STAR VIEW TSOC 120410 +John of Damascus+

TSOC 120410 Star View
December 4, 2010
Saturday
+John of Damascus +, theologian and hymnwriter, died around 749

Peter sings,

“Joyful day
A star to guide you, a song to remind you
The Joy will stay
Long past the turn of the page
In the story of Christmas”

On Tuesday several members of our staff participated in a group activity at the LDS Canning facility in Aurora. Under the able guidance and mentoring of canning personnel and along with some other wonderful volunteers from Metro CareRing donated apples were made into applesauce. We did it all from sorting apples to boxing up the finished product.

I am mindful of Father Dom’s words about bruised bananas in his marvelous book, Bake and Be Blessed. Those words have influenced my view of the bruised and tired apples which were in the large wooden containers. There was an abundance of apples in an orchard in the State of Washington. Somehow, someway via FEEDING AMERICA they found their way to Colorado. Some were bruised, brown and decomposing at a pretty quick rate. Some of us had the job of sorting “good apples” from “bad apples.” Having been a “bad apple” at times, I could readily recognize others. A few apples were well on their way to becoming “apple cider.” Teamwork, guidance, ingenuity and hard work brought about the result of applesauce. In other words there is always a way for the people of God to repurpose, to redeem and to recollect what others might throw away. Father Dom makes the excellent point that sometimes we treat people the way we treat fruit which has been bruised or banged up just a bit. God graciously gives us the vision to see more than what we initially look at with a first glance.

Thank goodness, thank God, that Advent is full of times to be blessed with a STAR VIEW of living. If you slice an apple in a lengthwise (the traditional way) you just cut the apple in half. However, if you cut it sideways you can see a STAR. It all depends how you look at it.

Peter sings,

“Joyful day
A star to guide you, a song to remind you
The Joy will stay
Long past the turn of the page
In the story of Christmas”
Let the STAR VIEW guide you today.

Joyfully,
Rtg

PS
A good friend of h2odevos, Nancy Bond serves in the country of Ghana. Here is a recent note from her:

Hi Pastor Ron,
We have a STAR program here at Rafiki Village Ghana! Our STAR (Story Time At Rafiki) is a favorite for our now 114 children. (Four new orphans arrived last Saturday).
Short term missionaries or our American staff read books to a cottage of children including moms. Afternoons at four pm, a cottage of boys or girls file into the dining hall, sit down quietly, and listen well to books chosen by the missionaries. Melinda (not my daughter) was here recently. Her favorite task was STAR in the afternoon.

Thanks for the H20 devos. They are an encouragement! They are a daily reminder that my favorite story is on its way…Christmas!
Yes, joyfully,
Nancy