GRAMPA IN THE BONES

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I recently had an opportunity to attend a forum on minster’s health. I was struck by a statement that was made by the forum director. It resonated deeply with me.

YOU CAN HAVE JESUS IN YOUR HEART, BUT STILL HAVE GRAMPA IN YOUR BONES.

The idea is that even after receiving Jesus we all have strongholds. Paul the apostle wrote, ” For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Cor. 10:3-5

I have been left wondering what strongholds were erected in my life simply because I was born into the family I was born into. But it is not just the negative things I am thinking about either. What advantages did my family of origin plant inside of me?

I am praying through that I might capitalize on the latter while tearing down the former.

HOW ABOUT YOU? WHAT ADVANTAGES COME FROM YOUR FAMILY OF ORIGIN THAT YOU CAN CAPITALIZE ON? WHAT STRONGHOLDS NEED TO BE TORN DOWN?

OF MEN AND SERVICES AND BOARDS

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I am sitting in the cafe at church right now on my writing day (that would be Monday). This is the day I write my sermon, pre-write a few blogs, create the worship services I am going to sing for the week, and layout plans for my upcoming weekly meetings. It’s a busy administrative/creative day which always finishes up with three hours of prayer at The Worship Room House of Prayer in downtown Winchendon

I started this morning by driving to our church treasurer’s house to get some checks signed so we could pay our contractor for a plumbing project slated to begin at the church in a few weeks. I met the contractor at the church handed him the check and after he went on to another project I sat down to finish the sermon for next Sunday.

We are in a series now entitled THE DLT REFRESHER.

Next Sunday I will be preaching on Meeting Needs which is one of five pillars in our Doing Life Together ethos. Doing Life Together has become our church’s mantra over the course of the last five years. It encapsulates the purpose for which we do everything we do.

Ministry here at Cornerstone is based around the idea of of doing life TOGETHER. This last weekend, for instance, the men off Cornerstone and several from other churches met together for a day of AWAKENING. That was the theme of our men’s conference this Spring.During the course of the day,on Saturday, we shared two meals together and talked in large and small groups about what it means to AWAKEN: AWAKEN TO THE CHERISH/ AWAKEN TO THE TRANSFORMATION PROCESS/ AWAKEN TO THE BATTLE IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD/ AND AWAKEN TO YOUR CONNECTION WITH GOD. It was an awesome day!

Then yesterday we had church service. You can watch the service below

SERVICE HERE

After service we went into our quarterly church board meeting. Lunch was served by

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18MbT4j7PM

While having lunch together we went through deacon nominations and a discussion about a proposed solar field on the church property. Then, we chatted about spiritual matters regarding discipleship and church growth. We planned and updated over several building projects for the church and finished up in a conversation about community involvement.

The weekend was very full. Monday has been very full. But I have gotten to spend these last days with some wonderful people accomplishing some amazing things.

HOW WAS YOUR WEEKEND?

ADDING ON

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Last September, my son-in-law and daughter and their girls moved into The Vicarage to lay plans for their next steps into home ownership.

Now there is going to be a new baby! We are all so excited for Baby boy Franklin to arrive, but it does mean we have had to start solidifying plans for the future.

The Franklins are going to be staying here and helping with the Vicarage as Brenda and I age! So Brenda and I have begun looking at floor plans. It seems to make sense to let the Franklins occupy the original Vicarage and for Brenda and I to build a smaller addition or cottage to the property.

We really like the idea of a smaller cottage home on the adjoining piece of property. Here is one of floor plans we are looking at.

LATE WINTER PROJECTS AT THE VICARAGE 2026

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There is no doubt that the end of winter is near. The air has become increasingly unstable. Our temperatures are fluctuating between 3 degrees Fahrenheit and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Our New England atmosphere is full of small snowstorms that finish as bothersome ice storms making the shoveling this time of year rather nasty.

We have had two days of shoveling this week and I am thinking that by tomorrow morning we will have another five to seven inches of snow to shovel from the drive.

This is the time of year when I am itching to get out into the garden and yet all I can manage is to stay somewhat even with the everyday chores: Walking the dogs, feeding the chickens, mucking the chicken runs and coops, feeding the wild birds and wild rabbits.

This is the time of year when winter stores are running out for the forest critters and so bird seed and scraps for the bunnies and squirrels become essential for life.

Photo by Mark Neminov on Pexels.com

Even our Cooper’s hawk is seeming a bit more desperate these days.

Photo by Tina Nord on Pexels.com

Still we all know Spring is just around the corner and the outside jobs will soon want doing. I am looking forward to the earth thawing out and getting my hands into garden soil again.

WHAT ABOUT SPRING MAKES EXCITES YOU?

COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS FEBRUARY 2026

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On Saturday February 28, the Beals Memorial Library, in Winchendon Massachusetts, began to host a series of conversations around community and what that looks like. We call it Bridging Ideas and Building Futures

From 10-12 last Saturday thirty eight people gathered around tables to share what community is to them. This was an intergenerational / cross community gathering. We had middle schoolers represented and senior citizens; people of faith and atheists; factory workers, truck drivers pastors, consultants and even a nuclear physicist.

Thirty eight people doing small group work at tables. Thirty eight people sharing thoughts and findings in a community circle.

We began by sharing what the word community means. We continued by asking what makes a community vibrant. Our third question was How do individuals thrive with a community.

Now those findings are being compiled into a report that will lead to our next conversation on March 28…What kind of a community do we want to be?

the executive committee met afterwards and based on the comments of attendees we are moving the next conversation to a larger venue. I am excited to see what comes of these conversations. In a world so filled with division it is so hope inducing to see diverse individuals coming together to converse in a healthy and cooperative way.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO BUILD COMMUNITY WHERE YOU LIVE?

THOUGHTS FROM THE 21 DAYS DAY 3

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In January our church held its annual congregational fast. For 21 days we prayed together, fasted together and meditated on 1 John . Here are my thoughts from those times of devotion in 1 John.

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our[a] joy complete. 1 JOHN 1:1-4

MEDITATIONAL THOUGHT:

Sharing your personal encounter with Jesus brings complete joy to the community of faith.

MY THOUGHTS:

One of the things I am working on in the new year is in collaborating with people in my congregation to share stories about how God is showing up in their lives. I realize my role in the Sunday morning service is to bring the “rightly divided Word of truth” from the Scripture, but the part of sharing testimony can and even should come from the congregation. The body of Christ needs to see how the “rightly divided Word of truth” works out in personal circumstances. I need to see that in my own life and the lives of those around me so that I can be encouraged all the more as I see the day of Lord drawing near. That day is close now I think.

WHAT STORIES ARE YOU SHARING TO ENCOURAGE YOURSELF TOWARDS FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE LATELY?