A sloppy wet kiss

I love the song by Kim Walker, "Oh how he loves us." It is a beautiful description of the love of Jesus for us. One of the lines in the song says "heaven meets earth like a passionate kiss." In one of the versions of it, Kim substitutes the words "passionate kiss" for "sloppy wet kiss." Wow, what a thought! Christ's love for us is a passionate love, a deep love, a fervent love, and an exciting love!

An image comes to my mind of my grandson's chocolate lab. His name is Buster. Buster has never met a person he does not admire. If you speak to him, he gets excited. I bought him as a 4 week old pup for Zach's fourth birthday, and in a couple of weeks, Zach will turn six. Buster just turned two. He loves to ride- in the back of trucks, on the golf cart, or in our Camaro convertible (when the weather is warm enough.) I remember the time a member of my church came over. It was a warm day, and we decided we would take Buster for a ride in the convertible. I opened the door, Buster jumped in the back seat awaiting his ride. We began going down the road when Randy Brown, my church member-friend decided he was going to talk to Buster. He turned his head sideways to speak to the dog. Wrong move. Buster planted a "sloppy wet kiss on him."

We are here at Valentine week. I just wanted to remind you that you are loved... God loves you with an incredible love. When you turn to Him, get ready to be kissed with the kiss of heaven!

Love expressed

Love is a beautiful thing, isn't it? I performed a wedding ceremony the other day of a young couple. As they held each other's hands and repeated their vows, it reminded me of the love I have for my wife of thirty seven years. Our love has not diminished, but has grown. Through good times, and bad times, joyful times, and sad times, it has stood.

Love is both overstated and understated in our English language. I love chocolate cake, I love sports, I love cars. I love my wife, family, grandchild. I love Jesus. As you see, though the same word is used, it applies to different things. And it goes without saying that my love for cake is not the same as my love for my family, or for God.

Love is more than a word. It is a choice, and it is an act. Love is expressed. It states something, shows something, does something. Read the thirteenth chapter of the book of Corinthians in the bible. Read it in a contemporary version. You will see how true love is expressed.

Love is expressed with a kiss. I have included a picture with this blog. It was taken yesterday from my cell phone. Although the pic is not good quality, it captured the essence of what I call, "love expressed." It was a beautiful spring like day here in North Carolina yesterday. Zach (my grandson) and I decided we would ride on the golf cart. We also decided to let Buster (Zach's lab) ride with us. As you can see, the moment Buster got on the golf cart, he decided to give Zachary a kiss. Zach is trying to brace himself and turn from Buster's slobber as I capture the view on my cell phone.

Have you expressed your love today to someone? Have you told God that you love Him and are thankful for what He has done in your life? What about that mate, child, teen? What about someone you work with or go to church with? No, you don't have to plant a kiss on them? But an encouraging word will do!

Take time to smell the flowers

Zach, my five year old grandson, loves to pick flowers. He will pick from the arrangements my wife has planted in the yard to the little white flowers that grow among the grass. He loves to pick them for his mom and for my wife, his maw maw.

Zachary will pick the flowers and smell them. He will brag on how pretty they are, and then say "Maw maw will love these." His interest in them isn't for himself, but for his intended recipient. Zach realizes God made the beautiful flowers and that his grandmother and mom enjoying them. What he doesn't realize is that even more than the flowers he picks and brings them, they love the fact that he cares enough to want to bless them.

I am afraid that we lose something when we grow up. We lose our excitement with the little things, the simple things. We lose the joy of giving and blessing. We lose the child like anticipation of spreading our love with a flower picked from the garden. We don't take the time to smell or enjoy the flowers.

Watching Zachary today reminded me that I need to take time to smell the flowers. I hope you will do the same.

IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS

I think the saying is a jingle to an old tv beer commercial. Wherever it originated from, it just came to my mind as I sit here relaxing on a Sunday afternoon. We had an awesome service this morning. As pastor, I tend to evaluate everything. It's just one of those things pastors are prone to do, I guess. I reflect on everything from the attendance, to how people respond, to the excitement level, to the offering level. I haven't seen the offering amount yet, but the others were pretty good. It was a great day.

I am sitting here flipping channels between the football games and the nascar race that is on. I am in what my grandson Zach calls "the comfortable couch." It is one of those small ones, we used to call them love seats, but I'm not sure if that is the actual term. In my "comfortable couch love seat" double recliner next to me is my beautiful wife of 37 years. It is not really cold, but we are sharing a throw my daughter gave me for Christmas that has "daddy" on it. Mom has more of it than daddy.

I don't have a ton of money, in fact the account is very limited. I guess if I counted things as some do, I could be disattisfied with what life has given me. But I am content with where I am in life. No, I haven't arrived, and there is definitely room for improvement. So, yes, things can improve and get better.

But I've got a God who loves me so much He gave His only Son for me. I've got a wife I am more crazy about than the day we married. I am blessed with 4 wonderful kids who are grown, and a great daughter in law and son in law. And I've got a grandson that thinks Paw Paw is second only to Maw Maw (I can live with that). I've got a church that is exciting to attend, and people who love and support Trish and I. No, I don't have everything. But I am so blessed to have the important things. AND IT JUST DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS!

(The pic above is an oldie of years gone by when our kids were small)

Y'all be blessed,

Pastor Ronnie

HONORED TO BE HONORED

We were SO blessed today. Our church blessed us with an Appreciation service. They said nice things over us, some cried over us, and they blessed us with an offering. We had a great dinner, with plenty of food and desserts. On top of that, the morning worship service was awesome. Our attendance is growing, and we are sensing God is up to something big!

Trish and I are blessed to serve such a great church. Our people are the best! Thanks everyone for the great work. The Family Life Center was decorated beautifully, and there was a spirit of excellence in it all. And what made us so blessed was that we felt the compliments were genuine, and that the people who expressed them truly love us and are committed to us.

We are honored to be entrusted with the high calling of God to serve the local church. You blessed us today. Please know that it is a blessing to serve you!

Love and Prayers,
Pastors Ronnie and Trish

IT'S GOOD TO BE APPRECIATED

They're having an appreciation service this Sunday. We don't have a Pastor's Aide Committee, or a designated group to do this kind of thing. So if or when it happens, it usually is one of those grass roots kind of things where someone approaches someone else who approaches someone else, who approaches others... and it gets to rolling. I suppose it happened that way this time. I am sometimes aware of the day, and sometimes I am not. Apparently this "appreciating group" had planned on surprising me with the day-- and then someone decided this past Sunday they needed to publicly announce it, just in case everyone wasn't notified.

It feels good to be appreciated. The dictionary defines appreciate as: to grasp the worth, quality, or significance of; to recognize with gratitude; to hold in high estimation; to value highly; to honor and extol with thanksgiving.

Wow! Being appreciated is an awesome honor and reward. It is one that my wife and I value and treasure. We are grateful for the appreciation bestowed on us by those we serve. And we never take for granted their devotion and loyalty to us. We know that we could not make it without their support. You see, it's good to feel needed and wanted. It's good to know that there are those who actually do care.

Appreciation works both ways. Trish and I are committed to the call of God on our lives, and to those whom we serve. We are in this because of our deep love to Him, and to you. The sacrifice we make in doing so is insignificant to the rewards of seeing the blessings of God rendered to the flock.

So this Sunday, some folks will love on us. We'll have a great dinner, and probably get some cards. Appreciation will be pronounced. We'll love it. Just in case I don't say it then, I'm going to say it now. We appreciate our church family, New Harvest Church.

Love and Prayers,
Pastor Ronnie

MY HURTING HEART

My heart is hurting. No, I am not speaking of physical chest pains. I am talking about an inward pain that is nonetheless just as real. The burden of people who have come across my path this week with real needs are on my mind and in my heart. The burden of a precious lady whose husband has been ill. She is now facing surgery for cancer. The teenager who is in the hospital dealing with some personal issues. She is one of the sweetest girls you will ever meet. She has a poor self image. We are lifting her up to be set free from every wrong choice in her life. My heart is heavy for the near 500 who lost their jobs in the county, of which some are members of my church. And for the ones who are struggling financially due to sickness and loss of work. My heart goes out my son in law and daughter, as the road to recovery continues. It will be the first of the year before he is released to go back to work. Others who are suffering physically. My dad continues to receive treatment for cancer.

I am burdened for lost souls. For those who have gotten discouraged and gotten out of church. For those who have fallen back into Satan's trap. We are believing for God to reach them and restore them.

My hurt is hurting with a godly burden. My hurt is for the injustice done to another. It is for the victim who could not defend theirself. My anguish is that someone who should love would resort to unspeakable and unthinkable actions. I am burdened for the past pain and for the present pain that is carried because of yesterday's wounds. My burden is for the physical and emotional needs that are carried. I find myself praying and weeping.


You know what it is like to feel the pain of others. You understand the thing when it hits you in the gut, and it really bothers you. You have looked the other way at times, but find then comes the time where you can't do that anymore. For whatever reason, like the Good Samaritan, you see someone wounded, and you know you must respond. And sometimes all we can do is pray. And so we do that. When we can't do anything else, we can pray. When we can't undo the past, we can pray. When we can't fix the present problems, we can pray. And prayer helps. And prayer works.



You see, we serve a God who is more than enough. He is able to touch, heal, restore. I preach that all the time. Today I am reminded that there are people who need that kind of God.

And so I am hurting in my heart.. hurting and praying.



Love and Prayers,
Pastor Ronnie