“Love is a Very Powerful Thing.”

Over my life I have found that there is nothing more powerful than love. I have witnessed parents love their children through sickness, tragedies, celebration, disappointment, failures, and triumphs. I have watched couples overcome huge life obstacles because of the love they hold for each other. Sadly enough I have also observed individuals do tremendous harm, destruction, and damage under the name of love. Either for good or for evil, love is a very powerful thing. Love can cause us to continue on, when we normally would have given up. In Luke, Jesus tells us three parables about love. The first parable tells of how the seeking shepherd travels into the wilds to bring home the lost sheep because love is not gooey, otherworldly, and removed from reality but it's logical and practical, and, because of that, sometimes hard. In the second parable, the old woman and the lost coin we see another wonderful quality to love: Love is persistent: This woman in Luke 15 loses a coin and looks...and looks...and looks until she finds it. When she finds it she rejoices with her friends. The third parable tells of the loving father whose young wayward second son went off to a far country and whose life ended up in a downward spiral until he came to his senses in a pig pen and turned back towards home. It tells us that no matter how far we have traveled from God there is always a way back home because of God's love and the cross on which God's only begotten Son, Jesus, died in our place.In each we are reminded that love is persistent. Love does not give in or give up. Even when times are hard, God promises to love us not matter what.
In his novel, The Testament, John Grisham paints a powerful word portrait of one man's surrender to God's will. Nate O'Reilly, a disgraced corporate attorney, is plagued by alcoholism and drug abuse. After two marriages, four detox programs, and a serious health crisis, Nate acknowledges his need for God. Grisham describes the dramatic transformation in these words: With both hands, he clenched the back of the pew in front of him. He repeated his list, mumbling softly every weakness and flaw and affliction and evil that plagued him. He confessed them all. In one long glorious acknowledgment of failure, he laid himself bare before God. He held nothing back. He unloaded enough burdens to crush any three men, and when he finally finished Nate had tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered to God. "Please, help me." As quickly as the fever had left his body, he felt the baggage leave his soul. With one gentle brush of the hand, his slate had been wiped clean. He breathed a massive sigh of relief, but his pulse was racing. Perhaps like Nate, you need to make a list of things to bring before the Lord. When you do, you will find Christ waiting and ready to hear and forgive. Take it from Jesus Himself, "There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents/changes."
See ya in church but until then love one another and take care of yourself and your neighbor.
Shalom, Tommy

“A Time to Produce”

Have you ever wondered when you examine your life, what you produce? I mean when you truly examine your daily words, thoughts, and actions, when the day is over, you lay down your head, what have you produced? Production is the key to anyone survival. Any society that does not produce anything will truly perish. In Luke the 13th chapter Jesus tells a parable about production. There was a fig tree that did not produce any fruit. After waiting patiently for three years the tree does not produce fruit. The land owner orders the gardener to cut down the tree. The one who tended the tree begged for one more year and pledged to take radical steps to tend to the tree’s needs. He begs for one more chance for the tree to produce.
Jesus told the parable of the fig tree to call his listeners to turn towards him and to change their minds and their hearts. The result for the fig tree and for the listeners is the same: to bear fruit. As Jesus tells the story, the hope for the changed fig tree is that it will bear fruit. He has the same hope for the human beings who would listen to his words, that they would bear fruit. The ultimate sign of our changing of the mind, our repentance, our turning in a new direction is the action of our life. It is not words. It is not opinions. It is not feelings. It is action, bearing fruit, doing some new things in our lives. The fulfillment of the call to change and repent is new action of faith in our living. As individuals, we are called to do actions of generosity, compassion, service, peace making, justice, witness and respect. These are the fruits of a life turned to God, of a mind and heart changed by the Spirit of God. As communities of faith, we are called to bear fruit as well. We are called to produce.
How do you produce you might ask?
This season of Lent is a time to take stock of our own hearts, souls and life in God. There are some steps that help us to do just that; here are some of them:
* First, acknowledge your need for God, in prayer and in your heart, acknowledge the reality of the living God and recognize your own yearning and hunger for that God in your life.
* Second, confess your sins. Tell God about the things that you do regret and want to leave behind as you turn to a new direction and embark on a new journey in your living.
* Third, accept God's forgiveness and lay claim to God's love. Truth is, God is much more ready to forgive than we are to receive that forgiveness and much more ready to love than we are to own that love.
* Fourth, change your mind, re-examine some things about your life, your priorities, and your patterns of activity. Let God renew your mind with God's grace and love.
* And finally, finally, bear fruit. Show some new actions, some new practices, patterns and behaviors that reflect the love that God has for you and the love that you have for God.
Bear fruit, produce, and take care of yourself and one another.
Tommy

In the wake of the tragedy of last week, it is times like these which test the deepest part of our souls. Many questions arise of “why”. Why did God let this happen? Why were so many killed? Why did it happen in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere? Why should I even care, I have my won problems? Why were some lives spared and not others? The list can go one and one.
Having traveled and worked in Haiti, I too have had more questions than answers. I too get so frustrated when people like Danny Glover and Pat Robinson make ignorant comments for their own selfish gains. Amongst the confusion, devastation, and pain, in any time of devastation, no matter how big and how small, the best thing to do is focus on the facts not the speculations.

Here is what I do know:

• The God we serve is a God of love and forgiveness. It was not God’s punishment on people of Haiti.
• God answers specific prayers. While our friends Dr Glen Stewart and a group for Tennessee were in Haiti at the time of the earthquake, we prayed without ceasing for their safety. By God’s grace and harm, they returned home without physical injury. We continue to pray for their psychological healing that is needed after such an ordeal. We pray for those friends that lost there life while serving God in Haiti.
• I am proud I serve a church that responds immediately. Week of Compassion sent fund within 24 hours of the quake to begin the process of saving those who were trapped. I am proud that Week of Compassion continues to offer several areas of support.
• I am forever grateful for the special gifts God places in my life each and every day. The gift of a loving healthy family, a wonderful church family, a place to live, a place to worship, something to eat, and friendships. I am grateful for the time I have and realize it can all change at in a split second.
• God brings about healing by helping others. I am encouraged by those who have already responded in various ways. I look forward to the opportunity in the future to serve the beautiful people in Haiti. We can begin the healing process by serving people here in Centralia. All God’s children need our attention, when we put others first, we are the ones that receive the greatest inward reward.
• God is good all the time. I’m the midst of any tragedy we will begin to see God’s grace and mercy shine. We will witness the Light of Christ shine through in the darkness wither it is in Haiti or Centralia. We will see God’s people react with compassion, zeal, and extraordinary feats.
  We continue to pray and worship the God of mercy, grace, and love through all time both good and bad. It is now; we praise God for all those who can’t find their voice at this time.
  Together with the power of a sovereign God turn a tragedy into everlasting hope.
  See ya in church but until then take care of yourself and one another.
  Shalom,
  Tommy

A Man and His Stretchy Shorts

I am not sure if you are like me but I have a favorite pair of shorts I wear all the time. At then end of the day, I can not wait to get home and put on my stretchy shorts. As soon as I put on these shorts I relax, unwind, and feel at home. They are riddled with holes, paint splatters, and extremely faded. They share the scars of many life events. To most people my stretchy shorts are hideous looking, so I stopped wearing them in public. Kellie has thrown them out several times but I fish them out of the trash and put them on again. They are comfortable, they help me relax, yeah, they may be just warn out fabric, but me and my stretchy shorts have been through a lot together. We both have weathered the storms of life together. We are like two old friends. We use to jog, workout, and play basketball together but as we both aged we now just eat, watch basketball games, and take naps. After eating a huge meal, I and my stretchy shorts find relief in one another. Yes, I have many other pairs of shorts, but nothing can bring me comfort like that one special pair. I just can not seem to part with them. They are apart of me and I am apart of them, I just can’t see myself parting with them.
Maybe you have a special pair of clothing that brings you comfort and relief. Maybe a favorite warm sweat shirt, T-Shirt, dress, blanket, that the moment you put it on brings you relief from the stress of the world. It is more about the peace it brings that the actual fabric. Sometimes we may find our spiritual life like that as well. When we find something that fits right, bring peace, helps us connect with Christ; we want to hold on to it forever. Just the mere routine of church can bring about this same sensation as well. We find an overwhelming sense to keep things just the way they are, not matter if they are tattered and worn out. Jesus calls us to experience something new. At a wedding in Canaan, when the host was about to be embarrassed, the reception ruined, Jesus brought about new wine. He turned ordinary water into a wine much better tasting, much richer, fuller, than what was served before. He does not ask us to throw out what connects us to Him, just experience something new that will enhance what we have already experienced. He has the power to turn the ordinary water into the richest of fine wine. Christ has what we need if we want an enriched relationship with God and one another. Christ is not saying throw out your stretchy shorts, just add a new shirt to go along with what you already have. Take the traditions of the past, the routine of the now and jump into the future. If we take that approach, He will transform our ordinary into an expensive precious commodity. Then we will experience comfort and peace like never before.
See ya in church but until then take care of yourself and one another.
Shalom,
Tommy

What If I fail...

Fear of failure can cause each of us to be frozen in time. Each of us carry in our vivid memory of times, situation, and circumstances when we have failed at something, messed things up, or really goofed. Successes, accomplishments, or goals completed can not erase those mistakes we have made. Doesn’t really matter our intentions, we have all at sometime in our lives failed. Our failure or fear of failure can keep us from trying again or acting. The damage of a bad relationship can hinder us from loving or trusting another person. Negative words about a dish we have cooked and created can cause us to never make it again. Pain from an injury can cause us to never play the sport again, even if we are physically able. The concept is universal as it makes no difference if we are talking about our relationships, finances, business decisions, health, hobbies, or vocation; we have all failed at least once. We have all sinned and we all keep track of those failures and sins.
So how does God through Jesus Christ set us free of our failures? Since we've compiled this long and sorry record as sinners and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. He gave us a pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ. God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin. Having faith in him sets us in the clear. God decided on this course of action in full view of the public—to set the world in the clear with himself through the sacrifice of Jesus, finally taking care of the sins he had so patiently endured. This is not only clear, but it's now—this is current history! God sets things right. He also makes it possible for us to live in his rightness.

“The What Ifs?”

When we are full of fear, a million questions pop up, what if this happens, what if that happens, what is going to happen to me when I don’t have much hope for the future. Our society in which we live is ever changing. The hope for the future seems to be dwindling each and every day with each news report. Security is an uncommon commodity in the times in which we exist. It is in times like these we desperately need to turn to God for hope.
This Sunday we will begin a new sermon series on the “What If’s.” We will explore the “What if’s” of our: future, commitment, failure, God, and death. We will seek God’s guidance as we explore what if the future is not what we intended. We will seek a deeper understanding of what if I fail. We will discover spiritual direction as we ask what if I can not commit. We will worship God and search for reasoning if we ask: what if I fear God. As we worship as a faith community we will end our series address the fear in what if I die.
A sermon series provides a tremendous opportunity for us to turn to God in times of fear. It provides for us an avenue for our faith to become relevant in the life we live each and every day. This series opens an avenue to invite someone to share in this awesome experience. Even if you know they attend another congregation regularly, invite them to join you for one service or the entire series. It will provide healing for them if you know they are struggling on one of the “what if’s” we are addressing. They can then return to their home congregation with a clear sense of renewed hope. This series gives an occasion for God to restore hope into their lives. Give someone you know a call and invite them to join us as together, in the presences of God, as we explore the “what if’s” in our lives. Call, drop a note, or email to friends, family, neighbors and strangers as we tackle “the what if’s”.

Until we meet again, take care of yourself and one another..

Shalom,

Tommy

Please Be Informed

We as Amercian all agree that something needs to be done for better Health Care for all God's children. Please read so you can be fully informed. This is a letter written by Dr. Stephen Fraser to Senator Bayh. If you would like to send it on to your Congressman, he says to feel free to copy it and send it around to our friends and to senators and representatives."


July 23, 2009

Senator Bayh,

As a practicing physician I have major concerns with the healthcare bill before Congress. I actually have read the bill and am shocked by the brazenness of the government's proposed involvement in the patient physician relationship. The very idea that the government will dictate and ration patient care is dangerous and certainly not helpful in designing a healthcare system that works for all.. Every physician I work with agrees that we need to fix our healthcare system, but the proposed bills currently making their way through congress will be a disaster if passed.

I ask you respectfully and as a patriotic American to look at the following troubling lines that I have read in the bill. You cannot possibly believe that these proposals are in the best interests of the country and our fellow citizens.

Page 22 of the HC Bill: Mandates that the Govt will audit books of all employers that self insure!!

Page 30 Sec 123 of HC bill - THERE WILL BE A GOVT COMMITTEE that decides what treatments/benefits you get.

Page 29 lines 4-16 in the HC bill: YOUR HEALTH CARE IS RATIONED!!!

Page 42 of HC Bill: The Health Choices Commissioner will choose your HC Benefits for you. You have no choice!

Page 50 Section 152 in HC bill: HC will be provided to ALL non US citizens, illegal or otherwise

Page 58 HC Bill: Govt will have real-time access to individuals finances & a National ID Healthcard will be issued!

Page 59 HC Bill lines 21-24: Govt will have direct access to you ur banks accounts for elective funds transfer.

Page 65 Sec 164: is a payoff subsidized plan for retirees and their families in Unions & community organizations: (ACORN).

Page 84 Sec 203 HC bill: Govt mandates ALL benefit packages for private HC plans in the Exchange.

Page 85 Line 7 HC Bill: Specifications for of Benefit Levels for Plans = The Govt will ration your Healthcare!

Page 91 Lines 4-7 HC Bill: Govt mandates linguistic appropriate services. Example - Translation: illegal aliens.

Page 95 HC Bill Lines 8-18: The Govt will use groups i.e., ACORN & Americorps to sign up individuals for Govt HC plan.

Page 85 Line 7 HC Bill: Specifications of Benefit Levels for Plans. AARP members - your Health care WILL be rationed.

Page 102 Lines 12-18 HC Bill: Medicaid Eligible Individuals will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid. No choice.

Page 124 lines 24-25 HC: No company can sue GOVT on price fixing. No "judicial review" against Govt Monopoly.

Page 127 Lines 1-16 HC Bill: Doctors/ American Medical Association - The Govt will tell YOU what you can make! (salary)

Page 145 Line 15-17: An Employer MUST auto enroll employees into public option plan. NO CHOICE!

Page 126 Lines 22-25: Employers MUST pay for HC for part time employees AND their families.

Page 149 Lines 16-24: ANY Employer with payroll 401k & above who does not provide public option pays 8% tax on all payroll.

Page 150 Lines 9-13: Business's with payroll btw 251k & 401k who doesn't provide public option pays 2-6% tax on all payroll.

Page 167 Lines 18-23: ANY individual who doesn't have acceptable HC according to Govt will be taxed 2.5% of income.

Page 170 Lines 1-3 HC Bill: Any NONRESIDENT Alien is exempt from individual taxes. (Americans will pay)

Page 195 HC Bill: Officers & employees of HC Admin (GOVT) will have access to ALL Americans finances /personal records.

Page 203 Line 14-15 HC: "The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax" Yes, it says that!

Page 239 Line 14-24 HC Bill: Govt will reduce physician services for Medicaid Seniors, low income and poor are affected.

Page 241 Line 6-8 HC Bill: Doctors, doesn't matter what specialty you have, you'll all be paid the same!

Page 253 Line 10-18: Govt sets value of Doctor's time, proffession, judgment etc. Literally value of humans.

Page 265 Sec 1131: Govt mandates & controls productivity for private HC industries.

Page 268 Sec 1141: Federal Govt regulates rental & purchase of power driven wheelchairs.

Page 272 SEC. 1145: TREATMENT OF CERTAIN CANCER HOSPITALS - Cancer patients - welcome to rationing!

Page 280 Sec 1151: The Govt will penalize hospitals for whatever Govt deems preventable re-admissions.

Page 298 Lines 9-11: Doctors, treat a patient during initial admission that results in a re-admission -Govt will penalize you.

Page 317 L 13-20: PROHIBITION on ownership/investment. Govt tells Doctors what/how much they can own!

Page 317-318 lines 21-25, 1-3: PROHIBITION on expansion- Govt is mandating hospitals cannot expand.

Page 321 2-13: Hospitals have opportunity to apply for exception BUT community input is required. Can u say ACORN?!!

Page 335 L 16-25 Pg 336-339: Govt mandates establishment of outcome based measures. HC the way they want. Rationing.

Page 341 Lines 3-9: Govt has authority to disqualify Medicare Advance Plans, HMOs, etc. Forcing people into Govt plan.

Page 354 Sec 1177: Govt will RESTRICT enrollment of Special needs people! Unbelievable!

Page 379 Sec 1191: Govt creates more bureaucracy - Tele-health Advisory Comittee. Can you say HC by phone?

Page 425 Lines 4-12: Govt mandates Advance Care Planning Consult. Think Senior Citizens end of life patients.

Page 425 Lines 17-19: Govt will instruct & consult regarding living wills, durable powers of attorney. Mandatory!

Page 425 Lines 22-25, 426 Lines 1-3: Govt provides approved list of end of life resources, guiding you in death. (assisted suicide)

Page 427 Lines 15-24: Govt mandates program for orders for end of life. The Govt has a say in how your life ends.

Page 429 Lines 1-9: An "advanced care planning consultant" will be used frequently as patients health deteriorates.

Page 429 Lines 10-12: "advanced care consultation" may include an ORDER for end of life plans. AN ORDER from GOVT!

Page 429 Lines 13-25: The govt will specify which Doctors can write an end of life order.

Page 430 Lines 11-15: The Govt will decide what level of treatment you will have at end of life!

Page 469: Community Based Home Medical Services = Non profit organizations. Hello, ACORN Medical Services here!!?

Page 472 Lines 14-17: PAYMENT TO COMMUNITY-BASED ORIGINATIONS. 1 monthly payment 2 a community-based organization. Like ACORN?

Page 489 Sec 1308: The Govt will cover Marriage & Family therapy. This means they will insert Govt into your marriage.

Page 494-498: Govt will cover Mental Health Services including defining, creating, and rationing those services.


Senator, I guarantee that I personally will do everything possible to inform patients and my fellow physicians about the dangers of the proposed bills you and your colleagues are debating.

Furthermore, If you vote for a bill that enforces socialized medicine on the country and destroys the doctor/patient relationship, I will do everything in my power to make sure you lose your job in the next election.

Respectfully,

Stephen E Fraser MD