What Difference Did We Make?

(Picture: Members of Roseboro United Methodist MYF who participated in the Co+Mission project in Rocky Mount earlier this year)


Another year has arrived in our midst and another has resigned itself to the book shelf of time. We can go to most any store and see on the book rack's countless magazines highlighting those moments of 2010 which stood out in the minds of the world such as the Haiti Earthquake, the Gulf Oil Spill, the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Iceland Volcano which caused major disruption in air travel due to the heavy amount of ash released, and so many more.

If you watched the news tonight and heard one reporter ask an 'expert', "Which of the major news stories of 2010 made the most difference in our world?", what do you think the answer would be?

If someone came up to you tonight and ask you, "What have you done this year that has made a positive difference in the lives of those around you?", what would your answer be?

Matthew 7:20 says, "Thus, you will know them by their fruits."

If someone came up to you and ask, "What difference did your church make in our community in 2010?", what would your answer be?

Waiting in suspense,

Pastor Bobby

Another Day

Yesterday I took mama to get a MRI. While she was going through the test, I went to visit a member of one of my churches at the hospital who is traveling towards the gates of heaven. Just as I returned to the center where my mom was, I received a call that another member of my churches was in the emergency room at the hospital. I prayed.

I then called my daughters to meet me in the emergency room parking lot to watch over my mom for a few minutes while I ran inside to check on my person. Praise God, she was o.k. was in the process of being released to return home. I prayed.

Finally got my mom home and got her comfortable and fed. I prayed.

Today she isn't feeling to well and I give thanks that there isn't any doctor appointments. But tomorrow brings another visit to the center for a c-scan but I don't believe she'll be able to drink the stuff she needs to in order to do the scan. Then we'll go to the doctor on Friday to find out what he recommends concerning the future; comfort or life-extension. I pray.

A final note: the other night I sat down on the side of the bed and talked to mama about those questions we all wish we would never have to talk about. First time I broke down in front of mama. When I finally came back into the front room, it was obvious my girls had been crying. I asked them what was wrong and they pointed to the baby monitor we have set up so we can hear my mom if she calls us. I had forgot and they had heard our conversation. I prayed.

I give thanks for my wife, Donna. She is a real trooper and servant. I'm praying.

Peace and comfort to all

A New Season

I've began a new chapter in my life. I've brought my mom home so I can take care of her. She is suffering from cancer and can't get around on her own now. It's amazing to me how even in the finality of life, one doctor sets you up to see another doctor and that doctor will set you up to see another doctor and before you know, you've forgotten what you went to the first doctor about. "Hey Doc, tell her she's dying, tell us how we can make sure she doesn't suffer, tell us anything except that you want to have more tests ran."

I always knew that a day would come when I would have to say good bye to my parents. It's a fact of life and it's one of those few guarantees in life. But I never gave much thought to the idea of having to take care of either of them. My dad is still living also but mom and dad separated when I was six years old.

It is a difficult thing to do to help your mom do so many things that we all take for granted. Being who I am, I've seen this scenario played out countless times and even help some in these situations, but it's different when its your own. I give thanks to God that I'm able to do this. I have never thought about how much I love my mom til now. I love her so much.

Please, anyone who reads this, be in prayer for us all. It hurts so bad but feels so good.

Peace

My Cross Carried Me

I haven't walked with my cross in a while and felt the overwhelming pull to do so today. I have learned from experience and by my faith that I am not to resist this pull of the Spirit. So I grabbed my cross and off I went to see what God had planned for the cross and me. It didn't take long to find it.

I had been stopped by a town commissioner by the park and was talking when a SUV stopped beside us. It was a family from Gardner who were on their way to their beach home. They told me that they had seen me walking and wanted to stop and share how much it meant to them to see me expressing my faith in such a powerful way and ask if they could take a picture of me and the cross. No problem, I haven't been asked for a picture before and neither had the cross. We said our goodbyes and shared in blessings for one another and off for the next encounter I went. Once again, I didn't get far before I met another 'once stranger, but no longer.'

I was walking beside Hwy 24 near Hardee's when I heard someone yelling. Looking down a side street I saw a young African American fellow who was running towards me. We greeted one another and he began walking with me. This hasn't happened before and to be honest with you, I felt uneasy. We talked as we walked but I couldn't get the worry thoughts out of my head, so I walked to the edge of town and turned around and walked back the way I came sticking to the main highway. I felt bad I couldn't remove the "spider-sense" feelings I had and prayed continously as we walked for the Lord to show me that I wasn't disrespecting His mission for me.

Was this a test that God had placed in my path? Was this a set up of some sort? Shame on me, I know. But I couldn't stop myself. I'm still praying for the Lord to share with me and I ask you, the reader, to pray for me also.

But soon I was stopped beside the highway by an old friend who I haven't seen in a few years and my walk partner soon bored with my new conversation left my old friend and me. But my walk wasn't over and I still had a way to go before I reached the comfort of home.

As I continued my walk towards home, I was approaching a convient store and noticed a young clean cut Hispanic man standing by the entrance to the parking lot as if he was waiting on me. There it went again. The 'spider-sense' kicked in and I wondered what I had gotten myself into with my walk today. Did I read God's signal wrong this time? Had it been me that wanted this walk and not God afterall? Had I failed the first test and this was a second chance? Lord, what do you want me to do?

This young man was military. He and his friend who was waiting by their truck told me that their best friend had been killed recently in a motorcycle accident on Hwy 24 close to Fayetteville shortly after returning from deployment. He asked me to keep his friends family and him in my prayers and he asked could we get our pictures taken together.

Go ahead, I know you want to. Just say it and get it over with! Shame on me, right? Yelp, shame on me.

I left them and continued on my way and shortly a pickup went by me with the horn blowing and people yelling. I couldn't tell if they were disrespecting me or greeting me. I've had both done before. Soon I would say "Shame on me again."

I was almost ready to turn onto my street off 24 by the drug store when I saw that pickup turn into the parking lot and a little girl around 9 or 10 years old came running up to me. She said, "Sir, my daddy wanted me to ask if you would pray for him." Her dad got out of the truck along with who I presumed was his wife and a couple more kids and he was just a crying.

He told me that he and his wife had made sure that his kids knew the Lord and that his daughter, the one who had approached me, had given her life to God when she was only seven years old. But for whatever reason, he had fallen away from God, but knew this day that he needed God. We wrapped our arms around one another and I prayed with this man and if any of you are reading this knows me, you know I began crying right along with him.

After bidding our farewells and blessings, I continued my walk ending at the house a few minutes later. Like I always do, I parked the cross and prayed that through the mobile representation of the cross which God has blessed me with, I had touched someone's life today and I gave thanks to God for allowing this special cross to touch me.

"So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord--who is the Spirit--makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image." ---2 Corinthians 3:18

Marty Cauley: Creating a Third Place...

One of the blogs I follow is by Rev. Marty Cauley from St. Paul United Methodist Church in Rocky Mount. One of his recent post, "Creating a Third Place..." fitted so well with the intent of the message I shared in the sermon Sunday. In order to see the path we must mow to see God's intent, we must look beyond the what is and towards the what can be. This path begins at our feet. To see, one must open the eyes.

Marty is at the front of the line when it comes to connecting the church to the community for the glory of the Kingdom. Please read two and three times and receive more than the words.

Marty Cauley: Creating a Third Place...: "Indigenous Jesus What A Third Place Looks Like What would a truly indigenous community look like? It would be a 'third place.' A third pl..."

United Methodist Evangelism Training Opportunity

To all my United Methodist brothers and sisters,

The North Carolina Conference of the UMC Committee on Evangelism will be hosting a Lay Academy of Christian Witness at Camp Rockfish October 22-24. The cost for this event is amazing including room, food, and the experience of staying at the Bergland Center at Camp Rockfish. The speakers are amazing and the learning experience is awesome. Take a leap and try it. It just may make the different for you and your church.

Check out the link below for all the details:

www.nccumcevangelism.org/lay-academy-of-christian-witness-2

Prayer for My Daugther

Most giving God,

Thank you, Father, for the gift of life we celebrate on this day. Blessed are we who have been given stewardship over one of your children to raise up into your kingdom through love and nourishment of body and mind. We pray that our efforts have honored you and honored her.

We continue to pray for your blessings upon this child. And we pray that as she seeks out her future, that she continues to seek you to light the way and that she never waver from your directions.

In the Name of Our Savior Jesus Christ,

Amen