Jan Daniels writes...

I once had a wonderful, wise mentor who gave me a piece of wisdom that has been of enormous help many times in my life. When I first received the suggestion, I was the new acting director of nursing at a long term care facility. I had been an employee health and clinic nurse in this facility for several years. My appointment was well received by all but two nursing supervisors on the pm and night shifts. They barely knew me as I always worked days.

I was discussing my concern with my mentor and he suggested I keep the advice of Dr. Erich Fromm: "How it changes someone for us when we begin to love them." I admit to some skepticism, but I wanted to win these women over. Subsequently, I met with them separately, asked what would make their respective shifts better for themselves, co-workers, residents. Some of the changes they suggested could be made an, over a period of only months, I began to feel their support. They came to believe that I was temporarily in the Director of Nursing position because I could possible affect change. They became supporters and even cheerleaders! When a permenant director was named, the supervisors gave me a luncheon. At the luncheon, one of the "converts" told me: "I was wrong about you and I apologize for my disbelief and lack of support. Please know how much I support you now." The other supervisor said, "Amen!" It worked! And it has worked in the thirty years since then. We all encounter people we don't like or who don't like us. Just try Dr. Fromm's advice; it really works!

Jesus, in his ministry, often used his enormous love for us to change our lives. How it changed all of us because He loved us!

Anita Mayfield writes...

The Will of God

In 1974 our son, Robert, had his first heart surgery at age five. After two more heart surgeries in his teen years and many difficult times, he passed away in l989 at age nineteen. Reverend Ken Rice, who spent time with us at the first surgery, gave me a small booklet called "The Will of God”. It has defined and clarified my faith and beliefs over the years.

Written in 1944, during the bombing of London in World War II, it is actually a series of sermons given by Reverend Leslie D. Weatherhead, a pastor in the Church of England. In his effort to comprehend God’s will in those horrific times, he examines the subject by dividing it into three:
Intentional Will – God’s ideal plan for us
Circumstantial Will – God’s plan within certain circumstances, and
Ultimate Will – final realization of God’s purposes.

Because of this book, I found a better way to see God’s will in my life - in ways I’d never thought about. When I think, and listen, and apply this understanding, I have been able to find a certain amount of peace and acceptance. When I so often fall away from God’s intentional will, I feel God guides me through my failures or the many situations beyond my control, to recognize His circumstantial will. And, above all and after all, I know that somehow God’s control and guidance and His ultimate will prevails.

With the great turmoil in our country and world today, I’ve wondered how all this hatred and warring could be God’s will. I’ve tried to understand how we’ve gotten to this terrible place from just a few years ago, with the future so much more uncertain than I’ve ever known. But Rev. Weatherhead’s ideas concerning God’s will, have given me an anchor for understanding. Amidst so much that’s been lost, I believe there are many things to be gained as well, even if we can’t see them very clearly right now. In whatever small ways possible, we can each contribute to the good in this world. It is surely a time of renewed challenge to help achieve God’s ultimate will in these dire circumstances.

An example that beautifully reflects God’s will was in the answer to a question asked of a young Amish girl after so many of her schoolmates were killed last year. The question was “how can you accept this awful thing and still go on?”. She responded by saying, “we learn to let it go and turn it over to God to make something good out of it.”

We can be certain that it was never God’s intentional will for that terrible event to happen, but in the circumstances of it having happened, she knew God’s ultimate will prevails.

David Wright writes...

"Mr. Atherton, may I please have your autograph?", the young boy asked me as I exited the Metrodome following an afternoon game in 1988. In order to make ends meet, I was employeed as a beer vendor by the Metrodome from 1988 - 2003. The lad (obviously) mistook me for the Twins' relief pitcher and began to cry as I explained over and over I wasn't Keith Atherton. I eventually gave in and signed his ball "Keith Atherton".

It's not the only time I have been mistaken for someone, I have had a drive through clerk drop my order because she thought I was Garth Brooks as well.
Not being a country music fan, I hadn't a clue who "Garth Brooks" was.

The week before Palm Sunday a lady stopped and talked with me after the service and asked if she knew me. Obviously, I'm not sure if she did or not. Who am I? What is my "faith story?" Good questions for certain. I don't have a favorite spot to sit in during Sunday services. In fact, I tend to drift around on purpose; one Sunday towards the rear on the left side of the church, the next, right side, middle, and the next....who knows? My seating is similar to my faith,...all over. I've been influenced by my mother, Pastor Al Maetche, who when finding out my father was deceased treated me as his own son, and authors such as Og Mandino, Norman Vincente Peale, and Anthony Robbins.

Faith to me can be summed up simply in being open to see what is being shown to you from God. It may be as simple as a breeze, or as straight forward as a billboard not seen before. Or perhaps, it's just a case of mistaken identity.

The prayer I share most often is: God grant me peace, love, health, happiness and the power of your holy light, now and forever, amen.