Growing in Wisdom
Now every year his parents went
to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old,
they went up as usual for the festival. When the festival was ended and they
started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did
not know it. Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s
journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends.
When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. After
three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening
to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his
understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him they were astonished;
and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look,
your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” He said to
them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my
Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he said to them. Then he went
down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother
treasured all these things in her heart.
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human
favor.
Luke
2:41-52
Consult not your
fears but your hopes and your dreams.
Think not about your
frustrations,
but about your unfulfilled
potential.
Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in,
but with what it is still possible for you to
do.
~ Pope John XXIII
Keep
away from people who try
to
belittle your ambitions.
Small
people always do that,
but
the really great make you feel that you,
too,
can become great.
~ Mark Twain
Mike Weiker's
last show conducting the 80-member Evergreen
Chorale.
His
retirement finale was a stirring performance.
Thank you,
Nancy, for the wonderful Christmas Brunch!
Such
wonderful company.
Nancy, Kelli,
CV
Eric and
Jordan Bailey are visiting Eric's parents.
Christmas Eve
Candlelight Service
When
one tugs at a single thing in nature,
he
finds it attached to the rest of the world.
~ John Muir
December 27,
2009 First Sunday after Christmas
Previous OPQs may be found
at:
|
FOR OUR WORLD
by Mattie
Stepanik
We need to
stop.
Just stop.
Stop for a moment.
Before anybody
Says or
does anything
That may hurt anyone else.
We need to be
silent.
Just silent.
Silent for a moment.
Before we forever
lose
The blessing of songs
That grow in our hearts.
We need to
notice.
Just notice.
Notice for a moment.
Before the future slips
away
Into ashes and dust of humility.
Stop, be silent, and
notice.
In so many ways, we are the same.
Our differences are unique
treasures.
We have, we are, a mosaic of gifts
To nurture, to offer,
to accept.
We need to be.
Just be.
Be for a moment.
Kind and
gentle, innocent and trusting,
Like children and lambs,
Never
judging or vengeful
Like the judging and vengeful.
And now, let us
pray,
Differently, yet together,
Before there is no earth, no
life,
No chance for peace.
September 11, 2001
©
Matthew Joseph Thaddeus Stepanek
Used with
permission from Hope Through Heartsongs, Hyperion,
2002
|
|
Mattie Stepanik
Age 11
1990 -
2004
(Mattie's legacy lives strongest in his choice—his
decision to celebrate life
and perceive it as a blessing even during
the most painful moments.)
http://mattieonline.com/ |
1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26
Psalm 148
Colossians 3:12-17
Luke
2:41-52
