Must we Yield to the Force of Inappropriate Touch?

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

MUST WE YIELD TO THE FORCE OF INAPPROPRIATE TOUCH?

Have We Lost Our Common Sense?

SCRIPTURE: Galatians 3:11     Clearly no one is justified before God by the law because, “The righteous will live by faith.”  (NI)

REFLECTION: Our world has been turned upside down. Signs should be posted.

AFFECTION BANNED:

YIELD TO THE FORCE

OF INAPPROPRIATE TOUCH

     That is, do not hug children. Any physical show of affection is risky and can result in child abuse charges. You must bear the consequences of the actions of child molesters.

     This paranoia is fed by

Old Testament History Progresses

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY PROGRESSES

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 5:17   “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill….”  (KJV)

REFLECTION: After a vicious thunderstorm I sat in a rocky cove at Wallis Sands Beach, New Hampshire, watching five to ten foot waves roll shoreward with undefeatable purpose, hitting the sand with resounding break patterns of power and force.

Wallis Sands Beach, N. H.

     Distant waves, calm and peaceful, rose in height, appearing as an expanding mirror. Whitecaps majestically crowned these waves with increasing frequency. Photographic water sprays occurred as waves broke over rocks impeding their progress.

     Some waves raced to catch up with others, merging in an empowering union. Others gracefully moved at their own pace, seeming content in their journey. Some faded out, absorbed by following waves. The white foam created by the waves’ final landing brought beauty, chaos, turmoil, debris, power and hope to the shore.

     As the foam spent itself the remaining water folded

Survivor’s Guilt Lent Devotion #25

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

SURVIVOR’S GUILT  Lent Devotion #25

 

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 2:16     Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.  (NKJV)

DEVOTION: As I read these stories I reflect back on the child-slaughter meant to rid the world of Moses and Jesus. Although it’s difficult to me to consider that anyone worthy of being called a homo sapiens could participate in slaughters such as these, tales from wartime situations confirm mankind today is no better than mankind of old.

Each time I read of these mass slaughters of small children I wonder what effect they had on Moses and Jesus. Did the two suffer from

God’s form of communication? Lent Devotion #20

GOD’S FORM OF COMMUNICATION?

Lent Devotion #20

SCRIPTURE: Numbers 9:16-17  16.  So it was always: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.  17.  Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, after that the children of Israel would journey; and in the place where the cloud settled, there the children of Israel would pitch their tents. (NKJV)

REFLECTION: According to Scriptural accounts, the first communication by “cloud” and “fire” did not occur with Native Americans but with the nomadic Israelites.

However, since this passage brings to mind Native Americans, I will reflect on them.

I had two interviews in February 1999. One was with a renowned black artist. The other was on the history of the Connellsville Armory. During both interviews I was confronted with treasures of the mid-west Blackfeet Indian descendents.

The coincidence influenced my request to my local editor to do a story on

And who will reach the downtrodden? Lent Devotion #18

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

AND WHO WILL REACH THE DOWNTRODDEN?

Lent Devotion #18

 

SCRIPTURE: Judges 6:15     And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I (Gideon) save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.  (KJV)

DEVOTION: Janet sat at my table in tears, sharing her story of the worst kind of childhood abuse. Several trusted family members had sexually abused her from the time she was a toddler, and she was claiming responsibility for their actions. In turn, when her own children were molested Janet blamed them rather than the adult perpetrators.

The county’s trained professionals had custody of her children but they were unable to help Janet. She was not responding to their “program.” Now she was sharing tea and her problems with me.

According to legal regulations I am not

Basic Biblical Teachings for the Godly and Moral Life: 6

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

BASIC BIBLICAL TEACHINGS FOR THE

GODLY AND MORAL LIFE: 6

Guest writer Monte W. Holland

 

LESSON 6  Wednesday April 1 – Tuesday April 7, 2009
During this study’s final lesson study of the Godly, moral life, we will look at the most famous prayer from Jesus and images of God as well as some wisdom from the Old Testament prophet, Jeremiah, and the current times, followed by a final summary.
Day 1: The Lord’s Prayer (part 1)
Some television ads really “bug” me.

Who will take our church from us? Lent Devotion #30

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

WHO WILL TAKE OUR CHURCH FROM US?

Lent Devotion #30

SCRIPTURE: Lamentations 1:1    How solitary and lonely sits the city (Jerusalem) that was full of people! How like a widow has she become ! She who was great among that nations and princess among the provinces has become a tributary—-in bond service! (Amp)
DEVOTION:  Five months after we moved to Connellsville, Pennsylvania, the sanctuary of our massive, stone and steel church burned. Signs forbidding entry were immediately posted on the double red doors at the top of the cement steps. Yellow police tape was tied across the bottom of the steps. The church that was great in our nation and truly was a princess in the province (city) looked solitary and lonely, like a tributary waiting for its new assignment in bond service.
     The scene reminded me of the war-closed synagogues in Europe, many of which are now

The Red Tuque

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

THE RED TUQUE

The Rev. Monte W. Holland, Guest Writer

SCRIPTURE: Do your best to improve your faith. You can do this by adding goodness, understanding, self-control, patience, devotion to God, concern for others and love. If you keep growing in this way, it will show that what you know about our Lord Jesus Christ has made your lives useful and meaningful. 2 Peter 1:5-8  (CEV)
DEVOTION: When I wore my red knit tuque (a knit hat—to view photo click http://www.flickr.com/photos/carolyncholland/3378357280/ ) on a visit to Dorothy, a church shut-in, she said it needed a tassel. The next time I stopped she presented me with a

Basic Biblical Teachings for the Godly and Moral Life: 4

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

BASIC BIBLICAL TEACHINGS FOR THE

GODLY AND MORAL LIFE: 4

Guest writer Monte W. Holland

For some time, my husband, Monte, has been concerned about today’s young generation and the ethical behavior, which they are exposed to in today’s society. He sees the inconsistencies in what they experience in society and what is taught by Biblical Scripture, where lessons on “The Godly, Moral Life,” are presented.
As a step in counteracting society’s UnGodly, Immoral life lessons, he developed a series of six lessons, one for each week in Lent. Each lesson has seven daily sections. His entire work is posted by host site the Open Hands Ministry, a service of the United Methodist Churches in the Ligonier, PA, area. This organization provides layettes for WIC babies in Westmoreland County, and operates second-hand clothing and furnishings stores in Stahlstown and Jeannette.

AN ON-LINE STUDY GUIDE FOR THE LENTEN SEASON- “Basic Biblical Teachings for the Godly and Moral Life”

Our goal this week is to become quite familiar with the Great Commandment, the Golden Rule, and the Love chapter.
LESSON 4   Wednesday March 18 – Tuesday March 24, 2009
In the preceding lessons we have seen that the Law as recorded in the Ten Commandments is basic to the Godly, moral life. Very specifically we are charged with obedience in our relationship to God and obedience in our relationship to others. We have looked in a little detail at the Ten Commandments, one by one.
Now we turn to the message that comes from Jesus as he was interacting with the Jewish elite of his time. We find that these leaders were jealous of the rapport Jesus had with (to continue reading this post and/or to see previous posts in this Lenten series, click on: http://www.methodists-care.org/ , then click on ONLINE STUDY).

ADDITIONAL READING:

Writer’s calls for submissions, competitions & events March 1, 2009

Kathy Kelly, of Voices of Wilderness: On Peace

KEEPING PEACE IN SOUTH AFRICA Part 1

KEEPING PEACE IN SOUTH AFRICA Part 2

I BELIEVE GOD INVENTED DANCING

Basic Biblical Teachings for the Godly and Moral Life: 1

Basic Biblical Teachings for the Godly and Moral Life: 2

Ashes to Ashes: A Devotion for Ash Wednesday

A PASTOR’S ROLE IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Part 2

CHILD ABUSE AND SCRIPTURE

ABRAHAM, SARAH, HAGAR and sons ISHMAEL and ISAAC

WHAT? MARRY A PROSTITUTE, HOSEA ASKED GOD

DRESSING FOR BLESSING: GOD AND FASHION Part 1

ARE YOU LIVING IMPAIRED?

BUSY—I’M SO BUSY!!! Lent Devotion #28

Online Sites for Caretakers & Families of Brain Injury Victims

SITE LINKS:

www.beanerywriters.wordpress.com/

www.carolyncholland.wordpress.com

www.beanerywriters.wordpress.com/

www.barbarapurbaugh.com

www.pennwriters.com

ellenspain.com

http://ligonierliving.blogspot.com/

http://www.methodists-care.org/

 

Hidden Transgressions: The Importance of Integrity

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

HIDDEN TRANSGRESSIONS

The importance of Integrity

 

SCRIPTURE: Job 31:33     I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom. (KJV)
Matthew 23:25     Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess!  (KJV)

DEVOTION: Our personable church organist was loyal to the church, a good worker and faithful in all ways. Who would believe he would become a convicted as child molester? His skill at leading a double life was truly honed.
     Isn’t this behavior similar to what Job is sharing? As Adam hid his