Reset the ripples

Image found at Facebook for Treasure Lake.

*Take a deep breath. Close your eyes for a moment and imagine a quiet pond, complete with singing frogs, tall reeds and plenty stones for skipping.

Pick up two stones. Think about two things you would pray for: One for the world and you personally.

Toss your stones to skip across the water and watch the ripples as a result of their impact. As the ripples grow, pray for God to work in the world and your life - and help you to act on making ripples for good.*

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All week I've been thinking about this scripture text in order to prepare for a children's message this Sunday. I've considered talking things that "swamp" our lives with unnecessary fear, but I keep coming back to ripples. In this text, the disciples are afraid (when aren't they), Jesus is tired from teaching and healing people and is out cold sleeping when a storm kicks up. In their panic, the disciples wake Jesus up, he gets up and tells the storm to stop and the water is calm. In some translations, the water is said to be "in a dead calm". This is where I was reminded of the glass like surface of a quiet pond. Can you hear the frogs singing too?

When I reread this lesson, and took note of Jesus actions, I began to see his efforts like pushing a reset button. Without Jesus entering into the storms of life, resetting our fearful state and showing us the calm - how else would we attempt to make some good ripples out of our lives. Jesus has done the big work - but now it's our turn (once the reset button has been pushed) to made some ripples. What kind of ripples will you make?

Painting by T.L. Eastman "Ripples" -

go to: tara-eastman.artistwebsites.com to visit online gallery.

Ideas to ponder -

What are some big storms in your life?

How is/has Jesus worked to calm them?

Now that the water is calm, what fears are you free of?

What are the two prayers you would pray?

One for the world...

One for your own life...

What kind of ripples do you think your prayers will make?

Jesus Calms the Storm

^{Mark 4:35-41}

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.”Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Sunny and rainy day friends

There are two kinds of friends in the world: Sunny day friends and rainy day friends. This is a statement that my Mom used to remind me of when I was in the midst of drama or conflict with one school friend of another. There are lots of people that we define as friends, but they are really acquaintances. Two men were out hunting in the northern U.S. Suddenly one yelled and the other looked up to see a grizzly charging them. The first started to frantically put on his tennis shoes and his friend anxiously asked, "What are you doing? Don't you know you can't outrun a grizzly bear?" "I don't have to outrun a grizzly. I just have to outrun you!" This story is funny, but it does help define the distinct difference between a rainy day friend and a sunny day friend. The sunny-day-friend is more concerned with watching out for their own health and wellness, than their friends' wellbeing. On the other hand, a rainy day friend is willing to take risks, work fo

FCE - Dog stroke in spine

Kahlúa is our 15 year old dog that we adopted from the Humane Society when she was four. She joined our family and has been with us for eleven years so far. This morning we found her laying on the carpet in the dining room and was unable to get up and go outside. After letting her rest for a few hours, I gave her some bread to eat and she got up. She was wobbly so I scooped her up and took her outside to go to the bathroom. She managed to remain standing for a few minutes, but was back down quickly. Her back legs did not want to support her even though she was trying to walk. By this point, she had begin to cry so I called the vet and they said to bring her in for an evaluation. My kids and I tearfully wrapped her up in a blanket and drove to the vet. It seemed as if we were sitting in the waiting room forever. The vet told me that her heart, eye function, and lungs were great - also taking into consideration her age of 15! The problem seemed to be FCE - firocartilanginous embolism: w

Gifts we have to give

So often people will think of the areas of life that they fall short or what may need some improvement. I think there is some wisdom in knowing where we need some work as humans, but I also feel it is equally important to learn, foster and use the gifts each one of us are instilled with. So here is the challenge or question that I'd like to present: "What gift(s) has God given to you that can be used in the care and ministry of loving others?" How have you seen that gift used in the past? How would you like to use it? If you dream big and I dream big together - how could God work in that big pool of gifts in the lives of others??? Let's share our gifts today and dream of what they can accomplish for God's purpose! 1 Peter 4:8-10 (New International Version) 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others,

Uphill idealist

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