Manny Esguerra writes...

In the Philippine capital city of Manila, large pink road signs warn pedestrians "Walang Tawiran Nakamamatay," or "Don’t cross here - You will die." It’s understandable, given that many Filipino drivers treat lane markings, stop lights, and even curbs as merely suggestions. Despite the warnings, you’ll still see a lot of people crossing the road or even walking among the cars. Some of them are taking the shortest route to their home or to the bus stop. Some, many of them children, are trying to make a few pesos selling candles and cigarettes, or they simply begging.
Our society sets up all kinds of obvious and not-so-obvious boundaries that we can choose to cross or not. I was once in the Hall of Dinosaurs at the American Museum of Natural History and I wanted to get a closer look inside a dinosaur’s mouth, so I climbed up on the little railing. A guard barked at me, "Hey, getoffadere!" My wife Deb still laughs about this, because I was 36 years old when it happened. Apparently I do things like this all the time. When I first moved to Minnesota from the East Coast, I started coaching my daughter’s soccer team. I ran up and down the field with the kids, loudly encouraging them the only way I knew how. When I returned panting to the sidelines, one of the other adults who’d been standing there the whole time remarked, "You’re not from around here, are you?" Deb tells me I have this way of getting so involved in something I love, that I forget and cross some social lines I’m not supposed to.
In his love for all people, Jesus crossed much more serious boundaries. He quietly exposed the hypocrisy of the stone-wielding Pharisees and elders who wanted to stone the adulterous woman; he spoke truth to Pilate’s power.
He paid with his life. What little boundaries are we willing to cross to show our love for Jesus and his message?

Bonnie Eidman writes...

How Are Decisions Made?

Shortly after Hannah entered kindergarten her mother asked her, “How do you like kindergarten?” Hannah responded, “Rules, Rules, Rules!” Hannah evidently thought that rules would inhibit her freedom of making her own decisions and choices.

God created humans with an advanced brain. But at birth the brain is not fully developed. Thus, children are not capable of making safe, sound, and reasonable decisions. I have recently heard that the frontal lobe, which is the part of the brain that aids us in making decisions, is not fully developed until around the age of 20.

Today’s children are exposed to violence, drugs, immoral behavior at an earlier age than their parents and grandparents. We need role models for our children. The athletics with tattoos covering their back, arms and neck, rock starts singing immoral lyrics, and violent TV shows and movies are making it difficult for the younger generation to make wise decisions.

Parents and grandparents may feel that they are standing alone when teaching their children/grandchildren values, respect and caring for others. The 40 days when Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, was in the wilderness and tempted by the devil, Jesus stayed focus on God. We too will over come our fears of our children’s temptations of following the devil’s path by showing them to stay focus on God.

Let Centennial UMC and Christian families be the role models for our children. Always focus on God.

Bonnie Eidman

Erica Zowghi writes...

The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

I’ve always liked this prayer, and I thought I’d share it, especially because I think it fits nicely with Lent. Although to most Lent means giving something up, most people don’t think of the gain. A couple years ago I gave up television for Lent. The first couple days I went through some withdrawal symptoms (mainly boredom), but then I increased my volunteer hours at the nursing home for people living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. I would paint the ladies’ nails, take the residents for walks, and play games with them. After Lent ended, I found myself bored with the television, and going over to the nursing home more often to converse with the residents. I never realized during Lent how much I liked their company. I learned that it truly is in giving that we receive.

Donna Kulakowski writes...

As the Lenten season approached, I wondered what my Lenten task might be. Exercise more, meditiate more, give up chocolate??? Then, on Ash Wednesday, I was presented with the following quote by Leo Tolstoy, " Everyone thinks about changing humanity; nobody thinks about changing themselves". The following sunday, Brian's sermon challenged each of us to figure out "who am I?" Following these two prompts, I decided that maybe my task for this Lenten season was to figure out how I might be changed or renewed during this season.

I have regarded myself as a compassionate person--I am a therapist, it comes with the job. But, several days after Brian's sermon, I met someone who challenged that belief. I left our encounter feeling that I might have nothing to offer this person and that his problems were largely the result of many bad life choices. How could I help? What could I offer? After much reflection, and prayer, I understood God telling me that we had more in common than I had realized, similar struggles, difficulty in changing behavior. I realized that God was telling me that I could help--by being a compassionate presence, not a judging presence--and that by doing this, I might also become closer to God.

So, my prayer for this Lenten season is that God will guide my journey towards being more loving and compassionate, and will continue to present me with opportunities to grow in love and compassion.

A friend shared this story with me. I feel honored to pass it along to you.

A wise woman was teaching a group of children about life. She said, "Inside me there is a terrible fight going on--as though between two wolves. One is anger, envy, greed, sorrow, regret, and ego. the other is joy, peace, love, kindness, serenity, and compassion. And my children, this same fight is going on inside all of you, inside every person, everywhere."

One of the children asked, " Which wolf will win?"

The wise woman replied, "The one you feed".

Love and light,
Donna