Thursdays Child- John 1:1-3

This past week I've been trying to decide what Thursdays Child should be about. I remembered something I heard on the radio the other day. This one preacher said "when we start a book, we start in chapter one, page one, paragraph one, word one. Why don't we do that when we read the Bible? So, I'd like to start in the Gospel of John. I've heard it said that John is an important book for a christian to read to learn about the love of Jesus, so that is where I'd like to start.
From the New Living Translation John 1:1-3 says "In the beginning the word already existed. He was with God and He was God. He was in the beginning with God. He created everything there is. Nothing exists that He didn't make." Lets stop there to jump back to Genesis 1:26 which says, Then God said "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness." This is a verse alot of people say mentions Jesus for the first time, and it would also confirm that John 1:3 is true. I'd like to sidestep for a minute and give my opinion on a concern I heard recently. The concern was "How could God, who is love, send His son to die? What parent could do this?" Yes, we say, "The Father,Son, and Holy Spirit," and yes, Jesus did come as a baby, and grew to be a man and suffered and died and is now sitting at the right hand of the Father. As we just read though Jesus was in heaven from the beginning, He decided to become a man. As God, He came to die for His children, and now He has gone back to to His rightful place where He started. The best part is He did it as a total act of love, so now we can spend forever with Him instead of separated from Him. I'd be interested to hear how everyone else feels about this. Thanks for searching with me,
Paul

Thursdays Child Matt.27:44 & Mark 15:32

This Thursday I'd like to look at Matthew 27:44 and Mark 15:32. These are a couple of verses that I can't ever remember being taught. You always hear Luke 23:39-43, which talks about the thief on the cross asking Jesus for forgiveness and Jesus says "Today you will be with me in paradise." We use that verse to teach, that when we die we go to heaven right away. Both of the other verses say "Even the two criminals who were being crucified with Jesus ridiculed him." People usually say that since Luke was a doctor he was more detailed in his account of what happened. We tend to just accept that and move on. Well if you read the other two they are almost the same word for word. Now, I'm not doubting that the Bible is true, but, it is another one of those things I have questions about. Why do we teach something from one book when two other books say something different? I am a strong believer in not taking the Bible out of context to suit your needs, so I've read this over and over to make sure I'm not missing something and I don't see any other way to take it. If anyone can shed a little light on this one please let me know. Thanks Again for searching with me.

Paul

Sand Pearls

Sand Pearls

Tara sat on the side of the sand dune gazing out over the ocean, when suddenly she realized she couldn't remember how she got there. All she could remember was running out of Anthony's house in shock. He had just told her the worse news she could imagine, yet he was being so calm about it. She has never known anyone with cancer so she doesn't know much about it. Now her best friend has just told her he has to have surgery to remove a brain tumor and the doctors are almost positive it is giong to be cancerous

"Oh my gosh." she thought to herself "how could I have been so selfish?"

As she started to get up to go back to Anthony's house she felt something on her shoulder. She had been so lost in herself that she hadn't even noticed that Anthony had walked up behind her.

"I'm so sorry." she cried, as she turned to give him a hug. "I was so freaked out I didn't even stop to think about how you must be feeling."

"Hey, it's okay."Anthony said "You should have seen me yesterday when the doctors told us. I totally lost it, my mom had to chase me down after I went running out of the his office.

"So that must be why you've been getting all those headaches!" Tara exclaimed

"Yeah, but I don't know what's worse, having headaches and taking aspirin all the time or knowing what's causing the headaches and know that it's something alot worse."

Tara pulled him down onto the sand, laid his head on her chest, softly stroked his brown shoulder length hair, and held him as they lay quietly, enjoying the comfort and security they get from just being together.

Anthony wasn't sure how long they had been laying there but when he started to feel a chill in the air he opened his eyes and noticed the sun beginning to set. When the sun reached the horizon and the reflection stretched across the water it seemed as though the sand started bubbling. After watching for a few minutes they saw it wasn't bubbling at all. What they were seeing was sea shells popping to the surface. They got up, started walking toward the water and as far as the eye could see there were little black and white sea shells scattered all over the beach. Tara picked up one of each. She noticed that even though they each had a top and a bottom, the black was so black that it seemed like empty space that went on forever. The white was such a bright white that it was blinding to look directly into.

Tara gave the white one to Anthony, and with hardly any effort at all they were able to open each of their shells. Inside they found the roundest, smoothest, most perfect colored pearls. The black just as deep and black as its shell, and the white just as bright white. They turned and looked at each other with shocked amazement. Tara reached in, took out her black pearl and placed it in the palm of her hand.

What was once a pearl was now the most beautiful being you could ever imagine. It is hard to describe, almost angelic like. It had a black human face so perfect, smooth and shiny like the pearl. It had a long, silky, white, flowing gown. Long, silky, salt and pepper, colored hair, and black paper thin wings that looked so fragile you wouldn't dare touch them. It stood about four inches tall with no distinct male or female features but, because of it's beauty you got the feeling it almost had to be a female.

It startled Tara so bad, she let out a yell and jumped so high she almost dropped it. Anthony had to grab her hand so she wouldn't. Still shaking, she lifted her hand to her face to get a closer look at it. Finally after studying it a moment or two, she asked "Who are you? Do you speak?"

"Yes I do." it said "I'm glad you asked I thought we were going to just sit here and look at each other all night."

"Oh, look Anthony a smart alec angel fairy" Tara said

"Actually I am a nebbia, my name is Meng" it said. " And yes, humor is a universal language. I get that reaction so much I have to break the ice somehow."

"How did...why...where... did you come from?" Tara asked

"Well, lets start at the beginning." Meng said. "As I said, I am a nebbia. We are formed when the spray you feel from the crashing waves soaks into the sand, settles down below, and forms our dwelling, what you call a sea shell. Over time, we develop into the sphere that you saw when you first opened my dwelling. Once we have matured we are able to come above and perform the task we were created for. Well now, I believe that covers the how, and the where, now the why. I am here for you. The two of you to be more specific. I am a comfort nebbia. There are other types but you are in need of the comfort that I provide, so that is why I have been brought to you at this time. What you are about to experience is going to create such emotional turmoil within you that you will return here often and use this place as your source of strength, and security.

"Why can't we just take you with us?" Anthony asked. "If it's going to be that bad we are going to need you with us all the time."

"No, no, no, I must never leave the sand" Meng said "The moment I am removed from the sand I return to the salt water from which I was created. I am going to be here for you. Every time you return I will come to you, and since you will be looking for me, check the sand around you and I will be there."

Over the next few days Anthony had appointments at the doctors office and hospital to get ready for his surgery. He spent late afternoons and evenings with Tara and Meng. Meng helped them make sense of the things to come. She taught them that sometimes it's okay to laugh and have fun even when facing a serious situation. She taught them it's okay to cry even when you don't know why. But the most important thing she taught them was,out of all the emotions the greatest is love. It is the wisdom behind your decisions, it is the compassion you feel for the hurting, and it is the source from where you get you strength.

At last the day arrived when Anthony was to have his surgery.Tara was with him and his family right up until the moment they came to take him to surgery. Once he was out of her sight she wanted to run to Meng, but couldn't bear to leave for fear the doctor would come out with some news and she wouldn't be there. Time passed so slowly, but finally after about three hours the doctor came out. Tara could tell by the look on his face that the news wasn't good. He told them they weren't able to get all of the tumor. It had gotten so deep that they dare not go any further. Either way the end result isn't good. If they stop now, at least Anthony would be able to go home and spend his last few months with his family and friends. If they kept going he would probably never leave the hospital, so his mom and dad agreed that this was the best decision. They would rather spend the time he had left with him at home instead of in the hospital.

The day came when Anthony was able to go home. As the weeks passed he and Tara spent hours upon hours on the beach. They even took his parents to meet Meng. Meng explained to them how wonderful life is on the other side, and that even though they will miss him and be extremely sad for awhile, he will be in a beautiful paradise. It comforted them the most when Meng assured them that eventually they all would be together again.

Anthony gradually grew weaker, and weaker until he wasn't able to go with Tara to the beach. She would go in the mornings so she could see Anthony in the afternoon. Although he missed going he enjoyed hearing about her visits with Meng.

When Tara didn't show up for a few days Meng knew that Anthony was finally cancer free,and in paradise. Tara still goes to the beach. Sometimes her and Meng talk. Sometimes they just hang out saying nothing at all, but every time they know that Anthony is always there with them.

Thursdays Child- John 14:12

Thursdays are going to be a regular segment called "Thursday's Child." If you're not familiar with the poem it says;


Monday's child is fair of face,


Tuesday's child is full of grace,


Wednesday's child is full of woe,


Thursday's child has far to go,


Friday's child is loving and giving,


Saturday's child works hard for a living,


But the child born on the sabbath day,


Is wise, and witty, and good, and gay,


I'm calling it Thursday's Child, because no matter where we are, we still have so far to go.


Throughout most of my adult life, I've taught in church. All age groups from adult sunday school down to two and three year olds. The latest being seven to twelve. The coolest verse I've tried to get them to understand is John 14:12. Jesus tells to his disciples that anyone who has faith in him will do the same things that Jesus did, and greater things, because He will be going to the Father. To do something greater than feeding 5000 people on five loaves of bread and two fish, or raising someone from the dead. It's kind of hard trying to imagine topping that. The question is, how could we possibly accomplish this? I won't even try to pretend that I have that answer. It's hard enough to continue a daily christian walk and be a Christlike example. Some topics are just good food for thought to get people searching. There's the verse that says; Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you. That's the main purpose behind Thursdays Child, to keep us all seeking, because we all have so far to go.


Thank You For Searching With Me,


Paul

2Corinthians 5:8 Revealed

Well, let's start this off with something that has been bugging me for a few months now. Someone had told me they were having a conversation with others about death, afterlife, reincarnation etc., and could I shed a little light on it. So, having been in some form of "christian" church all of my 50 years, with the exception of a few years here and there. I quoted, "To be absent from the body, is to be present with the Lord." But, I wasn't sure where to find it. I went to look it up, and the only thing I found was 2 Corinthians 5:8. Well, to my surprise it doesn't say that at all. Paul is saying, "I would rather be absent from the body, and to be home with the Lord." Well, I think that probably applies to most of us. But he isn't saying that is what definitely happens. Up in verse 6 it does say that when we are at home in this body, we are absent from the Lord. Another no brainer. But, it could lead one to believe that the opposite would happen. Still, it is not concrete enough for me to use this for an afterlife debate. I mean this isn't just one fluke church that missed it. I have heard this from church, T.V., radio, you name it. So naturally, I took this as truth. Well needless to say, I was pretty irritated when I discovered this for myself, not just because of this, but it just gets one to wondering what else is being used to deceive and try to manipulate people. So we should never take things we hear as gospel truth, until we search them out for ourselves. If you know where I may find a similar verse, please let me know, because I couldn't find one.