SPROUTS

February 29, 2024February 29, 2024 / joseph elon lillie / 2 Comments

Well my indoor garden has sprouted. My friend Jody says I have planted too early. It may be so, but that is the glory of experimentation. We shall see what the future holds for my garden… and other things. I am finding a weird sort of peace in the face of all the current uncertainties. I possess a kind of contentment in the midst of uncertain circumstances that is based in eternal certainties.

I don’t know if my garden will grow to fruit.

I don’t know how long my mother’s failing health will hold.

I don’t know how long the church’s current favor in the community will last.

Pastor Amanda volunteering at the CAC Bowling Alley

I don’t know about my future prosperity. my regions future prosperity. The country’s future prosperity. The world’s future prosperity.

I don’t know a lot of things…..But there are things I am certain of.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[a] have been called according to his purpose. ROMANS 8:28

I CAN BE… confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. PHIL. 1:6

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.^[a]11Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives ¹²as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.^[b] That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. ¹³But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. 2 PETER 3:9-13

So I can see the forest. It’s the trees I am struggling to see.

DO YOU SEE THE FOREST OR THE TREES?

Tired…. but Still Cute

January 19, 2024January 20, 2024 / joseph elon lillie / Leave a comment

My Grandson’s newest game. I call it “Toddler Trainwreck”

It is 11:52 P.M. I was asleep. I had given up on the day and this post among other things. I was tired, so I retired to my recliner (the place I am currently spending most nights to watch over Mom). I was actually sleeping pretty good and then I heard mom trying to rise to get to the bathroom.

I am glad she did. I am glad she needed the help to the bathroom. It gave me the push I needed to finish the day. So I plugged in the Mom’s medical pad and logged in her final meds for the day which I had neglected to do at supper time, and now I am finishing up this blog. I feel accomplished…and cute… just like my grandson playing his new game of “toddler train wreck”.

I am playing train wreck with the end of the day. Does it qualify if this blog about yesterday is actually posted at 12:01 A.M. today? I think it should.

2024 Day 18…TIME MOVING FASTER

January 18, 2024January 18, 2024 / joseph elon lillie / Leave a comment

I feel like I am moving in slow motion while the world is speeding up around me.

I can’t believe it has been six days since I have taken a moment to breathe and write here on “Notes…”.

It’s not that I haven’t written anything. I am doing daily VLOGS and daily written devotionals during the 21 days of fasting and prayer. Our congregational word for the year is “PREPARE”

God is sharing with me during this season, that I will be leading the church through a time of preparation and carrying out the fruit of that preparation. I feel like we are at the beginning of a great race. I also sense it may not be a very long race once it begins, but it is going to consume every bit of energy and resource we are preparing.

One thing I am learning is that oof I am going to prepare I need to do a little everyday without missing a day. Consistency is going to be a very important part of my days ahead.

WHAT ARE THE IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUR YEAR AHEAD?

DAY 1 2024

January 1, 2024January 1, 2024 / joseph elon lillie / 2 Comments

Happy New Year!

2023 is history. Here is my favorite picture from the last year.

This is a picture of night time at The Vicarage during a full moon. I was pleasantly surprised by the filter edits I was able to impose on the original.

I am setting my sights on 2024 now. I am praying close into what God will give me for the year ahead. I already know my word for the year…”PREPARE”. I am asking now what I should use for filters on the raw material God gives me so that I might be prepared for God’s best outcome.

I know I am going to be working on my weight, strength and flexibility.

I know I am going to be working on my administrative capabilities.

I know I am going to be working on my writing again.

I know I am going to be preparing for some big changes at The Vicarage which will affect me spiritually, emotionally, and practically.

I know there are opportunities and challenges in my pastoral work that I need to get a better understanding of.

I know there are coming changes in The United States and the Earth which I need to understand better.

I know God is about to move in our church in some new, exciting and challenging ways.

I know God is about to move in our region in some new, exciting and challenging ways.

Lord Prepare me! Lord prepare us!

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE NEXT YEAR WILL BRING?

Memories Of Christmas 2023

December 26, 2023December 26, 2023 / joseph elon lillie / Leave a comment

Christmas 2023 created so many wonderful memories for me. It was a season of old traditions and new experiences blended together. We started the Christmas celebration with Christmas Eve service and communion followed by a quiet family dinner. We had shrimp with cocktail sauce and roast beef pinwheels, Eggnog and Christmas cookies, and chips with salsa and cream cheese dip as usual. But this year we added lumpia to the mix.

It was Sevy and Kristine’s first American Christmas so we blended American tradition with Philippine tradition.

Christmas Day we started the day with stuffed French toast and bacon.

For lunch I made lasagna, cole slaw and buttermilk biscuits. Kristine made more lumpia….soo good!

maja blanca….soooo good!

and lechon….sooooooooooo good!

The day was ordered around keeping Sevy on track with the Christmas plans. We knew it was time to move onto the next tradition when Sevy started climbing the walls.

Opening presents with four generations was one of yesterday’s great blessings. It is not every family that has the privilege to have four generations living under one roof.

The Christmas season has come and gone and now we are rushing headlong into the New Year. My word for 2024 is “Prepare”. I believe next year will be a year of great upheaval and change. Holding on to our hope, peace, joy and love is going to need that preparation.

A DAY GIVEN TO DEATH

December 20, 2023 / joseph elon lillie / Leave a comment

I am in the midst of a day of death. I awoke this morning and headed to church early to set up tables in our fellowship hall for a funeral reception we are having this evening. After finishing up at church I was just sitting down to put the finishing touches on my funeral sermon when I got a call from another parishioner. His wife had just passed into glory.

I experienced several moments of feeling overwhelmed. Then the still small voice of God spoke into my heart.

DEATH IS NOT THE END. IT IS A BEGINNING.

I knew this as truth. I just needed the reminder in the moment of stress. I am thankful for a God who is able to speak to me when I need speaking to.

Bolstered by the knowledge of new beginnings I went to the family, prayed with them, hugged them and did the work for which God has appointed me. Now as I sit awaiting tonight’s funeral that knowledge still holds me and will hold me through. Such knowledge can hold us all through as we face life’s greatest challenges. There is a God who loves us. He is passionate about mankind. He brings help wherever He is invited, wherever He is welcomed. In the presence of God even death becomes a doorway through which we can walk into greater blessing.

WHERE IN YOUR LIFE DO YOU NEED TO WELCOME GOD AT THIS MOMENT?

THE SMALLEST ACT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

December 16, 2023 / joseph elon lillie / Leave a comment

NO ACT OF KINDNESS, NO MATTER HOW SMALL, IS EVER WASTED- AESOP

Today was leadership training day at Cornerstone.

One of my core values as a pastor is continual learning for our leadership. So once a month we set aside a Saturday for training. Today was a review of some of the training lessons from the past, specifically Atomic Habits. Atomic habits are small changes that reap great change.

This quote reminds me of the atomic habits. It’s not always the grand gestures that change the world. Sometimes its just a cup of cold water offered at the right time. I am trying to practice little kindnesses in my life now. I am trying to be more kind (with varying degrees of success depending on the day, but I am trying). I am also working on my mindfulness in life’s activities. When I show up I am trying to be present…really present.

WHAT ARE SOME LITTLE KINDNESSES THAT HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE?

So Much Fun

December 11, 2023 / joseph elon lillie / 2 Comments

We just marched through the second weekend of Advent, The weekend of Peace. It was so much fun. Last week our church was honored to host our local high school for three days while the school was repaired from a malfunction with one of its hot water heaters.

This weekend we had a team come in to clean up and get ready for church on Sunday. But the church staff and school staff did such a great job of putting the church back together that the congregation was able to do a few extra jobs which have been waiting in the wings.

I had thought we would have the students with us for two weeks, so I rented this huge dumpster which the school hardly used. We used it instead to get rid of a shed full of rotten lumber we have been sitting on for a looooong time. Meanwhile a group of ladies went through out kitchen and indoor storage rooms to get rid of old and broken kitchen and ministry items.

I love cleaning out!

Another group of congregants worked in the sanctuary reattaching the chairs which had been disconnected and because it is the fourth season of the church year they also vacuumed. You know the four seasons of the church year don’t you? Spring, Summer, Fall and Glitter.

Vacuuming is not really effective against glitter but at least it gets up the sand and the salt that people carry in from the parking lot.

After the clean out Amanda and I headed over to our sister church, Bread of Life, which was hosting the Special Touch Ministry Christmas party.

It was ten years ago that Amanda and I joined twelve other people led by Mike and Kim Ferguson to start the first New England Chapter of Special Touch Ministry to the Disabled.

It is amazing to see what God has done over this last decade through this ministry!

It was even more amazing to see Mike playing King Herod for the Christmas story wearing a tiara.

While we were partying, Kristine was hard at work at home reorganizing the Vicarage kitchen.

Amanda, Melanie, Daniella and Abigail, finished off the night by attending Cornerstone’s leadership Christmas party.

It was a busy day filled with true peace.

WHAT DID YOU DO LAST WEEKEND?

Six Baptisms, Four Members and a Chili Cook Off

October 30, 2023 / joseph elon lillie / Leave a comment

Yesterday, was a huge day of celebration at Cornerstone Church Winchendon. WE baptized six new believers, welcomed four people into fellowship as members and we held a DLT chili cook off to help raise money towards our new parking lot. It was a great fellowship sponsored by one of our DLT groups, The Blessing Bunchg of Mixed Nuts. Here are some photos from the day.

The Book Club chili took third place, Andrew and Gabe.

The Steadfast Sons chili made by Mike Murphy.

Bag End Beam took first place for best decorated door. Melanie and Trinity in their Ho bit garb.

Corn bread was a big part of the day. Here are Crystal, Deb, and Sandy with their chilis

In the end the ladies group, Beter Together took home first prize.

TO WRITE AGAIN

October 12, 2023October 12, 2023 / joseph elon lillie / Leave a comment

One of the things I regularly do is go through my life and evaluate how my life is going. Is it the life God desires for me? Is it the life I want to live? Am I living to my potential? What am I doing that I shouldn’t be doing? What am I not doing that I should be doing?

One of the things I discovered in my latest evaluation, is that I want to get back to writing again. And I want to get back to artistic expression.

We started Royal Rangers (our churches boy’s group) again last week. The first merit we are working on is the art merit. Maybe that is what is driving me back to the desire to create. I want to get back to story. I want to get back to drawing. I want to back to making something that draws on imagination.

Then again, maybe it is something in my current work of pastoring that is driving me to this. I was in a conversation last Friday with someone as I attended a local worship conference. As we spoke I realized just how complex the work of pastoring has been lately. I have many questions about what comes next in the work.

I spent the weekend in deep prayer. As I was praying in the midnight hour on Saturday evening some words and a picture came to mind.

I am not sure what these things mean exactly, but I know they are my brain trying to process some very intricate data. So maybe that is what is driving me back to writing again. I just know that whatever it is, my desire to write again is overwhelming. I need to do it.

What drives you to your writing or your art?

Notes From the Vicarage

A minister's family living in a micro forest garden

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