spirit, continually
creating and breathing new life and grace into everything and
Everyone we touch.

The Great Divide

Christian Spirituality/Living a complete life
 Dividing our lives into seperate spheres. Too often our lives can be divided into what is termed "spiritual" and what is termed "secular". For a follower of Jesus this cannot be, disciples of Jesus should not live divided lives. Disciples are called to be holy (set apart) but that does not mean we seperate from the rest of the world and hide in caves and that certaintly does not mean we live seperated/divided lives (spiritual on Sunday and secular the rest of the week). Christian Spirituality does not signify a flight from physical life, or a withdrawl from the challenges of life in the world; rather it describes the process whereby Christians seek to live holy lives, while engaging the challenges of this world. It is a call to actualize Jesus' mandate to be "in" but not "of" the world (John 17:15-18), and to live by what Paul declares: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2). This is who we are...this is what we do.

Almost Christian #3

As I continue to read through Almost Christian I came across some powerful statements this week that are worthy of sharing: "Jesus tells the disciples, 'As the Father has sent me, so I send you.' In other words, Jesus not only sends the church where he was sent; he sends us in the same way that he was sent, as human translations of divine love, people whose words and actions do not grasp for God as much as they reveal a God who grasps for us...In Moralistic Therapeutic Deism's agenda of personal fulfillment, Christian discipleship enacts the inside-out logic of a self-giving God, whose power is weakness, who deems love worthy of suffering and who promises that life will spring from death" (64). May we strive to show the world through every word and every deed what the good news of Jesus is all about. People are paying attention, our youth are paying attention...let us live out what we believe.  

121 Ocala Dr

Tomorrow 121 Ocala Dr will officially belong to another family for the first time ever. I praise God for my dad who provided a home for his son for 30 yrs. A home for his daughter-in-law Carrie (who he loved like his own) and a home for his grandson Dylon who he loved more than words can express. Words cannot express how much I miss my dad, but I praise the Father of all for the man who became my dad, who loved me and taught me what it means and looks like to be a dad. I will always remember corner shots, hrs of football throwing, and a black Nissan truck sitting in the drive. Thank you Father for gift of not just a house, but a home.