Notes 5
Hey there! Grace and peace to you today!
If you're a reader of this blog, you know I like to share my notes. I share weekly notes with my friends at the Brown County Jail, and then every few weeks, I share those same notes on this blog. So here are some of the last notes I've shared with them and now with you.
Please lift these men and women in prayer. Pray for the jail inmates. Pray for the jail commander and his staff. Pray for our sheriff and his staff. Pray for those who serve and protect our community. Pray for this community. Pray for grace and peace.
God bless and enjoy the day!
Thom
A Note from your Chaplain
August 8, 2019
Hey there, brother. Today I’m praying for grace and peace and hope and joy and healing for you.
I’m Praying for Grace
Grace is a gift that is not earned. It’s simply given to us. It’s a genuine demonstration of deep love and connection. You and I are deeply loved and connected with God and with each other. That’s powerful.
I’m Praying for Peace
Peace is a sense of calm. It’s the feeling that somehow everything's going to be okay even if we don’t know how. You and I can find that peace and calm if we allow our minds to be quiet and listen and trust. That’s awesome and that’s assuring.
I’m Praying for Hope
Hope is an anticipation that something good is coming. Hope gives us strength and purpose. With hope You and I can move forward no matter our circumstances. That’s exciting.
I’m Praying for Joy
Joy is a sense of satisfaction and wellbeing. Joy is happiness that’s not based on our emotions, but rather it’s true joy we find because a combination of grace and peace and hope. That’s encouraging.
I’m Praying for Healing
Healing is being restored to health after an injury. Healing can be physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual. You and I can find healing when we pay attention, seek help, and know that recovery takes time. That’s comforting.
Health and Wellness
Usually when we hear these words, we think about our physical health and our physical wellness. That’s one part of it. But we also need to pay attention to our emotional, relational, and spiritual wellness.
What Does It Look Like?
What does emotional health and wellness look like? How about relational health and wellness? How about spiritual health and wellness? This about that for a minute. Then think about what injuries look like. Emotional injuries. Relationship injuries. Spiritual injuries. We don’t usually think about these, but they are real. Think about this. Returning to health after a physical injury takes time. It takes time to heal. And when we heal, it takes attention to stay healthy. That’s the same for healing and being healthy and well and strong physically, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually. It may take some work, but it’s definitely worth the effort to be healthy and well.
Take Care of Ourselves and Each Other
I pray for our health and wellness. I pray that we all can find healing where it’s needed. I pray that we will take care of ourselves and each other. We need God and we each other to be healthy and well. That’s why Jesus tells us to “love God” and “love others.” This week, let’s look for ways to take care of ourselves and to take care of each other.
I am grateful for you, and I thank God continually for your friendship.
God bless, have a great week, and see you soon!
Thom Miller
BCSD Chaplain
Mark 12:30-31, Matt 22:37-40; Gal 5:22-23; Rom 12:2; 1 Thes 5:16-18;
Eph 3:16-21; Eph 4:1-3, 32; 1 Cor 13:4-7, 13; Psalm 46:10; Rom 8:37-39;
Phil 2:3-5; Phil 4:4-7; James 1:22-25; John 3:16-17, 21; Rom 12:12;
Isaiah 40:13; Jer 29:11; Psalm 136:1
A Note from your Chaplain
August 15 2019
Hey there, brother. I pray this has been a week of grace and peace and hope. I’ve been praying for you and I am grateful for you. I am also grateful for our sheriff, jail commander, and jail officers who allow us to visit each week. I’m also grateful for our ministry team. We have a lot of people to be grateful for here at the BCJ. But I am most grateful for you.
Rock it!
As you know, I’m a big fan of Zach Williams. I love how his songs have a message of hope. He is so good at reminding us that in the midst of our despair and fear and pain, there is always hope and strength and healing. I enjoy singing and being reminded of the hope we have for the future. That we never lose our value. That we are always loved. Take time to think about this week. Zach rocks! So do you!
Talk it!
On Sunday, we made a list of scriptures that were important to us. I’m going to share that list so you can spend some more time with them this week. Please share any new scriptures you come across that you find meaningful.
List it!
Here’s the list you guys created Sunday…
James 4:10 (humble, be lifted), 1 Cor 10:13 (temptation is common, God is faithful), Psalm 1 (forsake evil and ungodliness), John 8:12 (follow the light), John 3:16 (God loved, God gave), Rom 5:8 (love demonstrated by his life), Eph 4:32 (kind, compassionate, forgiving), Col 3:20-22 (obey, don’t provoke), Rom 1:18-20 (ungodliness, suppressing truth, men are without excuse), Psalm 23 (shepherd leads, refreshes, guides, fearless, comfort, goodness loves <mic drop>), Gal 6:9 (do good, don’t give up, the harvest), 2 Tim 2:14 (not ashamed, study, truth), Rom 7:18-21 (I have sin and desire to do good), Rom 3:23 (all have sinned, all are justified freely), 1 Cor 13:13 (faith, hope, LOVE), hold thoughts captive, John 6:16-21 (Jesus walking on water, faith, “do not be afraid”), Matt 6:34 (do not worry about tomorrow), Jer 20:11 (God is with me like a mighty warrior), Is 1:15-20 (wash, be clean, seek justice, avoid rebellion), Psalm 69 (negative thoughts create pitfalls, save me Lord), Mark 12:30-31 (love God, love others), 2 Tim 4:7 (fought the good fight, kept my faith, finished the race), Rom 12:1-2 (do not conform, be transformed), Psalm 143:10 (teach me to do your will), 1 Tim 7:4-6 (“even if you can’t see it, don’t mean it’s not real”), Rom 9 (if God is with us, who can be against us), Rom 8:18 (nothing compares with the glory to come).
Enjoy it!
There’s a lot of good stuff in there. Spend some time rockin’ it and talkin’ it this week. And speaking of good stuff, this is “Residents Encounter Christ” weekend. Make the most of it. Take it in. Pray. Listen. Be open to encounter this weekend. And enjoy it. It’s good stuff.
Journal it!
If you haven’t already, this would be a good weekend to start a journal. This is a great adventure. There is hope and strength and healing in the future. And there is grace and peace just waiting for us. Take it in. Write it down. Enjoy the adventure.
God bless, have a great weekend, and see you soon!
Thom Miller
BCSD Chaplain
Mark 12:30-31, Matt 22:37-40; Gal 5:22-23; Rom 12:2; 1 Thes 5:16-18;
Eph 3:16-21; Eph 4:1-3, 32; 1 Cor 13:4-7, 13; Psalm 46:10; Rom 8:37-39;
Phil 2:3-5; Phil 4:4-7; James 1:22-25; John 3:16-17, 21; Rom 12:12;
Isaiah 40:13; Jer 29:11; Psalm 136:1
A Note from your Chaplain
August 19 2019
Hey there, brother. Grace and peace and joy to you this week!
I’m So Proud of You
What an awesome weekend! I hope you enjoyed the REC experience. I was really impressed with those who ran the program and the department staff who did such an amazing job of making this weekend work so smoothly. I also want you to know I’m very, very proud of you. I heard such good things about you from the jail staff, the volunteers, and my mom. By the way, thanks for recognizing my mom. That meant a lot to her. I hope you are grateful for all the work that went into making this weekend possible. My thanks to the sheriff, jail commander, jail officers, and volunteers and my prayers go out for them. There is much to be grateful for as we move forward from here.
Silence, “Blessed and Grateful”
I always begin every morning with silence and gratitude. Then I write, read, plan my day, and exercise. It doesn’t take too long and is a powerful way to start my day. Silence is a great way to clear our minds, and it only takes a few breaths or a few moments. This time of quieting our minds with silence is pretty powerful. I do this every morning, and actually several times a day.
This morning, I wrote in my gratitude journal about this weekend. The weekend was so great and want to remember it. We have all been blessed by this experience and with these people. We are blessed in many ways. We need to be grateful and remember these experiences. The gratitude journal is a great way to do so.
Now What?
So what are our next steps going to be? What do we need to do to follow up this awesome weekend? My thought is that we should just keep doing what we’re doing. Just keep moving forward day by day and step by step. Talk to each other. Share what you’re working on. We don’t have to do anything special. Just keep making progress. Remember that we need God and we need each other. Jeremy and I will be talking with you because we’re excited to watch your continued growth.
(This is the prayer shared to us this weekend from the REC group)
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Come Holy Spirit, join us
and strengthen us to be better Christians.
Lead us and guide us now as we share together.
Open our hearts to receive from each other and from You.
That life that helps us overcome our surroundings
and the temptations we face.
Holy Spirit, we put our trust in You
and we know we will not be disappointed.
In the name of Jesus, amen!
God bless and have a great week!
Grace and peace to you.
Thom Miller
BCSD Chaplain
Mark 12:30-31, Matt 22:37-40; Gal 5:22-23; Rom 12:2; 1 Thes 5:16-18;
Eph 3:16-21; Eph 4:1-3, 32; 1 Cor 13:4-7, 13; Psalm 46:10; Rom 8:37-39;
Phil 2:3-5; Phil 4:4-7; James 1:22-25; John 3:16-17, 21; Rom 12:12;
Isaiah 40:13; Jer 29:11; Psalm 136:1
A Note from your Chaplain
August 27, 2019
Hey there, brother. Grace and peace and joy to you today. This week, remember that you are continually in our thoughts and prayers. This ministry team and this community cares deeply for you. You are of great value. You’re making positive changes and big gains. We’re rooting for you.
Gratitude
Jeremy and I are always grateful to come visit. We are grateful to the staff who allows us in. We are grateful to you for welcoming us. Remember to be grateful this week. We have much to be grateful for if only just for this next breath and heartbeat. We are alive and we have hope. Hope for today and hope for the future. Look for all the things to be grateful for in our lives.
Patience
As we make positive changes in our lives, we see gains. As we look to the future, we have hope. But in all of this, we really need patience. I often refer to Galatians 5:22-23. This passage shows us what our day-to-day lives should look like. We should have and show love. We should have and show joy. We should have and show peace. And (wait for it) we should have and show patience. This is not an easy one, but it’s fourth on the list: love, joy, peace, patience… Patience can be tough, but hopefully our love, joy, and peace can help us get there. Or at least a little closer.
From Jeremy’s Lesson
Jeremy does such a great job teaching. I loved his lesson about the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Luke 10:25-37. Good stuff! There was some great conversation about the question in verse 29, “who is my neighbor?” In verse 36, Jesus asked who the neighbor was. The answer was “the one who had mercy.” I LOVE this! Mercy is simply showing compassion and kindness. This is what loving our neighbors looks like. Showing mercy.
More Thoughts From Jeremy
Here are some of his thoughts, notes and quotes.
“I can’t. He can. Together, we will.”
Pray and meditate on Psalm 139.
And This
Only Jesus can turn...
a mess into a message,
a test into a testimony,
a trial in a triumph,
and a victim into a victory.
Reading Homework
Jeremy ended his lesson by asking us to take some time to read Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7. I encourage you to do the same. And write your thoughts, comments, ideas, and questions. This is great discussion material.
God bless you all this week!
Enjoy the day and look for ways to be the person you know you should be.
Grace and peace to you.
Thom Miller
BCSD Chaplain
Mark 12:30-31, Matt 22:37-40; Gal 5:22-23; Luke 10:27; Rom 12:2; 1
Thes 5:16-18; Eph 3:16-21; Eph 4:1-3, 32; 1 Cor 13:4-7, 13; Psalm 46:10;
Rom 8:37-39; Phil 2:3-5; Phil 4:4-7; James 1:22-25; John 3:16-17, 21;
Rom 12:12; Isaiah 40:13; Jer 29:11; Psalm 136:1
A Note from your Chaplain
September 3, 2019
Hey there, brother. Grace and peace to you. I pray that today, you will feel the prayers of this community. I pray that you will feel the presence of God. I pray that you will see the value in your life. I pray that you will choose to live today as the precious gift that it is. I pray that you can find ways to live life just a little better. Starting today. Starting now.
Freedom and Power
This week, I’ve been thinking about freedom and power. The freedom we have to choose our thoughts. The freedom we have to choose our attitudes. The freedom we have to choose our reactions. It’s pretty easy to say that our circumstances determine our thoughts and attitudes and reactions, but I’ve seen a lot of people who “have it all” who are miserable and have lousy attitudes. And I’ve seen a lot of people of “have nothing” who are blessed and at peace and grateful. The stuff of life only has as much power over us as we allow. Obviously there are many things in life that are not in our control, but there is a lot we can control. We have great power and freedom when it comes to our thoughts and our attitudes and our reactions.
The Power of Being Connected With Each Other
Things in life that we can’t control can be frustrating and tough. It’s even tougher when we try to do life alone. I am convinced that we need each other. We need to be surrounded by people who support us and who we can support. People who lift us up and who we can lift up. When we think of freedom, we should think of our freedom to choose. We can choose to do things on our own or we can choose to be connected to others. And here’s the biggie...we can choose WHO we connect with too. I encourage you to look around and find people who will encourage you, and lift you up. And I encourage to do the same for them. Let’s choose our attitudes and actions. Let’s choose to connect. Then let’s do the same for others. This is powerful.
The Power of Being Connected With God
Life can be tough, but it’s tougher when we try to do it alone. Listen to this...I am convinced that we need God. And I am convinced that we are surrounded by a mystery of something bigger and greater than ourselves. And I am convinced that mystery is God’s Spirit. I am convinced that the way to live is modeled in the way Jesus lived his life. Completely connected to those around him and filled with love and compassion for them. When we connect with God, doing life makes more sense. Doing life is still tough and confusing and mysterious, but our connection with God and the Spirit gives us access to great power. Encouraging and lifting us. Giving us hope.
Gratitude
Be grateful today. Today is a new day. Today there is hope. Today we can learn something. We can practice something. We can grow in knowledge and strength. We can encourage and lift up. We have access to great power each day. The power of God and others. I’ve mentioned before about how we need to look for ways to be grateful. This is a powerful habit to develop. Every morning. Be grateful. This is a new day. And it is good.
Thank You
Thank you for the blessing of your life. You are an encouragement. You have much to offer. You are of great value. Thanks for welcoming our jail ministry team in to visit. Thank you for showing love and respect to each other and to the jail officers and commander. Thank you for taking time to quiet your mind and pray. Thank you for trying to live life better. I’m trying to do the same. I wish you the best today. This new, good day. God bless you this week! See you soon. Grace and peace.
Thom Miller
BCSD Chaplain
Mark 12:30-31, Matt 22:37-40; Gal 5:22-23; Luke 10:27; Rom 12:2;
1 Thes 5:16-18; Eph 3:16-21; Eph 4:1-3, 32; 1 Cor 13:4-7, 13; Psalm 46:10;
Rom 8:37-39; Phil 2:3-5; Phil 4:4-7; James 1:22-25; John 3:16-17, 21;
Isaiah 40:13; Jer 29:11; Psalm 136:1; Rom 12:10-13 (I added this one this week. MAN, I love Rom 12!)
A Note from your Chaplain
September 10, 2019
Hey there, brother. Grace and peace to you today.
Prayer and Gratitude
Every day, you are being lifted in prayer by our ministry team and this community. I encourage you to lift this community in prayer as well. I also encourage you to pray for the staff and leadership at the Brown County Jail and Sheriff’s Department. Be intentional about showing respect and gratitude. We need each day to grow in grace and peace and wisdom. We are all working to live life better. Prayer and gratitude is a great way to start. And listen to this...
“I may not be the man I want to be;
I may not be the man I ought to be;
I may not be the man I could be;
I may not be the man I truly can be;
but praise God, I’m not the man I once was.”
Martin Luther King Jr.
Regret and Peace
This quote from Dr. King is so powerful! It’s easy to fixate on our regrets for past mistakes and poor decisions, but how amazing to think of how far we’ve come and how far we can continue to go. That is a great source of peace and joy. Thank you, Jesse, for reminding me of this awesome quote.
Going All In
So how great was Pastor Jason’s message on Sunday? I’m thinking, very! I loved his message from Matthew 16:24 about being all in. You can also read this in Mark 8:34 and Luke 9:23. About the mindset of choosing to live life differently. Jesus didn’t simply say “believe in me” but he said “follow me.” We often think of surrender as giving everything up. But actually, we find that we really don’t give up anything at all. Anything that matters, that is.
Going In, Giving Up, and Gaining All
When we go all in, we give up chasing selfish pursuits. We give up on chasing shallow relationships. We give up on chasing things that don’t really matter or last. On the other hand, when we go all in, we gain deeper relationships. We gain things that last and things that ultimately matter. So really surrendering all is gaining all. And how great is that? I’m thinking, very!
Trusting and Following
We all put our trust in someone or something. Who or what are we putting our trust in? We are all following someone or something? Who or what are we following? Spend some time this week thinking about this. I’ve been thinking about this since Sunday when Jason asked these questions.
Lost and Found
Matthew 16:25 , Mark 8:35 and Luke 9:24 all follow up the “follow me” quote the same. If we try to save our lives, we lose them. And if we lose our lives, we save them. That’s crazy! But only if we’re chasing the wrong prizes. Think of it this way. If we chase shallow, selfish lives, we’ll have regrets. But if we chase deep, meaningful lives, we’ll have peace. God bless you this week as you chase the peace, and praise God, I’m not the man I once was.”
Grace and peace.
Thom Miller
BCSD Chaplain
Mark 12:30-31, Matt 22:37-40; Gal 5:22-23; Luke 10:27; Rom 12:2;
1 Thes 5:16-18; Eph 3:16-21; Eph 4:1-3, 32; 1 Cor 13:4-7, 13; Psalm 46:10;
Rom 8:37-39; Phil 2:3-5; Phil 4:4-7; James 1:22-25; John 3:16-17, 21;
Isaiah 40:13; Jer 29:11; Psalm 136:1; Rom 12:10-13
Note from your Chaplain
September 18, 2019
Hey there, brother. Grace and peace and joy to you today.
The Apostles’ Creed
So today, I was listening to Rich Mullins, one of my favorite singer/songwriters. One song that struck me was “Creed.” It’s a beautiful song that uses the text from the Apostles’ Creed. A creed is a set of commonly shared beliefs that help us guide our action. Rich puts this creed to music and adds a terrific chorus (that I’ve boldfaced). As you read this, think about these words that have been read and prayed for centuries. Then read that chorus a few times. That’s pretty powerful stuff.
I believe in God the Father
Almighty Maker of heaven and Maker of earth
And in Jesus Christ his only begotten Son, our Lord
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary
Suffered under Pontius Pilate, He was crucified and dead and buried
I believe what I believe is what makes me what I am
I did not make it, no it is making me
It is the very truth of God and not the invention of any man
I believe that He who suffered was crucified, buried, and dead
He descended into hell and on the third day, rose again
He ascended into heaven where He sits at God's mighty right hand
I believe that He's returning
To judge the quick and the dead of the sons of men
I believe in the Holy Spirit, one holy Church,
The communion of saints, the forgiveness of sin,
I believe in the resurrection, I believe in a life that never ends
Believing and Following
Remember last week when we talked about Jesus in Matthew 16:24-25, Mark 8:34-35, and Luke 9:23-24? Remember the mindset of choosing to live life differently. Jesus didn’t say “believe in me.” He said “follow me.”
Believing
It’s no surprise that our beliefs change and evolve and grow and transform over time. As we experience life and mature in life and in our faith, we develop and grow our own belief statements that we may or may not write these down. It seems that the specifics of our beliefs are as varied and as unique as we are. This is truly beautiful because it leads to real conversation and deep contemplation. And how cool that as different as we are, we are all part of a common ancient tradition of faith.
Following
Following is a little different than believing. Following is active and living and moving and growing. Following builds experiences and builds relationships. I love how Jesus focused on following. Believing is based in the mind. Following comes from the heart. I believe He is after our hearts, and this is why He said follow. Because where we find our hearts, we find our treasures. So this week, follow. And think. And pray. And be quiet. Allow God’s Spirit to work. Allow your heart (actions) and your mind (beliefs) to grow together. What do you believe? And what do you follow? This week, think about the Apostles’ Creed and your own creed.
You are being prayed for. Pray for others as well. Grace and peace.
Thom Miller
BCSD Chaplain
Mark 12:30-31, Matt 22:37-40; Gal 5:22-23; Luke 10:27; Rom 12:2;
1 Thes 5:16-18; Eph 3:16-21; Eph 4:1-3, 32; 1 Cor 13:4-7, 13; Psalm 46:10;
Rom 8:37-39; Phil 2:3-5; Phil 4:4-7; James 1:22-25; John 3:16-17, 21;
Isaiah 40:13; Jer 29:11; Psalm 136:1; Rom 12:10-13
A Note from your Chaplain
September 25, 2019
Hey there, brother. Grace and peace and joy to you today. You have been on my heart and in my prayers this week. Every week I am reminded how grateful I am that Jeremy and I are allowed in to visit with you. We love that we can share in a small part of your journey together with you and are blessed and thankful to have this opportunity.
Prayers
This week, please take time to pray for each other, to pray for the sheriff, pray for the jail commander, and to pray for officers. Take time to pray for this community. Take time to pray for your families. Take time to pray for change and transformation in our lives and in our community. Good things are in store and prayer helps point us all in the right direction.
Imperfection / Wholehearted Living
One of my favorite books is The Gifts of Imperfection by Dr. Brené Brown. The “gifts” are Courage, Compassion, and Connections. Think about this. Through our imperfections, we can gain courage. We can gain compassion. We can gain connections. These are some pretty awesome gifts. So even though we are imperfect people, we can know that we are worthy of love and belonging. This is what Dr. Brown calls “wholehearted living.”
“Wholehearted living is about engaging with our lives from a place of worthiness. It means cultivating the courage, compassion and connection to wake up in the morning and think, ‘No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough.’ It’s going to bed at night thinking, ‘Yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable and sometimes afraid, but that doesn’t change the truth that I am also brave and worthy of love and belonging.” - Brené Brown
I Am Enough
I’ve been thinking about this phrase for a while now. We always want to make huge changes right away, but we have to keep in mind that today, we can only do what we can do today. Let me say that again. Today, we can only do what we can do today. And that is enough. Meaningful change takes time. We are continually being renewed day by day. Listen to this passage from 2 Corinthians 4:16. I like “The Message” translation.
So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace.
Live Wholeheartedly
So today, we are enough. We can do what we can do. We won’t give up. God is making new life. Each new day, His grace greets us. We are imperfect, but we are worthy. So let’s be courageous. Let’s be compassionate. Let’s be connected. Let’s embrace today and live it wholeheartedly.
Have a great day and week.
God bless you, brother.
Grace and peace.
Thom Miller
BCSD Chaplain
Mark 12:30-31, Matt 22:37-40; Gal 5:22-23; Luke 10:27; Rom 12:2;
1 Thes 5:16-18; Eph 3:16-21; Eph 4:1-3, 32; 1 Cor 13:4-7, 13; Psalm 46:10;
Rom 8:37-39; Phil 2:3-5; Phil 4:4-7; James 1:22-25; John 3:16-17, 21;
Isaiah 40:13; Jer 29:11; Psalm 136:1; Rom 12:10-13
A Note from your Chaplain
October 1, 2019
Hey there, brother. Grace and peace! I’m grateful for the opportunity to share these notes with you and to share in this life journey with you. We are all on a path of transformation and restoration. I’ve said it before and I mean it. We’re all just a bunch of guys trying to figure out life. How cool that we get to do that together!
The Transformation
My dad was a mechanic, so my first “new” vehicle was a fixer-upper. It was a rusty old Chevy truck with no engine that had to be towed home. When we went to go pick it up, it didn’t look like much. It was just an old truck sitting in a pile of weeds, but my dad saw the potential. He didn’t see the truck that it was. He saw the truck that it could be. So he and I invested about a year repairing and restoring this old vehicle into a great ride. The project took a lot of time and patience, but when this once discarded truck rolled out onto the road, it was a nice ride that ran and looked great. It underwent a serious transformation and was given new life. All because my dad saw the potential and the value.
That’s Kind of Like Us
It can be easy to look at ourselves and think about our flaws and imperfections. It can be easy to judge ourselves and think we’re just the way we are. But think about that old truck and the potential and the value just sitting there waiting. Waiting for the hands of a master mechanic with a vision and a work ethic. That’s us! We are flawed but greatly valued. We are imperfect but full of potential. We are being transformed and renewed. We are given new life. All because God sees our potential and our value. Look at these words from Ephesians 2…
But because of His great love for us,
God, who is rich in mercy,
made us alive with Christ…
For we are God’s handiwork,
created in Christ Jesus to do good works
Made Alive
The old truck came back to life. It was changed. Transformed. Made alive. How cool to think that when we change our minds (or our mindsets), God changes our hearts (or our “heartsets”). Check out these words from Colossians 3.
...set your hearts on things above...set your minds on things above…
clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another…and over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts...and be thankful.
THIS is Transformation
Changing our minds. Changing our hearts. The work of transformation begins on the inside. Let’s let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts. We are God’s handiwork, and we’ve got a lot of good miles ahead of us. Let’s get to work and get the truck running and on the road.
Remember to pray for each other, our families, our public servants, and our community. Pray for transformation and for grace and for peace.
God bless and have a great week!
Thom Miller
BCSD Chaplain
Mark 12:30-31, Matt 22:37-40; Gal 5:22-23; Luke 10:27; Rom 12:2; 1 Thes 5:16-18;
Eph 2:4-5, 8-10; Eph 3:16-21; Eph 4:1-3, 32; 1 Cor 13:4-7, 13; Psalm 46:10;
Rom 8:37-39; Phil 2:3-5; Phil 4:4-7; James 1:22-25; John 3:16-17, 21;
Col 3:12-14; Isaiah 40:13; Jer 29:11; Psalm 136:1; Rom 12:10-13
A Note from your Chaplain
October 9, 2019
Hey there, brother. Grace and peace to you today! You are continually in my thoughts and prayers. And keep in mind that you live in a community that prays for you and your families daily. Be sure to lift up your ministry team and this community in prayer.
Worthy and In Need
We are all the same. We are all worthy. Worthy of love and hope and forgiveness and compassion and peace.
We are all the same. We are all in need. In need of daily prayer and focus and renewal and transformation and grace.
Let’s remember to look to God and connect with God and love God.
We are worthy. We are in need.
Let’s remember to look to those around us and connect with those around us and love those around us.
We are worthy. We are in need.
Let’s remember that…
...God is good, all the time. And all the time, God is good.
Look. Connect. Love.
And let’s remember that…
...we are all the same. We are worthy. We are in need. Of God and each other.
Look. Connect. Love.
Conversations and Presence
I like to think about our conversations with God and our conversations with each other. To me, prayer is many things. It’s praise. It’s seeking wisdom. It’s a cry for help. It’s frustration. It’s thanks. It’s just talking. It’s appreciating the silent presence. It’s being together. It’s something we need. This is a lot like spending time and having conversations with each other. We have a need to connect. A need to love. A need to be loved.
With each other, this need is met in time together and conversation. With God, this need is met in time together and prayer. When we look for opportunities to connect, we will find them.
Let’s look. Let’s connect. Let’s love God and love others.
More About Prayer
This week, read through Matthew chapters 5-7 and Luke 6:17-49. This is Jesus teaching the basics of how to live. Great stuff! In Matthew 6:5-14, he teaches us about prayer. You should read it all, but here’s a quick overview.
...when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father...who sees what is done in secret...your Father knows what you need before you ask him...This, then, is how you should pray:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’
Good stuff to think about that this week. We are all in need, but we are all worthy. Look. Connect. Love. God bless and see you soon!
Thom Miller
BCSD Chaplain
Mark 12:30-31, Matt 22:37-40; Gal 5:22-23; Luke 10:27; Rom 12:2; 1 Thes 5:16-18;
Eph 2:4-5, 8-10; Eph 3:16-21; Eph 4:1-3, 32; 1 Cor 13:4-7, 13; Psalm 46:10;
Rom 8:37-39; Phil 2:3-5; Phil 4:4-7; James 1:22-25; John 3:16-17, 21;
Col 3:12-14; Isaiah 40:13; Jer 29:11; Psalm 136:1; Rom 12:10-13
Matt 5-7 (all of it); Luke 6:17-49
A Note from your Chaplain
October 15, 2019
Hey there, brother. I pray for grace and peace and joy to you today and this week! Think about this.
Grace is the generous gift of love, compassion, and forgiveness.
Peace is our sense of belonging, wholeness, love, and calm.
Joy is seeing the good in life and having a deep understanding of our many blessings.
I like that a lot, and it seems like a pretty good way to greet each other. We can all use a daily dose of grace and peace and joy. I pray you find that today with God and with each other.
So How Are You?
Really. How are you? We are asked this all the time, but do we really think about it? Here’s what I think. If we feel love, compassion, and forgiveness, then things are good. If we have a sense of belonging, wholeness, love, and calm, then things are good. If we can find the good and the blessings in life, then things are good.
Let Me Tell You Something
You are loved and worthy of compassion and worthy of forgiveness. That is good. You belong and can be whole. That is good. You can have calm. That is good. You can find the good and the blessings. That is good. You can have grace and peace and joy. That is good. All you have to do is be open to these gifts and accept these gifts. So how are you? Let me tell you...grace and peace and joy are yours for the taking. So, things are good.
Giving and Gaining
It’s pretty clear that in life, the more we give, the more we gain. I’m not really talking about material things like money and presents. I’m talking about the things that REALLY matter. Things like...
...love, compassion, forgiveness, belonging, wholeness, and calm.
This week, let’s think about how we give and how we gain these gifts. And remember that the more we give, the more we gain. And the more we gain, the more we should give. It’s a pretty awesome to share the things that matter. The things like grace and peace and joy. Let’s give it and gain it. I can guarantee when we live this way, things are good.
“Grace is the voice that calls us to change
and then gives us the power to pull it off.”
Max Lucado
“Imagine all the people living life in peace.
You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.
I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one.”
John Lennon
“Joy lies in the fight, in the attempt,
in the suffering involved, not in the victory itself.”
Mahatma Gandhi
Prayers
Remember that every day, our ministry team and this community is praying for you and your families. So please remember to pray for each other and for this community. You are a blessing. You are loved. You belong. You are worthy. May you find the grace and peace and joy that has been given to you. God bless and have a great week!
Thom Miller
BCSD Chaplain
Mark 12:30-31, Matt 22:37-40; Gal 5:22-23; Luke 10:27; Rom 12:2; 1 Thes 5:16-18;
Eph 2:4-5, 8-10; Eph 3:16-21; Eph 4:1-3, 32; 1 Cor 13:4-7, 13; Psalm 46:10;
Rom 8:37-39; Phil 2:3-5; Phil 4:4-7; James 1:22-25; John 3:16-17, 21;
Col 3:12-14; Isaiah 40:13; Jer 29:11; Psalm 136:1; Rom 12:10-13
Matt 5-7 (all of it)
