Thomas Merton - "As long as we are on earth, the love that unites us will bring us suffering by our very contact with one another, because this love is the resetting of a Body of broken bones."
Soren Kierkegaard - "Affliction is able to drown out every earthly voice...but the voice of eternity deep in the soul it cannot drown."
Monday, June 28, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Need Answers? Ask God - James 1:5
Our youth getting soaked in recreation at Saddle Ridge Ranch. Good job SMBC students on leading VBS Recreation!
Baptist Fellowship Center
I'm so proud of our SMBC students who have ministered to the boys and girls at the Baptist Fellowship Center in the west end of Louisville!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
The Reason For God by Timothy Keller
I've been reading an excellent book - The Reason For God by Timothy Keller. Today I came across a couple of paragraphs illustrating "faith" that I would like to share with you.
The faith that changes the life and connects to God is best conveyed by the word TRUST. Imagine you are on a high cliff and you lose your footing and begin to fall. Just beside you, as you fall, is a branch sticking out of the very edge of the cliff. It is your only hope and is more than strong enough to support your weight. How can it save you? If your mind is filled with intellectual certainty that the branch can support you but you don't actually reach out and grab it - you are lost. If your mind is instead filled with doubts and uncertainty that the branch can hold you, but you reach out and grab it anyway you will be saved. Why? It is not the strength of your faith but the object of your faith that actually saves you. Strong faith in a weak branch is fatally inferior to weak faith in a strong branch.
This means you don't have to wait for all the doubts and fears to go away to take hold of Christ. Faith, then, begins as you recognize and reject your alternative trusts and gods and turn instead to the Father, asking for a relationship to Him on the basis of what Jesus has done - not on the basis of your moral effort or achievements.
You can make your move to faith this way....
Father, I've always believed in you and Jesus Christ, but my heart's most fundamental trust was elsewhere - in my own competence and decency. This has gotten in into trouble. As far as I know my own heart - today I give it to you. I transfer my trust to you and ask that you would receive and accept me not for anything I have done but because of everything Christ has done for me.
The faith that changes the life and connects to God is best conveyed by the word TRUST. Imagine you are on a high cliff and you lose your footing and begin to fall. Just beside you, as you fall, is a branch sticking out of the very edge of the cliff. It is your only hope and is more than strong enough to support your weight. How can it save you? If your mind is filled with intellectual certainty that the branch can support you but you don't actually reach out and grab it - you are lost. If your mind is instead filled with doubts and uncertainty that the branch can hold you, but you reach out and grab it anyway you will be saved. Why? It is not the strength of your faith but the object of your faith that actually saves you. Strong faith in a weak branch is fatally inferior to weak faith in a strong branch.
This means you don't have to wait for all the doubts and fears to go away to take hold of Christ. Faith, then, begins as you recognize and reject your alternative trusts and gods and turn instead to the Father, asking for a relationship to Him on the basis of what Jesus has done - not on the basis of your moral effort or achievements.
You can make your move to faith this way....
Father, I've always believed in you and Jesus Christ, but my heart's most fundamental trust was elsewhere - in my own competence and decency. This has gotten in into trouble. As far as I know my own heart - today I give it to you. I transfer my trust to you and ask that you would receive and accept me not for anything I have done but because of everything Christ has done for me.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
RIDE TO VICTORY
On September 25-26, I will be participating in the Ride to Conquer Cancer benefiting Norton Cancer Institute. I will join thousands of other men and women in a history-making ride from Louisville to Lexington. Bike Riders will travel over 150 miles through the Kentucky Bluegrass Region. Funds raised from this epic event will support breakthrough cancer research, treatment and the discovery of new therapies.
With one in four U.S. deaths attributed to cancer, I am rallying for the cause and cycling in the "Ride to Victory." My ride will be in memory of my father, Roy Fox, who lost the battle with pancreatic cancer in his early thirties. I am also riding in honor of friends who are currently battling cancer.
You can donate on line at www.ridetovictory.org by clicking on Kentucky 2010 and then on Donate Now. You can find my page by entering my name - Tomara Brown or by entering my ID # which is 440131-7. My personal fundraising goal is $2500.00 I would be honored if you would help me raise this amount by donating $5, $25, $50, $100 or even more! Any amount will be greatly appreciated. You can also call to make a donation at 877-688-2452 (2453). You can also mail me a check and I will make the deposit for you - 1210 Quaker Court, Louisville KY 40214.
Please email me at tomarafoxbrown@gmail.com with any questions or give me a call at 502-727-5738.
Blessings to All of You!
Tomara Brown
Sunday, June 13, 2010
WALT DISNEY WORLD
DISNEY WAS GREAT! THANK YOU LORD FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS!
We visited Hollywood Studios for two days...Magic Kingdom for two days...Animal Kingdom for one day...and Epcot for one day. Elliott said his favorite park was Epcot. Max was just a half inch tall enough to ride most of the roller coasters.
The Star Wars characters were at Hollywood Studios and we enjoyed seeing them. We visited with many of the Disney characters at all of the parks and saw a lot of great shows including the stunt car show and the Festival of the Lion King.
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