Patience is a two-way street

I must admit, in my youth I wondered if getting married and having a family was worth the effort. The thought of “settling down” was as foreign as becoming a minister. God has plans of his own, and I thought my education at Ball State University was enough of a foundation to get me through life.  There are two related sayings, “Patience is a virtue,” and “Good things happen to those who wait.”
 Under the right variables and conditions, I decided to get married to Sylvia. She accepted my offer, and we have Jason, who is 12, and Emily, 8.  As a husband and father, I have come to know why patience is a virtue. It is a learned characteristic. You can’t find it in a box or a pill, and it doesn’t grow instantly.
The path to becoming a minister also was something that I fought at first. I wondered, “Why me, the worst of all sinners.” But that is another discussion. The coming of Jesus in the form of a man was foretold long before His birth. The concept of time is an invention we humans try to measure as accurately as possible, but to God time is something different, and hundreds of years passed before the words became a reality, much like years passed in my life before I accepted the task to become a minister and to have a family of my own.
But patience is a two-way street.  There are goals and perhaps, promises, fathers and mothers give to their children. But on the other side, when we pray to the Lord or when children ask of things from their parents, the requestors, so to speak, must also have patience. Like I said, you can’t find it in a box or a pill, and it doesn’t grow instantly.  The impatience of youth demands answers, and answers now.
As a parent, sometimes decisions and requests are often delayed or put back on a list of more important tasks.  This must also be with the Lord, when we ask for instant answers or promises of a better future.  There is a song that says it is best when God doesn’t answer all of your prayers, at least in the content when initially made, because with patience and time a better answer will come along.  As always, Jesus, especially, his presence on this earth, is the best example this concept.
 In our drive-up, order online society, the answers to important questions seem like they are easy to find. By looking at patience from both directions before crossing the street can a decision be made to cross safely. 

Peace be  you with always,

Rev. Paul Abernathy

Contact Paul Abernathy at paulabernathy@gmail.com.

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ArtBrushed Barns 4

(Photo by Mike Hall)

A barn along Interstate Highway 65 near Lebanon, Indiana, serves as a portrait to a way of life int he widwest that has sustained the country and parts of the world for years. To see other ArtBrushed photos, click here.

Little Babe

The newest member of the Lambda Sigma Chi fraternity, Brian Kohut, wrote this poem for his daughter, Dalia, when she was born in 1994.  See his complete biography in the January 2010 Exponet newsletter.

Little Babe

Open your eyes, little babe,
and see your new room.
Do not frown little babe,
for then the world will be bad.
Open your mouth, little babe,
and let your voice be heard.
Now lay in my lap, little babe,
and close your eyes to sleep.
If you are bumped, little babe,
you will shake the world.
Now you are asleep, little babe,
all the world is well. 

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Everything I Need

I’ve found everything I need
in the comfort of your arms.
Your love has put a spell on me,
and I’m captured by your charms.
You quickly put my mind at ease,
and you keep me safe from harm.

I am not a virgin,
now that you have touched my heart.
I am no longer hurtin’,
now that that you have become a part of my life.
I was touched elsewhere,
but that is not where it counts. Once J was lost,
but with your love I’ve found a new life.

I’ve found everything I need
in the comfort of your arms.
Your love has put a spell on me,
and I’m captured by your charms.
You quickly put my mind at ease,
and you keep me safe from harm. 

I have the knowledge,
the security, that you will stay.
I sense the breeze,
as I walk up along the bay of your love.
A spirit within me grows;
I feel stronger each and every day.
The sun is shining, and, like a child,
I want to play within your love.

I’ve found everything I need
in the comfort of your arms.
Your love has put a spell on me,
and I’m captured by your charms.
You quickly put my mind at ease,
and you keep me safe from harm.

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Guardián del Corazón Secreto

Para ver la versión original en inglés, haga click aquí. 

Guardián del Corazón Secreto

Mi corazón ama sólo dos,
sino a uno que debe ser verdad.
Hice una promesa que se debe mantener
hasta el día final de mi muerte.
Esto no es realmente un problema, todavía.
Siento que he estado dos veces bendito.
Dos seres especiales optaron por el amor
me encima y más allá el resto.
Soy el guardián de los secretos del corazón.
Sólo una sonrisa especial lo dirá.
Se quedará en silencio por su parte,
y todos viviremos bien.

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Shadows (French version)

Shadows

La ligne où se réunit noir blanc
dépend de la position de la lumière.
Près de la ligne sont des teintes de gris.
C’est la zone où la paix joue.

Pour lire ce poème en anglais, cliquez ici. 

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A Joyful Noise

I love music. I love to listen to it. I love to write it and arrange it. I love to sing it. Even if I became blind, the piano would still be my best friend.   The subjects of my music have changed since my youth, as Elias Tobias continues to point out, but I believe in the power of music, especially when it goes to the Lord. As a youth minister, music is a large part of my work, and I am involved with different theatrical productions as well as a several youth choirs.  Getting involved in choral competitions is a great feeling.
Church music is not just the numbered selections in the hymnal in the back of the pews that are used for different services throughout the year.  The music contained in those books is powerful, and Elias Tobias said his grandfather was a great singer in his country church. His grandfather’s favorite was “The Old Rugged Cross.”
Christian music is alive and well. Contemporary groups, such as the News Boys carry on a legacy of modern music with guitars, drums and electronic keyboards, the tools of secular musicians.  I once knew of a couple who, in the 1980’s, replaced their entire rock and roll collections (I wish I had those albums now) with music from groups like Petra, Stryper, Phil Keaggy and Carman and Keith Green.  Sandi Patti, Michael W. Smith and others became famous as gospel singers.  Gospel music is one of the basic roots of country music today.
A listing of gospel singers would not be complete without mentioning Bill Gaither, an American singer and songwriter of southern gospel and Contemporary Christian music. In 2000, he and his wife Gloria Gaither were awarded Christian “Songwriter of the Century” by the American Society of Composers and Publishers (ASCAP). He has been performing since the 1950’s in the Bill Gaither Trio.  He has become an industry influence and father-figure to many up-and-comers in the Contemporary Christian music industry.  He, in collaboration with other writers, has written several books, became an entrepreneur creating record labels and he has a company that publishes magazines related to his business interests.
Since the early years of the Christian church, music, in different styles, has been a part the message of God’s love and redemption for all men.  Singing to the Lord is a “joyful noise.”
Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, Whereof we are glad. – Psalm 126:2-3
Peace be  you with always,

Rev. Paul Abernathy

Contact Paul Abernathy at paulabernathy@gmail.com.

Want to know more about the members of Lambda Sigma Chi? Click here to meet the members of the unofficial fraternity.  

ArtBrushed Barns 3

 (Photo by Mike Hall)

A barn along Interstate 70 in Indiana has crops growing near it.  To see other ArtBrushed photos, click here.

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Recipe for a Poem

Brother Adrian Parker answers the age-old question about how to get started writing a poem.

Recipe for a Poem

There is an event,
With a scheduled time, and
People will be present.
I’ve got to have the right
Recipe for this poem.
The different nouns need to
Blend with a variety of verb, and
adjectives should easily be heard.
Rhymes, internal and external, in
Each line are just a part of the
Story of a person to be told,
And publication of the work will
Be available to all, young or old.

Learn 10 ways how you can harness the Power of Words with modern technology.   

Diamond in the Rough

You’re more than I can see.
There’s more than you think you can be.
You are a diamond in the rough.

Like the chosen, you were found,
a precious gem buried in the ground.
You are a diamond in the rough.

You have a character that’s tough,
but to be worthy, the surface needs cut.
You are a diamond in the rough.

In a master’s hand’s, you will glow
and all of your internal beauty will show.
You are a diamond in the rough.

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