Sights and Sounds of Holi

Lighting the fire and burning the wheat

(to earn the blessings of a good harvest)

~Heather

Holi

~Heather

Spring has Sprung

Last week took with it the cool weather. I wonder how many days will come and go before I will have to turn on the ceiling fans and air conditioning. The cooler weather certainly had its perks! On the other hand, my laundry dries in a couple of hours, rather than a few days.

The weather is merely one aspect of the changes that are currently taking place.

With the Spring weather comes the Hindu holiday Holi. Holi is a celebration to welcome spring and win the blessings of the gods for good harvest. Many very large fires will be lit and worshipped around tonight. Tomorrow everyone will "play Holi," by throwing water and colors on one another.

Please join me in pleading with the Father to protect the people of M-town from accidents caused by the fires and play.

Ask the Father to allow those we love to become dissatisfied with worshipping created things, that they would come to bow and worship the Creator of all things.

Ask the Father to give me opportunities to share his Truth in these days.

Ask that with Spring, the Father would bring the people of M-town to a heart knowledge and acceptance of Him.

~Heather

Celebrate!

Tuesday was Cathy's birthday. We took the opportunity to have a bit of a neighborhood celebration. It was a wonderful time of celebrating Cathy and fellowshipping with our neighbors and friends.

* Join me in thanking the Father for placing us in such a warm, loving, and accepting community.

* Ask the Father to draw the M-town families to Himself.

~Heather

Have you grieved your sins?

I have heard it said that until one grives their sin, in light of the Cross, salvation is never really understood. Have your sins grieved you?

I used to take offense to this idea. Do you?

Recently, while running errands, waiting at a stop light, I was prompted to give a homeless man money. I do not normally do that. I am well aware of the likelihood that my money has gone to purchase the gamut of harmful substances or behaviors. However, that day, I felt the stern prompting of the Holy Spirit to give the few dollars I had in my wallet. His name was Joe. And, as Joe turned away, after thanking me, he looked back, made steady, clear eye contact and said, "My name is Joe, would you pray for me please." Probably just a good homeless person tactic, right?

As I drove away, I began to ponder the concept of prejudice. I thought a lot about how it is used as explanation. I wondered how prejudice is conceived in the heart. I thought about the different angles of prejudice - the scoffing at the poor, the contempt for the rich. The black man who cannot find a job because he is "probably lazy or sells drugs." The white girl who does not need help or does not deserve to be sacrificed for because "Daddy will probably take care of it." Why do we insist on trading tit for tat?

I continued to ponder about prejudice and pray for Joe. Then came the young man on McCart. Disbelief met aggravation as I and other cars had to stop as someone began to cross the road at a less than safe time. Aggravation was met with conviction when this young man came clear into view. His gait, mannerisms, and draw hands and arms revealed that he was not only struggling with a physical handicap, but a mental one as well. I watched as he crossed in front of me, saddened that he could not make such a basic decision as when to cross the road safely. What would prejudice decide about this young man?

My mind settled on the accusation some would make, of the possibility that this boy's wrongdoing has led to his physical and mental state. Judging by his garb and skin tone, maybe drugs had rendered him handicap. After all, sagging jeans and a dark skin tone most often mean drug use, right? Its likely that this young man could have snorted enough crack or drank enough alcohol to induce mental damage, or cause a physical accident, resulting in handicap, right? Joe is probably homeless because all his money goes to buy booze, don't you think? Maybe Joe is so irresponsible that his choices put him in his homeless situation, right?

And there it was, clear and convicting, "But for the grace of God am I." But for the grace of God have my sins not rendered me paralyzed, handicapped, homeless, outcast, poor, societies burden, less than desirable! Then, I began to grieve. How could I qualify my sins as not that bad? How can I take the grace that God has shown me and use it as a crutch to not realize the offense I hurl at a perfect, loving, Holy God? How could I stand, covered in Christ righteousness, given to me, not earned by me, through His horrific death by crucifixion, and be so proud as to think that my sins would not bereave God because they are not classified as socially unacceptable?

I was broken. Broken of a proud heart. Broken of an assuming arrogance. I have begun to grieve my sins. I have begun to love my Savior all the more. Please, please won't you join me?

"For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death." - 2 Corinthians 7:10

~Sarah