A Lenten Reflection

I came across this Lenten reflection on the Internet (author unknown) and hope that it proves a blessing to you, as we prepare for the Season of Lent:

Give up complaining—focus on gratitude.
Give up pessimism—become an optimist.
Give up harsh judgments—think kindly thoughts.
Give up worry—trust Divine Providence.
Give up discouragement—be full of hope.
Give up bitterness—turn to forgiveness.
Give up hatred—return good for evil.
Give up negativism—be positive.
Give up anger—be more patient.
Give up pettiness—become mature.
Give up gloom—enjoy the beauty that is all around you.
Give up jealousy—pray for trust.
Give up gossiping—control your tongue.
Give up sin—turn to virtue.
Give up giving up—hang in there!

Prayer update on Bob Edwards

After a month in Shand's Medical Hospital,Bob and Carmen have finally returned home. The doctors were able to completely remove his brain tumor (a tumor that was the size of a large orange), and Bob now begins the difficult task of physical therapy, and rebuilding his strength. While the surgery and recovery were extremely difficult on Bob (and emotionally draining for Carmen), God was with him, and brought him through this difficult time.

Bob still needs our prayers, however. The doctors discovered that his brain tumor was caused by his thyroid, which is cancerous. His thyroid spread the cancer to his brain tumor, and was also the reason for the tumor's large size. Now, doctors are preparing to treat Bob's thyroid, while also thoroughly checking Bob, to see if the cancer has spread anywhere else. All this, while Bob is still recovering from his first surgery.

Please do not forget Bob, or Carmen, during their trials. Jesus said that if we keep asking, we shall receive; if we keep seeking, we will find, and if we keep knocking, the door that we are seeking to open will indeed open before us. Effective prayer is consistent prayer. Let us stay united as together we pray that God will bring healing and release to Bob and Carmen.

A Generous Church

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” These words of comfort, command and promise were said by Jesus to His followers in Luke 6:38. I find these words of Christ particularly apropos now, as I thank you for your generosity in supporting Restoration Community Church financially in 2009. At a time when the recession is having such a negative impact on so many families and individuals, your sacrificial giving allowed our church to end 2009 with a surplus. Through you, God is building up our church, so that we can minister effectively, both to our community, as well as to each other.

Amy and I thank you for all that you do for our church. We thank you for your tithes, gifts and offerings; we thank you for your faithful attendance every week; we thank you for the love and fellowship that you show each other, as we demonstrate the love that show be so clearly manifested in the Body of Christ; we thank you for your prayers, both for our ministry and for those on our prayer list; we thank you for your faithful involvement every week, ensuring that our services flow smoothly; lastly, we thank you for choosing to call Restoration Community Church your home.

May our church continue to grow and thrive in 2010, as it did in 2009. To God be all praise, honor and glory, Amen.

A Prayer For The New Year

Dear Lord, please give me
A few friends who understand me and remain my friends;
A work to do which has real value,
without which the world would be the poorer;
A mind unafraid to travel, even though the trail be not blazed;
An understanding heart;
A sense of humor;
Time for quiet, silent meditation;
A feeling of the presence of God;
The patience to wait for the coming of these things,
With the wisdom to recognize them when they come.
Amen.

May God continue to bless and guide you and your family in the upcoming year.

The Rev. Canon Chad Lynch

A Prayer for Sam Wyas' Loved Ones

God of compassion, there is such a hole in my heart! Today should be a day of joy, but I feel only emptiness and loss. While the world celebrates around me, I remember Christmas celebrations of the past and I long to have my loved one with me. I bring my sorrows to you, Lord, like some odd gift of the magi and dump them at your feet. In my blind tears I wonder if anyone can possibly understand the depth of my sadness.

I know, you can. You sent your son to be with us in our deepest sorrows and I know that even though I might not feel it now, you are here with me, grieving with me, caring for me in my sadness. Dearest lord, help me to turn to the one I miss so much today and speak. Help me heal the loss of our parting and help me not to regret the things I didn't say. Sorrow tears at my heart, but today I ask that my loss soften my heart and make me more compassionate with everyone I meet, so that my loss may become a gift to others.

We'll miss you, Sam.
5-20-89 to 12-22-09

The Joy of Gifts

As we celebrate the Third Sunday of Advent and prepare to light the Candle of Joy, I am reminded of an event that happened earlier this week, which, to me, symbolizes what the Advent season and Christmas are all about. My sister, Kelly, and wife, Amy, had the brilliant idea of getting family photos taken for my mother as a Christmas gift, as mom just loves pictures of her family. I thought it was a great idea, because we hadn't had a family picture taken in over fifteen years. It took some work, but we were able to get my younger brother, my old brother and his wife, my sister and her fiance and Amy and myself to the portrait studio. We also were able to get Dad to bring Mom there, without her being any the wiser. Needless to say, she was surprised!

A week later, Mom is still glowing when she speaks of her family photos. I learned that her and Dad have not had a professional photo taken together since they were married over thirty years ago, and finally understood exactly how much this gift meant to Mom. More than anything else we could have done, this simple gift touched Mom, and warmed her heart.

The best gifts come from the heart, and therefore bring the most joy. On Christmas, we'll celebrate God's gift to us, the birth of the Christ Child, a gift that has blessed, saved and changed countless lives over the centuries. When I think about this gift, it warms my heart, to think that Christ would take upon Himself human flesh, suffer the ignominy of being born and growing up, just to provide the free gift of salvation-to me, and to you.

Let us take joy, at the great love that our Heavenly Father has shown on us, as we remember this year the birth of His Son.

Update on Sam Wyas

Sam is one of our parisioners, who is currently preparing for a double lung transplant. She was going to remain home in Port Charlotte over the holidays, and move to Gainseville January 1st in preparation for the transplant. Unfortunately, the doctors determined today that it would be best for her to remain in the hospital in Gainseville until the transplant actually takes place.

While this is discouraging news, I was greatly encouraged by the reactions of our parishioners. All of them have expressed concern for Sam and asked about her, and many have chosen to send cards. To me, a healthy church is not judged by its size, but by its heart. Healthy churches contain people that love each other, and that truly take an interest in each other's lives. I'm proud to say that, while we're are a church that is tiny in size, we are huge in heart. Truly, our people are following Jesus' Great Commandment, while they fulfill His Great Commission.