Exasperated! Angry! Disgusted! At your wits end! In our world today our lives are chaotic at best and often reflect the world around us. This is a space regardless of faith, race, nationality, age, family status or gender for the discussion of the individual’s spiritual journey. This is a journey of how we come to terms with ourselves, develop our strength and find inner peace. Join me, and share in the adventure.
Many Meals for 500 weeks! The Wednesday Night Many Meals program at First Presbyterian Church in Santa Paula recently celebrated its 500th week. The outreach program was started by a group known as the Spirit of Santa Paula, which quickly outgrew its home and moved to the First Presbyterian Church. Serving between 500 and 600 meals each week the guests include the lonely, the elderly, the needy, children, farm workers and people trying to make meager incomes stretch between paychecks. Shown is Kay Wilson-Bolton, one of the hardworking Many Meals volunteers and her friends on a Wednesday evening. They are perfect examples of God’s lights shining in the darkness.
Messages
We do good work not to earn our salvation. We do good work because we are already saved. God expects us to be part of the world around us, helping where we can and encouraging people to reach their full potential. It is through our good works that we become God’s lights shining in the darkness. The September message is from Matthew 5:14-16 where Jesus tells us to be lights shining in the darkness.
Jesus appears to the ten disciples, right hand raised in the gesture of peace. The disciples are standing back, looks of confusion and wonder on their faces, not sure what is happening, but hands stretched toward Jesus, seemingly as signs of hope. Notice the nail marks in Jesus’ feet and exposed hand. Christ Appears to the Apostles Behind Closed Doors, Duccio di Buoninsegna 1255-1319. Located at the Duomo Museo, Siena, Italy
My Blog: Thoughts and Reflections
Gospel of John - Jesus Meets the Disciples
When we start studying the Gospels one of the first things we learn is that while there is general agreement in the big picture of Jesus’ life and teachings, they do not all say the same thing. Each Gospel was written to a specific audience and leans toward what the audience needs to know. The dates and order of events change from Gospel to Gospel.
Continue with the link below to more of the story.
What good is a park if you cannot have a ceramic lizard as an attraction? That is just the beginning of the maze and wonderland that is Park Güell, situated in the west central hills of Barcelona. Park Güell was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. Links to short slide shows have been included for each of the Gaudí UNESCO locations we visited.
Gaudí’s Barcelona
A complete disregard for straight lines, square corners and an imagination which knows no bounds was our first impression when walking up to an Antoni Gaudí designed building or park. That and the huge crowds which surround the entrance, even at the end of the tourist season. In retrospect, it was worth the wait, even with advance tickets, and the crowds. There is nothing like Gaudí’s approach to architecture. For a glimpse of Gaudí and how his designs placed Barcelona at the front of the tourist route follow along to the blog site.