Home Depot 2008 Christmas Party. The best party we have had. Merry Christmas to all.

Have a nice day.

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My vacation was spent with my mother in Harvey, La. where I spent getting ready for the church fair. I began helping my brother Michael and cousin Vincent cooking 40 gallons on sauce to be served over pasta at the fair. Attending mass daily with my mother and eating breakfast at “Coffee Ann’s” we then began baking Italian cooking. Some 1200 cookies were baked between Tuesday – Friday. These too were donated to the fair as this is a tradition that my mother has done for as long as I can remember.

The photo project then was my opportunity to save these memories of the fair and the activities for years to come. I saw friends that I have not seen for many years which made this a very valuable week.

I thank the Lord for this time with my mom that will be remembered as a very special time that I will cherish for many years to come.

I had a great week and needed to come back to Dallas to rest from my vacation.

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Bishop Farrell comes to Prince Of Peace to speak to the community answering questions about the Diocese Of Dallas.

God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. (I John 4:16 NRSV Bible)

As the officer from the Council looked around, a fascinating scene played before her. The television crew was busy going about its work of setting up generators, stringing cables, mounting cameras to stands, placing microphones. Hushed and standing back against the walls, were the monks. They seemed like guests from another century.

Something extraordinary happened as the scene played on. The technicians began to test the lights. The whole dark chapel flamed to light. Some of the monks looked up, nudged their brothers. Soon they were all pointing upward. The monks then vanished. Presently they scurried back bringing the entire community to see what they had seen.

On the ceiling was a painting. A member of their order, in a forgotten century long ago, had erected a scaffold. High there above the small sanctuary he had quietly painted by candlelight an unseen masterpiece meant for the eyes of God only. The lights of the television cameras had brought this ancient masterpiece into full view.

Christ did that to our knowledge of God. Who can know the mind of God? The wisest of minds among us have suggested that if we could capture God in our tiny brains, He could not be God. How then shall we know Him? Only one way. God has revealed Himself in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. What is God like? He is like Jesus. Loving, compassionate, merciful, forgiving. What an example to follow!

Dear God, thank you for revealing your love and forgiveness in Jesus Christ. Help me to live by his example. Amen.

Ron Newhouse

They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching–with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” (Mark 1:27 NRSV Bible)

Jesus inspired action and change took place. We can change too, if we allow Jesus’ example, authority, and teaching to inspire us to live rightly. When I took Jesus seriously for the first time in my life, when I was a freshman in high school, I became a changed person. I don’t like to talk about my junior high school years, but to say the least, if there was something I could do wrong and possibly get away with it, I did it. But when a young beautiful girl named Carolyn Jennings make Christ real to me, and I asked Christ to live in me and help me, I became a changed person. And that process of being formed into Christ’s image is still at work in me today.

How is Christ changing you?

Loving God, please continue to change me into the image of your son. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Ron Newhouse

Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. (Matthew 18:19 NRSV Bible)

Remembering the source of our power and strength is also important to successful living. Unions have long recognized the importance of working together, so that they can get better working conditions and better wages. We, the church, are also more successful when we work together.

What can I do to strengthen the success of Christ’s church?

Dear Jesus, thank you for your church that has helped me grow in my relationship with you. Help me to do all I can to strengthen the church’s witness. In Jesus Name, Amen

Ron Newhouse

So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9 NRSV Bible)

One frog said to the other one, “Those flies up there sure look good for lunch. I am going to jump up and grab a hold of the edge of the bucket and have a feast.” So that frog jumped up and misses the edge of the bucket and goes curr-plunk right into the milk. Now, it had been a long time since his tadpole days, so he couldn’t swim every well. So he starts yelling for help. The other frog thinking that she was smarter than her friend also jumps up to grab a hold of the edge of the milk bucket. But, she also goes curr-plunk right into the milk bucket.

Both of the frogs are now paddling in the milk for their life. The first frog gets tired and sinks to the bottom of the milk bucket and drowns. The second frog says a pray and keeps on paddling.

She paddles all day and night. Then the next morning, as the sun began to shine, you could see that little frog sitting on a pallet of butter that she had churned all night.

We can learn an some important lessons from this story. First, we should never give up. The challenges of life serve to remind us of our need for Christ. Secondly, with God’s help through Jesus Christ, we can be better people, we can better realize our goals, and we can be closer to God.

Lord Jesus, help me to never give up on you or myself. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Ron Newhouse

As you go, proclaim the good news, “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” (Matthew 10:7 NRSV Bible)

The lion tried to warn the zebra on the kickoff not to kick it to the rhinoceros. But the zebra ignored the warning. The rhino caught the ball and there he was racing for the touchdown. Suddenly, out of nowhere, he was brought down with a vicious tackle. When the animals unpiled, it was discovered that a centipede had made the tackle.

“That was fantastic!” congratulated the lion. “But where were you on the opening kick-off?”

The centipede replied, “I was still putting on my shoes.”

Are we still putting on our shoes to serve God? God needs each one of us to be in the game of life sharing the good news!

Dear God, thank you for the good news you have sent to me today. Now, help me to share it! In Jesus Name, Amen.

Ron Newhouse

Jesus said, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matthew 8:34 NRSV)

Jesus had done much to teach his disciples. Now it was time to act. Jesus said, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” I wonder if it’s even possible to speak about self-denial. After all, we live in a society were ME comes first. We say things like, “I’ve got to find myself. I’ve got to do my own thing. I will buy only the finest, because after all, ‘I’m worth it.’”

Such an attitude was epitomized for many people by Margaret Trudeau, the wife of the former Prime Minister of Canada. You may remember her. At age 28, after marrying the Prime Minister of Canada and giving birth to three beautiful children, she announced simply that she was not herself. She left her husband and her children behind in order to be herself. We are the ME generation. We want what we want and we want it now.

How strange these words of Jesus seem in this context. “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves.” Deny yourself. How out of place those words may seem, but that is exactly what our savior is calling us to do. NRSV Bible)

Ron Newhouse