Praise the Lord for
the sizzling summer season. The Lord sent us very refreshing rains last night.
We have been getting some very fresh produce from some local farmers markets,
including tomatoes, sweet corn, potatoes, and cucumbers. We are also getting
some beautiful Pennsylvnnia peaches. Yesterday Alice went picking beautiful,
juicy blueberries. She has also canned several jars of Peach and Cherry jams,
and some quarts of canned peaches. Praise the Lord for summer fruits. Every time
I see some luscious mangoes I buy them along with coconuts, the tropical fruits.
We heard from Jessica and
Tom, who wrote us from Prague. The Lord is blessing them with refreshing times.
We are watching some
of the Summer Olympics. Praise the Lord for the dedication and discipline of the
these athletes. Praise the Lord the thrill of victory.
The new addition at our
church here in Union Center is coming up really well. The contractors are
committed Christians and also very competent contractors. The workmanship is
winsome and beautiful.
The Bible says, “Do
nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others
better than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3). The point is to take the focus is off
of yourself. It is very tempting to
focus on ourselves, but the way of the cross is to die to self, and that brings
new life in Christ Jesus.
The New York Jets team is
having their training camp at a nearby university campus. Tim Tebow is new
addition to the Team. Fame and fortune do not ruin everyone. The likes of Tim
Tebow and others have not cared how the world thought about them. They continue
to share their faith even when the media makes fun of them and mocks them. They
just strive to do their best and give glory to God.
Those of you who
follow sports know that Jeremy Lin, guard for the New York Knicks, became an
overnight sensation to the point where it was being called “Linsanity”, and a
host of other puns. The whole world, especially Asia, has watched as Lin
delivered his team several victories in a row. Jeremy is a Harvard grad who set
an NBA record for the Knicks with an unbelievable stretch of 109 points scored
in his first four starts. Lin said in an interview that he has learned not to
obsess about stats and championships. He said, “I’m not working hard and
practicing day in and day out so that I can please other people. My audience is
God... The right way to play is not for others and not for myself, but for God.
I still don’t fully understand what that means; I struggle with these things
every game, every day. I’m still learning to be selfless and submit myself to
God and give up my game to Him.”
I like the commitment and the courage
of Dan Cathy,
the CEO of Chick-fil-A. He is
a man of courage and conviction. If we do not stand for something, we will fall
for anything. Every time we drive by a Chic -fil-A
restaurant I try to drag my wife there for lunch or dinner. May the tribe and
breed of Dan Cathy increase around the corner and around the globe.
This is what it’s
all about: Living life for an audience of One, living life for God and leaving
all the rest up to him. He has said, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’
declares the Lord,’ plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you
hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I
will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your
heart’” (Jeremiah 29:11-13). Again, the Bible tells us what it is all about:
“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in
his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does
not have life” (1 John 5:11-12).
Gerard Manley Hopkins, in one of his great poems, wrote:
THE WORLD is charged with the grandeur of God.
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness...
Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs-
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.
Life opens up to those who look upward rather than inward. Fulfillment comes to those who do not try to find life by filling it with things or the acceptance of the crowd. Life surprises with joy those who refuse to live as though the world revolves around them. Life is aflame for those who live with eyes to see the hand of Jesus in all of life — Salvation belongs to our God, who is upon the throne.
Gerard Manley Hopkins, in one of his great poems, wrote:
THE WORLD is charged with the grandeur of God.
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness...
Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs-
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.
Life opens up to those who look upward rather than inward. Fulfillment comes to those who do not try to find life by filling it with things or the acceptance of the crowd. Life surprises with joy those who refuse to live as though the world revolves around them. Life is aflame for those who live with eyes to see the hand of Jesus in all of life — Salvation belongs to our God, who is upon the throne.
In
Christ,
Brown
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