Thinking and Becoming

Consider how strongly connected your mind and your thinking is to what you experience and do. When it comes to doing extraordinary things; our theme for this week, we often think and say "Well, I can't do anything extraordinary. I'll stick with the ordinary. Let's leave the extraordinary to Jesus and his miracles or at the very least those special few really gifted individuals."

But that is not how God wants to work today with you. God wants to use ordinary people to do extraordinary things.


What extraordinary thing is God wanting to do with ordinary you this week?

In fact, listen carefully, you are only just a thought away from extraordinary things. Yes you are! "Cogito ergo sum" - "I think, therefore I am" is a philosophical statement in Latin used by René Descartes. If you can think then you can become. And when it comes to our Creator, the sky is really the only limit.

What did these ordinary people end up doing?


We are the ones who limit God working in and through our lives. God does want to do extraordinary things in our lives and for others through us. Miracles are not just for the Bible days any more.

Three lessons come to us from scripture; especially in the extraordinary story of the feeding of the five thousand in Mark 6:30-44.

1. Use what you have right now today. Don't wait for something special to come your way before you make use of the time, talent and gifts you already have.


2. Commit what you have right now to God. Give God the credit for all the good things given to you and that come to you.


3. Expect great things to happen for you, to you and through you for others.

More great things would be seen in our lives and in our world if we all said and thought this: "I Can." As the wise sage said, "The people who say 'I Can' and 'I Can't' are both right."

Blessing to you.

Have an extraordinary week.

Reverend Bill McBride

How to Handle Your Guilt

So, are you feeling guilty today? Ever made a bad choice or done something for which you then felt guilty? Ever done something and then in hindsight said, "Ouch, I wish I hadn't done that one?" How do You Handle Your GUILT?

We allow our poor choices to imprison us and defeat us when we hold onto the guilt they bring. We can learn some things from our guilt, if we take a brief step back from it and see it in a larger frame. The useful thing that guilt can do for us is to show us that the choices we made did not bring to us what we needed or wanted. Guilt can point us in a new direction and motivate us to seek amends and make it right. After that, guilt serves no purpose or use. In fact, when we hold on to the guilt, we harm ourselves and make ourselve into far less than God intended.

Guilt imprisons us when we make it more powerful then it really is. If you can picture our emotions as energy, which on a metaphysical scale they really are, how would you rate the power of guilt? And, what is the most powerful emotion we can bring to the world? Remember that guilt only has as much power as you give it.

Use your guilt to build a newer and better life this week.

• Admit your fault
• Acknowledge your failure
• Accept forgiveness

Use your guilt to correct your mind, heart and actions and then use your renewed energy to give your best to yourself and others.

Watch this short movie to find the answer and to understand why you must release your guilt.



Blessings to you this week as you love.

Rev. Bill

The Unexpected Arrives

We thought together last Sunday about "Getting Ready for the Unexpected." (You can listen to my message by clicking the link on the right side of this page)

Right after church the unexpected happened to me. On the walk home from church, right on the walkway by the front porch, I came upon an unexpected little fallen nest and two baby birds. Recall the rain and big wind on Sunday morning? The storm must have dislodged this little nest from our big Maple tree. Mom and Dad bird, whom appeared to be finches or wrens, were flitting back and forth among the branches and calling as loud as they could in their tiny bird voices.

I did what any self-respecting man who is totally in charge of his world would do; I quickly went inside, found Loretta and asked, "What should we do Loretta, there is a nest on the ground and two tiny baby birds next to it?" Well, Loretta knew exactly what to do. She went into "mom mode" and hurried outside and scooped them up, nest and all and then said we have to get them back into the tree so hopefully their parents would rescue them.

Well to make this story short, we improvised a nest spot and waited and watched. Unfortunately the parents never came back or were unable to find their kids. They did fly around the yard, from tree to tree for a while, but eventually the day fell silent with no more bird calling for lost young. We then went outside and prepared the best we could, to adopt and raise these two little guys, or gals?

Loretta fashioned a home including the original nest and I did what I know best, told her how to find all the information and training she needed online. "Why don't you 'Google' how to care for baby birds?" She did and now today, it's Wednesday, only three days after our quick adoption and countless feeding later, did you know baby birds need to eat every 20 minutes?, and our two sibling birds, which I named "Peep & RePeep" have nearly tripled in size and are now trying to jump out of their box in the garage? By the way, if you need to know anything about raising baby birds call Loretta. (photo on right is a hungry bird eager for food).

And here is the really weird thing. According to the research, guess what is the best food for baby birds? Cat Food. Yup, our Mittens the cat is sharing her food with some little birds. Ironic isn't it?

As I preached on last Sunday, you never know when and what the unexpected will be and when it will happen. You just have to be ready for it; and as Micah 6:8 says "Do what is just and right, Do what is kind and merciful and Do a daily humble walk with God." Good idea for bird raising and people relating too.

Now I do not believe for a second that God caused these baby birds to tumble out of their tree to give me a test of faith or to help me practice what I preached. More likely, their descent to my walkway was caused by wind and some poor "bird-nest engineering." But I am humbled still, by how dependent these two birds are on others for their very life. As it said online, their chance of survival is low, even if they learn to fly out of our garage to the nearest tree; but as Loretta reminded me, "We will do everything in our power to give them a chance." We keep telling Mittens the cat, about how nice it is for her to share her food, but she does not get to visit them up close and personal.

I might now add to our life lessons that unexpected Lessons can come from some unexpected places. What will you do this week to give the folks around you and yourself the chance you and they need to live, thrive and become an abundant success?

To give us a quick review from Micah 6:8

• Do Justice - life is not always fair but that does not mean we just walk on by and ignore a need even if it comes from tiny peeping birds.


• Do Kindness and Mercy - All God's children need some love this week, big or small.


• Do Humility With Your God - Be prepared to lend a hand and stoop to help someone or some creature that just might benefit by you. You never know; so be prepared.

Thanks Loretta for your motherly love for Peep and RePeep this week.

(photo on left, Loretta is getting lunch ready and I get to hold a bird in the hand. In just 3 days they are already flapping their wings and trying to fly.)

Thank God for our Creator's wonderful love for each of us.

And, this definitely means you.

Blessings

Rev. Bill

A Welcome Place To Be

Anyone hear today who dislikes a warm welcome? I suspect not. We all want to feel welcome and appreciated.

God created us for relationships and for interaction. This is in part, what I believe, makes us distinctly human and spiritual. We enjoy getting together with family and friends. We crave companionship and warmth.
Seems like churches would be best served by always putting out the welcome mat and doing everything the can to make their congregation "a welcome place to be."

In my mind a warm welcome goes a long way toward success and fulfillment in life. What can you do this week to make your heart and your home a welcome place for yourself and for others?

Last weekend the Lake Mills church crew, 40 folks, spent their annual weekend getaway at Pine Lake United Methodist Camp in Westfield, Wisconsin. I thought you might enjoy this movie I produced depicting why this place and these people do such a good work of welcome and are so fun to be around.

We are gong again next year, the last weekend in July. Come up for the whole weekend or just for Saturday. This is a "Welcome Place to Be."

Pine Lake Getaway 2010 Plus a few 2009 photos

Pine Lake 2010 @ Yahoo! Video