Dear Lord; Happy Meditations Monday Father!<\/p>\n
This weekend Father, I think you may have left the freezer door open a bit\u2026 \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
It was downright cold here in Delaware the last couple days!\u00a0 This time of year, we\u2019re usually hovering in the mid-to-high 50s, but the last two days we saw the mercury dip into the high 20s more than once.\u00a0 Add to that some rain\/sleet mix Saturday night, and it was a wonderful weekend to spend inside, all warm and toasty\u2026<\/p>\n
Although, we didn\u2019t.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Saturday evening, we braved the wintry weather and joined a group of our friends for a \u201chaunted trail\u201d<\/em> event that one of the families had constructed on their 50 acre farm.\u00a0 In the rain, sleet and the muck they carted the kids around on a tractor-driven hayride through a mile-long wooded trail filled with \u201cthings that go bump in the night\u201d<\/em>.\u00a0 We were cold, we were wet, we were muddy, and we had an absolutely wonderful evening.\u00a0 \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n Sunday morning, as usual, we attended the contemporary worship service at Ewell\u2019s St. Paul UMC, where I was Blessed to be asked to participate in the service.\u00a0 I read passages from both 1st<\/sup> Kings and Malachi, and then delivered a testimony on my thoughts about financial giving and stewardship.\u00a0 When I was first asked by Pastor Kris to address the congregation on this, I spent a good bit of time thinking and talking with You about exactly how I wanted to make my feelings and beliefs known, and in the end I was pretty pleased with what You and I came up with.<\/p>\n Therefore Father, for this morning\u2019s Meditations Monday<\/span><\/em>, I\u2019d like to share that testimony:<\/p>\n Good morning.<\/em><\/p>\n In a few moments, we\u2019ll have the opportunity to exercise our financial stewardship role, and provide our offerings to the church.\u00a0 Before we do though, Pastor Kris has asked me to share my thoughts on giving with you.<\/em><\/p>\n As you know, Shannon and I are relatively new to the congregation, and we\u2019ve been exceptionally thankful for the outpouring of fellowship, kindness, and acceptance we\u2019ve received since we began attending services here.<\/em><\/p>\n Before finding our home here at Ewell\u2019s, it had been quite a few years since we\u2019d attended church regularly, so the thought of giving financially really was one that we hadn\u2019t considered in great detail.\u00a0 Once God had placed in our hearts that we\u2019d found our family here however, supporting that family and it\u2019s endeavors became an important consideration for us.<\/em><\/p>\n Like many of you, the economic turmoil has taken a heavy toll on our family the last couple of years.\u00a0 More than a few months we\u2019ve barely scraped by, wondering how we\u2019re going to make ends meet.\u00a0 So when we first started placing funds aside each week for the offering, we felt that pinch even more so.<\/em><\/p>\n And yet, I can honestly say that we feel richer today than we ever have before.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n We give joyfully; and find that when we do, Christ fills our hearts even more so.\u00a0 The knowledge that we\u2019re supporting God\u2019s works through our gifts is a powerful motivation, and exactly what Jesus led us to do.\u00a0 We\u2019re called to be stewards of God\u2019s gifts to us; to use those Blessings in our lives to further His work here on earth.\u00a0 And yet, as we give these offerings in His Name, we\u2019re also building true wealth in a place where stock market crashes, the IRS, and the credit card companies simply can\u2019t get to it.<\/em><\/p>\n In Matthew Chapter 6, Jesus made it very clear where we\u2019re meant to do our \u201cbanking\u201d.\u00a0 He said:<\/em><\/p>\n <\/em><\/strong>“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.\u201d (v.19-21)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n As we give of ourselves, we\u2019re making deposits into the one account that\u2019s truly eternal, and in the process we\u2019re sharing our Blessings with others through the outreach and programs the church sponsors.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n The Bible says God made us in His own image.\u00a0 Therefore, by design, we\u2019re created to be givers.\u00a0 So as we make our gifts today, it\u2019s important to remember that when we give of ourselves, we\u2019re actually doing exactly what we\u2019re intended to do<\/span>.\u00a0 By sharing the financial Blessings God has lovingly and graciously bestowed on us, we\u2019re also fulfilling one of God\u2019s primary desires for our lives; to reach out in His Name, and use His gifts to Bless others.<\/em><\/p>\n I very much appreciate the opportunity we\u2019ve been given through the church to share our Blessings with others, and for being a part of such a wonderful, giving family here at Ewell\u2019s.<\/em><\/p>\n Thank you all so very much, and God Bless.<\/em><\/p>\n Heavenly Father,<\/p>\n I thank You Lord, for another wonderful weekend spent in the company of my family, good friends, and our church family.\u00a0 As we begin the week, please place in our hearts a renewed sense of giving; reaching out and sharing our many Blessings with others as Christ\u2019s example showed us to do.\u00a0 Lead us in service Father, that we may glorify Your Name in our decisions, our words and our actions.<\/p>\n In Jesus\u2019 Name we pray,<\/p>\n Amen.<\/p>\n ~Phather Phil<\/p>\nPin It<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\n
![Pin It<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Dear Lord; Happy Meditations Monday Father! This weekend Father, I think you may have left the freezer door open a bit\u2026 \ud83d\ude42 It was downright cold here in Delaware the last couple days!\u00a0 This time of year, we\u2019re usually hovering in the mid-to-high 50s, but the last two days we saw the mercury dip into […]<\/p>\nPin 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