Christian Reflection and Prayer

Scripture:

29 People will come from east and west
and north and south, and will take their
places at the feast in the kingdom of God.
Luke 13:29 (Today's New International Version)

Reflection:

Now wait a minute, this can't be right.

You all take a break for a minute, I'll be right
back, I've got to check my Bible about this
verse because this Just Can't Be Right!

   Well I'm back and sure enough I copied
this verse correctly.  I guess I might be
taking my place in heaven next to a Muslim.
Now wouldn't that be the ultimate joke on me.
I might be in heaven with a Muslim.  And here
all this time I was told to hate them because
they hate me and want to see me dead. If this
is not the case, "What am I going to do?"

Well this is what I have decided to do about
Muslims.

I am going to educate myself about Muslims
and their faith.  That won't be hard I have the
Internet.

I'm going to "respect" and "engage" my Muslim
neighbors.

I'm going to seek to have a relationship with
Muslims and talk with them about their faith.

I'm going to be honest with my Muslim
neighbors and learn to trust them.

My ultimate goal is to share my life and faith
with my Muslim brothers and sisters as they
share with me. The outcome, of all this, is
to love one another.  I can't do this if I hate
and fear them.  WOULD JESUS WANT
ANYTHING LESS?

I THINK NOT!

Quote:

"I still believe that people are really good at
heart. I simply can't build up my hopes on a
foundation consisting of confusion, misery
and death....If I look up to the heavens, I
think it will all come right, that this cruelty
too will end, and that peace and tranquility
will return again."
Anne Frank Diarist, Holocaust Victim
(1929-1945)

Prayer:

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred . . . let me sow love
Where there is injury . . . pardon
Where there is doubt . . . faith
Where there is despair . . . hope
Where there is darkness . . . light
Where there is sadness . . . joy
O, Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled . . . as to console
To be understood . . . as to understand,
To be loved . . . as to love
For it is in giving . . . that we receive,
It is in pardoning, that we are pardoned,
It is in dying . . . that we are born to eternal life.
Saint Francis of Assisi

Scripture:

14 But as for you, continue in what
you have learned and have become
convinced of, because you know those
from whom you learned it, 15 and how
from infancy you have known the Holy
Scriptures, which are able to make you
wise for salvation through faith in Christ
Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed
and is useful for teaching, rebuking,
correcting and training in righteousness,
17 so that the servant of God[a] may be
thoroughly equipped for every good work.
(2 Timothy 3:14-17)

Reflection:

It is the 400th birthday of the King James
translation of the Holy Scriptures.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  AND THANK YOU!

My favorite verses in the Bible have very
special meaning through the King James
translation.

16. "For God so loved the world that He gave
his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in Him shall not parish but have
everlasting life. 17.  God send not His
Son to condemn the world but that the
world through Him might be saved"!
(John 3:16,17).

"It has been claimed that these
contemporaries- William Shakespear
and the Bibles forty-seven translators--
influenced the development of modern
English and its linguistic beauty and
form more than any other source."

"It is wise to follow the words of St.
Augustine, 'TAKE UP AND READ'.

AMEN

PLEASE, READ

THIS BROUGHT TEARS TO MY EYES!! 
 
 
We don't know who replied, but there is a
beautiful soul working in the dead letter
office of the US postal service.

Our 14-year-old dog Abbey died last month.
The day after she passed away my 4-year-old
daughter Meredith was crying and talking
about how much she missed Abbey. She
asked if we could write a letter to God  so
that when Abbey got to heaven, God would
recognize her. I told her that I thought we
could so, and she dictated these words:

Dear God,

Will you please take care of my dog? She
died yesterday and is with you in heaven.
I miss her very much. I am happy that you
let me have her as my dog even though she
got sick.I hope you will play with her. She
likes to swim and play with balls. I am
sending a picture of her so when you see
her you will know that she is my dog. I
really miss her.

Love, Meredith

We put the letter in an envelope with a
picture of Abbey and Meredith and
addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our
return address on it. Then Meredith pasted
several stamps on the front of the envelope
because she said it would take lots of stamps
to get the letter all the way to heaven. That
afternoon she dropped it into the letter box
at the post office. A few days later, she
asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I
told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped
in gold paper on our front porch addressed,
'To Meredith' in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith
opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers
called, 'When a Pet Dies.' Taped to the inside
front cover was the letter we had written to
God in its opened envelope. On the opposite
page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith
and this note:

Dear Meredith,

Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the
picture was a big help and I recognized her
right away.Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her
spirit is here with me just like it stays in
your heart. Abbey loved being your dog.
Since we don't need our bodies in heaven,
I don't have any pockets to keep your picture
in so I am sending it back to you in this little
book for you to keep and have something to
remember Abbey by.
Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank
your mother for helping you write it and
sending it to me. What a wonderful mother
you have. I picked her especially for you. 
I send my blessings every day and remember
that I love you very much. By the way, I'm
easy to find. I AM WHEREVER THERE IS
LOVE.

Love, God