Archive | February 2013

neighbor

Feb27

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Love Your Neighbor as Yourself

When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 19:9-10

Photo by Marge McCoy

fire starters

Feb26

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“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love another.”
John 13:34-35
There’s an old camp fire song, “It only takes a spark, to get a fire going, and soon all those around can warm up in its glowing; that’s how it is with God’s love….” I have never been very good at starting fires or even lighting matches for that matter. For some reason I have to strike over and over to even light a birthday candle. I leave the fire building to my husband. He saves wood scraps to use as kindling and at times he has purchased the little premade fire starters to help that spark along. The last two years we have received the gift of homemade fire starters. My sister saves the stumps of candle wax from all the candles she burns. She melts them together, cherry, orange, vanilla or whatever she has on hand and pours them in paper cupcake wrappers filled with sawdust. Who would have thought that three seemingly useless items could work so well? These little beauties really do get a fire going. They burn just long enough to catch the wood and help it take off.

Sawdust, old wax, cupcake papers – worthless rubbish to most people but when fashioned together can be repurposed for a wonderful use. As I was arranging my fire basket the other day I thought of how standing alone none of these ingredient would do the job, alone these leftovers are pretty useless but when joined together they have purpose. We each have jobs to do. We each need to light our little corner of the world. At times it only takes a spark but at times our light might be dim and maybe we need to join with other imperfect beings to get the job done. How bright the world would be if we all lit a fire. The song is correct in saying that that with God’s love it only takes a spark but in our world, with humans involved sometimes it takes a spark and some sawdust and some candle wax and maybe even a little kindling. Some people think once you turn to God all your problems are solved. Just light a match (whisper a prayer) and within seconds you will have a big roaring fire (an answer you like). It doesn’t always work that way. To live this life on fire for the Lord takes a spark, it takes the encouragement of other believers, it takes persistence and sometimes it takes starts and stops along the way. Some light the match, some add the kindling and others throw on the logs. I love my little fire starters, Homemade gifts form the hands and heart are extra special. Now in addition to a quick and easy way to start a fire I have a reminder to look for ways to keep the fire going in my corner of the world.

By Marge McCoy

no ill

Feb25

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Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Romans 13:10
Photo by Elizabeth Parsons

mercy seat

Feb24

Anxiety.Hymn

All Your Anxiety
Is there a heart o’er-bound by sorrow?
Is there a life weighed down by care?
Come to the cross–each burden bearing,
All your anxiety–leave it there.

Refrain:
All your anxiety, all your care,
Bring to the mercy seat–leave it there;
Never a burden He cannot bear,
Never a friend like Jesus.

No other friend so keen to help you,
No other friend so quick to hear;
No other place to leave your burden,
No other one to hear your prayer.

All your anxiety, all your care,
Bring to the mercy seat — leave it there;
Never a burden He cannot bear,
Never a friend like Jesus.

Come then at once–delay no longer!
Heed His entreaty kind and sweet;
You need not fear a disappointment–
You shall find peace at the mercy seat.

All your anxiety, all your care.
Bring to the mercy seat — leave it there;
Never a burden He cannot bear,
Never a friend like Jesus.

Words and Music by Edward Henry Joy, 1920
Photo by Marge McCoy