St. Luke's Blogs

Baseball, at any level, is fun, but one of the most notable and popular baseball events is the Little League World Series. The kids who play on these highly dedicated little league teams are between the ages of 10 and 12. They compete in tournaments all over the United States and around the world for the opportunity to travel to South Williamsport, Pennsylvania and compete in the series. It takes a tremendous amount of time, effort, and desire to earn a spot in the Little League World Series.

Recently, a player from Tulsa made international news for something he did in a tournament leading up to the Little League World Series…

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves.” So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

“Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you; therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. Yea, O people in Zion who dwell at Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when he hears it, he will answer you.”

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” – 3 John 1:4

The more things change, the more they stay the same.  It was the night before her first, first day of school, and honestly, I don’t know who was more nervous.  At “Meet the Teacher Night” she told her teacher she was “a little bit apprehensive.”

Had we taught her all the things she would need to know to be successful?  How many new friends would she make?   Would she miss her Mama, a little, but not too much?

Mark records the amazing journey of Jesus and his disciples. On one occasion, Jesus and his disciples were entering the region of the Gerasenes. When they stepped out of the boat, they were met by a demon-possessed man. This man lived apart from his community, sleeping in and around the tombs. Mark goes into great detail about this man and his struggles. He must have truly been a problem because Mark records that the people had tried to bind this man in chains, but he was too strong. He would break free and no one or nothing was able to hold him. When Jesus and his disciples arrived on the shore, they were confronted by this man and people from the community…

“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?” – Luke 15:8

Hunting for treasure can be an exciting thing. Hunting for treasure in the Caribbean is exhilarating. For centuries, people have looked for buried treasure that pirates have left behind. Divers have looked for sunken ships that were thought to be lost to the ocean depths. Hunting for treasure takes time and effort and most often leaves a person empty handed. However, modern technology and a passion to find lost treasure has offered modern treasure hunters the possibilities of reclaiming what was thought to be lost to legend and time…

When I think about “Building a Better World,” I remember a life-changing mission to South Africa and experiencing a way of life that I had longed for and knew could be world changing.  In Africa, they call it Ubuntu…. a way of life. I knew the word and had learned more about it in reading Desmond Tutu’s book: No Future Without Forgiveness. Tutu writes: “Ubuntu speaks of the very essence of being human.  When we want to give high praise to someone we say, ‘Hey so and so has ubuntu.’  That means you are generous, you are hospitable, you are friendly, caring, compassionate:  You respect others, you are unselfish; if I am in need, you share what you have.  It is to understand this core belief: ‘My humanity is caught up, is inextricably bound up, in yours….’  It is to say: ‘I am what I am because of who we all are’.”

Susan Boyle is a Scottish singer who came to fame in a most unusual way. At the age of 48, she took a risk and auditioned on the show, Britain’s Got Talent. Susan was nervous to step on such a large stage. When she stepped on the stage, she was facing a massive crowd who had gathered in the 3,000-seat auditorium. Not only was it a capacity crowd, but sitting in the front row were the infamous Britain’s Got Talent judges.

As Susan Boyle stood nervous before Simon Cowell and the judges, she told them that she wanted to be a “professional singer.” The judges looked at her with doubt clearly marked on their faces. Susan was nervous. In fact, she had tried to back out of the audition, but her voice coach talked her into at least giving it a try…

I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.[b]For by the grace given to me I bid every one among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith which God has assigned him. For as in one body we have many members, and all the members do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; he who teaches, in his teaching; he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who contributes, in liberality; he who gives aid, with zeal; he who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor.

“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”