Thanks Giving Leftovers

At top is the letterhead I use when I am doing something as an Independent Affiliated Missionary of the Teaching & Sharing Centers 501c3 non-profit. However, I like to make the point that I am not truly independent. I am God dependent — totally. That is why I split the word independent and put Jesus in the middle of it. Hence, I describe myself as an in "Christ" dependent domestic missionary. 

I came up with this Thanks Giving Leftovers newsletter shortly before Thanksgiving in 2021, and I began it the day after. With a smaller than usual gathering, we had a lot of leftovers, which is the same position I had been finding myself in with regard to the Thanksgiving 2019 to Independence Day 2020 newsletter. That July 3, 2020 communication is what I casually had been referring to as my "last newsletter." In a sense, it will remain so, since I got out of the email business in 2020, and will not be sending this "newsletter" to a mailing list, or anyone. It is simply being placed on this website for those who go exploring. But, I felt the need to wrap up the other, in spite of the excess of "leftovers" which had not been added to it yet. Those will be placed here as time permits.  

The image following my letterhead above is the same one that opens the Thanksgiving 2019 to Independence Day 2020 newsletter. I put it here to symbolize the connection of the two. You can click on the picture to go directly to that "last newsletter." 

 

Jesus' death on the cross was for everyone,
not just "religious" people. 
 

 

Happy are they who mourn the inadequacy of self, for they shall be comforted with the sufficiency of God.

— Billy Graham

 

 

It is my prayer that . . . .

True instruction will be in my mouth,
and nothing false will be found on my lips. 

— paraphrase of Malachi 2:6

 
 

[This is a repeat, but I think it is important enough to hear twice]

"We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. 

But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these things were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. 

Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us." 

— Abraham Lincoln

For more Lincoln quotes in the other newsletter click here.
[use your back arrow to return when you finish reading them]

 
 

Best Tip (Advice) I Ever Received

"Dampening the toilet paper slightly before wiping
   will allow it to clean better and be less abrasive."

I have no idea how that came up in our conversation, but that advice was given to me by one of my policyholders early in my State Farm career of 20 years. It was emphasized that "dampen" was the key word, because getting toilet paper too wet will cause it to disintegrate in your hand. But, I am ever grateful to him for his tip. It has saved me a lot of aggravation over my lifetime. 

"Charting the unknown possibilities of life."

Sometimes I will hear (or read) just a sentence, or a phrase, that stirs something inside of me, so I jot it down on a piece of paper not knowing what I will ever do with it. That is the case with this above quote. For me it exudes hope, yet also perhaps adventure, fulfillment, something beyond mundane, or routine. Its presence here can now eliminate the piece of paper on my desk. 

 

 

Once again, the above graphic is a carryover from my "last newsletter." I kept it here because I had a couple of notes about "false gods" we deem very important that are totally artificial — money, and keeping track of time. 

Money is simply a thing we created to keep track of the values for the exchange of goods, and services. It has no intrinsic value in and of itself, especially now that it is often just numbers on a computer screen, rather than paper, silver, or gold. Not that those are all that much better in truth, but they at least have some potential functional uses. I often use paper to help me start campfires. Perhaps that was one of the uses for Confederate dollars after the American Civil War, which is an excellent example of the artificial nature of money. Yet, money is a common "god" in our culture. 

Time keeping (clocks, watches, calendars, etc.) is the artificial system we devised to calibrate change, especially cyclical change, but also what we deem progression. Daylight Savings Time is a perfect example of the fickle nature of our trying to schedule life, rather than harmonizing with it. Speaking of which, our local newspaper had an article with some interesting trivia about DST in it late last year (Grand Ledge Independent, November 7, 2021). Here it is: 

"Get ready for the 'better' time change as we end daylight saving time by moving our clocks back one hour on Nov 7. Unlike when we lost an hour in March to 'spring ahead' into daylight saving time, most people look forward to autumn when we 'fall back' into standard time and gain an extra hour of sleep. That switch happens this year on Nov. 7, when at 2 a.m. the time officially rolls back an hour to 1 a.m.

Here are some interesting factoids to consider as we prepare to change our clocks: 

Fact 1:

Daylight saving time was created to conserve power and electricity by optimizing the use of daylight hours during seasonal changes.

Fact. 2:

The U.S. made daylight saving time an annual event in 1966 after passing the Uniform Time Act. 

Fact 3:

The first official use of daylight saving time was in 1916 when Germany and Austria used a one hour clock shift to save electricity during WWI. 

Fact 4:

Daylight saving time was first proposed in New Zealand by George Vernon Hudson in 1895, but he was unable to get the time shift approved. 

Fact 5:

In 1905 a British man named William Willett proposed an 80 minute time change in fall and spring he called 'summer time.' The plan never made it through Parliament. 

Remember, while most of your clocks on cell phones, computers and other technological devices will change automatically, you may need to reset clocks on appliances or your car's clock radio. It is also a good time to change batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, change vent filters and other timely household tasks that are often forgotten."  

Jordan Nelson
Lansing State Journal
USA Today Network – Michigan
Sunday, November 7, 2021 

 

 

As if I do not have enough stuffing already set aside to place into this "leftovers" newsletter, I keep running across items I deem worthy of sharing. The "sending song," which refers to the final song sung at a service in my wife's church, last Sunday was one that I could not remember ever hearing before. Yet, it is an outstanding explanation, and perhaps a little bit of rebuke to our culture, stating what constitutes "the true church." 

"The Church Song"

Refrain: We are the church, the body of our Lord; We are all God’s children
We have been restored.

The church is not a building where people go to pray;
It’s not made out of sticks and stones, it’s not made out of clay. (refrain)

You can go to worship but you cannot go to church;
You can’t find a building that’s alive no matter how you search. (refrain)

The church is not a business, a committee or a board;
It’s not a corporation for the business of the Lord (refrain)

The church, it is the people living out their lives,
Called, enlightened, sanctified for the work of Jesus Christ. (refrain)

_____________

The following Sunday I was questionably mentioning to my wife I wonder how many people actually pay attention to the words they are singing, reciting, or saying in response, during a worship service. I had just used The Lord's Prayer as an example since it is often a weekly part of worship services, especially in the liturgical churches. The version I am most used to reciting says, "forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." I proposed that every time we speak those words we are asking God to treat us the same as we treat others. That should cause a heart to pause, if we truly realize that. Then the song "Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service" came up as a communion hymn. The third verse particularly caught my attention. 

Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service

3   As we worship, grant us vision,
till your love's revealing light
in its height and depth and greatness
dawns upon our quickened sight,
making known the needs and burdens
your compassion bids us bear,
stirring us to ardent service,
your abundant life to share.

I perceive the words of the song have more than one way of being interpreted, yet it seems to me it is focused on "others." This would mean, we are asking God to make known the needs and burdens of others, so we might be stirred to "share." Are we paying attention to the words that come out of our mouths. I suspect God is. Matthew 7:2 frequently comes into my mind. 

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"The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing."  — John 6:63

In the above Scripture quote, Jesus is the one speaking. Our culture focuses almost entirely on the flesh. From medicines to consumer goods, from how we spend our time and prioritize our lives, we mostly ignore the Spirit. Yet the Spirit (and our spirit) can live without the flesh, but the flesh cannot live without the Spirit. We might want to consider this when deciding what to focus on. 

An email "leftover" from 2013 I ran across in my folders on 1/10/23.

From: Ned
Sent: Thursday, May 9, 2013 1:17 PM
To: IGG Golf Group
Subject: Mom's Empty Chair

Thanks to Dale S. for passing this on.  Nice thing to remember


MOM'S EMPTY CHAIR

A woman's daughter had asked the local minister to come and pray with her mother.

When the minister arrived, he found the woman lying in bed with her head propped up on two pillows.

An empty chair sat beside her bed. 

The minister assumed that the woman had been informed of his visit . . . . 'I guess you were expecting me, he said. 'No, who are you?' said the mother. The minister told her his name and then remarked, 'I saw the empty chair and I figured you knew I was going to show up . . . .'

'Oh yeah, the chair,' said the bedridden woman. 'Would you mind closing the door?' Puzzled, the minister shut the door. 'I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter,' said the woman. 'But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it went right over my head . . . . I abandoned any attempt at prayer,' the old woman continued, 'until one day four years ago, my best friend said to me, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here is what I suggest . . . . Sit down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It is not spooky because he promised, 'I will be with you always' . . . . 'Then just speak to him in the same way you're doing with me right now.'

'So, I tried it and I have liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I am careful though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she would either have a nervous breakdown, or send me off to the funny farm.'

The minister was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old woman to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with her, anointed her with oil, and returned to the church.

Two nights later the daughter called to tell the minister that her mama had died that afternoon. 

'Did she die in peace?' he asked.

'Yes, when I left the house about two o'clock, she called me over to her bedside, told me she loved me and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found her.'

'But there was something strange about her death. Apparently, just before mom died, she leaned over and rested her head on the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?'

The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said, 'I wish we could all go like that.' 

Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive.

And, from five years earlier . . . .

From: Patty
Sent: May 20, 2008 12:43 PM
To: Patricia F
Subject: Handy little chart

         
When You Say   GOD SAYS   Bible Verses
"It is impossible"   All things are possible   Luke 18:27
"I am too tired"   I will give you rest   Matthew 11:28-30
"Nobody really loves me"   God says: I love you   John 3:16  &  John 3:34
"I cannot go on"   My grace is sufficient   II Corinthians 12:9
& Psalm 91:15
"I cannot figure things out"   I will direct your steps   Proverbs 3:5- 6
"I cannot do it"   You can do all things   Philippians 4:13
"I am not able"   I am able   II Corinthians 9:8
"It is not worth it"   It will be worth it   Romans 8:28
"I cannot forgive myself"   I forgive you   I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1
"I cannot manage"   I will supply all your needs   Philippians 4:19
"I am afraid"  

I have not given you a spirit
of fear

  II Timothy 1:7
"I am always worried
and frustrated"
  Cast all your cares on ME   I Peter 5:7
"I am not smart enough"   I give you wisdom   I Corinthians 1:30
"I feel all alone"   I will never leave you or forsake you   Hebrews 13:5

 

There are any number of wonderful old hymns in the Christian tradition. As a person who did not grow up religiously, I had heard some over the years, but it was not until my middle age that I began to search for God, and started listening more closely to the words of the songs. Many could be toward the top of any list of favorite music I might make today. 

However, having said that, the songs that would definitely be in the top ten of my very favorites are relatively new by Christian hymn standards. One of those was a part of the January 8, 2023 worship service at Immanuel Lutheran Church where my wife is a member. I have sung "Borning Cry" many times in my 28 years as a domestic missionary, so its words are familiar to me. 

Yet, when I began to get choked up, as I always do, while singing the last words of verse three, I decided I needed to share the song here for others who might not be familiar with it. 

 

"Borning Cry"

1
"I was there to hear your borning cry,
I'll be there when you are old.
I rejoiced the day you were baptized
to see your life unfold.
I was there when you were but a child,
with a faith to suit you well;
in a blaze of light you wandered off
to find where demons dwell."
2
"When you heard the wonder of the Word
I was there to cheer you on;
you were raised to praise the living Lord,
to whom you now belong.
If you find someone to share your time
and you join your hearts as one,
I'll be there to make your verses rhyme
from dusk till rising sun."
3
"In the middle ages of your life,
not too old, no longer young,
I'll be there to guide you through the night,
complete what I've begun.
When the evening gently closes in
and you shut your weary eyes,
I'll be there as I have always been,
with just one more surprise."
4
"I was there to hear your borning cry,
I'll be there when you are old.
I rejoiced the day you were baptized
to see your life unfold."


Another song that would definitely be in the top ten of my very favorites is . . . .

 “Here I am Lord”

  1 "I, the Lord of sea and sky,
I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin
my hand will save.
I, who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send?"
2 "I, the Lord of snow and rain,
I have borne my people's pain.
I have wept for love of them.
They turn away.
I will break their hearts of stone,
give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak my word to them.
Whom shall I send?"  Refrain
         
 


 

Refrain
Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

3 "I, the Lord of wind and flame,
I will tend the poor and lame.
I will set a feast for them.
My hand will save.
Finest bread I will provide
till their hearts be satisfied.
I will give my life to them.
Whom shall I send?"  Refrain

When I meet someone new, I usually try to remember to share with them a little about my website, and give them the address so they can find it online (I hope you do also). I emphasize there is nothing for sale on my site, everything is freely shared. However, the reason I tell everyone I can is because an online search would seldom list my site anywhere close to the beginning on those hundreds of pages, or thousands of entries, I typically get when I do a search. 

Unless someone was very specific with the search, like "a touch of william" rather than a more generic poetry by william, or photos by william, my site would be buried deeply within the results. 

For example, many years ago I did searches just to see where I would show up. Very few people would know the complete name of Cherokee Bill's Teaching & Trade Center. So I listed "Cherokee Bill." Turns out there was a rather notorious outlaw in the 1800s who used that name. What a surprise that was! I do not remember if I showed up at all. 

 

 

The poem tells how I got the name Cherokee Bill. For his story click on "the other Cherokee Bill."

“Yes, I have Indian blood in me.
I, also, have just enough white blood for you to question my honesty.”

— Will Rogers, Cherokee

Confession and Forgiveness

There is a piece of the worship service in the liturgical denominations referred to as confession and forgiveness. Over the years of attending such services, I found the confession part consistently generic, and pretty bland. I have noticed for quite a number of months at my wife's church, that the wording has been changing. It might remain the same for several weeks, or a season, but the confessions seem more specific these days. I do not know if the other denominations are also doing this, but I think it is a step in the right direction. The earlier, more generic versions, never seemed to inspire me to think about what I was reading, or reciting. These do. Here are some examples . . . .

Sunday November 27, 2022 (First week of Advent)

Confession and Forgiveness

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.
Blessed be God’s name forever. Amen.
Beloved, now is the time to wake from sleep. Let us confront our sins, and confess them to the One who is merciful and just. Silence is kept for reflection.

God of new beginnings,
we confess that we have not welcomed your holy reign. We have strayed from your paths. We prepare for war instead of peace. We dishonor one another and your creation. Purify us with your refining fire and set us again on your way of love, that we may bear fruit worthy of repentance, and welcome your coming among us. Amen. 

People of God, a new thing is growing in our midst, a tender branch, a living sign. By water and the Spirit you are joined to this wonder. You have put on Christ, and your sins have been washed away. Rejoice in the way of the Lord. Amen. 

Sunday January 1, 2023

God of Life, you promise good news of great joy for all people, and call us to be messengers of your peace. We confess that too often we hoard our joy, our resources, and our security. We nurture conflict and build barriers. We neglect the needs of our neighbors and ignore the groaning of creation. Have mercy on us. Where we are self-centered, open our hearts.  Where we are reluctant, give us courage. Where we are cynical, restore our trust. Renew us with your grace and give us again the hope of eternal life in you. Amen. 

Sunday March 12, 2023 (Lent 3)

Holy God, we confess to you our faults and failings. Too often we neglect and do not trust your holy word; we take for ourselves instead of giving to others; we spoil rather than steward your creation; we cause hurt though you call us to heal; we choose fear over compassion. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, as we seek to follow in your way of life. Amen.

Hear the good news: God so loved the world that God gave his only Son, so that all may receive life. This promise is for you! God embraces you with divine mercy, forgives you in Christ’s name, and revives you in the Spirit’s power. Amen.

Sunday December 17, 2023 (Third week of Advent)

Everlasting God, you love justice and you hate wrongdoing. We confess the fear, greed, and self-centeredness that make us reluctant to work against oppression. We are complicit in systems of exploitation. We choose comfort over courage. We are careless with creation's bounty. Look upon us with mercy. Turn our hearts again to you. Make us glad to do your will and to walk in your ways for the sake of our waiting world. Amen. 

_____________

Sunday February 18, 2024 (First week of Lent)

Holy God, we confess that we are caught in snares of sin and cannot break free. We hoard resources while our neighbors are hungry and cold. We speak in ways that silence others. We are silent when we should speak up. We keep score in our hearts. We let hurts grow into hatred. For all these things and for sins only you know, forgive us, Lord. Amen.

_____________

And some undated others moved here from my In His Steps pages . . . .


God for whom we wait, in the presence of one another, we confess our sin before you. We fail in believing that your good news is for us. We falter in our call to tend your creation. We find our sense of self in material wealth. We fear those different from ourselves. We forget that we are your children, and turn away from your love. Forgive us, Blessed One, and assure us again of your saving grace. Amen.

_____________

Let us honestly and humbly confess that we have not lived as God desires. 

Loving and forgiving God . . . we confess that we are held captive by sin. In spite of our best efforts, we have gone astray. We have not welcomed the stranger; we have not loved our neighbor; we have not been as Christ to one another. Restore us, O God. Wake us up and turn us from our sin. Renew us each day in the light of Christ. Amen. 

_____________

Drawn to Christ and seeking God’s abundance, let us confess our sin. 

God, our provider, help us. It is hard to believe there is enough to share. We question your ways when they differ from the ways of the world in which we live. We turn to our own understanding rather than trusting in you. We take offense at your teachings and your ways. Turn us again to you. Where else can we turn? Share with us the words of eternal life and feed us for life in the world. Amen. 

_____________

Have mercy on us, O God. 

We confess that we have sinned against you and against our neighbor. We have built walls instead of tables and have turned away the stranger. We have sought glory for ourselves and have treasured that which does not satisfy. Help us to love as you love, to welcome those you send, and to treasure mercy and justice. Turn us from our ways to your ways, and free us to serve those in need. Amen. 

"God lives within me . . . as me."

The above quote is another of those sentences that stirred something inside of me, so I jotted it down on a piece of paper. Only this time I knew from the start that I would share it here. It was from a movie I watched. Every time I read it, I find a sense of peace, and comfort, from the thought. I am told it is more of a Buddhist theology than Christian, but Jesus tells us He and the Father reside in us through the Holy Spirit. The "as me" part says to me, I am acceptable "as me" even though the ultimate goal is for my "as me" to become more like Christ. 

The below quote was from a 1981 booklet (Kitchen Remedies) I had sitting on my desk for a while.

"Leave your drugs in the chemist's pot if you can heal the patient with food."  — Hippocrates

Current end
of newsletter.
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I am still working
on this page.
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The index link
at the bottom
of the page is functional.

 
 

Beyond this point there is just structure, most of which you cannot see except for random words to preset fonts, and some carryover graphics I might keep in this newsletter.

 

 

 

I would

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And more of my personal works below the william's works header 

 

     


Last year

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I saw

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A

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Also

 

 

 

 

 

As


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I did

 

 

 

 

God's peace,