Local Events This Week!

 

As the war in Ukraine rages on, many of us continue to feel helpless and think, ‘I wish there were something I could do to help.’ There are two events being held in Northeast Ohio this week that you may be interested in.

First, in the Akron area:

“Art for Ukraine”

Wednesday, July 27, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

The Jenks Building, 1884 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls 

“Art for Ukraine” is an art show/auction to benefit a family who has recently arrived in our area from Eastern Ukraine. Many prominent local artists have donated their work for this event including Don Drumm, Bob Pozarski, Christopher Hoot, Mark Soppeland, James Lenavitt, Steve Caler, Chuck Ayers, and more. Free admission! Come and see this beautiful art in one of The Falls’ most remarkable buildings.

 

Second, in the Cleveland area:

“Broadway Night for Ukraine”

Thursday, July 28, 6:30 p.m.

Astrodome Event Center, 5720 State Rd., Parma

$40/reservations required at stjosaphateparchy.com   440-886-6800 

This event boasts live American theater, a 5-course European meal, and cash bar. Proceeds will go to hospitals, orphanages, and Christian aid centers for refugees in Ukraine and Poland. Third-generation Ukrainian American and soprano Julie Anna Gulenko leads the cast of local talent in an evening of Broadway favorites including West Side Story, Phantom of the Opera, The Sound of Music, and many more!

Please forward this info to your friends. We continue to pray for an end to the war and also for the people whose lives have been torn apart by it.

Walk Humbly With God

 

 

 

“You have been told what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.” –Micah 6:8

 

The prophet Micah summarizes the Ten Commandments in these three: do what’s right; love goodness; walk humbly with God.

‘Walk humbly.’ When we’re humble, we acknowledge that all we are, all we do, and all we have are gifts from God. We recognize our need for His grace to help us generously and compassionately serve others, and that it’s through this loving service that we become more like Him. When we’re humble, we trust that He knows what’s best for us – what will bring us closer to Him -- and so we search for Him and His loving guidance.  We ask Him to lead us to the complete joy and true peace He wills for us; peace not as the world gives but as He gives (see John 14:27).

‘Walk with God.’ You can’t walk with someone who isn’t alive. Micah didn’t say, “You’re on your own. Memorize the Ten Commandments, and good luck following them.” No. He tells us to walk with God now, because God is alive and with us now.

This ‘walking’ may be taken both literally and figuratively. Let Him walk with you through the ups and downs of your days. Go for a walk or sit down for a bit and pour out your heart to Him. Tell Him what’s on your mind. Share with Him your deepest desires, hopes, joys, fears, and doubts. Let yourself feel loved by Him, protected by Him, affirmed and encouraged by Him. Learn from God what He wants to teach you. He uses anything and everything to speak to us, including nature, the people around us, and the words of Scripture. Let Him love you where you are.

‘Do what’s right, and love goodness.’ God is love, so when we love goodness, we want to stay close to Him. We reject what pulls us away from Him. When we have a choice to make – and we make many throughout the day -- we seek His wisdom, and we’re drawn to what’s loving, right, and good. Sometimes more than one option is good; in that case, we can be at peace with the one we select.

“Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face continually.
Remember His wonders which He has done.” –Psalm 105:4-5

God is alive and He is with you! Seek Him. Walk with Him. With humble reverence ask Him to fill you with His power, peace, love, and joy so that you may become more like Him. Ask God to use you to show His love to the world so that the world may know Him.

“Lord, I need Your grace to become the loving person you created me to be. Walk with me and teach me to love what’s right and good.”

 

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2022 Gina Bedell    

If you would like to receive these reflections directly to your inbox, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

Comments are always welcome! Feel free to share it with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Thanks!

 p.s.

We continue to pray for an end to the war. If you’d like to help the people of Ukraine through the Cleveland Maidan Association, you may use either PayPal or a credit/debit card here:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/...

 

Being Present in Our Relationships

 

 “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” 

–Luke 10:41-42

“Mary has chosen the better part.” Jesus makes it clear that Martha’s working to prepare dinner was good; Mary’s stillness and being present to Him was better.

Jesus acknowledged that it took a lot of work to prepare a meal: “you’re worried about many things.” He wanted Martha to see, though, that stressing over her to-do list was keeping her away from Him and the other guests, and was fueling hostile feelings toward her sister. By supporting Mary’s decision to ‘choose the better part,’ Jesus showed that taking a few moments to be with Him was more important than getting dinner on the table on time. Feeding the body was good; feeding the soul was better.

We, too, have many obligations; most of these are good and necessary. Sometimes, though, we get so wrapped up in trying to get everything done that we let our work get in the way of our relationships. We may be so ‘busy’ checking things off our list that we don’t make time for each other. We don’t stop to be present to each other and enjoy each other’s company. No matter what obligations we have, our relationships are more important than the doing.

Our relationship with the Lord, too, is more important than even our charitable work. We strengthen our relationship with Him when we take time to be present to Him. We can do this by sitting outside and thanking Him for all the beauty around us. We might sit still for a few moments, invite Him to pour His peace into our heart, and then notice what thoughts and feelings come our way. He loves us and will bless us whenever we offer our time to Him.

If we have so much to do that we think we don’t have time to stop and be present to each other or to God, then maybe we have taken on too much, or maybe we need to reevaluate what’s important and what’s more important.  

Did you ever wonder what happened after this scene in scripture? Maybe Martha had a change of heart. Maybe she wiped her hands, took off her apron, and sat down to listen to what Jesus had to say. Maybe she felt relaxed and filled with Jesus’ peace after spending time with Him. Maybe she learned that it didn’t matter if dinner was a little later than usual -- it was better to let our Lord feed her soul first.

“Lord, help me see how I can make time for the people who are important to me, including You.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2022 Gina Bedell    

If you would like to receive these reflections directly to your inbox, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

Comments are always welcome! Feel free to share it with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Thanks!

 p.s.

We continue to pray for an end to the war. If you’d like to help the people of Ukraine through the Cleveland Maidan Association, you may use either PayPal or a credit/debit card here:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/...

 

Loving Our Young Men

 

Photo credit: @Kaysha

 

“…He felt compassion for them because they were troubled and helpless like sheep without a shepherd.” –Matthew 9:36

Jesus’ heart went out to the people. They were distressed. They had physical and mental illnesses. Their needs were many and their burdens heavy.

We’ve been shocked and saddened beyond words to hear of one mass shooting after another. In his book The Boy Crisis and in a podcast titled “Avoiding School Shootings and The Boy Crisis,” Dr. Warren Farrell discusses the issues that lead to mass homicides. He points out that all of the mass shootings in the U.S. were committed by young men, and that these young men had many strikes against them, including having no father figure. They were troubled, lost, and angry. They mistakenly thought they had nothing to live for.

As with all other huge and complex issues, if there were a simple solution to this one it would have been implemented by now. Instead of throwing up our hands in despair, though, and letting someone else fix the problem, maybe we can do something. Parents and guardians, teachers, coaches, and mentors already know the positive impact they may have on young people. LeBron James talks often about how the male role models of his youth saved him from life on the streets. Without those father figures, he says, he would have become just another statistic. But thanks to those mentors, LeBron has succeeded in many ways and has used his influence to give the youth of Akron – and their parents and guardians – a future with promise through education and a network of other community resources.

What can the rest of us do? Maybe you’ve considered coaching, tutoring, or volunteering with an organization that serves youth. Whether in an official capacity or not, all of us can have a positive influence on the boys and young men in our lives. We can love them by creating opportunities to give them our undivided time and attention. Let them know that what they have to say is important. Assure them that their value isn’t dependent on their performance. Help them discover what their gifts are and see that they have something unique to offer.

Let’s use our particular circumstances to make a difference. And if you kick yourself for not taking advantage of an opportunity when it presented itself, resolve to do so next time.

The issue is difficult and complex. To choose not to do anything gives evil a free pass and an unfair advantage. Let’s start with trying to have the compassionate heart of Jesus. Let’s find ways to reach the young men in our lives and make sure they know they’re important, loved, and wanted – and convince them to believe it.

 “Lord, bless the young men in my community. Show me how I can be a positive source of affirmation to the boys and young men around me.”

 

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2022 Gina Bedell     If you would like to receive these reflections directly to your inbox, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

Comments are always welcome! Feel free to share it with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Thanks!

p.s. We continue to pray for an end to the war. If you’d like to help the people of Ukraine through the Cleveland Maidan Association, you may use either PayPal or a credit/debit card here:  https://www.paypal.com/donate/...