January Reflections

 

Slow Start

January always seems to be a time where I have ‘settled in’ after a somewhat busy time in December. Early in the month, we experienced colder temps which added to my slowness. On Saturday after New Year’s, we awoke to see three inches of snow flurries on the ground. What we were supposed to receive was not supposed to stick.

Taking Down Christmas

I took down our new-this-year Christmas tree on Epiphany. This new tree, being bigger than the older tree, required more attention. I was used to NOT undecorating the smaller one. However, the new one had to have the decorations removed. I could get it in the box I had used for the other one. I just happened to have some boxes I had saved that were just the right size for what I needed.

Newness In Our Lives

Our local newspaper changed the method of delivering our newspaper to us. In the past, it was delivered by carriers who had motorized routes. As of January 2, the newspaper company has utilized the United States Postal Service to deliver the copies to the subscribers. In order to do this effectively (same day delivery), The company had to alter their print schedule to Tuesday through Saturday. A friend who is on Facebook really does not like the new system. A lot of people commented negatively about the new delivery system.

At least, now, I don’t have to go on a “scouting expedition” to find the paper. Only one day, we did not receive that day’s edition. I called and asked why. The young woman could not tell me. She could have given me a credit for that missed paper; however, I wanted the paper. The next day we received the missed one as well as the one for the correct day.

Writing Efforts

In searching for a paying market that I may submit to, I found one that appealed to me. I chose a topic for their Spiritual Growth section. One email letter told their word count was 1,000 words. The website of the magazine said the requirements were 800-1250 words. At first, I had a difficult time reaching either of those word counts.

I asked a question on a Christian Writers group about how strict a publication could be about a word count. I remembered the woman who started the writer’s group I was in telling us when she taught creative writing, she told her students to “just writ their story” and not worry about the word count. I included that memory in my question. The moderator told me that those word count guidelines were firm. And what I had been told was incorrect. Another member agreed with the moderator. I believe he knows that she is correct; he publishes books.

I submitted that manuscript to that market. I received a response in two weeks. They didn’t believe it would fit their needs. I had a private little “pity party” and realized they may be correct in their thinking. I started reading it again and found some typos. I wound up responding to their notification by thanking them for their time.

A Friend’s Grief

I received a phone call from a friend early one evening. I had just called and talked to her, asking how her middle son was. He had been in the hospital since Christmas, just over two weeks. About a half-hour later, she called me back. Her son had passed away. Her granddaughter had called from the hospital to let her know. He was a few months younger than our son. My friend has a younger son who also is in precarious health. Please pray for my friend; her name is Vicki.

Brrrdy, Brr, Brr, Brr

That is my expression for January cold weather. I haven’t had to use it lately until now.

For about two weeks, we had windchill temperature readings, at least three different times of snow, with accumulation. We have rarely seen the sun. When all this started one of the forecasters said the temperature that night would be the lowest since December 2022. I have a friend who is wheelchair bound and works in our church office. On one particular Friday, she chose to stay home rather than risk something happening to place her in a perilous situation.

A Time of Concentrated Prayer

On the last Monday of the month, our congregation received a prayer request via phone call from the church office. Our pastor was in the ICU at one of our local hospitals. His wife took him to the ER. I knew it was serious. I texted a prayer to his wife that night. On Tuesday morning she gave me some details. A little later, she talked to the neurosurgeon. Our pastor had a mild stroke. On Sunday, February 11^th we will have an interim pastor. We are in a new denomination and did not know how the presiding elder would deal with this circumstance. I am impressed that she acted in such a timely manner. One man in our congregation will fill-in this coming Sunday. 

Please pray for Cross Roads Global Methodist Church and our pastor and wife as God takes us through this circumstance.

Pray When Things Look Bad

 

Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry and all of them conspired to come together and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. Nevertheless, we made a prayer to our God and because of them we set a watch against them day and night. Nehemiah 4:7-9 (NKJV)

Words of Nehemiah

Those who returned to Jerusalem had a gargantuan task before them. They had to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. Not only was this a huge task, they also had to deal with foreign enemies, two different enemies and three different people-groups were poised against having Jerusalem rebuilt.

When someone turns his or her heart over to Jesus, changes happen in his or her life. Sometimes these changes cause problems from either those affected by others or by the one surrendering to Jesus.

One who is trying to change his or her life around must be vigilant for the things that can, and if care is not exercised probably will, trip him or her up.

Nehemiah and his crew did what each of us must do when we feel at risk due to someone’s plan to be in conflict with or upset our plans and keep us from our goals. They prayed.

At times, we don’t pray enough. We have times when we think we are doing something the right way just because we belong to Jesus.

We need to pray about all things that affect us, even when we can’t do anything about them. Jesus has all things under His control.

Recently, our Sunday school leader passed out index cards for each of us to take one. On it were the letters SFJTD. Below these letters were the words “Something For Jesus To Do”. All of us in the class said that was a very good thought. I will have more on this later.