Melting Point

For all you scientists enjoy this - 

For everyone else - we can simplify the formula above for calculating the melting point of a substance and state that the melting point is that state or condition at which a solid substance becomes liquid - in general terms. If you try to discuss  this with a physicist or mathematician - they will be able to prove you wrong - as it really is not that straightforward or simple. At the moment - those of us in the Midwest are asking ourselves - when is all this - snow - ice - going to melt and go away.  It is what it is - it will melt - when it melts. Snow and ice are easy to cope with - emotions - much more difficult. Quite often we are forced to cope with people who insist on disappointing - proclaiming lies in place of truth - bending and shaping words to tickle ears - win over those not able to comprehend deceit. It takes time - like waiting for ice to melt - for most to reach that melting point - to finally endure enough - to proclaim - I quit - stop it - shut up! 

Jesus promised that He came into our lives that we might live our lives to the fullest. With Jesus - with God - all things are possible - not always probable. Jesus works in our hearts and minds - He sets the stage - unfortunately - all too often - others filled with their own self importance - defile the playing field - giving in to temptations - feeding their desires.  It irritates us - makes our tempers boil - bring us to a melting point. In all this we have to know that the devil has many followers - knowingly or not - who are seduced into following the wrong path. For us - our eyes must be kept focused on Jesus and Jesus alone - not worrying how we will be fed - how we will be clothed - what we will build - what we will accomplish - placing our total trust in God and His plan for us. Only by doing this may our souls be at rest - our melting point kept in control - our lives fulfilled. 

Deacon Dale 

Snowbirds

According to Wikipedia - A snowbird is someone from the U.S. Northeast - U.S. Midwest - Pacific Northwest - Canada who spends a large portion of winter in warmer locales such as California - Arizona - Florida - Texas - the Carolinas - or elsewhere along the Sun Belt region of the southern and southwest United States - Mexico - areas of the Caribbean. These people are typically retired persons who - wishing to flee colder weather - relocate to warmer climates during the cold months. At one time only the wealthy were able to afford this - today many more are able to qualify as snowbirds due to lower costs of relocating.  Some people acquire permanent residences while others rely on  rental properties. For many years I found it hard to understand why people felt inclined to become snowbirds - until this January - when the bitter cold made it very clear to my wife and I why we might consider following this flock of snowbirds to warmer climates.  

In each of our lives we seek the basics of life - comfort being paramount.  If you are not comfortable then happiness will elude you.  Compromising your beliefs - living a life that is not compatible with your own comfort zone will lead to an unhappy existence.  To be true to ourselves means being true to your inner spirit - in contact with that spirit which unites you with God.  To deny yourself - to deny your happiness - is contrary to God's plan for your life.  Jesus came that we might have life and live it to the fullest - in comfort. If you are uncomfortable then invite Jesus into your life and He will create the warmth and happiness that you seek.

Deacon Dale 

Going For Gold

The world is currently focused on the Winter Olympic Games - the teams - the individuals - the Gold - Silver - Bronze - winners. Leaders have lost - newcomers have surpassed expectations - the world - watching - celebrating the successes. Some might criticize the attention and money invested in a series of games between nations - they miss the point that in these games - the world comes to the same table to share their training - their hopes - their aspirations. This is an opportunity in which the world - speaking the common language of sports - work together to show all of us how very similar we all are. This is the peoples of the world - people of different languages - different cultures - different beliefs - playing well together.

                                                      

God calls each of us to the same table - He brings us with different gifts - different talents - to share in the one ministry of acceptance of each other - not judging - not criticizing - building up - reaffirming - encouraging us to be the best we can be - to go for the Gold - to grab the hope that He has for all people. 

Deacon Dale

Outrageous

Outrageous is defined as shockingly bad or excessive - that is exactly how I felt the other day when I learned about the backlash in regards to the Coca-Cola Super Bowl video in which various people sang the song "America The Beautiful" in a multitude of languages.  Those on social media quickly took up the rant - speak English or leave and Tweeted the same across the nation.  How dare we - any of us - who stole "our" native tongue from - England - dare to complain about any language spoken here in these United States of America - the home of the "free and the brave" - the "lost and forlorn" - those seeking shelter and asylum from other countries?  How dare we - who trace our roots to anywhere else but America - except for a few native born Americans - complain about "foreign" languages - foods - cultures - that exist here in America?  I for one do not speak "American" - my heritage is not "American" - rather it is Italian - German - French - English- Irish - Scotch - Welsh - and with my marriage to Arlene introduced Polish as another beautiful addition to my family line. I am proud to be American - but my life lived is a mixture of all the cultures lived by both my maternal and paternal family lines.  All my relatives near and far - trace our roots to Europe - as do the majority of Americans.  Unless you are one of the few who have blood lines back to the Native American Indians - you did not get your start here either.  So America wake up - stop your complaining - immerse yourself in the multitude of cultures that this country is made up of - that and that alone - the diversity of colors - languages - foods -  cultures - is what makes America the best country in the world.  We are - the World - rolled into one nation.  Where else can you travel where every single culture - language - lifestyle is lived - except in America.  That is the one truth - so start living it - and liking it.  

God created us to experience and live life to the fullest - Jesus reminds us in John 10:10 that He came that we could do just that. Experience life - not comparing and criticizing the differences that exist - but to celebrate the uniqueness that each of us brings to this entire world - for the benefit of all mankind. Do that and the entire world will be a better place for all of us.

Deacon Dale 

Fighting the Battle

Today - this month - in the Mid-West - the battle has been with the very low temperatures. It has become all too routine to see temperatures at -4°F to -18°F  (-20°C to -28°C) - which has kept many people at home where they may stay warm.  To make matters worse - the media now reports wind chill factors that makes these temperatures seem even worse.  Funny - when I was a youngster - I do not remember wind chill factors - cold was simply cold - you bundled up in layers and went outside to play anyway. Common sense tells us that coping with extreme temperatures is about using available heating and cooling (we should be so lucky) devices to keep us comfortable. Adding or removing clothing - layering - fabric content - all work together to help us accomplish that goal. With a little common sense (it is not rocket science) all of us can be kept comfortable in any type of temperature.

Fighting other battles is similar and does not require a doctorate degree from a university to empower us to cope.  Spiritual battles are being fought daily by all of us. We are constantly under attack by evil forces in the world.  Not everyone believes that these exist - when you hear about grown men who burn a three year old child to death because the grandfather failed to pay off a debt - what more proof is needed? Unfortunately the media is filled with similar reports of humans committing similar despicable deeds against fellow humans - evil is real - Satan is real - his followers are real. For those of us who believe - we need to constantly be on guard against attacks from Satan and the forces of evil. We must put on our battle gear - arm ourselves against those attacks - strengthen ourselves through prayer - patience - understanding - compassion - forgiveness. If we can become listeners instead of shouters - if we can raise our hands in prayer and praise without holding swords of evil - if we put on Christ as our garment of protection - we will win those battles against evil. We have to trust in Jesus - our Saviour - our Leader - follow in His ways - be an active disciple - spreading hope - not fear - and we will be victorious in the greatest battle we will ever face.  With God all things are possible!

Deacon Dale 

Half Done

Half baked - half done - accomplishes nothing.  When planning any project there are certain steps that need to be followed to guarantee success - planning - designing - creating - implementing - finalizing - reviewing - correcting - reviewing - adjusting - an ongoing process. You see - most projects do not have a final end date - there is always some follow up required. One does not build a house without planning for routine maintenance. There is always maintenance - unless you are comfortable with the project becoming outdated - obsolete - unattractive - no longer meaningful. Probably one of the hardest projects to attempt is building a web site. All too many people make the mistake of thinking their job is done once the initial site goes live - wrong.  Websites are dynamic - constantly being viewed - reviewed - updated. They take on lives of their own - requiring - demanding - constant attention by their creator.

When we consider our relationship with God - we learn that He is never done with us. We are His creation - His project - His love - reflected through our lives - viewed daily through the eyes of others whom He has created. Each of us is a reflection of His love - a myriad array of light beams - love beams - shining through the darkness of this world - giving proof of Him - the author of life - the lover of the world - the creator of all. God knew that once He created us - ongoing intervention would be needed - adjustments made - improvements introduced. That is our history - the story of our relationship with Him - the one who continues to work in our lives daily. We are a creation of God - each and everyone of us - He is not finished with us - never will be - thank God.

Deacon Dale 

And This Too Shall Pass....

I am referring to the bitter cold that we have been experiencing lately - I am not a fan of bitter cold.  Normal cold - above freezing is tolerable - even temperatures in the twenties - are tolerable - below zero - that is another story.  Now that I am older - some say ancient - the cold has an unfavorable affect on me.  It makes me want to do my imitation of a bear - hibernate - stay under the covers - snuggled warmly in bed. Unfortunately - life cannot be lived under twelve inches of sheets - comforters - blankets.  Life is for the living - the living move and breathe - walk - wander - exercise - accomplish - socialize - think - dream - much more than just exist.  I do not want to simply exist - I need to live - to be active.  I need to "be" - to "do" - to "live".

As spiritual beings - our spiritual lives need to be "lived" just as much as our physical and intellectual lives do.  We cannot let our relationship with God go into hibernation - dormant - bearing no fruit.  Spiritually - we need to be pro-active as with every other part of our lives - we must be thinking - meditating - praying - following Jesus. To be healthy spiritually - one must make a conscious effort to do spiritual exercises - to keep that part of our life healthy and strong.  The best part - it can be done in any type of weather! Jesus is waiting - just like your personal trainer - waiting for you to take that first step - even in below zero temperatures!

Deacon Dale

New Gateway

New Gateway Added

As we begin to register participants for the Poland Pilgrimage we have had requests from interested people to make it easier to join the group.  To this end - we now have four gateways available to choose from:

.  Chicago - LAX - Orlando - San Diego

POLAND 2014 Pilgrimage

July 25 - Aug 3, 2014

10 Day Spiritual Travel Experience

*All Inclusive Per Person Double Occupancy

$3338* from Chicago

$3636* from Orlando

$3738* from LAX

$3788* from San Diego

Registration is available online

Register Here

Deadline to register is March 11, 2013

Late registrations open til April 11, 2014

(Penalty May Apply)

Deacon Dale 

Raindrops.....

Yes - raindrops keep falling on my head - as the song goes - unfortunately I was not outside in the rain - rather in my garage attic - that was not a good thing.  Seems that because of the extreme cold - condensation had built up on the rafters - so much that it was falling like raindrops. Hopefully - increased air flow will solve that issue - waiting to see how effective that is.  My preference - in place of raindrops - is sunlight bathing me in a warm glow - hopefully in the near future.

God is constantly raining His blessings down upon all of us - like morning dew - raindrops from heaven. Many recognize His constant outpouring of blessings - some do not.  There is no good or bad season - when it comes to God's blessings - they are there - constantly.  If you have not seen any blessings in your life - stop - look around - you will be surprised.  A smile - a laugh - a hug - a kind word - a bit of encouragement - all signs of God's blessings.  Open your eyes - ears - heart - God will not disappoint,

Deacon Dale

eeeeeeeepiphany!

BAM! That is how epiphany happens. It may develop over a period of time - or in an instant. One moment there is nothing - then - manifestation - realization - awareness - a God moment - Divine revelation.  Events happen in a progressive order - beginning - development - implementation - comprehension - appreciation.  God is the one who starts the ball rolling - we become involved - experience revelation - appreciate the experience - are changed. 

God's revelation to the world - multiple epiphany events -  to the shepherds in the field -  the visit of the Magi  - the miracle at Cana - Jesus' baptism in the Jordan by John - His resurrection - His appearance to the disciples in the upper room - to the two on the road to Emmaus - all Divine revelation.  Moments to reveal God's presence in human lives - in our lives. In today's celebration of the Epiphany - when the Magi presented gifts to the baby - we celebrate with joy - the most awesome gift of Jesus to us - His love - His compassion - His forgiveness - His acceptance - His very gift of life.  We rejoice in Jesus as GIFT - we ponder ourselves as GIFT to Jesus. He - the Saviour of the world offers each of us hope.  As Christ's modern disciples - we are called to be Christ like - to reflect His love - to offer ourselves to each other - to offer His hope.

Merry Christmas - the 12th Day of Christmas
Deacon Dale