I'm late to work today

Well, as I type this I am late to work and; yes, some of you might think that it is bad of me to be writing this blog right now, but I just spent a long morning helping Tiffany pack for camp this morning and then my devotional time took a little longer than what I thought (this is a very good thing by the way, heh), but I thought that I should share something with you all.

Yesterday I taught a class on John Wesley (founder of United Methodism) and as I was searching through my Wesley Theology (great link to all of his sermons, notes on the NT, etc...) notebook from my seminary class I found some notes from my preaching class. (this happened often when I forgot my other classes notebook I would just use the notebook I had in my backpack, heh) Well, it was from my preaching for special occasions class (By the way Dr. Kalas taught this class and he is such an amazing man, I wish you could hear his sermons..or second best read his books, and it was the notes for preaching at weddings. Now, wedding sermons need to be short (at least they should be) ("Your welcome" to all those that I have married, heh) and one of our assignments was to preach a wedding sermon for someone that we knew well. So I decided to preach my wedding sermon as if I was preaching my mother and father's wedding. So, I thought you all might like to read the short sermon that I would have preached at my parent's wedding. (please throw disbelief out the window here, yes it is impossible to go back in time and preach my parent wedding before I was born, but just pretend this is like a Disney film and just enjoy it, not for the reality, but for the enjoyment) So here is the sermon for Randy and Teresa Hollums way back in the Dark Ages, heh just kidding Daddy and Momma! (Oh, Momma and Daddy, I think I sent this to you before, but it would not hurt for you to read it again, ha ha) (I am sure you people at the courthouse will enjoy this one, ha ha)

1 John 4:11-16

Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another.
No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the Day of Judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world.


I remember when Teresa and Randy told me stories about their courtship. There was one story that pretty much summed up their relationship at the first and summed up their personalities. The first date Randy took Teresa on he told her as they were eating dinner that if she could not have children that he would not marry her. Now, that part of the story sums up Randy, logical! I Think Randy and Spock would have been good friends! That is why being in law is a perfect profession for him. Now you can imagine what Teresa thought about this statement and the entire date from then on. She basically knew this was NOT the one that God had for her and besides, this guy really needs a lesson in romance. Well, at the end of that date Teresa told Randy that she really just did not hear any “bells ringing” and so that she would probably not like to go out with him again.
Well, time passed and Randy really liked Teresa and decided that he would pester her enough where she would go out on another date with him. Well the story goes, Teresa decided that she was going to teach him a lesson and show up to the door with curlers in her hair even after he told her to dress up nice for their date. Well, Randy met Teresa at the door and either did not see the curlers or ignored them, because he knew they would probably embarrass her more than him, but either way he took her to the passenger seat of the car and drove off.
Teresa noticed that they were going down one of the bumpiest roads to get to the restaurant. What she did not know was Randy had tied string from the hangers beside each of the backseat doors with a bell in the middle that would ring with each bump the car ran over. Randy turned to Teresa and said,
“Do you hear any bells ringing now?”
Teresa says that she pretty much new from then on that that Randy was going to be the one that she would probably marry.
Isn’t it amazing what things we are willing to do and changes we are willing to make when someone special comes into our lives?
Randy, Teresa, you are here to receive a blessing from God for your holy matrimony. And you have allowed this special someone called Jesus into your personal lives. And God is not only going to bless you and your marriage, but He is going to enter into your marriage as well. Since you love one another, God will abide in you, and He will perfect his love in and through you and your marriage. Who knows he may continue to perfect your love through your children. (ha ha) Please realize that God is abiding in your marriage and living through you.
And the same goes for you, friends and family (those who read this blog) who have come to this marriage as witnesses. Abide in God and allow Him to Abide in you, and then realize that through your prayer and your loving this couple (and everyone you come in contact with) that you too will be helping them grow and perfect their love for each other and perfect their love to Christ. Now may you both experience love and grace flowing from the arms that Jesus has wrapped around you. Amen!

One thing must be said, this sermon illistartion was not asked about immediatially before writing the sermon, so all truthfullness to the story part is subject to change...or you can just go ask my father or mother for the "real" story.... I am sure they might tell you different "sides" story, but the basic gist is the same. Besides my Mom and Dad always need more people giving them a hard time.

Note to everyone....if you are a freind of a Pastor or family member of a pastor...your life is an open book just like his/her life, heh...this means that you will be mentioned in sermons, and stories, even to the entire world over the World Wide Web. So, just get used to it, ha ha.

Note to pastors.... Please ak permission of all friends, family, or church members before you write or speak about them, ha ha.

Jay update:

Well, Jay has a new toy (actually it is really Sheila's) but he can now surf the web anywhere he can get a cell phone connection, so it was funny this morning because I was typing on my blog and he just IMed (Instant messaged, AIM, Messenger, trillian,etc...)me telling me that he was driving to the hospital, and then he IMed me telling me he was there and waiting (which he does a lot of in the hospital, ha ha) So, he is going back for another Rituxan treatment today, and then back home (probably) tonight to rest up tonight and tomorrow, only to go back the next day. He seemed well, and as always he thanks you all for your prayers and support! I think he sadly is having to get into the chemo mode. Just still learning what the limits of his strength and mobility are while his is on the chemo drugs. It is still in the learning stages and I hope to get you all the chemo schedual for courses III and V. (as soon as the Dr.'s give it to him)

I need to make a acronym for my "Jay and Sheila statement" something like KUTP! (K=Keep, U=Up, T=The, P=Prayers) Ha Ha. Well, until any of you come up with a better one in the comments then I will just use KUTP!

Love you all and please know I apprecite you readig this blog, and I hope that you get something out of it each post. May your day today be better than all the others you have had! Love ya all!