Devotional 10-22-15

It only takes a spark to get a fire going. I learned this as a 4H kid sitting around a camp fire at 4H camp. I sang the words but learned later what they meant. With a little spark I learned I could do things to help others. I volunteer at Hospice of Huntington and meet all kinds of people .I make no judgments and just listen as I sit with their loved ones so they can have some time out. I help to give them prayer shawls as a touchable item that let them know they are loved. I guess the thing I try to do most is greet new people when they come to JM. I try to make them feel welcome and listen to them as I ask them about why they chose to be with us. The spark is there let us all try to get the fire going.

Jean Ramsey

Devotional 3-26-15

I know we are a week behind with Lent due to weather and church issues. I do not think it makes that much difference, really. I was thinking of how I would do Lent this year and decided I should share my idea. Here goes. Do not give up anything you really do not want to. Instead do a positive thing. Well, of course I have ideas for this. Say only positive things about our church and refuse to converse with those that have negative views. Sit in a different pew preferably beside someone that may be a visitor. Sing all the verses to all songs even though they may be long. Offer to take the altar flowers to someone (even though Scott Ramsey does this every Sunday). Come to Young at Heart in March. Offer to be a greeter  and usher (Jim Daniels would be delighted to have you help). Join the choir even if you cannot sing; your voice will be heard and appreciated by Bruce Rous.  Ask somebody to come with you to church one Sunday and throw in a free lunch if they come. Say hey to your neighbor if you do not already. Since the weather is bad take your neighbors' newspaper closer to their houses so they do not have to trudge in the snow to get it. Call a member of our church and do what I call a body check just to see if they are ok.  Pray for those that are hurting and rejoice with those are healing. I am sure if you put your mind to it you can come up with even more good things to do during our season of Lent. I do not think that our Lord will be unhappy. He probably liked bread and wine too.

 

Now here is the rest of the challenge. Write down on strips of paper what you chose to do for a positive Lent or  even what you choose to give up for Lent and put them in the offering plate on Easter Sunday.

Jean Ramsey

Devotional 1-2-15

The story has been told again. The beautiful music has been sung, the cards have been sent, the gifts have been  opened. Like most of us, the family have left and now we can get our lives back to normal. Did we really hear the story? Did we just do what we had to do  to get through Christmas one more time and dread putting away the decorations? We most likely sighed with the relief and said thank God that is over.

We have been inundated since before Halloween and Thanksgiving with the reminder that Christmas is only so many days away. We have been plagued with appeals for money to help feed and give gifts to the less fortunate constantly. We then have to sit back and dread the awaiting of the credit card bills that will arrive in January. Christmas is over. Now what?

I would ask that we would carry the joy of song, that gift that was given, and that feeling of family together be embedded in your heart and minds. God's most wonderful gift and example for us to live by was born at Christmas. Carry it in our hearts all year long. Thank you for those that have given  to the less fortunate at Christmas.{They are only hungry at Christmas not the rest of the year}.Thank you for those that came to church to hear the Christmas music, {The choir sings all year long praising our Lord}.Thank you to those who took gift bags to the shut ins,{they are lonely all the time}.

Christ was born to show us how to live and love not only at Christmas but always. He taught us only two things that matter really, { I learned this from Scott Ramsey}. Love me and love your neighbor. Makes sense to me now that Christmas over.

Jean Ramsey

Devotional 11-7-14

Almost 14 years ago a had by-pass surgery. After recuperating I knew that I had been given a real gift. Not only by the surgeon, but by God. Before my surgery I just laid around the house watching TV and not really having a purpose in life other than what  I  was doing right then. I had been active at JM all my life but felt I was no longer needed that much and was no longer need to make a difference. I did not think that I had any thing to offer my church that would make a difference.

 Wow, was I wrong in my thinking. I went back to ringing bells, I still cook for YAH.  A long with Melanie Herr we started the Prayer Shawl Ministry for Hospice that now has 96 members in Huntington. Along with my sweet Scott we plant the gardens at JM. I love and support our MU Scholarship students. I like to make chicken soup for someone who is sick and Scott will deliver  it to them. I am at my best when I can make someone smile.

 I guess after hearing Tom Craig speak today about making a new church for JM. I rejoice and know it can happen as through God he helped me make a new Jean Ramsey.

Devotional 7-11-14

If by chance I should actually meet Jesus when I was planting flowers at Johnson Memorial UMC, what would I do or say? Never really thought about that happening, but if it happened what would I do? I guess I would say, "Hey I am working to make JM look really good on the outside so that people will like our church where we meet to show how much we love you. I guess I would show him around the church outside and show him the Memory Garden and the playground for the kids. I would invite him inside to our sanctuary and show him where I sit.  I would tell him that I love to sit and point out the stained glass windows. I would take him to our Sunday School rooms and let him meet the kids in our preschool, and Miss Anita and her staff. I would then show him the Fellowship Hall and the kitchen where we feed not only our members but the hungry at Common Grounds. I would tell him about the people that make that happen. I would have him say hey to Ron and Hilda who take care of our church, too.  I would have him say hello to Bruce Rous who leads us all in beautiful music every Sunday. I would then have him  take the elevator to the fourth floor to meet the staff there that serve us so well. I guess Amy, Mace, Linda, Joe, and Jack will be surprised when he meets them. I think he would be pleased at what he sees.

So many times I have taken others to see our great church just the same way as I would take Jesus. Maybe he was there beside me, and I did not know it.

Jean Ramsey

Devotional 5-30-14

Harvesting

As a child in the 40's I grew up with my Dad gardening and harvesting. In the spring he would plant lettuce and onions and we would have wilted lettuce made with bacon grease from the pork we had. We had strawberries and gooseberries too. Later he would plant green beans, corn, carrots, tomatoes, radishes, beets and potatoes, white ones and sweet ones too. He even grew peanuts too that he roasted in the oven for us. My Mom would harvest the things that he grew and can them for us to live on in the winter.

In the fall my Dad would start to save seeds for the next spring. He would gather them and dry them and make sure they would be good seed for the next years planting. Did all the seed produce for the next year? Of course not. But my Dad knew that, and he allowed for the difference  - knowing that not all seed are alike and therefore you make allowance for the difference.

Is that not what God does with us? He made us to grow and he wants us to harvest and allow for the seed that may not grow the way we want it to. My Dad knew that not all seed are the same. Therefore you accept the fact and know that your harvest will be the same.

Jean Ramsey

Devotional 8-23-13

I was amazed by the number of our members that came to the church picnic. In faith they came despite the rain. I bought bubble bottles thinking it would be fun for the kids. Well, Cordie Jo loved them. She danced in the rain and showed us what being young is all about.  Pastor Joe talked to me about the good fish that fisherman catch and the bad fish that are put back in the water.  Is it better to be a good fish or a bad fish that is set free? Awe. Think about the good fish will be kept for us to eat and the bad fish will be put back in the water. We will not know what happens to those fish as we know that they were not good enough for us to keep.

How do we judge a good fish from a bad fish?  We look at people for what they do or maybe how they are dressed, or how much money they have.  Is it better to be a good fish or a bad fish?

I also have to share a story about the fly that landed in my bottled water.  As I do not drink soda if they are not sugar free and decaffeinated, I had a bottle of water at the picnic. Safe, right? Well, as I was taking a sip I noticed a fly had made its way into my bottled water just as I drank from it. I could not shoo it away, and being the person that I am I decided to drown it in that bottle. Jennifer Hill and Stephanie Malcom were sitting with me.  I did everything I could to kill that fly in my bottle, and no matter what I did that fly came up swimming the back stroke.  After several tries and even pouring some Diet Pepsi on it still survived.  I finally poured it out in a bowl and helped it out of the liquids it had been entrapped in. We watched as the fly patiently dried its wings and slowly overcame the situation it had gotten itself into. We watched as it eventually flew away despite the troubles it had gotten into.

Moral: Even though you think you are a good fish you are no better than a bad fish.  Most of us are like the fly in my water bottle, and we struggle, and then if we are lucky we are set free by our faith of someone who cares for us either earthly or by our faith in our religious beliefs.

A lesson I learned today.

Jean Ramsey

Devotional 1-26-13

Sunday, a little late in the service, a young man came into our service. I noticed his back pack and his appearance. I knew that he was a "street person." He sat in the back. When we were taking up the collection of the money, I saw Lee Oxley pass the plate to him. The young man reached into his right pocket and pulled out a few coins and put them in Lee's offering plate. Lee patted him on the back to thank him for his meager offering. That touched my heart. On the way back from presenting our church’s offering, I stopped and told him my name and asked his. I shook his hand and noticed that his finger tips were black, probably from frost bite. I invited him to stay for lunch and told him to find me. I also noticed that Ann Ratcliff spoke to him several times, I assume to help him with our worship service.

After church, to my surprise, he was there for lunch. I immediately invited him to sit with me to eat. As luck would have it, Chuck Gruber sat near him too. I just started talking to him by telling him that I was glad he was with us and between Chuck and me, we gently got to know him a little bit.

He lived in Michigan and was headed to Florida to live with a friend (the friend died). He stated that he could not stay at the City Mission but was able to eat there. We talked about his family. He has a sister that he talks to and a grandmother that he was not able to see at Christmas (he bowed his head at this as he said he knew she may not see another Christmas). He probably could not stay at the Mission due to the alcohol that I smelled on his breath. He finally told me that he has been living in his tent on the river bank. He comes to Common Grounds. I invited him to come back next Sunday as we will have soup for him to eat.

Did he smell good? Not. He smelled of wood smoke from the river where he lives in a tent and a hint of alcohol. Did I go to church expecting to meet him? Not. Have I thought of him ever since I met him? Everyday.

His key statement to me was when I talked to him about his choices in his life. Simply he said it is freedom. It’s not up to me to make judgments but acknowledge having met him. Praying for him and others as it is very cold.

Jean Ramsey

Devotional 11-16-12

This past June three cats were dumped off on my street. The first one that I met was a beautiful calico cat. She endeared me and my neighbor who had just lost her husband in May. My neighbor started feeding her and to my delight took her into her home. That was a total surprise as she was definetly not a cat person. Right down to, "I am allergic to cats and I must wash my hands if I touch one." We took the cat to my vet and found out that she had been spayed. She is now living the good life in my neighbor's home. To me that cat was divine intervention for my neighbor. She needed that cat to come home to and take care of after the loss of her husband.

Well, that leaves the other two cats that were dropped off. They were two black and white tuxedo cats. They started hanging around between my house and my neighbors {obviously missing one of their siblings}.

Well,what and I supposed to do? I have two older dogs and an even older cat. I have vowed that my" tubes are tied " for any more animals in my life or in my home. I also realized that those cats were starving. I, being a softy, started to feed them. Of course, they showed up morning and night for food. One was really dear to me as she was so sweet and reminded me of the sweet cat that I had lost recently at thirteen years due to diabetes. The only problem was that as a result of feeding them and our living near the woods raccoons appeared, and I feared for the cats' safety. I was scared for them but try as I might I could not accept them into my home.

I finally had to accept the fact that I could do the best I could by feeding and loving them as best I could from a distance. I realized that they could survive with my providing for them -- just by feeding them out my back door. I would try to find homes for them, but who wants a cat? Nobody.

I just think that this brings to mind how we treat the people that we meet that are in need. I will feed them from a distance but will not get too close to them because we already have our "tubes tied" and have no more room in our heart for those that need help . They may have their raccoons that show up and make them run and are also scared for their lives.. We think we are doing enough if we feed them physically but those two cats are still scared to death living outside in the elements. They trust me a little but run at the slightest noise. Trust ,when you are hungry, is not gained by being feed physically. It is only gained by being shown love right where you are. A person in need can do their best, but if the raccoons show up then you have to run. I just have to hope the raccoons do not overcome my trying to take care of them from a distance. Who will win? I do not know. It will be cold this winter. The sad part is , will I worry more about those two cats or the unwanted humans that will be out there in the cold too? Most likely both, but sad to say, it will be from a distance. Guess I have learned a good lesson from those cats. Anybody want a cat?

Jean Ramsey

Devotional 5-11-12

I have been thinking about Mark Conner's devotion about being tricked. (Read it here.) I think I am a good person. I do things everyday to try and make a difference to others. Yet I know I fall short as I am only hunan. I had never thought about Jesus being tricked as he walked through those palms and recieved those joyous shouts on Palm Sunday. He knew what was lying ahead for Him. Did the people around him? I guess not. They thought that He was on his journey to be glorified. Do I not think that being a good person and doing good things and having people think that I am great will glorify me? Honestly, I do, but is only when I hear about the difference that I have made as a result of my deeds that I feel good about what I have done. I like to call it a double blessing. If I have made a difference in some way and heard how it has made a difference, I expierence a double blessing. The goodness I have done comes back to me and that is when I really feel good about -- what I have done.It is contagious. The more I do, the better I feel and the better I feel, the more I want to do good things.

Jesus walking on those palms set the example for me to experince the double blessings everyday in my life. Granted He had to die for us to figure this out. He allows us to walk on palms everyday and to glorify ourselves through his example. The good feeling is just waiting for you if you are willing to walk on the palms with Him.

Jean Ramsey

Devotional 4-13-12

Siamese Fighting Fish

Several months ago I went to Wal Mart to get dog treats for our spoiled dogs. While I was there I passed by the fish area and saw the Siamese fighting fish. I had had one a long time ago and knew they were aggressive fish that could not tolerate being with other fish especially their own kind. There was one fish that I saw that day that was in a plastic cup with very little water. He was lying on his side just trying to get enough water to live. I felt sorry for him so I bought him home with the food to take care of him. I put him in a tall container and he began to thrive. I went online to learn about Siamese fighting fish and learned their behavior. They are really mean. They will kill each other for no reason at all as that is their nature. They really do not require all that much care, just some water and some food, but they do like a safe place to hide from harm. I did learn that the male fish make a bubble nest and take care of the eggs from the female and stay with those eggs until they are hatched. I did not provide a safe place for my fish to hide, and he was always flitting around in his container. He was always hungry and searching for safety.

It finally occurred to me that he needed a safe place to be. I put a conch shell in his container that was just the right size for him to hide and seek safety. It took him awhile to learn that the conch shell was there for him to be safe. He finally figured it out. He will now come out to eat occasionally and flits only so often, he then immediately returns to the safety of his conch shell.

Wow, I learned a lot from this fish (I named him Napoleon because he is red and Napoleon always had on a red jacket in his pictures and was a mean fighter, too.). What I learned is that we all need the basic things (food and water), but we still have to have a safe place to really be content in our lives. We may be like that fish and fighting for life with just enough water to get by the best we can, but we need to know that Jesus is our conch shell. Once we realize this, we too can feel safe in His haven that he provided for us. He gave it to us on the cross. We need to thank him everyday for his great gift to us.

Jean Ramsey

Devotional 7-1-11

In the Voice there was an article about the spring storms. Having just returned from Oklahoma to visit our daughter Julie and her family. I would like to share about our trip that took us on inter-state 44 thru a very small portion of Joplin Missouri that was devastated with a very deadly tornado. On the way out we did not know if we would see anything about the loss that went on there. As we were driving thru Joplin we began to see about a two block space on inter-state 44. As I said it was only a very minimal portion of what went on there. To the right we saw downed trees,debris that was unbelievable [siding from houses, clothing, paper , and a vast array of things hanging out of blown down trees]. To the left there were homes very much like our own. I am talking about all brick houses. They were totally blown in from the front . Trees were totally uprooted and huge road signs were broken like tinker toys. Traveling a little further up the inter-state we saw a flag pole that had survived the winds. There was a huge American flag flying at half mast. Her bottom stripe had been partially torn off and she was really frayed but she was proudly there showing all that they she had survived that they would indeed survive.

On the way back home we traveled back across that same area. We saw the power company restoring power. Men were out with their chainsaws cutting apart the downed trees, tarps were covering roofs, and people were cleaning up the debris. Perhaps that will be their firewood for next winter. Volunteers were notified of the exit to take to sign up to help. And the large frayed flag was still flying at half mast. Nature may have it's way, but human nature will always survive thru faith and our willingness to help each other in times of trouble. It was truely a humbling exprience. Please keep the people of Joplin in your prayers.
 
Jean Ramsey