Chaplains' Corner

Judy Pressler
State Chaplain
3011 Halfmoon Valley Road
Port Matilda, PA 16870
(814) 692-5217
jxp2@psu.edu
 

 

More of the Same in May

Well, here we are in the merry month of May. As I write this article (in April), the daffodils and hyacinths are now in bloom, the forsythia buds are bulging and the pussy willows are getting their yellow fuzzies already. We’ve had lots of rain and the predictions for this week are warmer days. That’s exciting because more and more flowers will be appearing... perennials as well as the annuals that are beckoning in all the markets! I’m not sure if we will be able to live up to one of my mom’s old sayings “on the first of May, you throw your shoes away”! You’ll know by the time your Advocate is delivered.

Speaking of The Advocate, interestingly, I have had at least three phone calls about my last article. Seems I left a lot of people hanging with my “auction” story. Before I ask a very personal question, let me share this little email story (if you have already read it, sorry for the repeat).

A minister was wrapping up the morning worship service and he said he was going to try something new. He was going to give them a “heads up.” His sermon next week would be on the subject of “Liars,” and he was going to assign some homework in preparation for it. Everyone should read the entire 17th chapter of St. Mark.

The next Sunday, when it was time for the sermon, the minister asked everyone who had done their homework to please raise their hands. "Great," he said, "you are just the ones I want to direct my sermon to today."

Now, for my question: How many of you read the last half of my article last month AND remember what the lesson was that we were to take away from it?.... Remember about the 17th chapter of Mark!

You see, I’m wondering if you skimmed through to the end to see if I “got” the F-20 tractor or not and when you didn’t find out, you just put The Advocate article down and you missed God’s message!

Unfortunately, I can relate to those who raised their hands. It is so easy to go along with the crowd. It’s embarrassing to be the odd ball. It’s hard to admit when you didn’t fulfill your responsibilities. It’s painful when you can’t live up to the expectations of others. It’s frightening to think about punishment. Fortunately, I also know all of these are true “human feelings” and lead us right into the Tempter’s snare!

There are so many other “human feelings and doings” that seem on the surface to be trivial diversions from the straight and narrow path: forgetting the office pens and tablets in our briefcases, spreading a little gossip, ignoring our parents (young or old), bilking a client, skimping on checks for the church envelopes, satisfying our wants rather than our needs, recklessly or unintentionally destroying the beautiful world God has given us, partying instead of praying (not that you have to be stodgy to follow Him!), and/or skipping Bible Study night to watch a TV program (no excuse nowadays...there are all kinds of “taping” equipment).

As I write this list, I am once again thinking about my own life experiences and think it might be good to review the points I had last month near the end of my article (for those who may have missed them):

  1. we don’t have to walk alone (God is always beside us),
  2. we may have to crawl before we can walk (we can’t know all the verses in the Bible and their meanings in one year or even one lifetime,
  3. we must look for the fruits of the spirit (they are everywhere if we look for them...listed in last month’s Advocate!),
  4. we must be watchful for temptations (a few are listed above),
  5. we must stay focused on Jesus (remember those letters WWJD...what would Jesus do...pray before we think, speak, or act) ,
  6. we need the support of other Christians along the way (they are trying to walk the same walk) ,
  7. we need to take time to appreciate the beauty in nature (this one is easy...look, smell, touch and preserve!), and
  8. we must seek the prize at the end of the walk (it’s already paid for...all we have to do is accept Him).

Have you ever caught yourself looking away from the road or daydreaming when you are driving...in an instant, you can lose your sense of direction and then a panic sets in when you think of how awful the situation might have turned out. That’s a “wake-up call.”

Consider this a “wake-up call” in your Christian walk!

Jesus allows us to make choices. Let’s all try to make good ones

Enjoy this glorious time of the year!


Judy Pressler
State Chaplain

Now, here is the answer to last month’s puzzle:

I never really intended for my article to be a mystery story. I just thought you would all conclude I couldn’t come home without it! I did buy the F-20 Farmall tractor at the auction and Lee brought it home the next day after he came home. Now this is really MY tractor. You see, I happened to mention that there was nothing in our museum from my heritage and I would like an F-20 Farmall because my grandmother had bought one brand new and my parents bought it from her when they bought the farm. It burned in a fire, so there was no way we could retrieve it. Of course, that’s all the encouragement Lee needed. He wanted to please me so he diligently began searching for and found one within a couple of weeks!! And as they say, the rest is history!